Written by John Edward Betancourt
Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Lucky Hank’.
We are taught from a very early age, that the pursuit of our dreams, will determine whether or not we are happy and/or successful in this life, and it makes sense as to why this lesson is imparted upon us. For we are surrounded by images and stories about people that have indeed captured their dream and we hear about how happy they are and how their life is complete because they put their heads down and accomplished the work and now… they have it all. So, we in turn do the same and believe firmly we will achieve what those folks achieved, only to learn… that life is quite the quirky and unique experience. One that throws curveballs at us and takes us in directions and down paths that steer us away from the dream and the goals we wanted to achieve in our youth. In fact, sometimes… we end up in places we never expected from a career and dream standpoint and that can bring about quite the crisis when we hit middle-age. Simply because, we tend to reflect at that age, and in doing so, come to examine the path we took and the mistakes we made and that can put us in a panic. One that makes us wonder, if we have wasted our lives and if we are going to spend the rest of our years in utter regret and well… that motivates us to act out in strange ways. However, not in the traditional sense that we oft associate with the mid-life crisis. Such as say, buying a fast car or motorcycle to recapture youth or indulging in flings. No instead, the mid-life crisis is more of an intimate affair, one filled with reflection, worry and a push to claim agency over a life that one believes went off the rails. But what does that look like? Is that an angry process? Or one filled with deep self-work and a changing of course? Not to mention… such a process does leave one to wonder… if we can change course in the middle of our lives and well, it just so happens that AMC is now home to a series, that is going to explore those questions in great detail and that makes Lucky Hank, quite the fascinating journey. One that informs us early on, that the mid-life crisis… is a frustrated process with frustrated beginnings. A feat that ‘Pilot’ accomplishes by introducing us to William Henry Devereaux Jr., a professor and chair of the English Department at Railton College and when we meet Hank here, as he prefers to go by… he is in a tough place mentally. For while he has found great success at the school, his life goals have indeed gone unfulfilled. For he wanted to be a respected novelist, and while he did indeed sell a debut novel ages ago, he’s created little else and well… coming to realize that his life isn’t where he thought it would be, regardless of any success he’s found as a teacher… gives life to that very crisis.
For Hank is full of frustration at this point in his life and when a student pushes him about standards in writing… Hank snaps. To the point where he mocks the campus and its commitment to mediocrity and that leads… to quite the wake-up call for Hank. One that informs him that complacency and comfortability have led him down this path, and that perhaps the time has come to re-evaluate the choices made and the road ahead, to see what will give him the spark that he is clearly desperate to find. And he might finally have the opportunity and freedom to do all of that, since members in his department work to remove him from his chair position. But alas, a cruel twist of fate there… keeps Hank firmly planted in the job that he laments in a subtle manner… setting the stage for quite the realistic exploration.
One that will deeply explore the mid-life crisis and what goes into solving it, and what discoveries are made along the way. Which will make for an enriching and fascinating series. One that clearly… starts with this wondrously subtle and realistic starting point. For that is indeed how discovery starts, with frustration at oneself or disdain and hints of pity. Which is precisely what we saw here. Courtesy of a man that understands he settled to a certain degree and sought comfort in recognition from others instead of finding it for himself and let all of that bubble up and explode in an inopportune and unfortunate moment. And it was wonderful to be treated to such a realistic starting point for the mid-life crisis and quite frankly… this show deserves a round of applause for not trying to pack the entire process into a single episode. So that we can instead… savor what we are watching and carefully ponder upon what the journey looks like and the gravity of the moments of discovery Hank is undoubtedly going to encounter in a powerful manner, courtesy of some fine acting. Since Bob Odenkirk shines here as Hank, courtesy of a performance that serves as the antithesis of one Jimmy ‘Saul Goodman’ McGill. For Hank is calculated and haunted by every misstep he’s made in life, and there is a yearning and desperation that Mister Odenkirk brings to the role that is painfully relatable, alongside a vulnerability that has us rooting for Hank every step of the way. Because he’s not a bad man by any means… just another soul like the rest of us that found himself wrapped in the sticky webbing that life sometimes puts in front of us, and it really will be fascinating to continue this journey in the weeks to come and all the lessons it will send our way. Until next time.
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