Loot

Overall, while Loot takes its time building momentum, spending a bit more attention on its lead's solo journey than absolutely necessary, once Molly is in the mix with her new teammates and the premise is really on its way, this show evokes all the feels. Maya Rudolph is at her best, shining just as bright as the rest of this rockstar cast.

Loot isn't as successful as that Emmy-winning hit [Ted Lasso], but it's still a very enjoyable show that's handsomely produced, with a posh soundtrack and luxurious visuals. Rodriguez is excellent as the uptight foundation president, and there's just enough lampooning of the politically correct philanthropy world to give the jokes some bite.

Even without that deeper layer of introspection, Loot is a hoot. Just watching Funches, Faxon, and Booster bounce their wonderfully disparate comedic energy off one another is worth the price of admission.

Is it a bit preachy? Kind of. Does it hedge its bets? Often. But by the end of the series it has done enough to make you care about its characters.

Mostly, though, this is Maya Rudolph’s showcase, and to the surprise of nobody who has watched and admired Rudolph’s career, she’s a masterful comedic actor who can also carry off the more contemplative and serious material. Like Molly herself, “Loot” has real potential to be something special.

Despite centering on Molly’s burgeoning love life and reconnecting with her family, the characterization still feels fragmented. It’s a good thing Sofia, Nicholas, and the others surround her, but even their backstories aren’t fleshed out enough. Luckily, the cast holds its own and makes Loot an easy watch, with the season finale perfectly setting up what could potentially be a far more uncompromising future of the show.

Most of the laughs come later in the [premiere] episode. Subsequent episodes prove funnier still.

"Loot" occasionally tries to make big points about big money, but they feel less than half-hearted. The real strength of the show is the workplace relationships, most notably the surprising bond that forms between Nicholas and Howard, who are at opposite ends of the personality spectrum. “Loot” also provides us with an opportunity to watch Rudolph have fun, always a good thing in my book.

"Loot" sounds like a one-note joke on paper -- ha ha, an Apple TV+ comedy loosely inspired by the Bezos' family drama -- that doesn't gain much depth during the first episode. Stick with it, though, and this showcase for Maya Rudolph as a billionaire minted through divorce becomes a sweet if fairly conventional romantic comedy with a few welcome surprises.

There’s a lot to enjoy about Loot, starting with its timely narrative and solid showcase for some of Maya Rudolph’s myriad skills. At the same time, it’s very much a show you’ll keep watching more for its potential than its immediately execution.

The first season of “Loot” is most often a pleasantly frictionless workplace comedy. But the moments in which it’s not — whether by pushing Molly to become more self-aware or into situations where her money’s genuinely useless — are the show’s most compelling by a long shot. ... One of “Parks and Rec”’s greatest strengths was establishing a believable core group of characters that made going to work with them a treat rather than a chore, and the same holds true for “Loot.”