Stephanie Laing Talks Coop and Mel’s Princeton Detour and What Makes a Good Slap for ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’

Stephanie Laing’s trilogy of episodes for Apple TV+’s Your Friends & Neighbors contain strong narrative drive and messy, entertaining emotional fallout. Just when you think we are dipping our toes into this town’s dark underbelly, it sucker punches you with jagged, pitch-black laughs and fresh social commentary on wealth and suburban boredom. In a world where everyone is searching for their next happiness high, Laing’s three episodes keep you on your toes as they beautifully balance comedy and drama.

Laing has a tendency to step onto a tightope with shows whose tone isn’t easily defined. Palm Royale‘s candy-coated crafts distracted you from the hurt and want from its ensemble while Physical knocked you out with its bold irreverence. She is an expert at making you question that binary of tone.

At the end of episode five, the narrative takes a shift in perspective. The season opens with Jon Hamm’s Coop waking up in a pool of blood before fleeing the scene before we jump back to find out how we got here. The end of the fifth episode takes us back there after we realize the house that he’s in belongs to Olivia Munn’s Sam, Coop’s secret lover who is a friend of his ex-wife, Mel, played by Amanda Peet. Laing’s takes hold of the story as Detective Lin (played by Sandrine Holt) begins her line of questioning as she realizes the case is more complicated than she expects.

There is a naughty escapism when Coop and Mel take their kids, Hunter and Tori, to Princeton. Being away from home can really set you free from your obligations and duties as a parent or ex-spouse, and Laing drives that flirtatious tone forward. When Coop and Mel have an intimate moment, the gaze feels mature and nostalgic, which is expertly juxtaposed to Tori’s experience with a fleeting hookup on campus. It’s a fantastic example of how the text is brought to life with a deft hand. After the family returns home, Laing’s episodes see Coop’s arrest in the middle of that rich, privileged world before she gets a Hangover-level of swagger in the comedy of episode eight.

Before she leaves the world of petty crime, violence, and familial drama, Laing ends her time on the first season by giving us a glimpse into Coop’s mind as he takes a jog to clear his head. Everything is crashing down, and Laing stays in Hamm’s face to make us realize that this man is actually running for his life and he didn’t know he was part of a race.

Your Friends & Neighbors is streaming now on Apple TV+. Laing’s latest film, Tow, recently premiered at Tribeca and is seeking distribution. The film currently fresh at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.