First Impressions: “Your Friends & Neighbors” Is the Next Must-Watch Series About Upper-Class, Dysfunctional Families
Created by Jonathan Tropper, Your Friends & Neighbors stars an ensemble cast including Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, and Hoon Lee in their tight knit, socialite neighborhood that proves to be not as neighborly as it appears. The Apple TV+ dramedy premieres on April 11 followed by weekly episode releases until May 30. Ahead of the series’ nine-episode debut season, the show has already received an early renewal for a second season.
Desperation Meets Opportunity
Most known for his role as Don Draper in Mad Men, Jon Hamm portrays Andrew “Coop” Cooper, a hedge fund manager that resides in the upper-class neighborhood community of Westmont Village. With a tainted reputation after getting fired, Coop resorts to stealing from his neighbors’ homes in order to maintain his lavish lifestyle. What starts as petty crime quickly evolves into larger operations with wider networks and higher stakes.
Coop also juggles co-parenting two teenagers and the fallout of his messy divorce. Taking the screen as Coop’s ex-wife, Mel, is The Whole Nine Yards’ actress Amanda Peet.
The separation enhances their differing parenting styles and aloof relationship with their kids, Tori (Isabel Gravitt) and Hunter (Donovan Colan). Coop is still adjusting to his new reality as a single father, entertaining the same social circle as Mel and Nick (Mark Tallum), a former NBA player with whom Mel had an affair. Coop’s sister, Ali (Lena Hall), who is attached to the Westmont Village community by proxy, seems to be the only person that is able to ground the Cooper family.
Making his life more complicated, Coop’s on-and-off lover is also a main character in the wealthy New York suburb. Olivia Munn, most commonly known for her roles in X-Men: Apocalypse and The Newsroom, portrays Sam, another recent divorcee in the affluent neighborhood. As Sam’s feelings for Coop grow, Coop struggles to reach the emotional comprehension to reciprocate.
Hoon Lee rounds out the cast as Barney Choi, Coop’s friend and business manager. Barney is the first person that Coop confides in following his disgraceful unemployment. With his biggest client’s financial issues beginning to limit his own funds, it causes strife between Barney and his wife, Grace (Eunice Bae).
All-Star Reunion
Following his recurring roles on Banshee and Warrior, Hoon Lee has worked together with Tropper on several projects throughout the last decade.
Tropper praised his colleague via his personal Instagram account, saying, “I just don’t like doing TV without him. He is a close friend, and he makes everything I write sound better.” Lee echoed their friendship in his own Instagram post, “[I was] entrusted with another incredible character–not sure how I got this lucky, but I’ll take it.”
Jonathan Tropper initially entered a three-year deal with Apple TV+ in 2019. He extended the overall deal with Apple TV+ and his production company, Tropper Ink, acting as showrunner, director, and executive producer for Your Friends & Neighbors. Tropper also continues to collaborate with Apple Studios for the project Lucky, a limited series executive produced by Reese Witherspoon that will star Anya Taylor-Joy.
Hot Anticipation
Stories highlighting family drama and first-world problems of the uber rich, such as HBO series Succession and The White Lotus, hold popularity across various audiences, and Jonathan Tropper brings another show that is just as binge-worthy. With a big-name cast including Jon Hamm, Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, and Hoon Lee, Your Friends & Neighbors has garnered much positive traction prior to its official release. The show has already been renewed for an additional season, indicating the anticipation for the project ahead of the series’ debut. Your Friends & Neighbors premieres on Apple TV+ with the releases of the first and second episode on April 11.
Want more suggestions on what to tune into this spring? Check out 5 K-Dramas to Watch This Spring here!
