What would you do if you had six months of money saved to live your bougie lifestyle? What if you lost your job, family and luxury career? 

‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ is currently No. 2 on the top charts on Apple TV, behind ‘Severance,’ the hottest new show since they just dropped their second season in January.

We see Andrew Cooper, played by Jon Hamm, as a wealthy hedge fund manager who is a moneybag-driven family man and gives off a “rich vibe.” One day his boss, Jack Bailey, delivers the bad news and fires Cooper while relaxing in the hot tub. Cooper’s firing is due to an HR complaint, but he later realizes he has been fired so Jack can soak up all his accounts and assets.

Cooper gets down bad on his job search, even with a solid resume. To make things worse, Cooper’s wife, Mel, sleeps with Nick, a three-time NBA all-star and Cooper’s best friend. Nick moves in and lives with Coop’s kids, Hunter and Ali, in Coop’s house, which I thought was a slap in the face from Mel and Nick. Imagine getting kicked out of your house that you worked so hard for you and your family because your wife had an affair. 

I was surprised how Cooper started stealing from his neighbors, friends, and how easily he got away with it. Cooper is almost a twisted Robin Hood. Instead of stealing from the rich to give to the poor, he’s stealing from his rich, wealthy friends and neighbors for his benefit. Also, the way he’s stealing in a sneaky, yet bold-thief type of way during parties where there are a lot of people, and during the day while his daughter at a tennis match.

Cooper makes his first hit when he drunkenly wanders around his neighbor’s house while they are having a little soiree. While trying to find a bathroom, he makes his way to each room exploring the richness and luxuries each room has. 

Eventually, he makes it to the master bedroom. While in the closet, he slides a drawer open, revealing high-end watches and a bunch of money rolls with rubber bands around them. Cooper closes the drawer and takes a second, there is almost a breach in his mind where he makes an impulse decision and takes a roll of money.

If you were down bad and your life was in shambles, would you steal from some of your closest friends if the opportunity came across wealthy or not? 

So far, the first two episodes were bangers, seeing Cooper steal high-end watches such as a Patek Philippe Nautilus and a Richard Mille Felipe Massa. Cooper then tries to flip his new high-class criminal investments to Portia, who owns a pawn shop, and helps Cooper sell off his stolen goods.

The series reminds me of a modernized “Wolf of Wall Street,” minus the extravagant parties. The designer brands and wealth, Cooper, all black Maserati, Richard Mille, mansions, country clubs, and fashion. Although in “The Wolf of Wall Street, “ we never see Jordan Belfort physically break into homes and steal money; more illegal trading practices allow Belfort to collect the fortune at the cost of unaware investors. The similarities to Belfort and Coop are ambition; they are both driven by success and wealth, at any cost. Coop is in a more desperate criminal way, while Belfort uses his charm and manipulative tactics.

Overall, the show is a heater, and I can see it becoming a very popular show. I enjoy the plot and the beautiful neighborhood and community of Westmont Village. New episodes come out each Friday, and I can’t wait to see where this show goes.

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