The Resort is a thrilling comedic mystery series that follows a married couple as they seek to solve an unsolved mystery in the Yucatan.

Emma (Cristin Milioti) and Noah Reed (William Jackson Harper) are celebrating their tenth anniversary at the Mayan Rivera. But before they have much time to settle in, a mishap during their ATV ride leads to the discovery of a lifetime. Emma discovers a phone and in asking around, she begins to learn a mystery surrounding the disappearance of Sam (Skyler Gisondo) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden) fifteen years earlier during a hurricane. Their detective work brings them across people who used to work at the resort. Their journey will put their marriage to the ultimate test as they try to solve the mystery.

There’s a nostalgic bent to watching The Resort. In getting to know the various hotel workers, some have left the past behind while others have already moved on. You can’t help but feel that their history still haunts them. Speaking of nostalgia, the series also tugs at our own nostalgia for adventures. Speaking for myself, there’s a reason why I keep turning to films like Jurassic Park during the pandemic. It’s because of being able to go on an adventure even if it’s by way of a movie. Plus, the 1990s were such a different time. This series is no different than The Lost City when it comes to taking audiences on an adventure. But in any event, you can feel the influence of the 90s movies while watching the series play out. Series composer Andrew Carroll does his best to add a John Williams flavor to the score.

While creator and co-show-runner Andy Siara was a writer behind Sundance hit Palm Springs, this series is nothing like the time-loop comedy. I do love that Siara reteams with Cristin Milioti for the series. Milioti is talented and has great chemistry here with William Jackson Harper. Both of them are great at playing comedy and drama. To be fair, this is also a reunion for the two actors since they worked together as a couple in After the Blast at the Lincoln Center. While I admit to being backed up in watching streaming series, The Good Place star plays a character who is very much unlike Chidi. They both have their own vulnerabilities that come into the open as we dig deeper into The Resort.

Interestingly, Siara initially wrote the series as a coming-of-age movie. Personally, I think this story works better in this format rather than film. This format is beneficial when it comes to character development. It allows us to get to know these characters over the course of several hours than maybe an hour and a half to two hours. What makes them tick? This series is epic in scale, too, so the current format works. Tonally, I don’t want to say that it’s all over the place but this is a series that really blends genres. The important thing is that it keeps us engaged.

Peacock is launching the series with three episodes at once. I think this is a good thing. Depending on whether you watch the end credits, you’re looking at about a complete run time of just over four hours here. While the weekly episodes keep the conversation going, the series also works by binge-watching in one sitting. The way we watch TV is certainly changing, for better or worse. In any event, it’s a solid comedic mystery thriller and will keep audiences engaged throughout the eight-episode run.

The Resort tackles themes of love and lost in this comedic mystery thriller and while there might not be any dinosaurs trying to eat you for dinner, the series pays homage to adventure films like Jurassic Park.

CREATOR: Andy Siara
SHOWRUNNERS: Andy Siara and Allison Miller
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Sam Esmail, Chad Hamilton, Allison Miller, Ben Sinclair
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sarah Matte
CAST: William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Skyler Gisondo, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Nina Bloomgarden, Gabriela Cartol, and Nick Offerman
GUEST STARS: Ben Sinclair, Parvesh Cheena, Debby Ryan, Dylan Baker, Michael Hitchcock, Becky Ann Baker

Peacock launches the first three episodes of The Resort on July 28, 2022. New episodes will stream weekly on Thursdays. Grade: 4/5

Please subscribe to Solzy at the Movies on Substack.