Stick (AppleTV+) 

By: Rachel Brodeur

AppleTV+ takes some ambitious swings with its golf comedy Stick, aiming to tee up both laughs and heartfelt moments. The series follows washed up former golf pro Pryce Cahill, played by Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Loki) who brings his trademark charm to his role as this down-on-his-luck grifter. While Pryce’s once-promising career is behind him, he finds a young protege in seventeen year old Santiago Wheeler, played by Peter Dager (Insidious: The Red Door). In getting Santiago to the pros, Wheeler sees the potential not just to help the kid, but also to get his own life back on track.

At its best, Stick is genuinely funny, serving up sharp one-liners and situational humor that feels rooted in character rather than gimmicks. It’s the kind of show parents could easily watch with their teens. It’s light enough to entertain, yet layered with themes of ambition, failure, and second chances.  AppleTV+ may be hoping for it to follow the success of their sports-comedy hit Ted Lasso, in that Stick blends sports action with moments of raw honesty and heart. Both Wilson and Dager deliver strong performances, giving depth to characters who are trying to reconcile the hurts of their past with the futures they want to create.

Where Stick falters is in its writing. While the season starts strong, the tone becomes increasingly forced as it leans into trend-chasing, whether through a sudden pickleball subplot or heavy-handed discussions of gender identity and pronouns that feel more obligatory than organic. These moments can pull viewers out of the story, making the world feel curated rather than lived-in. Like Santiago’s golf game, the show can be inconsistent in its swing, even as it strives for authenticity.

Still, Stick shows promise. It experiments with tone in a way that can feel uneven but never completely misses the mark. The good news for fans is that Apple has already renewed the series for a second season, a sign of confidence that it can grow into itself. With more time to refine its voice and focus less on trend-driven subplots, Stick has the potential to settle into a more authentic groove and deliver on the triumph of the human spirit for which it’s clearly aiming..

Rachel’s Rating: 6.5/10  AppleTV+’s Stick pairs comedy with heartfelt moments as a washed-up golf pro mentors a rising teen talent. Funny and unpredictable at times, it mostly stays on course as audiences can’t help rooting for lead Owen Wilson.