Netflix’s number one shines the spotlight every week on what’s currently the most popular streaming service in the world. Sometimes it becomes a movie. Sometimes it will become a TV show. Whatever it is, many people are clearly looking at it, so we try to understand why with a quick review. Today we are looking at a new sports comedy Running Points…and the way Chet Hanks steals the show.
Running Pointshave a lot of it from creators Elaine Ko, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz and David Stassen. The new sports comedy stars Kate Hudson as the newly created president of the Los Angeles Waves Pro basketball team, with her older brother/former president (Justin Theroux) landing in rehabilitation. The cast is packed with faces from other familiar comedies, including Drew Tarber, Brenda Song, Max Greenfield and Jay Ellis. Still, when all possibilities are denied from nowhere, Tom’s son, Rookie Chet Hanks, grabs the rock and dunks.
(I watched all 10 episodes) Running Points Before I write this. I’ve learned a lot of sports terminology over the past few days. )
Technically, Hanks isn’t that newcomer, and at age 34 he has more robust filmography than expected. And you’re not just a role that has a pretty good idea about how he was cast, but also like “library student.” Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull (Directed by past Tom Hanks Collaborator Steven Spielberg) or “Pizza Delivery Boy” Rally Crown (Well, director Tom Hanks). There’s his 4 episode arc Maron As a recovering addict, his series is a regular job on Fox Empireand even appear Atlanta and Please suppress your enthusiasm In his name.
Certainly, Hanks has a sweet spot, which can be accompanied by a “white boy rapper.” That definition definitely applies to his job Running Pointshe plays Travis Bug, the key player in the waves despite his sometimes embarrassing court choices, especially his love for wrapping on social media.
That being said, Travis’ character is actually worth noting in the fact that he is a homemade Florida boy of humble roots, rather than coming from a privileged family. More importantly, what makes Hanks’ work legally enjoyable in the Netflix series is that he owns it entirely, fully committed to the role in a way that accepts the character as a form of self-parody.
When he takes his first big scene in the pilot and plays some bars for his teammates in the locker room, “I’m a real shooter like John Wilkes’ booth/Get my hose here, I’ll light the roof.” When a foreign-born teammate asks who John Wilkes’ booth is, Travis says, “I don’t know, bro. I used Google Rhymes.”
Hanks’ real-life commitment to rapping is very authentic, if nothing else. Perhaps his only greatest contribution to pop culture to date was when he offered his father a great clear explanation of the Kendrick/Drake feud (along with other white people who might have been confused). But the fact that he can tease himself here speaks a lot about his self-awareness.
Fun Fact: Second Episode Running Points In the alternative universe where this show takes place, the Lakers do not exist, but Chet Hanks’ father played a white man. Invictus? “The moment in the series. And while we’re looking at how reality bends around Netflix comedy, we should of course not compare the highly fictional wave to the real Los Angeles Lakers, even if the current Lakers owner/president Johnny Buss happens to be the executive producer of the show.
whole, Running Points It can be difficult to find the tone you want to hit, especially as it reveals rough sides of the character while you are about to play occasional heartwarming moments. It also becomes a frequent cliché (some plot points turn out to be fairly predictable), let alone relying heavily on slapsticks as crutches.
But Hudson is proving the game (as I said, I’m basically a sports talk expert). There is a real possibility for this ensemble, especially Hanks. At this point in his career, it’s hard to say that he’s far beyond what we’ve already seen, but when he takes on a role like this, he always seems to understand the challenges and he’s not afraid to become the ass of a joke. And those are the qualities that take actors quite far in life. No matter who his parents are.
Running Points It’s currently streaming on Netflix.
(TagStoTranslate) Chet Hanks (T) Kate Hudson