Plot: Best friends Debbie Claybourne and Judith Burton thought they knew everything about each other, except Judith turns out to be an international assassin. A hit goes horribly wrong when a mysterious figure emerges from Judith’s past and both of their worlds are turned upside down as they’re forced to go on the run together. It’s a race against time and a road trip across Europe, with law enforcement, highly trained assassins, and some very dangerous criminals at their heels.
Review: While Hannah Waddingham became widely known to global audiences with her brief but memorable turn in Game of Thrones as Septa Unella, it was the worldwide hit Ted Lasso that made her a household name as the owner of Richmond AFC, Rebecca Welton. An accomplished singer, performer, and actress, Waddingham’s latest project could have been a fluffy time-waster if left in less capable hands. Ride or Die not only boasts a solid cast that includes Octavia Spencer, Ed Skrein, and Bill Nighy, but also the directorial prowess of Ant-Man‘s Peyton Reed and executive producers Andy and Barbara Muschietti. A comedic caper wrapped in an action-heavy espionage drama, Ride or Die is way better than I expected, thanks to Waddingham and Spencer, who play a believable and fun “womance” between best friends who don’t know the secrets they share.
Ride or Die opens with a James Bond-caliber opening sequence that showcases Judith Burton (Hannah Waddingham) on a mission to take out a gangster. Operating outside of official channels, Judith is the best at what she does. When not killing people for money, Judith attends book clubs with her best friend Debbie (Octavia Spencer), the wife of British MP David Claybourne (Jamie Parker), who has his eyes on becoming the next Prime Minister. When Judith’s mission crosses into Debbie’s real life, the two learn more than they bargained for on a mission that includes embezzlement, global conspiracies, and pits both law enforcement and hired killers against the two women. At first, Ride or Die plays like a conventional espionage series with the twist being that the leads are best friends, but the love that Debbie and Judith have for each other is far more believable and entertaining as platonic than it would be if it were romantic.
Thrusting the unsuspecting Debbie into the world of killers and spies works in both comedic and dramatic fashion. Ride or Die explores different angles of the globe-trotting world of Judith’s employer as we meet her handler, Sam (Calam Lynch), her tech and weapons dealer, Amanda (Kathryn Drysdale), and her daughter, Queenie (Savannah Steyn), as well as Judith’s employer, known as The Director (Bill Nighy). They must also track down another assassin named Billy Donovan (Ed Skrein), who becomes an ally. The series unfurls a complex network of crimes and murder that connects not only Debbie’s current life but also glimpses of Judith’s past and how she became a killer. Sylvia Hoeks also appears as Ana, a dangerous woman who pulls all of the threads of the series together. Unfolding across eight episodes, Ride or Die spends a good deal of time building the web of the story before bringing it all together by the end of the season.
Centering an action/spy series around two women in their early fifties could have been risky with less-talented actors in the lead roles. Hannah Waddingham carries herself incredibly well in the comedy, drama, and action sequences. Waddingham brings a physicality to her performance that she has not used much of in previous projects, but proves she could have done a lot more with her brief role in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Octavia Spencer is also given a lot more to do than serve as the frantic friend caught in this new world. Debbie is a very intelligent attorney and a character who is chronically underestimated. Debbie and Judith complement each other’s skills, making the series more fun to watch. It also helps that there is chemistry between Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer that makes them fun to watch. The U.K. setting and global locales add to the story, which has a surprising amount of drama that is overlooked in the series’ comedy-heavy trailers.
Ride or Die hails from creator Tessa Coates and showrunner Matt Miller, who take what could have been the plot of a decent feature film and stretch it into a series. Coates is credited with writing the first two episodes and co-writing the final two alongside Miller. Other writers include Katherine Kearns, Liz Friedman, Laura Jacqmin, Alison Barton, and Bonnie Dennison. All of the writers play with the conventions and cliches of the spy genre, and there is little we have not seen before. The story is fairly formulaic and easy to figure out, with the twists and misdirections wearing thin by the halfway mark of the season. Still, director Peyton Reed helms the first two chapters with a solid handle of the shifting comedy and drama elements, with the action well-choreographed and fun to watch. The rest of the season is directed by DeMane Davis, Allison Liddi-Brown, and Lauren Wolkstein, who keep the momentum moving briskly, but the plot gets regularly bogged down in red herrings. Ride or Die is still fun to watch, but you could enjoy the first episodes before skipping to the finale and not miss much in between.
A nice twist on the spy formula, Ride or Die overcomes its familiar story structure and tone with the unexpectedly solid pairing of Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer. Prime Video dropping all eight episodes at once could spell doom for a potential second season, or it could reflect confidence that audiences will connect with these characters. Ride or Die pulls no punches with a good amount of action, with some impressive set pieces featuring Waddingham doing some of her own stunts. If anything, this series is a decent summer binge that will hopefully give Hannah Waddingham a lot more opportunities to become an action star. It is clear that there is potential beyond the same male-oriented espionage fare, and Ride or Die does a good job of keeping the series enjoyable regardless of demographics.
Ride or Die premieres on July 15th on Prime Video.
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