How much ego does a person need to possess to succeed in a fiercely competitive world? It’s a delicate balance that must allow them to get ahead but should stop short of being consumed by ruthlessness. The Audacity examines several characters who inhabit, both centrally and peripherally, a space defined by high-powered, driven accomplishments, unconcerned with leaving those who can’t cut it behind. It’s a sharply engaging and zany comedic drama from creator Jonathan Glatzer, who brings pieces of the shows he’s written for in the past, like Succession, Better Call Saul, and Bloodline, with him to populate this show’s fascinating universe.
Duncan Park (Billy Magnussen) is a CEO who is willing to do whatever it takes to stay on top, but he’s got plenty of demons trying to take him down, as he shares with his therapist Dr. JoAnne Felder (Sarah Goldberg), who has gotten herself into a sticky situation that will put her in legal murky waters if she doesn’t sufficiently cover her tracks. She’s also treating Carl Bardolph (Zach Galifianakis), a Silicon Valley magnate with very particular interests and a general desire to be left alone. As these three figures’ orbits begin to overlap in problematic ways, the consequences reverberate to those around them.
Magnussen is capable of channeling a magnificent manic energy into his characters, and Park feels like a version of Byron Gogol from Made for Love were he not gifted with patience and actual ability. Pairing him with Goldberg, an unforgettable genre-crossing standout from Barry, is brilliant, and watching the two of them interact really is like walking a tightwire and hoping that both of them fall off. Galifianakis is playing a typical part for him but still brings an entertaining combination of restraint and vindictiveness to his appropriately grumpy and antisocial portrayal.
The ensemble isn’t limited to just these three, and other standouts include Paul Adelstein as Felder’s husband, who happens to work with Park, Everett Blunck as their son, who is getting into all kinds of trouble without them paying attention, Lucy Punch as Park’s opinionated and unhappy wife, and Meaghan Rath as a British-accented colleague of Park’s who definitely isn’t always on the same page as him. There are other worthwhile performances to discover within this show, including Simon Helberg as Rath’s AI-obsessed husband and Randall Park as a former Park ally who has moved away from this cutthroat world.
It’s not easy to neatly sum up the premise of The Audacity, and that’s because it’s a show that feels fluid and is often reshaped by the whims of its key players as they go down particular rabbit holes or try to climb out of the ones they’ve already dug for themselves. It’s unpredictable yet feels completely natural, tethering itself alternatively to Park or Felder to explore what antics they’ve gotten up to or to see how their family members are coping with the irresponsible decisions they’ve made and the collateral damage that’s been created.
The Audacity doesn’t feel like much viewers have seen on AMC, less restrained than their flagship shows Mad Men and Breaking Bad but similarly polished, adapted for a tech-driven era that focuses on speed rather than on a slow, deliberate approach to propel it. It’s not easy to relate to any of these characters because of the situations in which they’ve been put but also inserted themselves, but that makes watching it just as worthwhile since audiences can remain comfortably distant and watch them implode from afar. It’s hard to know what will happen next while watching this show, but whatever it is, it’s sure to be wacky and interesting in the best way, offering a rich and rewarding viewing experience for all.
Series grade: 8/10
