For years, Hollywood hasn’t really known what to do with Vince Vaughn. A towering Midwesterner with an everyman face and fast-paced delivery, he was the king of R-rated comedies in the early 2000s. But as the industry shifted toward risk-averse, franchise-driven content, Vaughn found fewer opportunities to showcase his unique comedic style.
After a couple of very different stints on TV—first with Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm and then in the dark, gritty second season of True Detective—Vaughn returns to the small screen in Bad Monkey (streaming now on Apple TV+). Based on Carl Hiaasen’s 2013 novel, this 10-episode crime dramedy gives Vaughn a chance to shine again, this time in a more mature role, still with his signature humor but with a gentler touch.
Vaughn plays Andrew Yancy, a former police detective in Florida who’s a bit of a mess but with good intentions. “My problem is that I try to do the right thing, but in the wrong way,” he says. That tendency led to his transfer from Miami PD to the Keys and, more recently, his suspension from the Key West Police Department after getting involved in a messy confrontation with his girlfriend’s abusive husband. To make ends meet, he works as a restaurant inspector. But when his former partner asks him to deliver a severed arm to the coroner in Miami, Yancy can’t resist getting involved in the strange case.
The arm pulls him into a tangled mystery involving a handful of quirky characters: Christopher (Rob Delaney), a shady real estate developer; Neville (Ronald Peet), a fisherman about to lose his home; Eve (Meredith Hagner), a carefree widow whose husband is connected to the arm; and Rosa (Natalie Martinez), a Miami medical examiner who helps Yancy with the investigation.
The mystery unfolds slowly over the course of the season, but the real charm of Bad Monkey lies in its laid-back atmosphere and the strong ensemble cast. Jodie Turner-Smith plays Gracie, a mysterious Obeah woman hired to curse Christopher, bringing both danger and vulnerability to the role. Vaughn’s chemistry with Martinez is particularly enjoyable, with the pair sharing a playful, easygoing rapport that belies their 14-year age difference, which the show humorously acknowledges.
Unlike the fast-talking, often overbearing characters Vaughn has played in the past, Yancy is more sincere, a guy with a good heart who genuinely cares about the people around him—even if he often fumbles his way through things. His witty one-liners still land, but they feel more affectionate than biting, a sign of the character’s growth.
While the story is narrated by Captain Fitzpatrick (Tom Nowicki), a local fishing guide, the voiceover sometimes feels a bit heavy-handed. Michelle Monaghan’s character, Bonnie, brings a sultry energy to the show, though her storyline feels a bit disconnected from the main plot. Hopefully, there’s more to explore there if the series returns for a second season.
In all, Bad Monkey gives Vince Vaughn a fresh platform to show off his comedic chops in a more grounded, mature setting, while also weaving a quirky mystery with a cast of characters that keeps things engaging.
