Apple TV+'s Wonderful New Sports Show Channels A Kevin Costner Classic

There's a bittersweet yet feel-good vibe in "Stick" — Apple TV+'s new underdog sports dramedy (which follows in the footsteps of "Ted Lasso") — that's sneakily endearing. On the surface, Jason Keller's show is shuffling variations of clichés ripped from classic sports films and new wave TV comedies (like jokes that draw on the divide between Gen Z and Gen X), but underneath its fairly predictable formula, there's a genuinely charming heart that caught me off-guard.

The setup is pretty simple: Pryce Cahill (Owen Wilson, betting everything on his low-key yet beguiling charisma), a once-promising pro golfer turned golf club salesman, is broke and in the middle of a divorce with a pretty grim financial outlook toward his future. Strongly related to his money problems, he'll likely lose the home filled with memories and golf memorabilia he currently lives in. But one day, while out and about on a driving range teaching an old lady, the spark of hope for something better beckons with the smooth swoosh of a club swing.

The impressive swing belongs to Santi (Peter Dager), a teen prodigy who, not long ago, had been trained by his now-absent father to become a professional, and Pryce immediately sees the endless potential in him that he may have once seen in himself. Despite the initial reluctance from the kid, the two agree to team up and go on tour, each bringing their own emotional support system in the forms of Santi's proudly Latino mother, Elena (Marian Trevino), and Pryce's longtime buddy and former caddy, Mitts (Marc Maron, playing another annoyed and fed-up guy with ease).

Just like in "Ted Lasso" and some classic sports movies, golf is only here to serve as the context where more intriguing and exciting dramas can brew. Technique-wise, Santi is a phenomenal player who only needs some mental guidance, which is where Pryce excels. There's a reason for that: He's been through it all before — from big opportunities to meltdowns and burnout — and suffered a personal loss as a parent that most people don't come back from.

If that somewhat reminds you of a certain character from a largely forgotten 1990s classic, you must be a fan of Ron Shelton's work and, more importantly, one of the best golf movies ever made: "Tin Cup."

Now, before I get yelled at by some hardcore Shelton and Kevin Costner fans, let me say that "Stick" is hardly in the same league as "Tin Cup." The latter is a championed cult classic with a quintessential '90s vibe (believe me, I just re-watched it for the fourth time) that few sports films manage to retain from their respective eras. It's also led by a beloved actor who was widely associated with these types of pictures in the late 1980s and throughout the '90s (especially baseball movies like "Bull Durham," "For Love of the Game," etc.). But Keller's series and "Tin Cup" also share some vital features that explain how the former is able to grow on you pretty quickly.

Costner's Roy, a washed-up golfer working at a sorry-state driving range in the middle of nowhere, has some "cash problems" (just like Pryce) in "Tin Cup," owing $12,000 to his stripper ex-girlfriend. He's stubborn and bull-headed to a fault (driven by his relentless ballsiness, which repeatedly lands him in trouble) and is generally unable to get out of his own way to actually achieve something. In a sense, Wilson's Pryce in "Stick" feels like a slightly matured and evolved version of Roy due to his age and experience — someone who learned the difference between trusting his gut and being unnecessarily reckless. Of course, he can't always prevent his old self from getting the better of him and putting him in risky situations. Both characters dabble in some perilous gambling, with the difference being that Pryce actually hustles people with an elaborate plan in mind to trick them using his golf knowledge and smooth acting skills.

Although for differing reasons, Roy and Pryce also share a dysfunction when it comes to relationships, with both being the type of closed-off men who struggle to express their feelings directly. In "Tin Cup," this is played for laughs as Roy tries to seduce Molly (Rene Russo), a woman dating his old rival (Don Johnson), while in "Stick," Pryce's inability to articulate heavy emotions are rooted in a much deeper trauma. His grief suffocates him and tunes out everyone attempting to help him. It's a characteristic that makes him vulnerable and deeply relatable in our eyes.

Still, romance and chemistry are a pivotal part in both sports comedies, even if they sometimes go overboard in terms of what the plot would actually need — see Santi and Zero's (Lilli Kay) fling in the former and Roy and Molly's silly flirting in the latter. At other times, however, these romantic subplots perfectly nail a sweet and satisfying balance, allowing the supporting characters to quietly fall in love in the background.

Most of all, the thing "Stick" channels from "Tin Cup" is gradually turning the viewer into a member of its core group of characters. We slowly grow to love these dorks and support them throughout the toughest challenges and emotional turning points because they strike us as real human beings. I know that's Storytelling 101 (obviously), but it's especially true for this show. You can guess most of the outcomes and twists of the standard plot because you've seen it play out dozens of times before. It's the relatable, charming, and empathetic characters that make you stick (sorry) with it and keep watching because you feel delighted by being in their company (despite some occasional nuisances), even through a TV screen.

We all want love and acceptance in this world, preferably from people who can overlook our flaws and understand our deepest emotional wounds like no one else. "Stick" and "Tin Cup" are sublime at capturing this essence through a supportive and multifaceted cast that always finds a way to connect, whether it's in hardship and failure or joy and triumph. And while I doubt the former will reach the latter's treasured cult status, if you're craving something hopeful, uplifting, and exciting akin to "Ted Lasso," you should absolutely tune in ... and for good measure, give "Tin Cup" another watch, too.

"Stick" is now streaming on Apple TV+.