Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete is a series made for devouring. As good as the premiere is, the next episode is better. The promises made in the second episode are delivered and expanded upon in the third. This is a show populated with enjoyable characters that spins a familiar conceit, the crime drama, in a way that feels bright and original.

Sneaky Pete struts with confidence as Shore, Cranston and Yost (who took over showrunning duties on the second episode) take us on the roller-coaster ride of Marius/Pete's dubious idea in all of its broken but hopeful glory. There's a palpable sense of forward motion in the con itself and then, as the episodes unfold, the ensemble cast beyond Ribisi, Martindale and Cranston gets to really shine as characters begin spinning out in new directions.

Sneaky Pete is a fun binge, and its future--after nearly becoming a CBS procedural before the network passed on the pilot--is looking brighter than ever.

The series has such a strong command of tone and pacing that, like any good con artist, it persuades you to overlook the parts that might not add up.

Sneaky Pete is fun, even if it isn't wildly unpredictable.

Funny and suspenseful, Sneaky Pete is an excellent idea for this weekend’s streaming TV viewing.

Sneaky Pete works because virtually every actor involved is two or three degrees better than required, and every character is written with greater detail and intelligence than the story needs to keep moving forward.

Sneaky Pete is not filmed with the inventiveness and style of the high-end cable and streaming shows. But the acting and the plots--including one featuring Alison Wright, who was Martha on “The Americans”--are enjoyable and amusing. They’ve won my confidence.

It’s clever, quick-paced and, well, fun.

It’s essentially fun and easy to watch, and isn’t attempting to comment grandly on humanity.

At first you’re rolling your eyes at what seems an absurd stretch of a premise, but soon enough you’re buying its always-on-edge predicaments and after a few episodes you’re hooked into its story-upon-story acrobatics. Pete may be sneaky, but he’s not dull.

After a shaky start, Pete gets denser, trickier and better.

Sneaky Pete is less weird [than Netflix's "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events"] but still wonderful.

As the show progresses, the serialized aspect gets stronger and the tone gets darker, as characters who at first seemed good or benign begin to exhibit more complicated traits. It also adds more eccentric characters, in the same way Yost’s Justified did as it progressed.

It is fun--a pleasing balance of slick, Ocean's Eleven-style con jobs and tense, close-call escapes. [13 Jan 2017, p.58]

The pacing is quick, the plotline interesting and there’s even a touch of Walter White/“Breaking Bad”-type humor (read: dark) courtesy of Cranston. And with a supporting cast featuring Margo Martindale (“The Americans,” “The Good Wife”) and Peter Gerety (“Mercy Street,” “Public Morals”), Sneaky Pete is off to an auspicious start.

By the time you reach the cliffhanger--which did not leave me excited to check out season two, even though I generally liked season one--you’ll probably have recognized Sneaky Pete for the largely fun, largely inoffensive, largely unnecessary trifle it is. But, hey, TV needs trifles too.

The show is fun, through, but kind of lightweight, a nice respite from an intense show like “Breaking Bad” or “The Americans.”

Executive producer Graham Yost sustains a tone of suspenseful and offbeat humor in this well-cast, smartly written sleeper. [16-29 Jan 2017, p.17]

The mood of the series changes after the pilot; a show that was distinctive for being relaxed and amiable starts to feel a little more forced and artificial.