by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Many athletes continue to show they are multi-talented. They try their hands at running their own business, being active in social media, or cross over to various other forms of entertainment. The results have been mixed for athletes in movies and TV shows. For every Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who did great, dozens of others have fallen flat on their faces. It’s Steph Curry’s time to try acting, but he’s playing a heightened version of himself, similar to LeBron James in Space Jam 2. So are the results the same?
Well…
Mr Throwback is a mockumentary look at professional sports memorabilia collector and former child basketball player Danny Grossman (Adam Pally). A documentary crew films his story where his life intersects with NBA legend, Curry (who plays himself). What unfolds is a story about a scheme that Danny pulls that uncovers painful memories from his past and brings his estranged wife and daughter into the mix.
One thing I will give Mr. Throwback credit for is the writing. The show has some fun, well-written, and expertly delivered jokes from Pally and the other cast members. I love some fun wordplay, and this series is filled with punny jokes that I greatly appreciated. You can tell that Curry was having fun with the show, even sometimes roasting himself.
I also appreciate that it’s a mockumentary instead of a straight sitcom. It offers some fourth wall breaking that plays well with the story. Also, the documentary crew members become characters of interest that help drive the story forward and present numerous moral puzzles.
As for the plot, there are several different stories intertwined together. The main one is about Danny getting into Curry’s inner circle to settle a debt. Danny uses his connection to Curry, being ex-teammates when they were in grade school, to infiltrate his team. Through flashbacks, we see that Danny used to be a great basketball player, but was embroiled in a scandal involving his coach and father, Mitch (Tracy Letts). Danny coming to terms with what happened to him is a significant part of the story, and Pally rises to the occasion for an impactful performance.
Family issues plague this show and are explored on multiple fronts. Mitch and Danny’s relationship is explored, with Mitch looking for redemption in any way he can. When Danny needs someone the most, he turns to Mitch in a touching moment. It’s not exactly how it seems, and Mitch’s character is explored more regarding his demons.
Danny’s family is explored further in his relationship with his ex-wife Sam (Ayden Mayeri) and daughter Charlie (Layla Scalisi). Danny is a caring and attentive father, and it’s easy to root for him because he intends to care for Charlie at all costs. Sam and Danny together can be a little painful to watch, which is part of showing why they’re not together anymore.
The main issue with Mr. Throwback is the characters. Most are incredibly unlikeable and make such bad decisions that you can’t take them seriously. I get that it’s a comedy, but it drags the show down when none of the characters are remotely likable. This also brings me to Curry, who isn’t a strong performer. He has some wooden delivery and he doesn’t come off very natural when it comes to performing.
Mr. Throwback is a fun attempt at mixing sports and TV — it just isn’t executed well. The story is fine and the writing is excellent, but the characters are just bad enough not to be able to root for any of them. For a miniseries, I applaud Pally and Curry for bringing this to the forefront, but overall, it is a bit of a letdown for someone who is a huge basketball fan.
Rating: Low Side of It Was Just Okay
Mr. Throwback is currently streaming on Peacock
You can read more from Mike Hilty and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd.