In August, 2015, I raved about an Amazon pilot called “Sneaky Pete,” developed by Bryan Cranston and “House” creator David Shore:
“Sneaky Pete” stars Giovanni Ribisi as Marius, a con man about to get out of jail who owes a lot of money to a mob figure — cash he doesn’t have. When his cellmate Pete shares stories about rich grandparents he hasn’t seen in 20 years, Marius decides that, once released from prison, he’ll pretend he’s Pete and scam his way into their money. Things don’t go exactly the way he plans them, though, and the complications make for a very interesting plotline, thanks to Margo Martindale and Peter Gereghty as the grandparents and a slew of unknowns as the rest of the extended family.
I’m always a sucker for a good con man story, particularly one that has the feel of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” mixed with a touch of a short-lived series I enjoyed called “Terriers.” I enjoyed it enough to tell Amazon I want to see more episodes.
Fortunately, a lot of other people liked it, too, so Amazon ordered a full season, which will finally be available on January 13th. David Shore’s no longer with the show, but “Justified” showrunner Graham Yost is onboard, and since I liked that series so much, I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll do with “Sneaky Pete.”