A new comedy has just hit the 2024 Netflix calendar, and it’s impossible to not be intrigued by the strength of its ensemble cast. Lisa Kudrow and Ray Romano star as homeowners Lydia and Paul Morgan, and they are just two of the comedy veterans featured in No Good Deed. Ahead of the series’ release on the 2024 TV schedule, critics were given a chance to screen the new dark comedy. Now, you can see what the reviews are saying to decide if you should make this the next thing you binge on Netflix.
No Good Deed will see Lydia and Paul looking to sell their home to one of three interested couples, who are played by Poppy Liu and Abbi Jacobson; Teyonah Parris and O-T Fagbenle; and Luke Wilson and Linda Cardellini. Throw in a possible murder and this sounds like quite the interesting real estate venture. Kelly Lawler of USA TODAY sure thinks so, rating the series 3.5 out of 4 stars. The critic says despite the number of characters and competing plots, the series is worth the binge, as it comes to quite a satisfying conclusion. Lawler says:
Created by Dead to Me writer Liz Feldman and starring a delightful bunch of TV legends, No Good Deed is likely to be your next tasty binge. With the same quirky yet macabre tone Feldman crafted in her 2019-22 Emmy-winning black comedy, Deed is darkly humorous fun, a multi-mystery puzzle box full of deceit, danger and the Los Angeles real estate market. The series excels as both a whodunit and a deeper examination of marriage and relationships, and how much our partnerships can tolerate lies and trauma. Thoughtful and witty scripts, a magnetic cast and a lot of gags make the series work, adding up a lot of little bits to a great whole.
Philip Mutz of PureWow praises the actors of this “twist-a-minute” dark comedy, predicting that No Good Deed will be a fixture at the top of Netflix subscription holders’ top 10. In Mutz’s words:
Kudrow and Romano truly deliver as the home-owning couple with a dark past (and potentially dark future), even bringing the laughs in the most uncomfortable of situations. Other standouts include Jacobson, who serves up her awkward charm yet again to great success, [Matt Rogers], who plays a very funny real estate agent (and who gets some of the best one liners), and Cardellini, whose role is quite different from ones we're used to seeing from her.
Isabella Soares of Collider gives the series a 7 out of 10, writing that No Good Deed is a prime example of an ensemble piece done right. Linda Cardellini is compelling as a character opposite her role in Dead to Me, and Lisa Kudrow gets to flex her acting chops far past her beloved Friends character. Soares continues:
Overall, Feldman's latest project builds on aspects of her previous Netflix series by once again using comedy as a vehicle to examine grief. Despite this common thread between the two shows, the creator successfully branches out into new territory by incorporating a fresh angle and relying on a packed cast to keep the story predominantly enjoyable throughout its eight-episode run. With rewarding performances (particularly from Kudrow and Cardellini) and a murder mystery that deeply examines character flaws, No Good Deed evokes the nostalgic feelings of a Garry Marshall film but with a darker comedic vein. Its satirical look at the buying and selling of an LA mansion makes for a nightmarish ride that is equally chaotic and delightful.
Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian rates No Good Deed 3 stars out of 5, calling the eight-episode series “occasionally clumsy” but well-paced and packed with plot. The ensemble is excellent, Nicholson says, finding a way to blend slapstick comedy with, at times, painful family tragedy. The critic says:
Inconsistencies aside, this is perfectly watchable, and carried by some strong performances, not least Romano and Kudrow, who are able to swim through some of the murk. Cardellini and Wilson may have an easier job, as the more caricature-like characters, but they are fun to watch. Each instalment twists and teases, nicely setting up the binge. The episodes are short, pacy, and packed with plot, so it’s all too easy to let the next one roll. It doesn’t exactly go for the subtle approach, preferring to hammer the puzzle pieces together with a clumsy fist. It may be so light as to make me wonder whether the idea or the punny title came first, but it is enjoyable, nevertheless.
Saloni Gajjar of AV Club, however, doesn’t agree. The critic gives the new show a C, saying this series is not worth your investment. The ensemble is wasted, according to Gajjar, but No Good Deed’s worst offense is its unimaginative whodunit. More from the review:
At first glance, the show is a promising, juicy mix of Desperate Housewives and series creator Liz Feldman’s previous show, Dead To Me, especially after a few eager buyers ingrain themselves into the Morgans’ lives (just like Judy did to Jen in DTM). Not to mention, No Good Deed’s coveted cast also includes Dead To Me alum Linda Cardellini in another scenery-chewing performance. Despite these advantages, Feldman’s Netflix follow-up slowly falls apart because it’s—gasp—pretty boring, with half-baked scripts, a lack of suspense, disjointed arcs that align too late, and surface-level character development.
It’s hard to argue with a series that stars such comedic greats, especially with several of them getting to show how well they dip into drama as well. The critics mostly agree this twisty tale is a satisfying binge, so if you want to check out Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano, Linda Cardellini and the rest, No Good Deed is available to stream on Netflix now.
