Stephen King Calls Out “Hollow” Trope In Apple TV’s 84% RT Crime Series: “People Don’t Do That Sh*t”

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Stephen King isn’t mincing words about one Hollywood trope.

Stephen King is a celebrated and incredibly productive horror author who has been writing for decades. Many of his books have become popular movies and TV series, with Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man arriving in 2025. At 78 years old, King still writes novels and is also very active online, freely sharing his opinions on the latest films and shows.

Stephen King often praises new movies and TV shows, but he recently criticized a common theme in Apple TV’s Your Friends and Neighbors. He shared a post from crime writer Linwood Barclay, who described the show as lacking substance and emotion. While King agreed with the overall sentiment, he specifically pointed to a scene in the second season’s first episode – where people fully clothed jump into a pool at a party – as a particular issue.

King points out the cliché of extravagant parties often depicted with wealthy characters – everyone diving into the pool, performers like fire eaters, and even ‘sexy’ musicians. He argues that this isn’t how wealthy people actually behave, even in the fictional worlds of authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, and that these portrayals feel superficial and lack authenticity.

The Apple TV series Your Friends and Neighbors, starring Jon Hamm as a former hedge fund manager who turns to stealing from his neighbors after losing his job, has been well-received by critics. It currently holds an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it a slightly lower, but still positive, score of 80%.

One of the biggest strengths of the series is its cast, particularly the actors from Your Friends and Neighbors. Jon Hamm shines as Andrew Cooper, and critics also enjoyed the performances of Olivia Munn, Amanda Peet, and James Marsden. Overall, the show is enjoyable and easy to watch, with a good mix of well-known actors and just enough suspense to keep you engaged.

However, Greg MacArthur’s review of season 2 for ScreenRant also described the series as feeling empty or lacking substance. He gave it a score of only 5 out of 10, and explained in his review:

As one character put it in season 2 of Your Friends & Neighbors, the show feels like it “doesn’t really have a point.” With a large cast of characters who are mostly self-absorbed, overly concerned with sex, and think too highly of themselves, it’s still hard to tell after two seasons if the show is meant to be a funny critique of the rich, or just another shallow drama. Either way, it doesn’t really make an impact, it’s easily forgotten, and frustratingly, it’s somewhat enjoyable – even though a third season is already planned.

The comedy series Your Friends and Neighbors, created by Jonathan Tropper, first aired in 2025 and recently started its second season on April 3rd. Apple has already renewed the show for a third season, confirming the news a month before the season 2 premiere. While there’s no official release date for season 3 yet, considering the year-long gap between seasons 1 and 2, it might premiere around April 2027.

It’s unknown what future seasons of Your Friends and Neighbors will hold, but a recent post from the show’s creator suggests he might not be tuning in when it comes back. New episodes are released on Apple TV every Friday.

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2026-04-19 20:58