While Bob Odenkirk wrapped up his run on Better Call Saul last year, it wasn’t long before he was doing something new for AMC. The network kept him around as the star of Lucky Hank, the all-new dramedy series that premiered on Sunday night. It’s a role that is far unlike the conniving lawyer Odenkirk played in his last show, but it’s similarly bringing in some high praise for the actor. With its first episode here, the show has debuted with a near-perfect score of 96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Its laid-back vibe may be off-putting to anyone expecting a show as propulsive and plot-forward as Better Call Saul,” writes Joshua Altson of Variety. “But Hank is the type of lovable curmudgeon that some viewers relate to so deeply that his mere involvement can create genuine stakes.”
There’s been a lot of praise for Odenkirk’s acting. As Robert Lloyd of the L.A. Times says, “Odenkirk, who started out as a comedian, is a fine choice for a character whose main conversational mode, and way of dealing with the world, is the dry wisecrack.”
“If anyone can elevate a tale about a complicated jerk at war with the world (and himself) into must-see TV, it’s Odenkirk,” as The Daily Beast reviewer Nick Schager puts it.
Very satisfied with the show so far, from the writing to the acting, Tania Hussain of Collider wrote, “As Odenkirk steers the ship with terrific, vivid immediacy, Lucky Hank embodies a plenitude of warmth and sadness that lays down the roots for a show that is whimsically lovable.”
“It’s rare for both writers and performers to have fleshed out characters this fully barely an hour into a show’s total screen time,” Tara Ariano of Vanity Fair similarly states.
Rhea Seehorn Also Has a Positive Review for Lucky Hank
Among those praising Lucky Hank is Rhea Seehorn, who co-starred with Odenkirk on Better Call Saul for all six seasons. With Better Call Saul over and its stars moving on to other endeavors, the cast members are still supporting one another, as Seehorn makes clear with a post on Twitter sharing her thoughts on Lucky Hank.
Seehorn tweeted, “Are you watching Lucky Hank on AMC Networks???!? Even if I hated him, I’d tell you it’s awesome (I love him, but still). It actually is soooo, so great. And he’s (surprise) phenomenal in it.”
Created by Paul Lieberstein and Aaron Zelman, Lucky Hank is based on the original book Straight Man by Richard Russo. The show stars Odenkirk as a professor in an underfunded college who does his best to avoid having a complete mental breakdown as he juggles the problems in his personal and professional life. Along with Bob Odenkirk, the show stars Mireille Enos, Olivia Scott Welch, Diedrich Bader, Sara Amini, Cedric Yarbrough, and Suzanne Cryer.
You can stream Lucky Hank on AMC+, while new episodes of the series will premiere on AMC and AMC+ every Sunday. You can get a sneak peek at the show by watching its official trailer below.
