RISK AND REWARD OF THE JOURNEY
“The Big Door Prize” Apple TV+
In “The Big Door Prize,” created by David West Read and based on the novel by M.O. Walsh, a mysterious “Morpho” machine resembling a photo booth appears in a small-town general store, offering participants the chance to learn their true potential. A kind of controlled chaos ensues, as residents make radical life changes, face disheartening results, or refuse to play along.
The Apple TV+ comedy stars Chris O’Dowd as Dusty, whose Morpho card seems to reflect a potential he’s realized. Meanwhile, his wife, Cass (Gabrielle Dennis), receives a card marked “Royalty,” which throws them for a loop. Long marriages break up, a garage is converted to a Wild West saloon, and the school principal joins a motorcycle gang, all thanks to Morpho. The series examines the myths we create about ourselves, the roads not taken and the courage — or recklessness— required to change course.
Reception
Ben Travers at IndieWire writes: “The 10-episode first season proves charming, wellconsidered and tonally sound. Its priority is always on its ensemble of characters, which brings out the best in an affable cast.” Amber Dowling of Variety notes: “It takes a beat to get into the unique tone of the series and to accept the magical realism that stops by now and again. But by the end, you do care about what happens to these people. In fact, you’ll probably be left wanting more.”
Perception
Creator Read was given the book by an agent to consider adapting, right before the pandemic hit. He was drawn to the “heightened comedy in a slightly surreal world,” Read says. As the shutdown continued, “the story of people who are reevaluating their life choices, and thinking about ways to start over, felt more and more timely and precious.”
Read adds that his star, O’Dowd, “excels in this comedy of anxiety and anguish. There’s something about the way he moves through the world that feels profoundly relatable.”
Each episode looks at the effects of Morpho on another character. “What I wanted to do in a series was something that’s not an anthology but that reveals people over time and builds this web of townspeople who are all interconnected,” Read says. “I love the magic trick of thinking you know who a character is and being surprised by the inner workings of that person’s mind and heart. No matter what you’ve done or how happy you might think you are, there’s always the idea of the other path. That was the theme that resonated and felt like it had endless potential, because it’s so universal.”