There are days when the snow seems relentless, the cold feels personal, and the only thing I want to do is stay wrapped in a blanket and pretend the outside world doesn’t exist. OK. So this is a whole week.
But how apropos that this teaser for The Audacity, premiering this April, feels like it was made on one of those days.
AMC and AMC+ have unveiled a first look at their upcoming drama from creator Jonathan Glatzer, and the phrase “first look” might be doing a little too much work here.
(Ed Araquel/AMC)
What we get instead is a genuine tease, a brief, vague glimpse that offers almost no context, no stakes, and very little sense of why we should be excited — beyond who’s involved.
The teaser centers on Billy Magnussen‘s character receiving a mysterious text message that sends him sprawling onto the floor in apparent disbelief.
In the next scene, he’s back up, coffee cup in hand, grinning ear to ear as he announces to his company that he’s received “great news.” What news? Can’t say. Why does it matter? Unclear.
Why did the news drop him to the floor? Your guess is as good as mine. Which is to say, because two men on the floor are better than one. I think.
(Ed Araquel/AMC)
Hell, the accompanying first-look photos show yet another photo of Zach G on the floor, so this is apparently going to be thematic.
In the teaser, eventually, we cut to the final shot of Zach Galifianakis, also on the floor, dryly observing that “some people have very punchable faces.” And, well, yeah, that’s a relatable sentiment. But again, context is doing a vanishing act.
That’s the whole teaser.
There’s no real sense of plot, but there is a hint of the emotional stakes, as more people are screaming and look frustrated. But there is no explanation of what sets this Silicon Valley satire apart from the many that have come before it.
There are just two grown men on the floor, one beaming with secrets, the other delivering a line that feels engineered to become a reaction meme. And, oh, it will. It has.
(AMC/Screenshot)
If this teaser is meant to sell the series on story, it doesn’t. What it does sell is trust.
Trust in Glatzer, whose résumé includes Succession, Better Call Saul, and Bad Sisters.
Trust in Billy Magnussen, who has a knack for making smug, unsettling, and charismatic characters watchable even when they’re doing very little.
Trust in Zach Galifianakis, whose deadpan discomfort has always been his secret weapon.
And maybe that’s the point here.
(Ed Araquel/AMC)
The Audacity is being positioned less as a show you’re supposed to immediately understand and more as one you’re expected to follow on reputation alone.
The press materials describe a darkly comedic drama about Silicon Valley egos, ethical lapses, and the warped dreams of people who believe they’re inventing the future — which sounds promising, if familiar.
But none of that texture makes it into the teaser itself.
Instead, AMC is essentially saying, “Trust us. You like these people. You like this creator. Come along for the ride.”
(Ed Araquel/AMC)
To be fair, that may be enough. I am a fan of their previous projects, and I will be tuning in.
Prestige TV has long survived on vibes and confidence, and AMC has earned a certain amount of goodwill over the years.
Still, it’s hard not to wish this first look gave us something — anything — to grab onto beyond pedigree and punchlines.
For now, The Audacity remains a question mark wrapped in star power. Whether that’s intriguing or just mildly frustrating may depend on how much patience you have… and how cold it is outside.
Are you willing to give this one a shot? Take a look at the teaser and let us know in the comments below.
The eight-episode series will premiere Sunday, April 12 at 9/8c on AMC and AMC+, with additional episodes debuting weekly on Sundays.
Are you in?
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