It looks like it's time to escape this hot summer by checking into The Resort, a new TV series on Peacock that's getting strong reviews. Superficially, some may view it as half-The White Lotus and half-Only Murders In The Building. But it looks to be more than the sum of those parts. It appears to also have some supernatural vibes going on as well.
And, to be honest, The Resort is an easy sell for us. It stars Cristin Milioti (Made For Love) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place), with Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) and Skyler Gisondo (The Righteous Gemstones) in supporting roles.
On top of that, it's a perfectly timed series, as a vacation mystery show set at an all-inclusive resort where a couple celebrating their anniversary discover a cold case they need to crack.
Here's everything you need to know about The Resort, which airs new episodes every Thursday.
What is The Resort about?
The Resort finds Emma (Milioti) and Noah (Harper) celebrating their 10th anniversary by taking a trip to a boozy resort. The two bring some emotional baggage with them to this all-inclusive resort, and while Noah's relaxing, Emma's brain is scratching at any idea she can find.
Or, to put it more accurately, Emma becomes obsessed with a flip phone that she found when she had a minor accident in an all-terrain vehicle. She learns the phone belonged to a guy (Sam, played by Skyler Gisondo) who went missing at the resort 15 years ago.
The Resort then flashes back to Sam's visit to the island and begins to unravel how Sam went missing. In that flashback, we meet Violet (Nina Bloomgarden), who Sam disappeared with, and her father, Murray (Nick Offerman). Murray, as they say, is going through it all.
In the present day, Emma and Noah go on a fact-finding mission, and it all begins to get a little spooky.
If you're worried that The Resort is a puzzle box without answers, you should calibrate your expectations. The Resort bluntly declares it will have some resolution of some kind, as Emma states "otherwise, what is the f**king point?"
But reviews suggest The Resort is more concerned with character development than mystery answers.
The Resort reviews: What critics think
Currently, The Resort has an 86% Rotten Tomatoes rating, from 29 reviews.
The Ringer's Alison Herman calls The Resort a "buried treasure" with "an infectious sense of fun." She also notes that it "makes its frantic search for answers fun."
In a short blurb for The New Yorker, Rachel Syme declares The Resort's "twists and turns are tense enough to keep you glued to the screen on a sweltering day. Think “Romancing the Stone” meets a bottle of S.P.F. 50—this is made for high-summer bingeing."
Entertainment Weekly's Kristen Baldwin writes that "The Resort's mystical conclusion delivers an unexpectedly emotional catharsis. As with most vacations, the journey is sometimes exhausting, but the destination is ultimately worthwhile."
But not all critics are impressed. TV Guide's Allison Picurro writes that "It's frustrating that The Resort veers off track before it can find any answers." The issues, she notes, arrive in episode 4 when "the series becomes unwieldy." She also gripes that The Resort "can't figure out how to satisfyingly wrap up what it started."
Should you watch The Resort tonight?
If you're not going on vacation, but would enjoy eavesdropping on someone else's holiday-gone-wrong, The Resort seems like your destination of choice. That said, if you're more about the mystery and less about the themes and characters, it seems like The Resort may keep you hanging on until the next season (if Peacock renews it).
Either way, this show feels perfect for the current moment, especially as the heat rises in our living rooms.
Next: Looking for something else to watch? Check out these best Peacock shows.
