Jason Bateman has been making TV and movies since the 80’s, both starring and directing in a ton of classic comedy projects, amongst a handful of different genres. When Netflix released the criminally under-promoted series “Ozark” in 2017, Bateman shocked longtime fans as the fast thinking cartel accountant Marty Byrde. Netflix was hoping to make some more of that edgy, intense magic happen again through Bateman and Hollywood heavyweight Jude Law with their new miniseries, “Black Rabbit”.
The series was first announced back in 2022 with Law and Bateman signed on to star and Executive Produce. Zach Baylin from “King Richard” and “Creed III” would be the Writer/Creator, alongside Kate Sussman from the crime thriller “The Order” who served as Showrunner. The RT reviews are still being tallied, but right now the series is floating in the 60’s, which isn’t a great sign. Although hyped up as the next “Ozark”, we were left wanting by the end of the eighth episode. Warning, beyond this point there are heavy spoilers for people who have not watched “Black Rabbit” on Netflix.
The RT reviews are still being tallied, but right now the series is floating in the 60’s, which isn’t a great sign.”
The series started off in a Tarantino-esque fashion, teasing a robbery and then jumping back in time. The robbery in question was a little fantastical, without any lead up or explanation. The heist didn’t hit the way it might have if we weren’t punched in the face with an elite party at a trendy restaurant where people are passing out diamonds. The lead up and the eventual explanation of the party still seems a little far-fetched, but it does make the story point feel less jarring than the opening sequence.
Bateman’s character Vince, who shows up once the story flashes back, has a memorable introduction to say the least. The vibe of three guys haggling in a shady parking lot over the value of a coin collection before the “buyers” rob Vince is utterly hilarious. Vince’s intro feels better and the viewer can feel Vince’s frustrations all bubble up as he impulsively attacks the guys who robbed him with a car and miraculously survives… while killing the other guy… over coins.
Vince calls his brother Jake (Law) and makes up a casual random lie that explains his situation and need to come back home. Jake is clearly accustomed to dealing with Vince’s troublesome situations and reluctantly agrees. This sets up the rest of the series and aside from the hard-to-believe robbery in the first sequence, the series does do a solid job of intruding Bateman’s character into the story.
Vince is the mot destructive character in the series, by far, and basically drags everyone down with him. Bateman does a masterful job of inhabiting this role, but the character Vince is a genius at being a screwup, not a decent guy in an impossible situation like Marty Byrd. The titular restaurant, the Black Rabbit, is based on the famous NYC restaurant the Spotted Pig, which was frequented by celebrities and influential people before the establishment got caught up in the #metoo scandal when numerous allegations of sexual impropriety were made against the restaurant.
Throughout the series, we find out that Jake is no angel and has used his position of power to sleep with almost every omen of his employees. The actual location where the restaurant scenes were filmed is the out-of-business Bridge Cafe on Water Street in Manhattan that was once a brothel n the 1800’s as well as a salon that was notorious for grisly killings and violent fights. One of our favorite character traits was the way Jake screamed and threatened pretty much every driver on the road while he’s frantically racing to save his brother in the final episode. It gave that real New Yorker vibe, even if Law isn’t.
Vince’s gambling debts ensnare Jake, who is trying to expand the business. It gets painful at times to watch Jake try to help. Vince, while not get tangled up with dangerous criminals. Troy Kotsur, the deaf actor who recently has also starred in “Foundation”, does a phenomenal job of playing Vince’s Bookie and all-around scary gangster, Joe Mancuso. Mancuso’s son Junior is petty much just as bad of an outcast/screwup as Vince is, which is a recipe for disaster. Although Vince blows up Jake’s life, it becomes more obvious over the duration of the series that Jake is not really a good guy at all. He ends up stealing the girlfriend of his best friend Wes (Sope Dirisu), who happens to be one of the investors in his restaurant. Vince can’t seem to help himself, but Jake does things in the series that he just knows are absolutely wrong.
Cleopatra Coleman impresses with her performance as the aforementioned girlfriend Estelle, as well as Amaka Okafor as Roxie, the Black Rabbit’s hardworking head chief, but neither of the characters get enough of a story arc as Vince and his drama just take over most of the series. The finale episode almost feels like we’ve been put out of our misery as the cycle of toxicity between the two brothers that has sadly lasted since their childhoods is finally ended. In a surprising turn of events, Vince confesses for all of the crimes to the police and then casually jumps off the roof of the restaurant in front of his brother Jake. Without both brothers, there is seemingly no future for the show, which means the miniseries labeling will not be changed. Jake seems to get a fresh start as a bartender, humbled and happy to be alive. Roxie seems happy with her own new restaurant, but overall the ending lacks that powerful punch we were hoping for.
What do you think? Was the “Black Rabbit” series worth the Binge? Will the series age well? What character was your favorite? Who was the most redeemable brother? Did Jake deserve to start over? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
