In August 2014, Bryan Cranston received his fourth and last Emmy for his efficiency as Walter White on “Breaking Unhealthy” and made a speech that will inadvertently result in his subsequent TV undertaking.
“I don’t know why I’ve been blessed with an abundance of excellent fortune in my life,” Cranston started. “I used to be a child who at all times seemed for the shortcut — schemer. My family nicknamed me Sneaky Pete. My family!”
After thanking the academy, his household, the solid, and the crew, he concluded: “I would wish to dedicate this award to all of the sneaky Petes of the world.”
The subsequent day, Cranston acquired a telephone name from Zack Van Amburg, the president of Sony Footage Tv, who pitched him a stunning concept: What a couple of present referred to as “Sneaky Pete”?
Seven months later, Cranston had teamed up with David Shore (creator of “Home”) to write down and movie a pilot, which aired in March 2015 on CBS. The community handed on the present, and a bidding warfare started, with “Sneaky Pete” in the end getting scooped up by Amazon’s Prime Video and premiering two years later. Optimistic evaluations had been sufficient to maintain the collection working for 3 seasons, however it by no means managed to interrupt into the mainstream dialog, which is a disgrace, as a result of “Sneaky Pete” is a really glorious crime drama.
Fortunately, which will lastly be about to alter. “Sneaky Pete” is streaming for the primary time on Netflix as of July 10, that means this neglected present has an opportunity to achieve its greatest viewers ever. Right here’s why it’s value making “Sneaky Pete” your new summer time obsession.
What’s ‘Sneaky Pete’ about?
Sneaky Pete Season 1 – Official Trailer [HD] | Prime Video – YouTube
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“Sneaky Pete” stars Giovanni Ribisi (greatest referred to as the villain in “Ted” and Phoebe’s brother in “Associates”) as Marius Josipović, a con man who’s launched from jail because the present begins. Marius quickly runs right into a gangster he as soon as robbed (Cranston), who needs revenge.
Pondering rapidly, he remembers that his former cellmate, Pete Murphy, has some wealthy grandparents in upstate New York who haven’t seen their grandson in 20 years. So Marius turns into Pete and heads north to start out a brand new life and meet his new household.
Whereas this plan appears to work at first, it rapidly arouses the suspicion of his new grandma (Margo Martindale). He’s quickly launched to a sprawling household — together with a feminine cousin he most likely needs he may kiss— resulting in additional issues. Marius’ con-man instincts typically make issues worse, creating an more and more tangled internet of lies that he struggles to maintain up with.
(Picture credit score: Amazon)
“Sneaky Pete” season 1 additionally options an amazing B-plot targeted on Marius’ brother Eddie (Michael Drayer) and Cranston’s gangster, which helps maintain issues transferring as we’re slowly eased into the world of the Murphys.
In the event you’re solely looking ahead to Bryan Cranston, nevertheless, be warned, he doesn’t present up in any of the later seasons, which put extra deal with the Murphy clan as these relationships proceed to develop and new issues are launched.
A community crime drama/status TV hybrid
The premise of “Sneaky Pete” could appear barely contrived, however the execution is masterful, thanks largely to showrunner Graham Yost (“Justified”), who got here onboard after Amazon picked up the present with the objective of remodeling it from a community drama to status tv.
A giant a part of that’s Bryan Cranston, who was alleged to solely get a glorified cameo however as a substitute wound up with a small-but-significant season 1 function. Cranston clearly noticed one thing particular in “Sneaky Pete” and determined to stay round. The always-amazing Margo Martindale (“The Individuals,” “Justified”) additionally does some heavy lifting to raise the principle plotline whereas Ribisi and the remainder of the solid discover their footing.
(Picture credit score: Amazon)
Evaluating the pilot episode, which was launched on Prime Video unchanged, to the collection that adopted, it’s simple to see how Amazon altered the unique idea. It’s darker and sexier, within the type of so many mid-2010s status reveals.
The general construction nonetheless generally feels extra episodic, with a transparent adventure-of-the-week framing which may play higher on CBS (particularly early on within the present), however that doesn’t imply you may’t binge your means by means of a number of episodes (and even seasons) at a brisk tempo.
A (considerably) satisfying ending
A very powerful query to ask about any older present earlier than diving in is whether or not it sticks the touchdown. On this case, the reply is a convincing: kind of.
Amazon canceled “Sneaky Pete” in 2019 after season 3, and whereas the collection doesn’t finish on some big, unresolved cliffhanger, it’s additionally clear that the present’s creators had been already planning for season 4. A lot of the third season is spent assembling numerous items and bringing vital plotlines and characters into place. Yost looks like he was establishing for one thing large that we’ll possible by no means get to see.
Then once more, if “Sneaky Pete” is a success on Netflix, possibly a sequel of some kind may nonetheless occur (like with “Fits” and its latest spinoff present). However even when these three seasons are all we ever get, you received’t remorse watching this criminally neglected crime collection that by no means dipped in high quality and simply retains getting higher till its final episode.
Watch “Sneaky Pete” on Netflix and Prime Video
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