Will Ferrell's Sports Comedy Is A Weak Addition To The Genre

Will Ferrell is back to making comedy for the small screen with his new series, The Hawk, but there are a number of ways that this sports comedy misses the mark. Netflix appears to have taken note of Apple TV’s extraordinary success with Ted Lasso, a dramatic comedy series centered around the game of football (or soccer to those in the US), and Disney+’s efforts with Chad Powers on Hulu.

In response, the world’s biggest streamer is releasing The Hawk, a series that stars comedy legend Will Ferrell as a washed-up golf champion by the name of Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins. Due to the fact that this is a comedy project about golf, starring a former SNL legend, it immediately conjures comparisons to Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler’s classic sports comedy, but from the start, it lacks much of the heart that emerges from all of the above projects (excluding Chad Powers).

As much as Ferrell breathes life into the desperate, overly competitive, and self-obsessed character that is Lonnie Hawkins, the show seems to be stuck between the dramatic and the overtly obnoxiously comical. The result struggles to demand attention or affection as unlikable characters continue to make baffling choices, and the story unwinds until it inevitably wraps up this premiere season.

The Hawk Boasts Incredible Talent, Despite Lackluster Storytelling

Like so many of the projects that Ferrell gets involved with, there is a stellar cast of comic talents, including himself, Molly Shannon, another alum of SNL, stand-up comic Fortune Feimster, and Luke Wilson. Alongside these incredible names, there are a number of stand-out performances from people like Jimmy Tatro, who plays Lance, and Shannon Dee.

[The Hawk] just feels like a less inspiring version of Happy Gilmore.

Unfortunately, despite the impressive roster, the show still feels like it meanders towards the end, with 10 episodes that occasionally rise to the level of inspiring a chuckle, but not much else. Yes, there is an effort to elevate this story by incorporating more complex relationships, challenges, and hurdles that the individual characters must overcome on the road to the finale, but it never rises beyond the premise to become anything more than a low-effort comedy drama.

Add to that the fact that much of this story feels like a recycled concept as Lonnie boasts the same incredible natural talent for the sport of golf, while also being an irreverent disruptor, and it just feels like a less inspiring version of Happy Gilmore. I came away from The Hawk disappointed because I think there is room to expand on this sport and deliver a comical story with real emotion, but ultimately, I felt very little as the characters progressed from one ridiculous situation to the next.

Credit: Netflix

In a landscape where sitcoms are all but extinct, and new comedies are attempting to blend genres to create some sort of hybrid that contains the best parts of two different worlds, The Hawk had an opportunity to move forward in either direction. There was space to make this a sitcom, but clearly, Netflix and the rest of the team opted for a more linear narrative that builds up the characters across 10 episodes in season 1.

With that decision made, The Hawk needs to nail the balance between comedy and drama, and unfortunately, it didn’t. There is a great deal of physical humor, absurd situations, and characters whose irrational and ill-considered actions create awkward moments. But instead of leaning fully into this space, the show tries to juggle a more serious throughline as Lonnie struggles in every part of his life. The result is awkward and chaotic.

With a little tweaking, I sincerely believe that this series could have realized its potential. However, the show ends up feeling messy. There is an attempt to raise the stakes and create emotional beats, but everything is undercut. There’s no room for emotions to actually develop, while the jokes fail to land because they feel out of place and poorly written.

The Hawk’s Future Is Likely In Trouble If It Can’t Establish Its Own Identity

The Hawk is being touted as season 1, which implies there is room to expand the story into future seasons. While the ending does leave the door open for more stories to be developed around the character of Lonnie Hawkins and those in his sphere, I can’t imagine this is a story that will endure on Netflix, especially considering how quick the platform has been to axe shows that underperform.

Will Ferrell has a lot riding on his shoulders to make this show into something more than an elongated SNL sketch that never quite gets to the punchline.

However, if the series does get renewed thanks to the fairly simple premise and the star power, then The Hawk needs to do some serious work to establish an identity and distinguish itself from everything that came before. The show feels too similar to other projects that clearly outshine it, and there is almost nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd.

As the creator and star of the project, Will Ferrell has a lot riding on his shoulders to make The Hawk into something more than an elongated SNL sketch that never quite gets to the punchline. If it manages to do that, while also staying true to the more serious points of the narrative, there is space for this show to become something that has charm and encourages the audience to tune in.

But as it stands, The Hawk is still finding its feet. It’s stuck between two worlds, and the characters aren’t unique or compelling enough to keep the show running. Fortunately, I have several recommendations for other projects that do the exact same job considerably more effectively.

All 10 episodes of The Hawk are available to watch on Netflix from July 16.