Unstable is an American workplace comedy television series starring Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe, with both also acting as executive producers on the series, along with Victor Fresco. The series premiered on Netflix on March 30, 2023. In November 2023, the series was renewed for a second season which was released on August 1, 2024. In October 2024, the series was canceled after two seasons.
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| Genre | Workplace comedy |
| Created by | Rob Lowe & John Owen Lowe & Victor Fresco |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
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| Running time | 20–30 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | March 30, 2023 – August 1, 2024 |
Synopsis
editA father-son comedy in which socially shy son Jackson (John Owen Lowe) begins working for his successful and admired, but eccentric and narcissistic-adjacent, father Ellis (Rob Lowe) at his high-tech bio research facility in order to help save him from spiraling further following the death of his wife.[1]
Cast
editMain
edit- Rob Lowe as Ellis Dragon, the CEO and founder of a biotechnology company called Dragon
- John Owen Lowe as Jackson Dragon, Ellis's son who is a flautist
- Sian Clifford as Anna, the CFO of Dragon
- Aaron Branch as Malcolm, Jackson's friend from childhood who previously worked as Ellis' assistant, but now works as program manager at Dragon's Red Lab
- Rachel Marsh as Luna, a scientist working at Dragon's Red Lab
- Emma Pilar Ferreira as Ruby, another scientist working at Dragon's Red Lab and Luna's best friend
Recurring
edit- Fred Armisen as Leslie, a therapist that the board of Dragon brought in to work with Ellis
- Tom Allen as TJ, a board member of Dragon who sits on the board alongside his twin, Chaz
- JT Parr as Chaz, TJ's twin who sits on the board with him
- Christina Chang as Jean (season 1), the best friend of Ellis' late wife who sits on the board of Dragon
- Lamorne Morris as Peter (season 2), an old family friend of Ruby's and the founder of a biotech start-up named Magma
- Iris Apatow as Georgia (season 2), Anna's ex-stepdaughter who is an intern at Dragon
Production
editThe show was picked up straight-to-series by Netflix and the formation of the show was reportedly inspired by John Owen Lowe's social media trolling of his father Rob Lowe.[2] John Owen Lowe described the series as "about a father-son dynamic that's very relatable but under a really specific lens, which is a father who loves being the center of attention and his son, who feels the exact opposite."[3]
It was announced in April 2022 that Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe would both act as executive producers on the show along with Victor Fresco, with production being handled by the Netflix studio.[4] In June 2022 the series added Sian Clifford to the cast alongside Rachel Marsh, Emma Ferreira and Aaron Branch in series regular roles. Additionally, Fred Armisen, Tom Allen and JT Parr were announced in recurring roles.[5] On May 4, 2023, it was reported that the second season (yet to officially renew) of production has been shut down due to the writers strike.[6] On November 16, 2023 the series was officially renewed for a second season with Andrew Gurland taking over as showrunner from Fresco who was the showrunner for the first season for the eight-episode second series with production scheduled to begin in Los Angeles later that month.[7] The season wrapped filming in early February 2024.[8] On October 11, 2024, Netflix canceled the series after two seasons.[9]
Episodes
editSeries overview
editSeason 1 (2023)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Unstable" | Marc Buckland | Teleplay by : Victor Fresco Story by : Rob Lowe & John Owen Lowe & Victor Fresco | March 30, 2023 | |
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Eccentric Los Angeles biotech CEO Ellis Dragon suffers a mental decline following the death of his wife. His CFO Anna Bennet worries that his erratic behavior and loss of focus at work jeopardizes the company. She has Ellis' estranged son Jackson, an aspiring flautist living in New York, come to Los Angeles to help Ellis recover from his downward spiral. Jackson resents his father for disregarding his ambitions and pressuring him to be more like him. The two briefly reconcile during a company karaoke event, after which Jackson plans to return to New York, but he is forced to stay when Anna and Ellis reveal that Ellis has held his company-issued therapist captive in his basement for attempting to extort him. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Engaged, Focused and Ridiculously Sane" | Marc Buckland | Michael Shipley | March 30, 2023 | |
| 3 | 3 | "The Wizard of Odd" | Marc Buckland | Sean Clements | March 30, 2023 | |
| 4 | 4 | "Pilgrims and Sex Parties" | Jay Chandrasekhar | John Owen Lowe | March 30, 2023 | |
| 5 | 5 | "Beautiful Birthday Bastards" | Jay Chandrasekhar | Hailey Chavez | March 30, 2023 | |
| 6 | 6 | "The Ballad of Eduardo" | Marc Buckland | Sam Shanker | March 30, 2023 | |
| 7 | 7 | "Roasting For Beginners" | Marc Buckland | Bente Engelstoft | March 30, 2023 | |
| 8 | 8 | "A Dragon's Fire" | Marc Buckland | Michael A. Ross | March 30, 2023 | |
Season 2 (2024)
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 1 | "Shanked" | Andrew Gurland | Andrew Gurland | August 1, 2024 |
| 10 | 2 | "Winning Time" | Claire Scanlon | Sean Clements | August 1, 2024 |
| 11 | 3 | "Retreat" | Claire Scanlon | Justin Nowell | August 1, 2024 |
| 12 | 4 | "Mindhunter" | Rebecca Asher | Guy Endore-Kaiser | August 1, 2024 |
| 13 | 5 | "MOCAP Man" | Rebecca Asher | Dominic Dierkes | August 1, 2024 |
| 14 | 6 | "Dragon Slayer" | Claire Scanlon | John Owen Lowe | August 1, 2024 |
| 15 | 7 | "Ron Tabasco" | Claire Scanlon | Samantha Shanker | August 1, 2024 |
| 16 | 8 | "Ellis U" | Andrew Gurland | Teleplay by : Alexandra Rushfield and Kate Loveless Story by : Alexandra Rushfield | August 1, 2024 |
Release
editThe eight episodes of Unstable were released on March 30, 2023.[10][11] The second season was released on August 1, 2024.[12]
Reception
editThe review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 67% approval rating with an average rating of 6.3/10, based on 18 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Unstable is a little wobbly as it veers between sincere family affair and scathing satire, but Rob Lowe's reliable comedic chops provide the necessary ballast."[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 68 out of 100 based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]
Robert Lloyd of Los Angeles Times described the show as an "adorable workplace comedy that's odd enough to feel fresh and traditional enough to feel good."[15] Angie Han for The Hollywood Reporter said "it's very, very funny, thanks to a crackling combination of sharp writing, lovably eccentric characters and snappy comedic timing."[16]
References
edit- ^ Darwish, Meaghan (February 3, 2023). "Unstable': Rob Lowe Teams With Real-Life Son in Netflix Comedy First Look (VIDEO)". TV Insider. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (April 6, 2022). "Rob Lowe — and His Son — to Star in Netflix Comedy 'Unstable'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Thomas, Carly (February 3, 2023). "Rob Lowe and His Son Discuss Taking Father-Son Dynamics to the Small Screen in 'Unstable': "Not a Whole Lot of Acting"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (April 6, 2022). "Rob Lowe & Son John Owen Lowe To Star In Netflix Comedy Series 'Unstable' From Victor Fresco". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (June 15, 2022). "Rob Lowe, John Owen Lowe Netflix Comedy Series 'Unstable' Adds Six to Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ White, Peter (May 4, 2023). "'Unstable': Season 2 Of Rob Lowe & John Owen Lowe's Netflix Comedy Series Shut Down Due To Writers Strike". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (November 16, 2023). "Rob Lowe's 'Unstable' Renewed for Season 2 at Netflix". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
- ^ Freedman, Adrianna (February 3, 2024). "'Unstable' Fans, You're Not Ready for This Season 2 News John Owen Lowe Just Dropped". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 11, 2024). "'Unstable' Canceled By Netflix After 2 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 3, 2023). "'Unstable': Rob Lowe & John Owen Lowe Netflix Comedy Gets Premiere Date – Watch The Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 3, 2023). "Rob Lowe Is an Unstable Tech Titan in Teaser for Netflix Comedy With Son John Owen Lowe — Get Release Date". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Swift, Andy (May 6, 2024). "Rob Lowe's Unstable Sets Season 2 Return on Netflix — First Trailer Addresses That Explosive Cliffhanger". TVLine. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ "Unstable: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ "Unstable: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
- ^ Lloyd, Robert (March 29, 2023). "'Unstable' review: Rob and John Owen Lowe team up in this charming workplace comedy". LA Times. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ Han, Angie (March 30, 2023). "'Unstable' Review: Rob Lowe and Son John Owen Lowe Make a Winning Pair in a Netflix Comedy That Keeps the Focus on Fun". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
