- Network: Netflix
- Series Premiere Date: Dec 12, 2024
Critic Reviews
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“Dead to Me” creator Liz Feldman has once again delivered a whip-smart and heartfelt comedy for Netflix. This time, the series follows married couple Lydia (Lisa Kudrow) and Paul Morgan (Ray Romano) as they attempt to sell their luxurious Los Feliz home. While the concept appears slight, what unfolds is anything but. .... She has mastered an expansive ensemble series. Each couple that desires the Los Feliz house feels as fleshed out as Lydia and Paul, and just as entertaining.
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What gives No Good Deed extra oomph is the ongoing murder mystery that unravels slowly over the eight episodes. The action flashes back and forth through time and the suspects are many. The ultimate culprit is a great plot twist that I, for one, did not see coming. And, thanks to Kudrow and Romano, the finale hits hard emotionally.
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The series excels as both a whodunit and a deeper examination of marriage and relationships, and how much our partnerships can tolerate lies and trauma. Thoughtful and witty scripts, a magnetic cast and a lot of gags make the series work, adding up a lot of little bits to a great whole.
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Aesthetic distractions notwithstanding, “No Good Deed” succeeds as both an aspirational open house and a thoughtful gaze inside the emotional walls of a home, especially the memories, funny and forlorn, that hold everything in place.
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No Good Deed sparkles with terrific performances. The cast are the very best wallpaper available: together they cover up almost all of the cracks.
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“Deed” feels shallow and nonspecific in comparison to, say, “White Lotus,” and its mystery is not all that hard to crack. But there’s something alluring about watching the Spill Your Guts Fairy visit each character, the various rituals of shame, blame and contrition.
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“No Good Deed” churns through plot at top speed, to the point where it occasionally drags, because eventually a new mystery can’t satisfy as much as some answers would. But even then, it’s a pretty enjoyable ride.
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No Good Deed is probably easiest to enjoy between episodes three and six. The bold-faced twists are entertainingly ludicrous, the dialogue crackles and there’s enough unspoken anxiety and resignation in Kudrow and Romano’s performance to keep everything grounded.
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If there's one place where No Good Deed stumbles, it's in giving equal weight to Lydia and Paul's grieving processes, even when they differ. Despite this, No Good Deed is a prime example of an ensemble piece done right.
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Netflix’s eight-episode black comedy series doesn’t grab you with the audaciousness of “Dead to Me” and it doesn’t always realize the full potential of its characters, but does it ever have one killer cast and an intriguing premise that takes a good twist near the end.
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Great cast, funny lines, but "Deed" loses momentum after a strong start.