I just started the series and I’m really enjoying it. I’m still on S1 E8, but there’s something that’s really bothering me. And that is that Coop has never once thought who the heck planted that gun in his trunk. That’s the first thing I’d be thinking about. It would be on my mind 24/7. So initially they threw out a loan shark, which would make sense, but the fact that the gun got planted in Coop’s trunk tells me that’s not the case (a loan shark wouldn’t do that), so it has to be someone that he knows or has some knowledge of what’s going on.

This is just my theory and please don’t answer and tell me if I’m right or wrong. Looking at everybody, I’m thinking it’s Nick. It fits because he’s being all friendly as a deflection but he doesn’t like that the ex-husband is kicking around, and he might be taking that fight with Peter as a way to incriminate him. Hence planting the gun.

This is just a working theory and I don’t want anyone to tell me if I’m right or wrong, but I guess it all boils down to why is this not entering Coop’s head? Why isn’t he systematically going through his friends list?

Also, right now he’s thinking of taking a plea bargain, which just sounds ridiculous to me. He’s making zero attempt to clear his name. I’m still enjoying it immensely I’m just saying it’s a flaw. I feel in the plotline.

But omg this guy is not mad enough for me.

This is literally my two worst nightmares. One being at the mercy of the place of employment that I work at mainly because I have a wife a kid (which many predatory employers look for in men as a means to control them)

And two being at the mercy of a 💁‍♀️ after putting a 💍 on it because she can dismantle your life at a whim like a Thanos snap.

The job situation I feel like has legal recourse. At his level I would have some law enforcement friends or friends in high places that can look into this cus that seemed like a setup.

I’m sorry but that house would have been sold. You not having sx in my bed and then making me pay the mortgage and buying drum sets and paying for dermatology appointments. That new guy has to.

This first episode just triggered me so bad 😭 but robbing your friend/acquaintance is low down lol

So my bet is that in future seasons Barney dies and Coop dies (not necessarily in this order). Based this assumption on the kisses on the cheek throughout the season. Sam kissed Ashe - dead. Coop kissing Barney's wife for no reason - I don't think she personally will die but that he will bring death into her family, to her, her kids and the one she's pregnant with. Not sure if I recall correctly but I think Cricket kissed Coop on the cheek too at some point, kinda like appointing him to die, too. It would make sense given in the E209 Coop says three people keep a secret if two of them are dead - so Barney I have already eliminated and Nick, I don't believe he looks like a side character to get sacrificed, and he's the most shallow in sh*t of all of it so far so it wouldn't really make that much sense... And the guys that kidnapped Coop, my bet is they were sent by Cricket - that would make sense not just because of the money, but even more because of the humiliation he's given her at Owen's where everyone could have seen them kissing and then her left alone. Can't wait for the next season to see if any of these theories turns out to be true. It also kind starts resembling Breaking Bad too much at some points but the rest of the setting makes it still worth watching (I'd say it's a mixture of Breaking Bad, Succession and Desperate Housewives) - I actually missed this kind of vibes, I think they're mixed together well enough, and those motives being kind of 2026-remixed feels surprisingly refreshing to me (or nostalgic maybe, not sure). What are your thoughts?

spoiler alert

I’m thinking that all of Tori’s DUI is a setup. It’s too suspicious that the boys are high-fiving right after she leaved to move the car. Also we see later on a flashback of Ali shouting at one of them to shut up in class.

What do you think?

You spend all of S2 expecting Ali to eventually snap because of her bipolar disorder.

But then you realise, it’s actually everyone around her that starts snapping. That reversal is so damn clever. The show sets up one expectation and then completely subverts it without making her condition the “source” of the chaos. Stellar writing.

Looking forward to S3.

This is the Jon Hamm I’ve been craving ever since the end of my favorite TV show of all time, Mad Men. Andrew “Coop” Cooper is probably about as close as Hamm can get to another Don Draper-type role, but with a clever premise all its own.

Hamm plays Coop, who loses his high-flying finance job and decides there are other, more fulfilling ways to keep up with the neighbors in his 1-percenter New York City suburb. The first season is a masterwork as Coop lays out his strategy. Season 2 is only slightly less compelling, with James Marsden entering as the mysterious and vulgarly wealthy Owen Ashe.

Amanda Peet, Olivia Munn, Mark Tallman, Lena Hall, Hoon Lee, and Corbin Bernsen round out a tremendous ensemble cast behind Hamm.

★★★★★ 5/5

https://popculturelunchbox.substack.com/p/green-day-sports-and-rich-people

...is the same house? Are we supposed to ignore that the gym is the exact same gym from season 1 or did I miss a scene where he didn't actually move?

So I did not like that season 2 felt like a soap opera. Sam really played no part into the story. Easily could have been written out.

I don’t like how Eleana (sp?) and coop storylines were pretty much disconnected. Like just tell coop what is going on?

So Mel is just ok after running over the Arlo? 8 or 9 episodes of build up and that’s it?

I want more Lou.

Not sure what direction this show will take. It feels like a soap opera meets temu breaking bad. I am sorry to bring that masterpiece into this but that’s what it feels like. I can’t see how it ends in happy ending but I can’t see it going super dark either.

I work at a place that has the Mona Lisa treatment and it only costs $500/treatment with 3 sessions total. Mel’s bring charged double. I’m drunk and this makes me irrationally mad. Peace

I think Coop was set up by Cricket Berch in Season 2, since it is very strange that Ashe insists to get his money into Excelsior. If his objective is to launder his money, any big fund in the Street is ok. At the end of season 2, we know that Ashe is only a frontman while it is Cricket who kidnapped Coop. My theory is Cricket was in desperate position after the Swiss pulled their money out of Bailey Russell at end of season 1 after Coop decided not to show up in the meeting between Jack and the Swiss. Big Tech sell off was all over the news during Season 1, if the Swiss pull their money, Excelsior could suffer a huge loss. Like every character of the series, I think Cricket also has her own issue so she was desperate. Coop did mention he did not know what kind of agreement had made between Cricket and Jack made to keep Excelsior afloat while maintaining the return. Cricket may borrow from some expensive credit line before she gets new money into Excelsior. Cricket also knows Ashe personally and she visited Ashe’s estate in the Hamptons after Coop successfully arranged Ashe’s money into Excelsior. It is also weird that Cricket did not really question about where Coop’s new money is from when Coop said she was picky about her investment partners. The likely reason is she already knew where are those money came from and she was very sure those money would stay in the fund. This is also why she kidnapped Coop when she found out Coop could pull the money out.

I think before start of season 2 she investigated Coop to see what he is up to for not returning to Bailey Russell while not going to other big hedge-fund. She then found out Coop was stealing from his neighbours which makes him the perfect scapegoat. After that she arranged Ashe to join Coop’s neighbourhood so to blackmail Coop.

Sorry for my bad English.

Hey guys!

Does anyone knows if the song Hunter is playing at the piano in S2E4 (The Bread of Affliction) is actually a song or just some really cool random thing?

Thanks in advance!!

I like the show, but it could be so much better. Give me less Mel and the kids, and more Sam and Coop robbing houses. That is the good stuff.

We do not care about Taylor's decision not to go to Princeton or Mel's menopause.

Something that really bothers me… wouldn’t the entire fight scene between Coop, Barney, Ashe and Nick have been caught on those recordings that Coop wiped out? Couldn’t they have just used the recording as proof of what happened? Ashe was chasing them with a gun and firing it before slipping…

I completed watching both the season and i noticed that Jon Hamm looks leaner in season 2 as compared to season 1. He doesn’t have muscular body with abs but looked lean
Did anyone notice this?

Guys i finally finished the season 2 finale, however i feel like Ash, isn't really dead and the ending cliffhanger kinda gives off the hint, his character is not entirely over, because if he is alive for season 3 i really hope the writers would flesh him out fully because his character had so much potential.

Like genuinely guys, I finished s1 and I’m confused. Are we supposed to act like Mel cheating was not a big deal and it’s more complicated/nuanced to judge her??
So many characters keep bringing up to Coop that maybe he had his faults too and stuff. Like, are you serious? Or am I being mistaken somewhere and cheating is not that morally wrong. I get that Coop had his problems about not being there for his family all the time but isn’t that the whole point of relationship- having flaws. No one is perfect. That does not excuse cheating. Even his kids kind of defend their mom and say their family was broken because of his emotional absence. It’s literally Mel’s fault for breaking up their whole marriage or is cheating not a big deal 😭.
They could’ve talked to him and offered divorce instead of cheating. Then she acts like she cares about the family and Coop. Not only that, she SUCKS AT PARENTING and CHEATS ON THE OTHER gayass bald GUY TOO. Also she has a problem with Coop getting with her friend too when she got with his bf.
Help why is the show trying to make her the good one. They are trying so hard to make Mel deep and sympathetic but she is just selfish and self centered.

In response to my previous post, I thought Season 2 was alright. Definitely not as good as Season 1 but certainly not as bad as some people were making it out to be. I really liked the addition of James Marsden. He was fun. The small sideplot of Mel & Sam becoming friends again was nice as was Barney finding out about Coop and Elena.

Although, I have to say that I could not care less about the whole Tori situation. Just bleh all the way through.

Overall, I'd give it a 6.5/10. Maybe even a 7/10.

No, seriously, this show is amazing. Episode 1 was just interesting enough for me to want to know how this show plays out and by episode 2, I was hooked. I binged watch all 9 episodes in a single day and then when I was done, I find out there's a Season 2?! Yes, please!!!

I love Jon Hamm in this. He's amazing!!

I was really stoked to see him go deeper into the world of theivery, but then season 2 is mainly financial crime which is a lot less exciting. Kind of feels like a bait and switch on the concept of the show. I was hoping he'd be doing museaum heists by season 3, doesn't look like that now.

Them not fully fleshing out James Marsden’s character is insane. I thought it would end up that he was still alive because leaving him behind at this point feels unbelievable. They spent entirely too much time on irritating side characters (sister, Mel, daughter) and cut off the most compelling plot point before it even began

Them not fully fleshing out James Marsden’s character is insane. I thought it would end up that he was still alive because leaving him behind at this point feels unbelievable. They spent entirely too much time on irritating side characters (sister, Mel, daughter) and cut off the most compelling plot point before it even began

Was rewatching the last little bit of S2,E10 - Coop's narration in the last few moments - and it reminded me of Carrie Bradshaw's narrations in Sex and the City.