by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
I subscribe to a lot of streaming services. I have my staples that I typically try and watch first. For me, this is HBO Max, Netflix, Apple TV+, and Disney+. My next tier includes Starz, Prime Video, and Hulu. The lowest tier consists of Paramount+ and AMC+. It’s nothing against these two streaming services; it’s just never top of mind when it comes to looking for something to watch on a streamer. There are too many choices right now for content that it’s increasingly difficult to choose some of these lower tier options. Another streaming service that I would put in the lowest tier would be Peacock. With the exception of Bel-Air, most of their original shows have not captured me as an audience member.
Until now…
The Resort, created by Andy Siara, follows a couple on vacation celebrating their 10-year anniversary. Emma (Cristin Milioti) and Noah (William Jackson Harper) are struggling to recapture their magic after a tragic incident. They find their way to a resort in the Riviera Maya. After having an accident, Emma finds a cell phone belonging to a missing tourist named Sam (Skyler Gisondo). Together, they uncover a mystery surrounding the disappearance of Sam and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden) and set out to solve what happened to them. The Resort is eight episodes and is currently streaming on Peacock.
As a whole, The Resort does a great job of picking multiple genres and mashing them all together in a lot of fun ways. I really enjoy the comedy in this, and kudos go to Milioti and Harper for their amazing comedic timing and chemistry with one another. The mix of great pop culture references and some great performances form comedy gold. It’s also a wonderful mystery. There are a lot of great moving parts with the mystery that also helps move the story forward. The mystery is filled with lots of misdirection and missing context that all eventually make sense by the end. At its core, The Resort is a love story about the lengths people will go for the ones they love.
I found myself surprised at how emotional this story is. There are a number of bonds we see between people that we become invested in quickly. Once we get a sense of what is going on between Emma and Noah, we immediately understand why their relationship is strained. We see a little bit of their backstory, but also see how great they can be together at times during their vacation. They have a lot of tough talks during their trip about their relationship and how they can proceed forward. Violet’s relationship with her dad Murray (Nick Offerman) is another storyline that has some really emotional moments. We find out about Violet’s mom and why they’re on vacation together. When Violet disappears, we see how this affects Murray.
There are a lot of great performances in The Resort, starting with our de facto leads. I’ve been a huge fan of Harper since he was in The Good Place, and he’s slowly becoming an “if he’s in it, I’m there” type of performer for me. He has a lot of range, excelling on both comedic side and dramatic moments. His chemistry with Milioti is fantastic, and they work really well together. Milioti is just wonderful in this role — she got a chance to flex her dramatic muscles. Props also need to be given to Bloomgarden for her performance. Violet is a fascinating character, and Bloomgarden crushes this role. She hasn’t been in a lot, so I’m hoping that she gets more opportunities to shine. Bloomgarden is pretty great with Offerman, and I most definitely bought into their relationship.
For a mystery story, there are some side quests that feel a little unnecessary. I suppose they needed something to fill the time, but it still feels like some parts of the mystery were unwarranted. In addition, some characters didn’t need to tag along — they felt jammed in.
The big thing that will make or break how others will feel about The Resort is the end. I feel like it’s going to be a little bit divisive with how the mystery is solved. If you can get on board with the ending, this will be a satisfying conclusion to a solid show. If you can’t get on board with the ending, it will be a letdown for what was otherwise a very great show. I’m landing somewhere in the middle for the ending. Although I wasn’t really sold on how it ended, I did still appreciate the emotional moments that came about from it.
I feel pretty comfortable saying that The Resort is among the better Peacock originals. I also realize that there isn’t a huge bar for that either. I really like the comedy, performances, and the mystery. The ending lost me a little bit, but not enough to where it completely detracted from what I generally enjoy about the show. I’m not exactly sure where another season would go should they get another one. There’s more to explore. The ending will be the deciding factor in whether or not you enjoy The Resort, I predict. For me, this is a solid recommendation if you like mysteries, adventures, any of the lead actors, or if you have Peacock.
Score: 7/10
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