Apple TV’s Charming 10-Part Series Is the ‘Ted Lasso’ Replacement You’ve Been Waiting For

It cannot be understated just how large an impact Ted Lasso has had on the streaming industry. Not only did it help establish Apple TV as a titan in the space, proving the platform could produce distinctive, high-quality content, but it also introduced a new template for dramedies to be some of the funniest and most emotionally complex shows on television. Fans loved Ted Lasso‘s tone, which mixed wholesome ideas of family and self-improvement with nuanced explorations of mental health and human flaws many can relate to, and Stick followed in Ted Lasso‘s footsteps brilliantly. Stick‘s journey of a down-and-out, ragtag team going from a dysfunctional family to potential champions in the golf scene takes the best aspects from Ted Lasso and adds its own spin on them, with a dynamic cast that will have you easily falling in love with Stick and finishing the show in one weekend.

What Is ‘Stick’ About?

Apple TV’s 10-part series primarily follows Owen Wilson‘s Pryce, a former pro golfer who left the game in shame after a breakdown on the course. Wilson brings his typical casual charisma to the role, and his soft-spoken nature helps to convey how his character is trying to bury his past regrets and inner demons, such as his gambling addiction. One day, a washed-up Pryce seeks to redeem his lost potential after meeting Santi (Peter Dager), a young golfer with huge potential and an absent father, and taking him on the pro tour as his coach.

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This leads to a road-trip style narrative with Santi’s single mother, Elena (Mariana Treviño), tagging along to look out for her son, along with Pryce’s best friend and prickly confidant, Mitts (Marc Maron), and the politically conscious Zero (Lilli Kay), who acts as a new source of motivation for Santi while being a thorn in the more conservatively minded Mitts. With Santi struggling to take Pryce seriously unless Zero tells him to, and the constant bickering between Elena and Mitts, Stick showcases a family that often struggles to function, yet grows with each episode. Thanks to Stick’s linear structure, with Pryce coaching Santi through each tournament until they reach the big showcase event in hopes of earning a spot on the pro tour, the series is easy to watch and uses its simplicity as a way to explore its characters in considerable depth.

‘Stick’ Makes the Interpersonal Dynamics Between Characters the Highlight of the Show

With each episode, a new tournament also poses new obstacles for this family to overcome, from Pryce being too hard on Santi due to his struggles to be taken seriously, to Mitts and Elena’s arguments reaching a boiling point, to Santi and Zero having their growing bond tested. While the idea of winning and losing still holds stakes in Stick, it is seeing how these characters grow together that really holds the narrative together, and leads to touching scenes that reveal depths to the characters you might not at first see. Whether it is Santi opening up about how his father used to treat him, Mitts and his deceased wife, Pryce’s tragic past surrounding his ex-wife and son, or Zero’s struggle to find a long-term home, Stick manages to keep its tone light while including numerous touching and emotive explorations.

Pryce is the manifestation of this approach to storytelling. While Wilson is impossible not to like in almost any role, and this means the audience immediately feels sympathy for Pryce and his past, he is far from perfect. He regularly gambles more than he can afford and manipulates Santi into playing better. He does these things believing that winning the bet will help his destroyed self-worth or make Santi a better player, but it doesn’t distract from the fact that Pryce does have many inner flaws, making him a fascinating protagonist to watch, adding layers to an otherwise basic story.

With Season 2 of Stick in the works, and Judy Greer and Timothy Olyphant returning, there is no better time than right now to binge all 10 episodes on Apple TV. While the idea of a down-and-out golf player taking a disadvantaged young man on the pro tour might sound like an overly simple tale, Stick is anything but bland. Its characters are what will have you keeping on pressing the next episode button, as watching this chaotic family bond is one of the most rewarding and emotional watches you will have this year.

Release Date

June 4, 2025

Network

Apple TV+

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