Owen Wilson And Judy Greer’s ‘Stick’ Gives Golf The ‘Ted Lasso’ Treatment
Life hasn’t been the same since Ted Lasso left our television screens.
Yeah, Ted is coming back and all, but it’s still gonna be a long wait until everyone’s favorite inspirational soccer coach returns to the pitch. Apple TV+ knows it struck gold with that show, so it tries to replicate the formula in yet another feel-good sports comedy titled Stick, starring Owen Wilson. It’s a lot like Ted Lasso but for golfers.
What is ‘Stick’ about?
Owen Wilson stars as Pryce “Stick” Cahill, a former professional golfer who’s lost his way in life. He was at the top of the sport, but after a very public meltdown on a course, he is now relegated to working at a golf store and running cons for cash. His personal life is in shambles, too, as his ex-wife, Amber-Linn (Judy Greer), wants to sell their marital home and needs Pryce to agree to the terms, so they can both move on. One day, Pryce sees teenager Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) swinging away and notices he’s a golfing prodigy. Pryce appreciates Santi’s gift and wants to nurture him to be the next pro superstar, but is Pryce the right person to guide the teenager to greatness?
The show is all about redemption
Pryce blew it – both personally and professionally. He knows it too, accepting that everything changed because of his actions. Unlike protagonists in other series, he isn’t angry nor down in the dumps about his misfortunes; instead, he deals with the hand that life dealt him. Yeah, it’s essentially like every typical Owen Wilson role, where he plays the cool, laid-back dude, who refuses to be beaten down by life and carries on. However, this helps to make Pryce an instantly likeable character, because his affable personality makes it far easier to forgive him for his shortcomings.
This also reflects in Pryce’s relationship with Amber-Linn. Even though they aren’t together any longer, Amber-Linn still cares for Pryce and encourages him to take the next step and succeed. In fact, she plays a major role in jump starting his journey with Santi, as she’s the one who gives him the extra money from their house sale to fund the Santi project. It isn’t because Amber-Linn wants Pryce back as her husband, but due to the fact that she wants to see the fire back in Pryce’s eyes.
That’s what Stick is ultimately about: redemption. A way for Pryce to rediscover his passion for golf and life. There are sportspeople who have done far worse things than Pryce, but the audience discovers that his meltdown was due to the loss of his and Amber-Linn’s child. It’s a tragedy that cost him everything. Surely, he deserves a second chance at happiness? Through Santi, he’s offered the opportunity to get back to the top of sport, but to also help a boy, whose father abandoned him, to achieve greatness. Amber-Linn does warn Pryce that he can’t bring back their child through Santi, but it’s clear that this offers some type of catharsis for the former pro golfer.
There are natural parallels between ‘Stick’ and ‘Ted Lasso’
It’s easy to draw comparisons between Stick and Ted Lasso, since both shows are about mending relationships and yourself while also achieving greatness through self-belief and motivation. While Stick hasn’t offered the lump-in-throat moments that Ted and his pals from AFC Richmond offered on their respective show yet, there is an underlying sweetness that indicates there’s more to come. You want to root for both Pryce and Santi, because they deserve a win in life and they’re the kind of characters everyone wants to get behind.
Modern-day comedy shows often fall into the trap of being far too cynical for their own good. It’s about characters moping around and bemoaning how bad everything around them is as they stumble into funny situations and try to find the bright side of life. A show like Stick doesn’t live in a utopian world where this all changes; it knows that life is unfair and you don’t always get what you want. However, it dares you to dream and believe in yourself to do something special. It has an unwavering optimism to it. While it doesn’t have the finesse of Ted Lasso, it still connects in all the right places. It puts a smile on your face, and isn’t that all we need in the end?
