Have you been missing Ted Lasso on Apple TV then there’s a show that can be a great replacement and worth watching until season 4 drops. That show is “Stick” with Owen Wilson. It’s a heartwarming sports comedy that has Ted Lasso vibes and very much a hole-in-one for the streaming platform. It’s easy to make comparisons to Ted Lasso, I won’t say that its as good, but it’s a fun show worth watching and Owen Wilson is at his best. Wilson plays a former golf pro that had a breakdown and is working in a golf store when he discovers a young golf prodigy and takes some under his wing. He teaches him how to truly play the game of golf by taking on the role of the caddy / coach while trying to turn the kid into a professional golfer. Both characters will have to deal with their own inner demons as they face one uphill battle after another in each episode. But what transpires by the end is magical. I honestly didn’t think I’d love this show as much as I do.
The best parts of Stick are really the performances of Owen Wilson and Marc Maron who plays his former caddy. Marc Marion is always good in the curmudgeon role that has the best words of wisdom and plays a great opposite to Owen Wilson whose characters never seem to get mad and find joy in everything they do. They’re very much like the odd couple and it works. It makes for a lot of great laughs and heartwarming moments as these two guys take the prodigy and his mother on the road from tournament to tournament and then of course meets another lost soul who joins them. I’m trying not to give too much away because you should experience this show. The episodes are not too long and it’s a great show to binge watch in an afternoon. The golf is fantastic; in fact it’s probably one of the best golf stories out there. There’s a lot to like about Stick. Don’t get me wrong, it is not as good as Ted Lasso, but like I said, I make the comparison for fans of Ted Lasso who are looking for another sports dramady that can find inspiration from and Stick will fill the void. Each episode brings a new adventure as well as tension between the characters that always ends the way it should. You see the characters grow, become better versions of themselves, and you easily root for them.
I really don’t have any complaints about this show. It’s a fun watch with lovable characters and great performances. Peter Dager does a wonderful job portraying the young but inexperienced Santi Wheeler. There are times that his character is annoying, but that’s only because he is young, inexperienced and doesn’t always know how to listen. However his character is supposed to be that way. If there is one chief complaint about this show it’s that we don’t truly get enough backstory on everyone because the episodes are only 30 minutes, the focus of the story is the road trip to golf tournaments and Santi Wheeler getting his big break in the world of professional golf, But this is something that season 2 can certainly rectify. They do a good enough job in season 1 to set up all that we need to know about the characters with plenty of room for more stories. There’s certainly more backstory to Owen Wilson and Marc Maron’s characters and their relationship as a pro golfer and caddy and I hope that we get to see that in season 2. Overall, his is a fun series that keeps you engaged where you easily form a connection with the characters. It’s definitely the kind of show that you will want to watch in one sitting. Owen Wilson is at the top of game in Stick and the show is a great addition to the Apple TV. Plus, it provides a good filler as we wait for a new season of Ted Lasso. To be honest, I’m just as excited for season 2 of Stick as I am season 4 of Ted Lasso. I highly recommend Stick…you won’t be disappointed.
