JuicyTalk
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Stick season 1, episode 8.
Stick episode 8, “Clark the Mark,” introduces the Apple TV+ golf comedy’s new lifeline in Timothy Olyphant’s character, Clark Ross. Clark played on the PGA Tour with Owen Wilson’s Pryce Cahill back in the day and said an unforgivable thing about Pryce’s son, Jett, which sparked a viral rage-fueled blowup that ended Pryce’s career.
In the flesh, Clark Ross is hard to dislike. Handsome, charming, and annoyingly fit, Ross is portrayed as one of those special guys who has it all and is loved by everyone, except for our main Stick cast members, who try to hustle him in his own steakhouse. Despite some complications that are typical of this Stick crew, Pryce’s plan ends up paying off at the end of what becomes Stick’s most enjoyable episode thus far.
Timothy Olyphant Shines As A Likable Antagonist In Stick Episode 8
His Dynamic With Wilson Should Have Been A Main Feature Of The Show
Olyphant’s Stick character not showing up until the eighth episode of a 10-part debut season perfectly encapsulates the type of show Stick has become. It has a surplus of enticing ingredients that should theoretically make a hit show, but its poor organization and execution are holding it back from greatness.
Clark only previously appeared in a brief TV advertisement before finally sticking around in episode 8. The dynamic between Clark and Pryce should have been Stick’s main storyline. The two are old rivals with a deep history and mutual love of golf, which would have naturally made the series more sports-focused and compelling.
Had the series forced [Pryce & Clark] to reunite from the first episode on, perhaps with the angle of them fighting over coaching Santi to go pro, then Stick would have hooked me from the start.
Additionally, Clark and Pryce are unintentionally hilarious together in episode 8, adding some much-needed humor to a show that was marketed as a comedy. Had the series forced them to reunite from the first episode on, perhaps with the angle of them fighting over coaching Santi to go pro, then Stick would have hooked me from the start.
When Clark and Pryce are both onscreen, it feels like nothing else that is going on in the series matters. It’s easy to forget that the show’s protagonist is supposed to be Santi during these moments, and it makes me wish that Stick was truly Pryce’s show.
Related
Stick episode 7 packs a series-high emotional punch with Pryce’s tragic backstory, but the Apple golf comedy show continues to miss its own point.
I understand Pryce’s vicarious redemption arc through Santi, but I think a better version of Stick would have seen him earning the sponsor’s exemption for the PGA Tournament rather than the kid. Not only is Pryce much easier to invest in than Santi, but his journey back to the game of golf after losing his young son is so much more compelling than Santi overcoming his daddy issues.
Hopefully, Olyphant will continue to be front and center in the final two episodes of Stick season 1. There’s still much more to explore about his backstory with Pryce, and all signs point to him being the Apple TV show’s equivalent of Happy Gilmore’s Shooter McGavin – a self-centered golf elitist who could use a lesson from an underdog.
Stick’s Inconsistency Continues To Be The Most Frustrating Part Of The Show
The Show Mixes Too Many Tones & Genres To Establish A Winning Identity
If Stick had a scorecard, it would’ve shot one or two under par in its first three holes (episodes), triple bogeyed the fourth, and may have just gotten back to even par with its seventh. After episode 8, which felt like a clutch eagle putt late in the third round, Stick seems to be climbing back up the leaderboard ahead of its final two episodes, positioning itself nicely for a strong recovery finish.
After episode 8, which felt like a clutch eagle putt late in the third round, Stick seems to be climbing back up the leaderboard ahead of its final two episodes, positioning itself nicely for a strong recovery finish.
That said, it’s hard to overlook how inconsistent the show has been throughout its first season, not only in tone and genre, but also in quality. A lot of the actual drama, mostly concerning Pryce’s tragic backstory and his shot at revenge against Clark, has been avoided and overwritten by melodrama coming primarily from flat characters like Santi, Zero, and Elena.
Stick episode 8 is a vast improvement from earlier episodes, but it’s also not without flaws. I found it hard to believe Clark wouldn’t recognize Mitts, Pryce’s caddie, sooner. I also am not quite sure about Santi getting upset and Zero blowing everyone’s cover being a part of the master plan. Did Pryce anticipate that exposing their hustle would lead to a closest-to-the-pin challenge between him and Clark? How could he have predicted that? Wouldn’t it have been a safer bet to have Pryce sink a third putt for Santi’s sponsorship?
The golf logic in Stick episode 8 works well enough for the show’s purposes. Pryce skimming the ball over the pond with an antiquated 3 iron was actually a great touch, although a much more common 4 iron or hybrid would have had the same effect. I wish Santi would stop calling the PGA Tour “the show,” a sports term that generally refers to Major League Baseball, not professional golf.
Ultimately, Stick is starting to become more of the golf comedy show it marketed itself as with its eighth episode, setting itself up for an unexpected final round comeback.
- Timothy Olyphant’s Clark Ross is the likable antagonist Stick needed from episode 1
- Owen Wilson’s Pryce takes the spotlight and finally flexes his golf skills in a clutch moment
- Pryce & Clark’s dynamic should have been the main conflict of the entire series
- The hustle on Clark is great until it becomes overly complicated
