Finally, I am putting my Showtime subscription to good use! Back when I had the service briefly in 2020, Kidding was totally worth my time, but I ran out of it for this lauded comedy. I know Black Monday recently aired its third season, but I had to start from the top, and it’s been a pretty fun ride so far.
Black Monday is in reference to when the stock market crashes, so you know, it’s happened a time or two in history, but this show pokes fun at made up crash. We first meet hard-partying Maurice Monroe, aka “Mo,” who’s in charge of the Jammer Group, a trading company. Working closely with Mo are Dawn, Keith, Wayne, and Yassir, who are all privy to the illegal stuff the company is doing to be successful. Wanting to join the company is Blair, who at first is humiliated but then ends up with at job at the company anyways.
Turns out, Mo’s got plans for Blair. He’s engaged to Tiffany Georgina, who happens to be the daughter of the makers of Georgina Jeans, and that means Mo wants to use Blair as part of the “Georgina Play.” The ultimate goal of the play is to get a majority share of the company, liquidate them and make out like bandits. Too bad the road there is an extremely bumpy one! Lots of hijinks ensue, as well as a fair amount of backstabbing, but Blair ends up getting the last laugh in the end…in a roundabout way. Seriously, the paths of betrayal these people took were incredible, and probably a little confusing if you weren’t paying attention.
In the end, Blair and Dawn own the Jammer Group, but are also responsible for the crash. It was their plan all along and it really screwed Mo in the end. Also screwing Mo over, though it pained him deeply to do so, was Keith. In an effort to keep his sexual orientation under wraps, he agrees to help the SEC bring Mo down for all of the illegal stuff he’s been doing over the years. So that’s where we see Mo at in the last few minutes, a bag of cash packed up and he’s ready to run to avoid being arrested. Dawn feels like she ultimately made the wrong move, and for the first time all season Blair seems truly ruthless and maybe even a little evil.
I can’t wait to see where the second season takes me! There were plenty of laugh out loud moments, but ones that stand out to me involve projectile vomited canned chili, and Ken Marino playing the Leighman twins. Absolutely hilarious, and I hope it was just as fun to film it. Despite the show taking place in the 80s, a lot of what was covered here can still apply to current-day, as sad as that is. Pretty much everyone is a standout here, but I definitely have to applaud them for taking a group of actors who I could have never imagined together and make them work! Definitely worth your time if you’re looking for a good laugh and a heavy dose of nostalgia.