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Brokaw: Maya Rudolph and cast return for Season Two of ‘Loot’

By Francine Brokaw - Special to the Standard-Examiner | May 25, 2024

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Season Two of "Loot" starring Maya Rudolph is now streaming on Apple TV+.

The second season of Maya Rudolph’s series “Loot” on Apple TV+ is now streaming and it continues to showcase Rudolph’s unique comedy. Her character, Molly Wells, is trying to give away her $120 billion but it’s not as easy as it seems.

The Wells Foundation set up by Molly is diligently guided by business guru Sophia (Michaela Jae Rodrigues), who often gets completely flummoxed by some of Molly’s ideas. But sometimes the billionaire does come up with something that works. Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) also returns as Molly’s assistant who enjoys Molly’s good life, which includes evenings at her amazing and beautiful (not to mention outrageously expensive) house, and kale smoothies with a touch of gin.

Molly is a unique character. As Rudolph explained to a group of television critics, “I like that she clearly has to look within to figure (herself) out. She’s getting a chance to look at her own life and realize she never really asked what she wanted her life to be, and so you see her making mistakes. I wanted her to be likable — someone that you could empathize with. Because if she had no soul, that was going to be a really boring show.” And indeed, as viewers can attest, Molly has a good heart but has not had the opportunity to use it to her full advantage because she has been completely immersed in her former life of designer clothes and amazing wealth. This season, viewers will see how much good she actually does want to do with her wealth.

“I also just like that she can be friends with people that she didn’t expect to be with, whereas I think in her recent past life, that wasn’t the case,” the actor explained. “She was more of a socialite and ran in a different circle. So, when you get the chance to play the humanity of it, I think that’s the part that I like the most. And I think that Molly is a little goofy, which I like playing a lot.”

This season, Molly is taken in by a swindler, but thankfully is spared. She also has a great idea about housing the homeless but discovers that just the idea alone comes with plenty of red tape to cut through.

Her ex-husband, tech billionaire John Novak (Adam Scott), is just as quirky as she is. Their wealth is simply a part of their lives and whatever they can do with money is just a perk of being so wealthy — and that includes John’s crazy ideas that put him on somewhat the same trajectory as Elon Musk.

Creator, writer and Executive Producer Alan Yank told the media, “Just seeing the chemistry of this ensemble and how they played so well together, it made us really want to just go bigger, faster, funnier in Season Two.” He explained that they wanted to delve into the personal relationships of the various characters this season.

Molly wants to loosen up Sophia, who is always very business oriented. So at one point, she sets her up on a date, to Sophia’s chagrin. But in actuality, Molly just wants to do something good for her “friend” and her heart is always in the right place.

Rodriguez was thrilled with this direction of her character. “Sofia is very stark and stiff and very starchy,” she stated. “The growth of her is obviously delving into a relationship, so it was new but it was wonderful. And I was very happy and grateful that we opened up that plane for her to be seen as soft, because she was just so serious about her work.”

Nate Faxon plays Arthur, who works at the foundation and has a bland personality. The actor said, “I think Arthur is a grounding anchor to Molly’s character. I think he lives a very simple life and some might say plain.” This is the complete opposite of Molly, who is over the top on just about everything. They are like yin and yang. They are opposites but fit together well. He added, “I think Arthur provides some depth that she desperately needs in the show, and it’s a great sort of counterbalance between the two.”

The season explores the characters more in depth while at the same time takes the financial journey with Molly and her friends. This is a comedy that looks at the dichotomy of enormous wealth and average people. Without Rudolph, it probably wouldn’t be as successful and engaging as it is.

The entire second season is now streaming on Apple TV+.