Apple TV’s 10-Part Crime Drama Is Quietly One of Its Best Shows

Apple TV has gradually built up a diverse catalogue of shows from hot comedies like Ted Lasso or mind-bending sci-fi like Severance, but there is a 2024 crime drama lurking in the shadows that deserves more recognition. Bad Monkey offers one of the wackiest and feel-good approaches to crime, with Vince Vaughn‘s brand of comedy at the center. Written by Bill Lawrence and Carl Hiaasen, the show transports viewers to the sunny coasts of the Bahamas while also unveiling the disastrous impacts of building developments and disrupting the local ecosystem. It’s all tied together with a hilarious crime, one that begins with a lone severed arm.

Vaughn carries us through the twisty investigation as Andrew Yancy, a former Miami cop who now works as a health inspector. He is enjoying his peaceful but admittedly stagnant life in a coastal house when his best friend Rogelio (John Ortiz) shows up at his door with a limb in his trunk. Throughout his investigation, he falls for the magnetic coroner Rosa (Natalie Martinez), meets the wonderfully psychotic Eve (Meredith Hagner), and is also entangled in his ex-girlfriend’s, Bonnie (Michelle Monaghan), strange life — and, of course, there’s a monkey.

Vince Vaughn Leads a Comedic Cast in Apple TV’s ‘Bad Monkey’

With Vaughn at the helm of Bad Monkey, we immediately know that we’re in good hands in terms of comedy. The script is wry, sarcastic, and witty, as each cast member drops comedic gems at every turn, no matter how tense or dramatic the scene may be. The rest of the cast follows his lead while adding their own flair for well-timed quips, with Martinez making a fun scene partner for Vaughn. Their easy on-screen chemistry makes the criminal investigation fly by, as Rosa’s ferocity and passion pair beautifully with Yancy’s demeanor of a man who’s been in this game for too long, but just can’t help himself. Whether they are flirting in the morgue or running through the forest, every scene between the two is immersive.

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On the other side of the investigation is Hagner’s Eve, who is the kind of psychopath you will never tire of watching. She owns a tiny dog that likes to lick blood, a beautiful mansion she bounces around in with a manic sort of grace, and a stepdaughter (Caitlin Lawrence) she just doesn’t quite grasp — damn those pesky things called emotions. In the sunny hues of the Bahamas, Eve is a delightful and unpredictable antagonist who keeps our main characters guessing while delivering her own comical panache. Cartoonish in the best way, Hagner ensures that whenever the camera isn’t pointed at Vaughn, we still gain the same comedic value, just a tad more psychotic.

‘Bad Monkey’ Is a Feel-Good, Sunny Crime Drama

While the cast handles the comedic side of things, the rest of Bad Monkey strives to inject a little bit of wonder into our lives. Amid the dramatic turns of the criminal investigation are little nuggets of ecological knowledge and appreciation that remind us that beauty is all around us. They’re as simple as Yancy minding of the sea turtles in his backyard or Bonnie swimming with manatees in an absolutely breathtaking underwater scene. Just like in real life, natural beauty is tucked away in the corners of the show, emerging in fleeting sequences of wonder and reverence so as not to disrupt the pacing but to coax us into stillness for a couple of beats.

People also make up the ecosystem of the island, and Bad Monkey doesn’t forget that either. At the beginning, there is a seemingly separate storyline that gradually intertwines with the central one about a group of inhabitants worried about losing their homes. Neville (Ronald Peet) and his monkey are the embodiment of fighting for freedom on the island, while the intimidating Dragon Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and her mischievous ya-ya (L. Scott Caldwell) practice a magic that symbolizes the old traditions and history that are being threatened by the developers.

By seamlessly weaving cheap thrills with feel-good wonder, Bad Monkey effectively advocates for awareness, appreciation, and preservation of the natural world. The comedic cast and twisty storyline hook viewers in while the unexpected shots of nature inspire awe and empathy. It’s a gorgeous show that may first be a fun romp into the world of beachside crimes, but you’ll walk away with far more than you bargained for.