Kate Hudson stars in the new workplace comedy Running Point as Isla Gordon, alongside many notable sponsors. And I don’t just mean brands sponsoring her family’s basketball team, the LA Waves.
While Succession influenced the quiet luxury trend, Running Point loudly does the opposite. The number of brands that pop up through product placement directly correlates with how many recognizable actors pop up as guest stars. Though it’s nice to see some familiar faces in the cast, name dropping brands shouldn’t distract from good storytelling. I shared a recap of some of my thoughts on logos here.
As an only child with a single mom, my favourite subplot is about Jackie Moreno (Fabrizio Guido) discovering that he has four siblings running a successful business. And he was already working in it by selling concessions at basketball games! His wholesome attitude is refreshing against their lavish backdrop. It’s overwhelming at first, so it’s nice how Ali (Brenda Song) preps him to join and understand their fast-paced world.
If you like the trailer, then Running Point won’t disappoint. There are stunning set changes like quick business meetings around the United States and beautiful restaurants in Beverly Hills. The team seamlessly moves between basketball practices and executive meetings while naturally maximizing office space. And I can’t complain about seeing Isla’s fiancé played by Max Greenfield as a New Girl fan.
There are clear attempts to make the show timely, such as Isla’s trendy butter yellow suit, but some fall short. For example, it’s disappointing how Sandy (Drew Tarver) lies to his boyfriend about having COVID for a fake excuse. Dismissing the severity of the pandemic isn’t necessary for comedy. Plus, Ness (Scott MacArthur) makes distasteful comments about suicide when he briefly has marital issues, contradicting the show’s feel-good vibes. It’s also unclear why Isla jokes about shoplifting from Sephora when she has a wealthy family.
It was interesting to see Mindy Kaling at the live table read of Never Have I Ever at the 2022 Netflix Is A Joke Festival in LA. It helped me envision her behind the scenes roles in popular TV series. I finally just finished her book Why Not Me in which she described running back and forth between The Mindy Project’s set and the writers’ room. I’m curious what her routine looked like filming Running Point!
With real life inspiration from the sports executive Jeanie Buss, Running Point is fresh, smart and charming. After that season finale, I hope it gets renewed for season two. Running Point is now available to watch on Netflix and the first season has ten episodes.