Hap and Leonard (2016–2018) User Reviews

Gritty, quirky, thrilling drama with some awesome acting

[Perse_phone · 8/10 · 11 June 2016]

Hap & Leonard is a gritty, suspenseful show with interesting, 3-dimensional characters portrayed by very talented actors.

This was truly a fun ride. As other reviewers might have already mentioned, the story and the characters are introduced slowly but you get a feel for the plot, the southern atmosphere and the relationships between the characters. The chemistry, friendship and banter between Hap and Leonard is highly entertaining all on its own, even without the suspenseful, dark "turn" of events which takes place later in the plot.

The show combines a southern, serene and at times somewhat glum atmosphere, the story of an amusing, maybe even (at times) unlikely friendship of two guys and my favourite kind of crime comedy -- not lacking gore and violence on top of that. The latter is bloody but overall very fitting, meeting the tone and the general gritty feel of the show.

Overall, this was a very positive surprise of a (fairly unknown--as it seems) show with a great variety of interesting characters and an entertaining, dark-ish plot. I'm so glad that I found this on amazon prime! Totally recommended.

Entertaining

[duckytape1 · 9/10 · 25 March 2017]

This show intrigued us from the start and it didn't disappoint. The casting of James Purefoy and Michael Williams as Hap and Leonard as two bickering yet loyal buddies sets the tone for some interesting and entertaining adventures. Hap and Leonard reminds us of how important casting is to any successful production.

The show is peppered with some dark humour yet serious and brutal enough to include some bloody violence. The story line personalities of these two make for some well written and well delivered dialogue between the two individuals.

We hope they have many more adventures in the seasons ahead.

(Season 1): Slightly melancholic and darkly funny buddy comedy which turns into a crazy - and insanely violent - thrill ride.

[gogoschka-1 · 8/10 · 28 April 2016]

This was a very pleasant surprise: I hadn't heard about this and yet it stars Rome's James Purefoy and The Wire's Michael Kenneth Williams. So far, to me this is one of 2016's most uexpected gems. It may take a while to get going (hence probably the low rating from viewers who expected something different), but boy does the patient viewer get rewarded with the last 3 episodes (for your information: the story consists of only 6 episodes).

The first 3 episodes are all about the characters and their relationships, slowly building the story and creating atmosphere, while the last 3 episodes really let the shît hit the fan. It's not for the faint of heart, frequently depicting Fargo-level brutality and bloody violence. The overall tone might be that of a quirky, slightly melancholic and darkly funny buddy comedy, but it changes several times from rather light to pitch black and even downright disturbing.

Thanks to the great chemistry between leads Purefoy and Williams, the bromance - and near constant bickering - between Hap, a disillusioned ex-hippie and war protester (white and straight) and his best friend Leonard, an easy to anger Vietnam vet (black and gay), keeps you entertained even through the show's somewhat sluggish start. To give you a brief synopsis of what the first season is all about (without any spoilers): We're in the late eighties and our two constantly broke southern protagonists barely get by, working as pickers in the east Texan rose fields, when one day Hap's wannabe revolutionary ex-wife shows up with a promising proposition. The proposition (which is not a spoiler as it's all in the first couple of minutes of the first episode): In exchange for a fair share upon success, help her find the long lost loot of a bank robbery gone wrong which is supposedly in the trunk of a car on the bottom of a river somewhere in the wild, overgrown swamps of the south.

We get to take part in the ensuing adventure, while also learning via flashbacks how the unlikely pair of Hap and Leonard became best friends during early childhood, as well as getting to know (also via flashbacks) the back-story of Hap and his Hippie ex-wife. I was entertained during the first 3 episodes and thrilled during the last 3. While the show does have a distinct "TV-feel" (its only minor flaw) it's still a solid first season and I absolutely recommend it to anybody who likes quirky buddy comedy and doesn't mind bloody violence. Now that Banshee is all but over, I hope this pulpy delight will be renewed for a second season and more adventures of Hap and Leonard. 8 stars out of 10.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Genuine chemistry, great story-telling, rewarding experience.

[virtuallann-1 · 10/10 · 21 February 2018]

Hap and Leonard's on screen chemistry is seamless. You can feel that these two have been friends and brothers since childhood and there is no forced chemistry as is seen in so many "buddy" movies and tv shows. Their relationship radiates a genuine connection that is a backdrop for the story rather than the focus.

The racial tensions that exist in the show are not forced either but are a backdrop as well to story-telling. A genuine portrayal of both the good and the bad that does not brow beat or try and preach politics to the viewer. So far this has been one of the most rewarding shows to watch in a long time.

I really hope this one sticks around, it is a fantastic effort and will be watching it until the end.

Great stuff !

[nollaigpcs · 9/10 · 9 March 2017]

About time the unlikely bond of two great friends came together, one Black one White and the Black guy is gay for a change. I love the Acting in this , the story and the general plot. great stuff. Watch it.Michael Williams was brilliant in 'Boardwalk Empire and I am sad they did-int continue that show however, He (Williams) is a stunning soft cold and warm Actor who can bring any character to life in leaps and bounds.I would hire him in a second for any Role .

Hap & Leonard

[ctbering · 17 April 2016]

**** W A R N I N G ***** W A R N I N G ***** W A R N I N G****** To all TV producers/television investors:

If you fund a story that is interesting and incorporate this story with great actors like HAP & Leonard the public will find it, watch and covet it. The Sundance network is now on my radar and I hope it is on other folks as well. I also found another quirky show, a comedy, $hidtt's Creek on the P O P Network, but I digress. Some of the previous reviews are funny; folks trying to rationalize why they could enjoy such a different type of show. HAP & Leonard is not simplistic, & it is not a show that is geared to folks missing a few neuro-transmitters or other brain matter. It is really a creative story with very talented characters that most of us know from previous shows. I am so glad these talented folks took a chance on this show and there is a network that has the guts air it. And Sundance....please keep airing these shows. .

awesome and funny

[dsp-08388 · 9/10 · 4 April 2016]

Wow...I was just looking for something entertaining to watch over the weekend and clicked on New Series This Week from my TV menu and saw this and read that it took place in the 80's which is when I graduated high school and anyone who grew up in the 80's...all fun and there's no record of it anywhere Lol. So I gave it a shot and what fun it was. Went in with no expectations and enjoyed myself so much I binged on all 5 episodes. Hopefully there will be more. Funny, witty, suspenseful, action, drama, betrayal. This is my kind of entertainment. There is violence & gore. So glad I watched it. Good character development and the banter between Hap & Leonard was absolutely hysterical.

Canceled FAR Too Soon

[the_nephilim71 · 10/10 · 14 May 2019]

A fantastic little show with engaging stories and believable acting. It was canceled far too soon.

A Great Adaptation of Savage Season...

[aka_sabretooth · 7/10 · 26 August 2016]

Which is an odd choice to kick start the series. Because "Savage Season" was originally not part of the Hap and Leonard book series, it was a stand alone novel with the characters appearing first time ever. What would become known as the "Hap and Leonard Book Series" started with the intense mystery, amateur sleuth books like "Mucho Mojo" and "The Two Bear Mambo", and the rest is history. While the book series has ups and lows as any series, I never got tired of reading all of them.

The TV series is almost I would say dedicated to new and old fans of the books, the casting and the details are all there, so while Joe Lansadale's prose is gone it is a hell of a treat for readers that can approach an on-the-screen version. I am unable to tell how this TV series will sit to newcomers, because the plot ruminates deeply on themes that prevailed in Savage Season (i.e. the idealism of the 60s, and its reverberations into the late 80s) but were lately abandoned in the books which became their own distinct brand of crime mystery novels. And that is unfair as I am leaving out a lot of themes in the novels, really.

So give it a try, and if it lets you down just wait until the second arc comes out. If they adapt Mucho Mojo as it is hinted... or The Two Bear Mambo, or any other book with Hap and Leonard the plot will be much more intense and focused than this one, and the potential to rival with other mystery TV series like "True Detective".

Another near perfect offering from Sundance.

[tomk1of1 · 9/10 · 5 March 2017]

Take some of the best acting talent one could ask for and a story that keeps you at the edge of your seat. Fun,excitement,comedy,drama and some real out there violence,this has a little of everything. It is hard for anyone not to be entertained.

If you are not someone who can watch over the top violence you might not want to to take this in. But otherwise TV just doesn't get any better.

Sundance needs to advertise better. Like so many others,I just happened to come across this one.

Word of mouth hopeful spread the word.

Season one is on Netflix with season two beginning 3/15/17. 6 eps each. You'll be wantignfor more I suspect.

Refreshing if not fresh

[martymoves · 7/10 · 6 February 2023]

I see a lot of conflicted reviews but at the end of the day, its just a good show.

The subject matter is controversial yet you find yourself in a position where you are always rooting for our loveable duo.

Its not a show for the weak and feeble if ravcial subject matter gets to you easily. There are no rose rinted glasses for the viewers on this ride.

Its gritty, dark, insensitive, and awesome. The storylines seem to flow with little hesitation and keep you icy while you're waiting for the next part of the tale to unfold.

Two men bonded by blood and loss, an unbreakable brotherhood, going up against all odds. That's the real takeaway from all of this.

Just a damn good story of persepctives.

Overall 7/10 Entertainment Value 7.5/10 - MKW God rest his soul. Never turned in a bad performance in his career. He will be missed.

Refreshingly good

[adammecke · 10/10 · 12 April 2018]

The characters are great and the acting even better. From the first episode I was hooked!

Gotta love the south..

[sanjin_9632 · 7/10 · 4 April 2017]

I just watched the first episode of the 2nd season and I thought to myself: *why haven't I written about this yet?*

The first season actually was pretty good, as I remember. Purefoy and Williams had some chemistry, to say the least. Hendricks was hot in her ways. The story's OK, most of the time, but this is not about the story. The real stars of this are the characters in their misguided ways, sometimes funny, sometimes sad.

I'm especially amazed by the supporting cast. Simpson and Henry G. Jackson as Uncle Chester were funny as hell.

I hope this keeps its southern charm and doesn't get boring as the season unfolds. 7.0/10.

After watching the 3rd Season, I'll never watch again

[Batman-20 · 1/10 · 16 April 2018]

Dear writers of this show:

I just finished watching the 3rd Season, and I wanted you to know that you have permanently lost a viewer.

The way you wrapped up Florida's story was the lamest, most pointless and most useless ending for a character I have ever seen.

After putting her through all of that, and have her survive only to be killed by a flash flood while no one else was even scratched, you created the ultimate waste of time to watch. You turned her character into nothing but Pathos, after creating a very strong female character.

I want the six hours I spent watching the 3rd season back. You made it impossible for me to ever enjoy these characters again.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Tired of reality, contestant & "comedy", me too

[lisavacanti · 10/10 · 24 February 2021]

The two leads are as different as two people can be and yet have a bond that can't be broken, they're there for each other. Loved their little back & forth quips & snipes at each other. You knew it was brothers trying to get under each others skin. Also liked how they dealt with contemporary issues without being preachy, instead showing that we need to be their for each other.

Quirky and Entertaining

[imbendingtime · 8/10 · 26 March 2016]

I found this show a little by accident and I am glad I did.

It's entertaining. Sure sometimes the dialogue can be a little simplistic and even predictable, especially between the two main characters Hap & Leonard, but the performances are great and the story is fun.

All of the actors really show up for their roles in this show, some are just outstanding and make it really engaging to watch.

Its funny, unique and has its own quirkiness, which I really like. So far I am really liking it and glad I found it. I am looking forward to next episodes.

Looking forward to seeing more.

Perfect Series

[davi-shaw · 10/10 · 17 February 2021]

I went into this not expecting much, just another American lightweight drama to fill in sometime during the pandemic - boy was I wrong. I'm not a fan of Purefoy but in this show he is excellent. True he gets out acted by his co-star, but the relationships feels real, the dialogue really works. Funny, sad, hopeful, despairing, uplifting, dark and voilent this show has everything. Only 3 series sadly. Well worth a bingewatch you will love it.

Thrilling TV!

[Gretel1006 · 8/10 · 17 March 2016]

My spoilers are super minor, nothing that will jeopardize your viewing pleasure.

This show keeps getting better and better. I have just finished watching the 4th episode and there is something so quirky about it. It is supposed to take place in the 80's (thereabouts) and centers around crime - trying to locate stolen money and dealing with the results. It is set in Texas with the 2 main characters wearing cowboy boots and hats, giving it a westernish vibe. But then you throw in the spandex wearing, spike-haired, blue eye-shadowed, 80's murderous vixen and the show becomes a little more off kiltered, but in an entirely good way. This mix of characters makes me feel like I am watching a blend of a Guy Ritchie Film and Pulp Fiction turned into a TV show. The violence reminds me of this combo as well. It is extreme and bloody but done with flair and frivolity.

There are some excellent and well-known actors in the show: James Purefoy, Michael Kenneth Williams, and the ever lovely Christina Hendricks. Michael and James have really good chemistry together and It is completely believable that they have been best of friends since childhood. I do have to say, though, that Enrique Murciano's acting was cringe worthy (an ex-lover to Leonard (Michael's character)). It was so over the top. But I have to wonder if the director wanted it to look like that because otherwise one would think that he would have redone the scenes. Fortunately Enrique's role is very minor.

I am rating Hap and Leonard a 8 because of how entertaining, quirky, and amusing it is. The show is not up there with such monumental TV like Breaking Bad or The Wire, but I am surprised that more people aren't watching this and proclaiming its superb entertainment value. Shows like this and Fargo demonstrate that TV can be even more than good writing and acting, they can be art.

The writers should be ashamed of what they did to the viewer

[phoenixinvictus · 14 January 2019]

I won't rate this show out of respect for the actors involved who with all their talent entertained me as a viewer. I loved the fraternal love between two men who overcame their differences and stuck with each other regardless of the difficulties which were tossed at them.

I should have abandoned this series after the end of season two which even with the heartbreaking death of Meemaw I considered as a betrayal to the viewer. But she was elderly and alone I rationalized her demise as a mercy especially after having learnt about the part of her grandson TJ in the deaths of those children. Although it is implied that TJ was somehow evil is in my opinion unfair since he was manipulated by the Reverend. I finished watching the third season and I must warn the future viewers of the betrayal of the writers. The entire third season revolves around the mysterious disappearance of Florida, Haps former love interest who goes into the town run by the Klan. Hap and Leonard aren't exactly clever in their investigation but it doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together. There is a mysterious girl called Belinda who remains a mystery and quite out of place. She looks like something taken out of a Stephen King novel and quite creepy. Her character development is abandoned quite suddenly and the viewer never gets any explanation as to why she behaves like one of the children of the corn. It's in the final two episodes that whole story falls to pieces. The viewer is led to believe that Florida is dead and I fine with that if it serves to further the plot and characters. But it is in the final episode that viewer is revealed that Florida is very much alive and held trapped in the booth of an abandoned car. There was hope that there might be a decent ending to wrap up this series. The writers however betrayed the viewers. They killed Florida in the most meaningless and unworthy way. After having endured what she had only to die in a flood like something from the bible is a betrayal to the viewer. If she was dead then she should have remained dead but to bring her back from the dead to kill her off was wrong wrong wrong. The writers should be ashamed of themselves.

Generally Entertaining

[Keeblertex · 7/10 · 24 December 2020]

A little heavy on the environment of racism in the late 1980s. Even in East Texas. Take it from someone who was there. Racism in the 80s was real just like it always is. Just really not that overt. That aside, really fun show to watch and two main characters really complemented each other.

Watch and then Lament it is NOT Renewed

[markkbranson · 9/10 · 1 May 2019]

Great acting is obvious across the board. The stories are timely in this post-Trump America. The direction is seamless and the characterizations are a joy to watch unfold.

With all this going for it (as well as this show being the highest rated of Sundance TV), then why isn't this show renewed? May be that Sundance is too niche. May be that the plots make some people feel uncomfortable. I believe it is because the leads are middle aged and simply don't draw viewers that way other shows do.

It is a shame that I other network wants to pick this show up. Watch, enjoy, then lament your loss.

less good than should be mrlansdale

[sj-29828 · 6/10 · 5 June 2016]

In hap and leonard Joe Lansdale created two iconic characters and they are excellently imagined here by the two leads but often wasted as they seem to take backseat to most of other characters - why have them tied up for huge amounts of series? Between being tied up or shot they barely function. Thiscould be the soldoer and angel show. In a longer runningseries u need to disable your potent devices to have an effective story line (the transporters are malfunctioing again captain!) but not by episode 3 of series 1!

However truly criminally slack plot holes that Lansdale should be ashamed of. For example, after the dive when the police are at MArvel Creek and team scurry backc to Leonard's place - may be police might just follow up on finding Leonard's truck? Really? Dead police officeers but no one wants to check that lead? Are the gators sleeping at night? Lets both go in the water. I could go on, but whats the point?

I hope there is another seriesbut if itcan't be better than CSIstandard of writing then would prefer Joe Lansdale stuck to his excellent books

Great Show

[donaldl329 · 10/10 · 2 April 2016]

This is a great show

it's dark

it's funny

has a good story line

I'd have to say it's a guilty pleasure

my only complaint is it was to short

Hope it comes back again only longer

I would compare it to a dark version of My Name is Earl because of it's redneck style

If you haven't seen it I'd say give it a look cause after one episode you will be hooked.

.. slow start... second half of the episodes coming through

[bjarias · 7/10 · 12 April 2016]

There are times villains steal the show. These two are just so good they should be acknowledged and brought back for their own production sometime in the near future. They were that good... especially 'Angel' (Pollyanna McIntosh).. the alien-amazon, she is captivating-intense. Otherwise there was not much else to really talk about (the script being notably thin) .. and next season, well, we'll just have to wait and see what develops. The rest of the cast is also very good.. (Christina Hendricks was a delightful surprise).. they just did not have much to work with. It could go between a 7-8 rating.. the story-line being the main weakness of this otherwise fairly entertaining first series.

Just OK

[zethcarn · 5/10 · 1 June 2019]

There's a lot of grit, wit, and violence to the show and that's ok. My issue is it meanders very slowly way too much, there's a lot of witty comebacks that just for the sake of wit but don't make a lot of logical sense. The 2 main characters do a lot of really, really dumb things for the sake of creating dangerous, intense situations.