No Good Deed confirms a known fact: The Los Angeles real-estate market is no joke. Forget the mortgage or maintenance of a spectacular Spanish-style villa. What if a terrible crime occurred in the living room, the bedroom has a creepy hideout, or the neighbors are insane? Any potential buyers of Paul (Ray Romano) and Lydia Morgan’s (Lisa Kudrow) vast, sunny corner home on Derby Drive might have to deal with these issues. In the intriguing premiere, as people waft in and out during an open house, the couple munches on popcorn and spies on everyone from a locked room. The two are obsessed with finding the right family to take over the property and prevent their horrible secrets from being discovered.
At first glance, the show is a promising, juicy mix of Desperate Housewives and series creator Liz Feldman’s previous show, Dead To Me, especially after a few eager buyers ingrain themselves into the Morgans’ lives (just like Judy did to Jen in DTM). Not to mention, No Good Deed’s coveted cast also includes Dead To Me alum Linda Cardellini in another scenery-chewing performance. Despite these advantages, Feldman’s Netflix follow-up slowly falls apart because it’s—gasp—pretty boring, with half-baked scripts, a lack of suspense, disjointed arcs that align too late, and surface-level character development.
This is disappointing considering Feldman has proved her ability to tackle dark personal stories told through a seamlessly droll lens. Dead To Me is tender and comical in its examination of two friends’ bond in the face of trauma. No Good Deed seriously struggles to attain a similar vibe, with the script unable to sufficiently cultivate the emotion or zingers for a proper payoff. It’s not for a lack of trying from Kudrow and Romano, though, who seem determined to lend nuance to their characters’ complicated marriage.
The show shakily unpacks Paul and Lydia’s fractured relationship in the wake of their son’s death three years ago. Through the conceit of selling their beloved home, No Good Deed delves into why Paul can’t wait to get away, while Lydia is unable to let go of the memories of where her kids were raised. This tug-of-war, along with grief and an assortment of lies, has created a rift and the need for a fresh start. No Good Deed has flashes of success when it dwells on how Paul and Lydia are coping. But the show gets distracted often with brief flashbacks and meandering twists.
The rest of the ensemble feels wasted, too, as underdeveloped supporting players vie to acquire the expensive Derby Drive property. There’s the persistent Leslie (Abbi Jacobson) and Sarah (Poppy Liu), who want to raise a family in their “dream house”; an expecting Carla (Teyonah Parris) and her new husband Dennis (O-T Fagbenle), who hope to do the same, ideally without the help of his overbearing mother (played to perfection by Anna Marie Horsford); and JD (Luke Wilson), a washed-up soap-opera star who’s looking to downsize and join the Yellowstone universe.
The performances are fine, but it’s a particular treat to watch Cardellini as Margo, JD’s bitchy trophy wife who uses her cleavage and flirting skills to manipulate any situation. She comes alive in the unbelievably long heels of a character who is the polar opposite of Dead To Me’s Judy. Still, these three couples don’t bring additional spark because they’re stuck with limited descriptors. Not even the secrets they’re keeping from each other—Sarah’s IVF journey, Carla’s family background, Margo’s agenda—have punchy outcomes. Their arcs feel stilted—and the same can be said of No Good Deed’s editing, which doesn’t flow naturally as it cuts between everyone’s interactions.
No Good Deed’s worst offense, though, is its unimaginative whodunit aspect. The suspense of what exactly happened to Paul and Lydia’s son plagues the parents and the series. The answers, as they are gradually revealed, are unsatisfying and predictable to anyone paying attention. Underneath this mess is a feeble commentary about belonging and the need to root oneself, even if it’s in an unaffordable home. No Good Deed connects these dots poorly, which makes this show, unfortunately, a questionable time investment.
No Good Deed premieres December 12 on Netflix