Jon Hamm returns to prestige TV in Your Friends & Neighbours, a funny and stylish drama that mixes The White Lotus, Breaking Bad and Desperate Housewives.
It’s been a decade since Jon Hamm hung up Don Draper’s suit in Mad Men, and now he’s finally back where we’ve been waiting for him: leading a sharp, stylish, and darkly funny prestige drama. In Your Friends & Neighbours, Jon Hamm plays a disgraced hedge fund manager clawing his way back into high society the only way he knows how—by robbing his filthy-rich neighbors blind. Think The White Lotus meets Breaking Bad with a splash of Desperate Housewives absurdity, and Jon Hamm once again delivering the kind of nuanced, slow-burn performance that reminds us why he’s one of the greats.
You can’t blame Jon Hamm for taking his time before diving back into TV drama. After all, how do you follow up a once-in-a-generation role like Don Draper in Mad Men? For years, Jon Hamm played against type in comedy hits like The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Curb Your Enthusiasm, seemingly content to poke fun at his own image. But now he’s back in serious mode, and Your Friends & Neighbours is a welcome return to the layered, brooding leading man act he does best—with a devilishly fun twist.
Jon Hamm stars as Andrew Cooper, a recently divorced New York hedge fund manager whose life is falling apart—but in a very expensive way. In true TV drama fashion, we meet him in the middle of a crisis: bloody, bewildered, and crawling into a pool at the bottom of a marble staircase. The voiceover kicks in—no record scratch, but the vibe is clear: “You’re probably wondering how I got here.” And thus, the chaos begins.
We rewind to find Cooper freshly divorced after discovering his wife’s affair with his NBA All-Star best friend (played by Mark Tallman), living in a rental away from his kids, and just fired from his firm over a minor workplace indiscretion. With his wealth locked up and a non-compete clause keeping him out of the industry, Cooper spirals—not by downsizing or finding honest work, but by turning thief. When your neighbors are rich enough to forget they own diamond necklaces and luxury watches, well, who’s really going to notice?
Jon Hamm is magnetic throughout, oozing a wounded charm and simmering rage that makes Cooper both sympathetic and infuriating. He’s backed by a stellar supporting cast, including Amanda Peet as his sharp-tongued ex-wife Mel, and Olivia Munn, who is excellent as Samantha, Mel’s friend and Cooper’s off-the-books hookup.
The show doesn’t quite reach the blazing brilliance it hints at—there are stretches that slow the momentum, and its satire occasionally pulls its punches. There’s a tantalizing subplot involving Cooper teaming up with his former maid, one that brushes against real commentary on power and privilege, but it doesn’t dig as deep as it could.
Still, there’s plenty to enjoy in this mix of high-society scandal and slow-burn scheming. With tighter pacing and a bit more bite, Your Friends & Neighbours could have been the next big thing. As it stands, it’s a smart, stylish ride—and a strong reminder of what we’ve been missing from Jon Hamm. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait another decade to see him lead a drama again.
Friends & Neighbours is now streaming on Apple TV+!
