The lies that bind.
This is a review for all 10 episodes of Sneaky Pete, which is now available on Amazon Prime. If you haven't started, or finished, watching Season 1, fear not. This review won't go into any deep spoilers here so you don't have to worry about story elements being ruined.
Sneaky Pete, almost indicative of its title, took a very interesting path to get to us. Created and written by Bryan Cranston and House creator David Shore to be a bounty hunter-style procedural for CBS (which you can feel in the very first episode, even with the reshoots/additions that took place), Sneaky Pete then got shopped to Amazon after CBS passed on it, whio wanted a serialized drama focused more on cons and swindles.
After making the pilot, Shore left, Cranston decided to star on the series as the main antagonist -- which was assumed to be an occasional recurring part after his appearance in the pilot but wound up being a full supporting role (he's in nearly every episode) -- and Justified creator Graham Yost entered the picture as the new showrunner. And Yost, notably, brought with him the Justified vibe and all the Elmore Leonard-ness that goes with it.
There's not a full-blown tonal change after the pilot episode, but you do notice the shift into a much more character-focused, serialized show that almost instantly drops not only the "fugitive of the week" premise, but also the "will they?/won't they?" dynamic between star Giovanni Ribisi's Marius and Marin Ireland's Julia.
In fact, the second episode is chock full of delicious Bryan Cranston-filled flashbacks explaining how Marius came to be in the predicament he's in. The pilot was already fun, but the work done in the second episode to truly flesh out the show's world, along with some great chewy speeches from Crantson's "big bad" character, helps Sneaky Pete turn a big corner and transform into some very enjoyable pulp.
The premise here, for those who missed the pilot episode when it became available on Amazon back in August of '15, and my review of it, involves a con artist, Marius, (Ribisi) on the run from a crime boss, Vince (Cranston). Marius, having been released from prison after three years, decides to assume the identity of his over-sharing cellmate Pete (Ethan Embry) and hide out on Pete's old family farm, pretending to be the cousin no one's seen in twenty years.
Complicating matters, of course, is the fact that Marius owes Vince a hundred grand and Vince is holding his brother Eddie (Michael Drayer) prisoner until he gets it. And he makes it clear Eddie will be hurt in a very specific way if deadlines aren't met.
Enter the dysfunctional Bernhardt family - the poor clan duped into believing that Marius is their all-grown-up cousin Pete. They may or may not have the money Eddie needs, but with them comes a whole other web of lies and trickery. So secrets build up, trust gets betrayed, and emotional turmoil looms large as Marius finds himself fitting in with the Bernhardts more effortlessly than he assumed, simply because they're a bunch of "Sneaky Petes" just like he is (a term Cranston grew up with, meaning someone who's looking for cheats and shortcuts).
Those who miss the colorful, scheming antics of TNT's Leverage will most certainly get their con-game fill with Sneaky Pete, a series that artfully runs several cons at once. There's barely a free moment where Marius isn't lying in some manner in order to obtain his goal - whether that endgame involves swiping the cash from the Bernhardts, getting some measure of revenge on Vince, or simply trying to not get caught in one of his lies. But the "big con" is the prize here. From the very first episode, it's clear that Marius is planning something huge and so that element drives you through the show, even when obstacle after obstacle is put in his, and our, path.
Sneaky Pete, because of the ample amount of "one step forward, two steps back" obstacles that litter the road between the pilot and the season finale, reminded me a bit of Amazon's Mad Dogs. Though, in this instance, the obstacles come because of how smart each character is, not because of boneheaded decisions. No one's able to truly fool anyone here because just about every player is shrewd and clever. If Marius isn't dealing with fellow professional crooks and con artists, he's actively trying to dupe a family who runs a bail bonds business and has heard every lie in the book.
Occasionally, the series can get bogged down in moving parts. Sometimes it's even hard to keep track of Marius' lies, and just when it seems like he's solved one problem, six more hatch. But that's when the performances and writing really help sell the story. There are a ton of juicy, wonderfully flawed characters here, ranging from the recently redeemed to the eternally smarmy. There's "Marius' world" of city schemers -- featuring True Blood's Karolina Wydra, Roseanne's Michael O'Keefe, The Americans' Alison Wright, and more -- and then there's the Bridgeport, Connecticut crew of Bernhardts and bail bonds related players that features Margo Martindale, Peter Gerety, the aforementioned Marin Ireland, Shane McRae, and Jacob Pitts (a Justified alum, like Martindale).
You can tell that every performer is relishing their role and really digging in. Even when Sneaky Pete is gruesome, there's still a casualness to the chaos. It's akin to the "deadpan dazzle" of Justified, though perhaps not as cool as almost everyone here is the type of person that would be used to salt-and-pepper Raylan Givens' world. It's like a show made up of scheming side characters; one that really delves into their lives and shows you how fully formed a louse can be. "Don't get attached" is the credo of the con game, and that's almost the rule here too. Though, like Marius/Pete, the marks start to grow on you and you find yourself torn between two worlds, just like our main character.
And it's worth bringing up again. If you're a Bryan Cranston fan, then you'll really dig his monologuing bad guy role here. On the surface, there's not much to the Vince character, but Cranston instantly finds a depth to him and instills him with a confidence and clarity that makes you want to root for him against all the characters the show tells us are the "protagonists."
The Verdict
Sneaky Pete is a fun shell game-style ride that keeps you intrigued and guessing. It's filled with smart writing, believably unique characters, and some awesome interlocking cons. It gets a touch messy toward the end when you start to feel the show moving all of its characters together into a worlds collide scenario, but everyone's motivation always remains clear and defined.
Editors' Choice
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