Milestone birthdays are a time for celebration, often accompanied by a dose of introspection the older you get. The time frame to achieve life goals begins to shrink, and a regretful mood can replace a hopeful vision of the future. Throw a small-town community and a machine that promises to reveal your true life potential into the blender, and the ennui levels skyrocket. Thankfully, it isn’t all navel-gazing self-reflection in the new comedy from Apple TV+ that has as much heart as humor and takes a fresh spin on the neverending free will versus destiny conversation. David West Read’s (“Schitt’s Creek”) playful adaptation of M.O. Walsh’s 2020 best-selling novel “The Big Door Prize” is an intriguing meditation on what it means to be happy and fulfilled.
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Deerfield is a place where independent businesses thrive, and the arrival of the mysterious Morpho machine in Mr. Johnson’s (Patrick Kerr) general store sparks a new craze that envelops the whole town. Well, nearly everyone. Dusty Hubbard’s (Chris O’Dowd) 40th starts with a blissful breakfast of pancakes and the same amount of presents to match his age, but his mood takes a hit when he finds out what everyone is talking about. If Dusty is so happy with his life, why is he so perturbed by the idea of a machine that tells you what you could become? The tension stems from this central question, and “The Big Door Prize” immediately begins to pull back the layers of this quandary.
A man entering his forties having an existential crisis is hardly revolutionary storytelling, and thankfully, Dusty’s internal predicament is far from the only focus. Using his birthday as a springboard for his initial rejection of the destiny-revealing Morpho immediately puts him at odds with his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis). Still, it isn’t the first sign that all isn’t as blissful in the Hubbard house as it seems. Of the many gifts Dusty receives from Cass—the unexpected theremin—causes a flicker of confusion that causes him to question later if she thinks he is boring. Gifts are a recurring point of contention within this couple, looking for meaning that may or may not be there.
Details like Cass being the only woman Dusty has been with and the fact they have been together for 20 years should signify their strength as a couple, and yet the Morpho’s glowing blue presence is an itch highlighting the road not traveled. Considering Dusty is a history teacher at the same high school he attended with his wife, you can start to see why something revealing potential is more of a curse than a blessing. He is far from the only person suffering a crisis of confidence, although he is undoubtedly one of the more outspoken dissenting voices.
Cass and Dusty’s daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara) attends this high school and escapes the annoying teen trope category this age demo can fall into. Amara’s performance stands out, depicting a young woman struggling with typical issues that hit hard at this age and raw grief of a recent loss. Having to make choices about her future is the last thing on her mind, and this setting juxtaposes conversations about going to college and the adults contemplating how their life has turned out. The Morpho is a simplified version of the aptitude tests given to teenagers exploring a career path. Of course, this can only reveal so much, and the Morpho is even vaguer in its declaration. With a few pieces of personal information, a card pops out with a one or two-word summation of your potential, ranging from storyteller to meteorologist. Early on, Dusty finds a card in the trash that reads “liar,” which sounds damning—though one could argue that several career paths would benefit from being skilled in this department.
Anxiety ripples outward from the Morpho as some cards reflect their current circumstances, which causes some to interpret that they didn’t dream enough or were too scared to contemplate anything else. Loftier potentials like “superstar,” “royalty,” and “hero” come with as much baggage as the grounded bestowments, and each card is a trigger tapping into hopes and fears. It would be on the nose, but “The Big Door Prize’s” theme song could easily be Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is?” Or at least, for characters like Dusty, it underscores how the Moprho makes them feel. Instead, Roy Orbison’s “She’s a Mystery to Me” is a brilliant choice during a pivotal sequence in the pilot.
As for the actual credits, the animated titles continue the Apple TV+ trend of giving a reason not to hit that “skip intro” button as the image changes depending on the episode’s focus. The butterfly providing the Morpho with its name and bold color flutters its wings during this sequence—and this striking shade weaves its way through the series. Costume designer Colin Wilkes incorporates this blue into the funky sweatshirts Cass makes to match a person’s potential. It has branding potential, but clothing expresses identity. Wilkes adds different flourishes (such as leather jackets and cowboy hats) to those characters buying into the word on their card by changing their closets.
Others make significant decisions that impact their marriages, careers, and outlook on life, and the Morpho is the catalyst. None of this is out of the blue, as the cracks are already there; instead, it permits radical changes. Some relationships, like Cass and her mother Izzy (Crystal Fox), are openly contentious, and the true life potential only worsens it. Read’s series sings when it depicts the push-pull between feeling fulfilled and disillusioned, coupled with the unanswered questions about where the Moprho machine has come from. The willingness to freely give over information like your social security number and fingerprints shows the power of suggestion is alive and well when your destiny is offered on a platter.
The design of the machine makes it look like an arcade game, tapping into nostalgia for a simpler time while revealing little about its origin. Whereas Apple TV+ dramedy “Hello Tomorrow!” dialed up the retro factor in its aesthetic and failed to live up to its visuals, “The Big Door Prize” grounds its themes with a few dashes of whimsy. Both shows have flashes of a “Twilight Zone” influence, with only “The Big Door Prize” successfully capitalizing on this heightened foundation. Deerfield’s quirky quality will give “Gilmore Girls” fans flashbacks to Stars Hollow—particularly when taking a brief trip to a new inn.
As with his work writing on “Schitt’s Creek,” Read taps into characters who are afraid to reveal too much of themselves (think David Rose) and desperately want reassurance. While it isn’t as laugh-out-loud funny as that Emmy Award-winning fish-out-of-water sitcom, “The Big Door Prize” has humor in droves. Josh Segarra’s incredibly self-assured Giorgio lacks self-awareness, and while he is the source of many jokes, there is also sadness in his bombastic persona. Melancholy is ever-present, whether Dusty’s Irish heritage or the grief Trina and classmate Jacob (Sammy Fourlas) share.
Faith is another underlying theme, with Father Reuben (Damon Gupton) responding succinctly to Dusty’s resistance in the opening episode. He doesn’t only quote the Bible when looking to reassure, pulling out some Kierkegaard to bolster his point about the choice between familiarity and the unknown. Referencing a nineteenth-century theologian gives this comedy a “Good Place” flavor without repeating the same steps. Father Reuben’s story is one of the most enlightening, and one issue with such a large ensemble is waiting to get back to a particular narrative thread.
The story starts to sag during the middle portion of the season when various puzzle pieces are moved into place. However, by the end of the 10-episode run, it has found its footing again, and “The Big Door Prize” leaves you wanting to know more. Whether the Morpho is magic or not, this series spreads its wings to reach its potential. [B+]