‘Mr. Throwback’ Recap: ‘Why Not Me’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

MR. THROWBACK -- "Mr. Throwback" Episode 101 -- Pictured: (l-r) Adam Pally as Danny, Stephen Curry as himself, Ego Nwodim as Kimberly -- (Photo by: David Moir/Peacock)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Series Premiere of ‘Mr. Throwback’.
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We often like to think, that people lie and stick to a lie for nefarious reasons. As though there is some great evil within their soul that motivates them to want to push forth lies and harm people in the process, and to a certain extent… there’s merit to that line of thinking. After all, lies are rarely used for noble purposes and some people do make a habit out of telling them as part of some grand plan to benefit them. But what if went deeper than that? What if lies were told for reasons that are far more sympathetic than we might expect? And what if… that liar was worthy of more than disdain?

Well, it just so happens that those questions are central to the story of the new Peacock comedy, Mr. Throwback. But at times, it sure doesn’t seem as though that is the case. Because the series premiere of this tale, ‘Why Not Me’, features a lot of uncomfortable bumbling from a man named Danny Grossman. Who is an everyday, divorced dude that loves sports and runs a sports memorabilia shop, and is in a lot of trouble when we meet him. Simply because, Danny boy happens to be in hock to some bad dudes to the tune of ninety grand and well… that prompts him to do something bold. For believe it or not, Danny went to school with NBA Superstar Stephen Curry in the sixth grade, and they even balled on the same team together.

So, Danny deems it best to reach out Steph and his assistant, Kimberly, also an old friend from back in the day… to seemingly just reconnect after all these years. But of course, Danny is eager to steal a game-worn Curry jersey, which will make up his shortfall with a little profit. But when caught… Danny instead opts to triple down with a new lie. One that speaks to his daughter Charlie being ill with a terminal sickness, in the hopes of getting Steph to let him off the hook, only to find himself, embroiled in charity. For now, Stephen wants to bring awareness to this illness and suggests Danny run a charity basketball game to raise funds to cure her before it is too late. Putting Danny at an incredible crossroads. Wherein he can let go of the lie before it gets out of hand, or quadruple down… which is what he does.

Because that is Danny, and that immediately brings forth that fury and that hate, the kind that relates to our disdain for liars, and people who seem to work the system. But that is the beautiful trick of this premiere, because our fury and our concern, immediately wipes away… some of the answers to our questions. Because we also learn that Danny suffered through some real tragedy when playing with Mister Curry. For his father, Mitch, used Danny to further his own lie to win a basketball championship, and well… that absolutely had to have an impact upon Danny. The kind that would teach him that lies are okay, and that leaves us to wonder if perhaps… there is more to him than lies, that he might be a product of his environment, and it could be possible for him… to be a better man.

All of which brings forth the perfect setup for a deep journey. One that ponders upon the nature of trauma and its lasting impact upon us and generational trauma for that matter as well, and of course… it will ponder upon if there is a way back for men like Danny. All told through a hilarious lens because make no mistake about it, this premiere is downright hilarious through and through. In fact, the comedy, and mockumentary style, softens the blow of some seriously heavy material. But all of this works and sets up the story brilliantly and immediately has you ready… to continue the journey. Wherein we will learn more about the nature of a lie, and whether or not Danny can be redeemed for telling it. Until next time.

To learn more about the creation of this series, visit our interview with the show’s Executive Producers, Matthew and Daniel Libman, and David Caspe.

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