The Hawk
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Look, Will Ferrell is starring in his very first sitcom, The Hawk. And the show's perfectly pithy theme song gives you pretty much all the setup you need.
Yes, that is the whole theme song. Might be the best part of the show, if I'm being honest. But look, the role of a pro golfer known as Hawk isn't really a stretch for Farrell, which is to say, if you've loved Watching him play these self-absorbed goofballs in stuff like Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory, maybe you'll be into this too. Plus, he's reunited with some funny collaborators from throughout his career, Molly Shannon, Luke Wilson, Chris Parnell. The frat pack vibes are very high, but they're filtered through a very of-the-moment lens, I'd say. I'm Aisha Harris, and joining me today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour is journalist and host of the movie review podcast Seated, Traebell Anderson.
Hello, Traebell.
Hello, Aisha. I'm excited for this one.
Ooh, me too. Also with us is Ronald Young Jr. He's the host of the film and television review podcast Leaving the Theater. Hey, Ronald.
Long time no see, Aisha. Glad to be here with you.
Ah, yes.
What is The Hawk and who does Will Ferrell play in the series?
Always, always a pleasure. So look, a lot goes down over the course of The Hawk's 10 episodes, but the gist is this. Will Ferrell's playing Lonnie Hawkins, a past-his-prime golfer on a relentless quest to clinch a career grand slam. But he's carrying tons of personal baggage that threatens to derail his aims, most notably a rivalry with his troubled son Lance, who's followed in his dad's footsteps and is also a successful pro golfer. Lance is played by Jimmy Tatro. You'll know Tatro from the first season of American Vandal, or more recently, the action comedy movie Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice. The Hawk is streaming on Netflix. And Ronald, I'm going to start with you. I have a sense of how you feel about this show, but tell me.
Tell everyone. Tell us all. Were you into The Hawk?
Okay, so when the show started, I didn't like it. And they were leaning into Will Ferrell and his Will Ferrell-ness. And they were trying to kind of get that old thing back, as I would say. They were playing the hits early on. You are a bomb. I am a man. Classic redemption story. We both come from humble beginnings, yet together we will reach unimaginable heights. And then Fortune Feimster shows up, and I felt like it got a lot better when there was interplay between the two of them. But inexplicably, they kind of couch Fortune Feimster in a way. She becomes kind of background or only a setup to more Will Ferrell jokes. And the show just kind of spirals into one long, fratty, nonsensical slog. for the rest of the episodes.
By the time I got to the final episodes, I was just like, please, just be over already. And it's an unsatisfying ending. I'm not rooting for anyone by the time it's over. I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for. I don't know who the protagonists are. I was only rooting for Fortune Feepster. Molly Shannon, also great job. But other than that, I'm not sure why we were here, except for the fact that they wanted to give Will Ferrell some money, it seems like.
Mm-hmm. So Fortune Feimster, I agree, she was the best part of the show. She is playing Sam, who eventually becomes Lonnie Hawkins' new caddy after his previous caddy and his best friend confidant, who's played by Keith David, Old Henry. He just dies on the golf course within the first 10, 15 minutes of the show. And Sam steps in, and she becomes sort of his sidekick, but the sidekick who, I think, like, at least like myself, doesn't know anything about golf, doesn't care about golf. Yes.
Did you know chickens can memorize over 100 faces?
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–1:37
2
What is The Hawk and who does Will Ferrell play in the series?
1:37–6:19
3
How does the show set up Lonnie Hawkins’s grand slam quest and family conflict?
6:19–8:41
4
Why do critics compare The Hawk to Will Ferrell’s earlier Frat Pack comedies?
8:41–12:47
5
How do reviewers assess Fortune Feimster and Molly Shannon’s performances?
12:47–17:23