Bad Monkey: Season 1 Episode 5 – Review & Recap
With Nick being willing to kill Yancy, and Yancy now accused of murder, is Rosa enough for him to not only solve the case, but live to see it go to trial?
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Storyline Recap
Oh, You Want To Take Me Home? – Mendez, Rosa, Yancy, Ro, Sonny
The closer Yancy and Rosa get, the more potential he has to mess up her life. Mendez warns Rosa about this, especially with Yancy, a suspect for a murder. However, Rosa finds Mendez to be an ass, an opportunist, and him hitting on her an insult.
So, even though Yancy is a dangerous person to be around, never mind have in your car or take to your parents’ house, she does that. This is a big step for Yancy; he naturally teases Rosa and plays nice with her family. Sadly, her mother doesn’t like him, but he gets along well with everyone else.
As for the others in Yancy’s life? Ro is cool until he reveals to Sonny that he spoke to Yancy and is now in hot water.
Why’d You Leave – Cody, Bonnie, Rosa, Yancy
At first, when Yancy suddenly left, the thought was that Rosa’s mom drove him off. However, the truth is, Yancy was hoping between Rosa’s dad or brother they could get into Nick’s phone, but they didn’t have the know how. But, with it being mentioned that a fingerprint or something like that was needed, off Yancy was to dig up Nick’s arm, and Rosa right behind him. She is committed to this and doesn’t want Yancy trying to decide for her when things will end, she’ll do it when she wants to and is ready.
Which may lead you to wonder how Bonnie is doing? Well, her husband cuts her off, leaving her broke, Yancy is in the process of moving on and is fully committed to his investigation, so he isn’t home – so she breaks in. Following her soon after is Cody, the person who has been stalking Yancy and apparently is the kid Bonnie slept with.
Tell Them Who You Really Are – Caitlin, Eve, Yancy, Nick
Nick lives between a rock and a hard place. In pursuit of keeping Eve happy, he has committed murder, multiple times, became an accessory to murder, and once again, has abandoned his daughter because an ultimatum was presented. There were a lot of sacrifices, including his arm, but he thought it was worth it.
But with learning Yancy is alive, this complicates things because he told Eve that situation was handled. Now the man has his phone, reveals to Eve he failed, and while he is leaving the country, his case is now no longer closed, the FBI has reasons to continue the case, and it all is starting to go downhill fast.
To Be With A Pretty Man With No Soul – Egg, Neville, Gracie, Tanny, Dawnie
Neville, with pistol-whipping Egg and taking a flash drive with all of Nick’s business dealings, down to who he paid off, is a wanted man. He resides with Dawnie, who gives him grace, and things Tanny, one of the ladies he slept with and didn’t follow up with, he thinks can help him expose Nick and save the island. However, she was still upset with him and turns him and the flashdrive over to Egg.
Thankfully, for Neville, Dawnie is there to help him escape, and unbeknownst to him, Gracie, aka the Dragon Queen, pushed Neville’s boat to the water earlier and it just so happen to appear on shore when he needed it the most.
Speaking of Gracie, we get to see that side of the Dragon Queen this episode as she hangs out with her friend, flirts with Egg, and makes it clear that she doesn’t imagine this life with her grandmother forever. She wants to see the world, fall in love, and that isn’t likely to happen if she doesn’t leave.
New Characters
Check Out The Character Guide For More Information.
Alex MacNicoll As Cody
When Bonnie was a teacher in Oklahoma, she slept with a then-teenaged Cody, caught a sexual assault case, and was forced to go on the run.
- The actor is also known for their role in “All Roads To Pearla.”
Krys Marshall As Tanny
Tanny is one of the girls Neville used to mess around with, who knows people on the island.
Reese Antoinette As Dawnie
Dawnie is Neville’s favorite girl, but she knows his games, so she doesn’t often pay him any mind.
The Gist
The TLDR Recap/ Review
Neville and Krys Marshall As Tanny
Reese Antoinette As Dawnie
- With Yancy accused of murder, it complicates the lives of everyone around him. Ro is expected to help bring Yancy in, Rosa risks her job, but despite how he is becoming a liability, neither really abandon him.
- Rosa even takes Yancy home to help him hide out, joins him in digging up Nick’s arm to unlock his phone, after Nick left it when he tried to kill Yancy, and she seems utterly in love.
- Meanwhile, Bonnie’s clock is ticking and she decides to break into Yancy’s house while he is away, only for Cody, the kid she slept with, to find her and want a conversation.
- Which leaves Neville. Egg hunts him down for most of the episode but he isn’t the only one Egg has his eye on since the Dragon Queen, real name Gracie, is someone who he may have a mutual attraction to.
- I’m not 100% sure if “Bad Monkey” is a mini-series or meant for a single season, but at the halfway point, I feel like this could end on a high note.
- Yancy, barely missing catching Nick, has gotten so close and yet is so far, but he has Rosa by his side and with Ro’s life threatened, it is time to see if he is as bad as many assume he is.
- Also, can I say, this is the first time I kind of liked Neville’s story. Granted, I was more invested in seeing beyond the Dragon Queen’s façade, but I didn’t roll my eyes when Neville was on screen.
- Add in continuing to push the idea Nick isn’t as black and white as he seemed, and you continue to have a show that keeps this AppleTV+ subscriber happy.
Review
Highlights
Seeing Beyond The Dragon Queen’s Façade
Gracie is the highlight of the island story, since the show isn’t really trying to tap into how developers are buying and pushing out people indigenous to the islands. So, getting to know her real name, her dreams, see her hang out and laugh with her friend, and that she isn’t sure how much longer she wants to maintain the Dragon Queen persona, that is what draws you in.
Now, does it pair well with Yancy’s storyline? No. But if you are going to have a storyline barely connected with the A-Level storyline, at least make it interesting or have characters who can draw you in like Gracie.
Nick’s Loneliness
A part of me gets it. We don’t know Nick’s complete relationship history, but based on him having custody of Caitlin and being a single father for who knows how long, let’s assume Caitlin’s mother either left them both or died. That hits and hurts deeply. Pair that with Nick having to focus on his daughter’s needs and wants, and maybe dating was a consistent struggle for him?
It’s hard to tell but the show does push you to want to recognize that Nick is more so a desperate person than a bad person, and Eve is taking advantage of that. For who else is approaching Nick, wanting to spend time with him, or have sex with him? And he probably knows he is being used, but with being a scam artist, he likely knows you got to give in order to get, and maybe he believes, despite how much he has to spend and do to keep Eve, he is still getting a good deal out of this?
Yancy and Rosa’s Relationship
What Vince Vaughn is delivering is one of the best romantic comedies I’ve seen that didn’t include Lucy Hale. Him and the actress who play Rosa are consistently delivering good chemistry, and I can’t say enough how much I love the fact that while Rosa may have tomboy vibes and may have a chip on her shoulder, it is beautiful to see her be able to be masculine or feminine when it suits her. She isn’t some simple, love interest, there to aide Yancy in his quest for justice. She is a fully realized person with a vibrant family, relationships to said family members, a job that isn’t just referenced but we’ve seen in action, and it truly is a beautiful thing.
The Pacing
We’re about halfway through the season and with Yancy confirming Nick is alive, Nick seen getting away, or thinking he did, and Yancy wanted for murder? This is how you handle a midpoint. We have more than enough stories to fill the second half of the season and depending if this is a one season or multi-season show, you can imagine either the show closing out Yancy’s investigation on Nick, and setting up another for season 2, or just leaving us with Yancy being exonerated, happy with Rosa, and being sent off into the sunset.
Either way, when talking about the main selling point of “Bad Monkey,” there isn’t really anything to complain about.
Seeing If Ro Is As Bad As Many Assume
Ro is one of those people who, you see there is some good in him, but he is a co-worker. It is very easy to think your co-workers are your friends, but think about what your friends would be willing to sacrifice for you. Now add the layer of your friendship being born the same way friendships were born in school, because you shared space with someone, and happened to get along.
With Yancy and Ro not partners, but Yancy being the push that Ro needed to be with his husband, the support system he might have needed when he came out, but now Yancy needing as much, if not more support? Will Ro step up? Even if he isn’t willing to lose his job, will he at least do what it possible to give Yancy enough time to exonerate himself?
We’ll find out, won’t we?
General Information
Additional Information
- Previous Episode: Season 1/ Episode 4
- Series Page
Episode Title
That Damn Arm Is Back
Release Date
September 3, 2024
Network
How To Watch
Where To Buy, Rent or Subscribe To Watch This:
Director(s)
Marcos Siega
Writer(s)
Brian C Brown
