How Bob Odenkirk drives the dramedy in new AMC series ‘Lucky Hank’
nypost.comMireille Enos), the vice principal at Railton East High School. Hank and Lily are settled into a comfortable, loving marriage not without its own challenges: she, too, is dealing with work issues and is tempted by the prospect of a prestigious job in New York City but needs to persuade Hank to leave his hometown (and mother) behind — a nearly impossible task.
Their 24-year-old daughter Julie (Olivia Scott Welch), who sees herself as a disappointment to her parents, is married to ne’er-do-well Russell (Daniel Doheny), a modern-day Ralph Kramden who dreams big but doesn’t ever seem to deliver.
Hank’s point-of-view is crystallized by his inner thoughts, relayed via his occasional voiceover. It’s a plot device that, if overused, can misfire — but it works well here and adds a touch of whimsical gravitas.Each episode of “Lucky Hank,” based on Richard Russo’s 1997 novel “Straight Man,” deftly puzzles together the dramedy’s story arc without losing focus under the sure hands of Paul Lieberstein (“The Office”) and Aaron Zelman (“Damages,” “The Killing” with Enos).
We eventually learn much more about Hank, Lily, Julie (and Russell) and Hank’s backstory, particularly in relation to his daddy issues — which are turned upside-down when he discovers a cache of family letters revealing much more to the saga of Devereaux Sr. — and his insecurities as a latent writer who fears his best was more a product of his father’s fame (his idea of a “nepo baby”) than of his own talent.
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