The Audacity TV Review: A Satirical Tech Industry Takeover
The tech industry, with its glittering promises of innovation and wealth, has long been a rich vein for satire. The Audacity, a new series premiering on AMC, takes a sharp and funny look at the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley and the modern tech industry. But is it just another show about tech billionaires and their schemes, or does it offer something fresh and engaging? Let's dive in and explore.
A Tale of Tech and Therapy
At the heart of The Audacity is the unorthodox relationship between Duncan Park, a wannabe tech titan, and his therapist, Joanne Felder. This dynamic is the show's central engine, driving the plot forward with a blend of satire and darkest humor. The series takes the pithy insults and one-liners of shows like Succession and Silicon Valley and combines them into a series that looks at the cutthroat world of entrepreneurs, investors, executives, and the people caught in their orbit. It's a world of terrible people and people forced to do terrible things, all in the name of securing and growing their own wealth.
What makes The Audacity particularly fascinating is the fear that runs through all these characters. They're not afraid of failing or of someone taking their place, but rather of technology replacing them. This is an interesting conceit: nobody knows exactly what's going on, but everybody is deathly afraid it will impact them. It's a world full of people who have egos and ambitions larger than what they're capable of, and when situations like this happen in the real world, we call it a bubble bursting. Within the context of a show like this, it's something much more fun to watch.
A Cast of Characters
The show boasts a large cast of characters from within the California tech community and abroad. Tom Ruffage, the Deputy Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs, gets involved in Carl's business endeavors, while Joanne's husband, Dr. Gary Felder, has his own patients, and his patience is tested by his spouse's plotting with Duncan. Spouses abound, including Duncan's wife, Lili, who is having her own affair while they try to navigate getting their daughter, Jamison, into Stanford. There are multiple teen characters, including Joanne's son Orson, who recently moved in with his mother, and Tess Phister, the daughter of Simon, who has less of a relationship with her dad compared to his single-minded focus on an AI chatbot he is developing.
The social ignorance of these people in their connections to one another and the world at large serves as a significant theme throughout the series, making the selfish and vainglorious decisions they make all the more enjoyable to watch come undone. What The Audacity brings to this version of the story that we haven't seen in previous iterations of similar tales is the fear that runs through all these characters. They're not afraid of failing or of someone taking their place, but rather of technology replacing them.
A Familiar Tale, But With Potential
The Audacity treads a lot of familiar territory we have seen before, including on shows written by its showrunner, Jonathan Glatzer. The first episodes are a bit uneven as they introduce the entire ensemble across a single hour, but the series begins to hit its stride midway through the season. By the eighth and final episode, Glatzer and his writing team have settled things amid the chaos of the preceding seven episodes and set the stage for what will surely be an improved second season.
The show's potential is clear, led by Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg, who bring a charm and unhinged curiosity that balances well with her quiet intensity. The first season is entertaining and has funny moments, but it mines territory we have seen before on shows like Halt and Catch Fire. I will never tire of seeing terrible people get what they deserve, but it's more enjoyable when you don't see what's coming before it happens.
The Verdict
The Audacity has a great title and is on the cusp of living up to it, but it may not deliver until season two. The show takes a bit of time to find its footing, but when it does, it begins to turn into a story much more interesting than where it begins. The potential this cast has, led by Billy Magnussen and Sarah Goldberg, could make the second season the series that Jonathan Glatzer set out to make. The Audacity premieres on AMC on April 12th, and while it may not be quite as innovative or original as some of its predecessors, it's a fun and engaging watch that's well worth your time.
