Quick News Spot

Netflix's New Dark Comedy Shows a Completely Different Side of Lisa Kudrow


Netflix's New Dark Comedy Shows a Completely Different Side of Lisa Kudrow

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for No Good Deed.

Ever since the long-running Friends, Lisa Kudrow has appeared in several projects, but none quite capture the actor's range, like this new-to-Netflix dark comedy series, No Good Deed. Kudrow was beloved for her role as the eccentric Phoebe, imbuing an inherent likability to the character's tendencies to blurt out bizarre comments and play off-key guitar performances. She's played a few underrated roles since the end of Friends in 2004, including a sitcom actress in The Comeback or the over-confident captain in Time Bandits, all filled with Kudrow's signature irreverent attitude and acerbic words. While No Good Deed capitalizes on these qualities, including Kudrow's affinity with offbeat humor, it also shows a very different, darker side to her acting.

Lisa Kudrow Plays a Grieving Mother in 'No Good Deed'

The series follows married couple Lydia (Kudrow) and Paul (Ray Romano) trying to sell their house three years after the death of their son. Three vying couples and a developer flock around the beautiful property, each going the extra mile to convince the sellers and secure the house. No Good Deed veers into these secondary storylines, fleshing out the struggles between each couple and their reasons for desperately wanting the place. But the central storyline follows Lydia and Paul, who are confronted by their past and the family secrets surrounding their son's death, when Paul's brother Mikey (Denis Leary) returns home from prison.

Kudrow truly demonstrates her versatility as Lydia as she essentially plays multiple roles then effortlessly weaves them together. At the forefront, Lydia is a mourning mother, who doesn't really want to sell the house her son grew up in. Between tentatively walking around his preserved room to staring hopefully at a flickering light bulb that she deems her son using to communicate with her, Kudrow encapsulates the palpable grief and inexplicable hope of a mother who is still clutching at remnants of her son. This translates to Lydia's semi-estranged relationship with her husband, where the chemistry between Kudrow and Raymano is filled with distrust, precariousness, yet a quiet loyalty. Despite these whirling emotions, she still carries the steely backbone of someone who is doggedly determined to hide and uncover the truth of the family's secrets.

Lisa Kudrow Fits With 'No Good Deed's Dark Comedy Close

In an interview with Netflix Tudum, No Good Deed's creator, Lisa Feldman, mentions how she was excited to see how Kudrow's affinity with dark comedy would fit into the series. Her instincts were clearly correct, as Kudrow becomes the shining beacon of offbeat humor despite the aforementioned poignancy of emotions. There has always been something idiosyncratic about how Kudrow delivers her lines, and we see this come out during her sarcastic quips or when she rolls-her-eyes. Lydia's life is too messy to deal with unwarranted nuisances, and Kudrow effortlessly captures these in affronted body language of a stiffened back and deadpan face, while shutting down any further developments with a curt line.

Fans of Friends will recognize the precursors to these more abrupt mannerisms in Phoebe, as she often pioneered an incredulous expression and quirky sardonic comments. But while Phoebe uses many of these qualities to follow her curiosity and engage in eclectic interactions, Lydia makes them tools to alienate others so she can focus on the problems in front of her. Her more serious temperament is actually reminiscent of Ursula, Phoebe's twin sister, in whom we also see the beginning stages of Lydia's acidic remarks and reserved attitude. As such, while No Good Deed does lean into Kudrow's easy penchant for offbeat humor, it offers her a darker stage to employ these mannerisms in a more shrewd and disciplined way.

1:03:22 Related "It Broke Me Down": 'No Good Deed's Abbi Jacobson on Finally Accepting She Didn't Need to Study at a Conservatory to Take on Dramatic Roles

While on Collider Ladies Night, Jacobson discusses her new Netflix series, looks back on the cancellation of 'A League of Their Own,' and more.

Posts 'No Good Deed' Shows a Sobering Side to Lisa Kudrow's Acting

No Good Deed really gives us a more sobering and heartfelt side to Kudrow's performance. We easily see this in scenes by herself, where Lydia allows her emotions to overtake her, but it is more profound in the scenes she shares with family members, particularly her daughter. When she reconnects with her daughter for the first time since her son's death, there is a delicate electricity in the air, mainly created by Kudrow. While retaining a calm and apologetic front, she allows her whirlwind of repressed emotions to bubble underneath, threatening to break through with each micro-expression of glazed eyes and a twitching mouth. Though it is barely visible on her face, we feel a tantalizing reaction of conflicting duty and grief, drawing us into her turmoil. Hence, Kudrow's long experience as Phoebe lends her to the dark comedy side of her role that Feldmen recognized, but it is a pleasant surprise to witness a more versatile performance as she leans into a darker arc, balancing grief and loss with conviction and drive.

No Good Deed is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.

WATCH ON NETFLIX

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

7 10 No Good Deed Not Yet Rated Comedy

No Good Deed is a dark comedy series created by Liz Feldman for Netflix and stars Ray Romano as Paul Morgan in the lead role. Out of money and at the end of his rope, Paul considers selling his beautiful villa so he can pay his debts off and leave Los Angeles, but as he and two other families soon discover, the past is difficult to outrun.

Release Date December 12, 2024 Cast Lisa Kudrow , Linda Cardellini , Luke Wilson , Ray Romano , Teyonah Parris , Abbi Jacobson , Poppy Liu Seasons 1 Creator(s) Liz Feldman Directors Silver Tree Producers Liz Feldman , Will Ferrell , Jessica Elbaum Writers Liz Feldman Network Netflix Streaming Service(s) Netflix Expand

Previous articleNext article

POPULAR CATEGORY

corporate

4724

tech

4045

entertainment

5863

research

2673

misc

6230

wellness

4731

athletics

6114