I'm running low on tv series to review, so I went to Hulu and clicked on the first fictional series that popped up: Sunny Nights. Wait -- how can nights be sunny? We'll find out.
Scene 1: Dawn in a horrible industrial area in Australia (I know because the logo says Screen Australia). A woman watering her lawn, two joggers. An crocodile crosses a golf course and suddenly gets exploded into a bloody mess.
Cut to a shirtless man (Will Forte) being rubbed by a woman wearing gloves, and telling the gathered men in suits that he works out; he just likes to rest between sets (no more than one minute, buddy). His product can be used by anyone, anywhere, regardless of age, gender, or natural beauty: tanning goop!
One of the potential investors is about to make an offer, when the hotel manager rushes up: he's using a hotel for his demonstration without getting permission, and he and his assistant Vickie are not guests.
They are forced out, and the potential investors reject them.
Hey, they're not romantic partners, they're siblings. That means the brother could be gay. Plus sister Vickie is played by D'Arcy Carden, the bisexual actor from The Good Place.
Scene 2: Brother actually booked them into a horribly run-down, pink-brick hotel with outside doors: Sunny Nights. As they squeak in, a ruffian knocks on a door above them. No one answer, so he bursts in and beats on the male occupant.
Now it's a house, not a hotel room, with a woman saying "Hello, Gorgeous" to a tanning booth. Or are you the sister? Why is your hotel room a huge apartment with many personalized decorations?
Back to the hotel room. I'm getting whiplash from these split-second cuts. The occupant (maybe Harry Greenwood of Charmed) recognizes the Ruffian from a sport: he had to drop out because he got his head injured. Ths does not ingratiate the ruffian, who knocks him out -- but at least gives him a pillow
The Ruffian is played by Willie Mason, a former soccer player for the Sydney Roosters with a long list of troubles, including assaulting another player, failed businesses, drunk driving, and urinating in public, though he didn't mind the widely-publicized crotch grab by a rival player. This is his first acting role.
Down in the siblings' room, they discuss their back story. The brother's girlfriend or wife broke up with him, so he's come to Australia in a grand scheme to win her back. Grrr...hetero identity established at Minute 6. He calls and tells her that he happens to be in the country on business, so could they get together?
Scene 3: Meanwhile, the sister Vickie goes to the beauty convention, and tells her entire life story to the clerk. It includes a "gorgeous but mean hula-hooper," so maybe she's a lesbian. She doesn't like her booth -- too small, and right by the bathroom. So she spends all of their money for a bigger one.
Cut to dinner with the Brother and his ex. She is suspicious: "So you quit your job, started a tanning company, and came to Australia to sell it -- as a purely business decision? Not to try to win me back?"
"Well, it may have crossed my mind as a side benefit of becoming wildly successful." She explains why she left him (doesn't he already know?): the usual vague reason wives give when they are broken up just so they can get back together again.
Scene 4: At the bar at the Beauty Convention, Brother wails that the attempt to win her back didn't work. That was your grant scheme? Just dinner?
Sister Vickie tells him to man up and start networking. She acquires an A$750 bottle of wine and heads off to pretend that they're successful. Susi, a tarted up woman at the bar, is impressed, and starts flirting with Brother. She guesses right off that he's in tanning, because she goes to a lot of beauty conventions (then why is your makeup so hideous?).
Brother gives his back story again (omitting the grand scheme to win back the ex) Susi invites him to the wine bar down the street, but he refuses: big presentation tomorrow. This devastates her: "Oh, God, I came on too strong! I always do this!" So Brother agrees. Sneaky move, lady!
Meanwhile, Sister Vickie is sharing her expensive bottle of wine with a tableful of attractive ladies. You trying to get customers or get laid?
Scene 5: The wine bar interspliced with energetic bedroom activity, and the next morning, waking up in her fancy hotel room. During pillow talk, he gets a text from the ex: she wants to try that reconciliation thing, tonight. Uh-oh, torn between two girlfriends!
At breakfast, Susi admits that she filmed their sexual encounter, so now Brother has to do what "he" says: the sleazy-looking Kash (Miritana Hughes), who wants A$10,000, or the video goes on the internet. But the activity is legal. Brother wasn't cheating. Why should he care?
He cares because if his ex-wife sees the video, she won't want to get back together. Why not? Did she expect him to not see anyone else for the rest of his life?
After they leave, Sister Vickie comes in to announce that she found a model for the presentation. She wants to show him the nude photos she took. Wrong time, girl.
Scene 6: Family Fun Time, a deserted amusement park. Sleazy Kash is holding down a new guy while his goons play miniature golf at his mouth. They miss, so Kash pulls out a tooth. The Ruffian appears and announces that he couldn't get the money from the Hotel Room Guy earlier, so he punched him and gave him two extra days. Kash doesn't like this, and hits him in the head. He blacks out.
Scene 7: Brother and Sister Vickie in a bar. The Model, wearing a bikini, approaches to show Vickie her stuff. Brother is not impressed: she already has a tan, so how can they demonstrate a tanning product on her? Nope, she's hot, and Vickie wants her...um...as an employee. "She can model a darker shade."
Meanwhile, the Ruffian is examined by a mob physician. Headaches, vision problems, mood swings, erectile dysfunction...before he can diagnose, Ruffian says "Just give me my pills."
More after the break
Scene 8: The Brother finally gets a name: Martin Marvin, reflecting Martin the Martian in the old Looney Tunes cartoons, har har. Time for the presentation, with Brother dressed as a bottle of the spray-on tan, while the Girl is in a revealing bikini, darn it. He goes on stage and collapses. Sick, or stage fright, or...
Next up: how to pay the blackmailers? They decide to ask for a bank loan from Phil (Gareth Davies) Sister Vickie comes clean that it's for blackmail. Doesn't work.
He goes off to "fix this on my own." Sister Vickie runs into Bank Guy Phil, and lays on the guilt: "Because of you, my brother is going to get his legs broken." Phil notes that he hates his soul-destroying job, and everybody hates him. His Mom won't even talk to him. Although Sister Vickie rejects his flirtation, she accepts the number of a guy who will provide money when banks won't.
Scene 9: The Ruffian in his horrible house trailer, listening to a podcast about healing head trauma. Sister Vickie drops by to ask about a loan. He explains that he's hired muscle; you want someone robbed, he's your guy, but he doesn't give out loans. "There may be another way to get the $10,000."Meanwhile, Susi tells Sleazy-Looking Kash that she feels bad about blackmailing the Brother. "Why, you got a thing for him?" "No!" Yes, you do, girl. It must have been a spectacular hookup.
"I'm just tired of doing these jobs. Can't we do something else?" He threatens to kill her. I guess that means 'No.'
Scene 10: Brother is postponing his reconciliation date with the Ex, when he sees a billboard for "The Junkyard Queen: Big Bucks for Your Junk!", and gets excited: This will solve the problem! Is that Susi? I figured it would be Susi, allowing him to track her down. Nope, the reason for his excitement is not explained.
Left: Will Forte's backside.
Scene 11: Sleazy-Looking Kash and Susie arrive at the hotel at the agreed-upon time. The siblings hand over the money. Where did they get it? What was the Ruffian's "other way"? Kash wants more, another AS$10,000 by tomorrow. Susie objects, but he glares threateningly. Sister Vickie pulls out a gun, but Kash has a gun, too.
Suddenly the Ex calls. Kash grabs the phone and answers, but it's too much. Brother attacks. Vickie and Susie join in, and kill Kash with a snow globe. Ulp, now they have a body to get rid of.
Scene 12: They call the Ruffian, who notes that Kash's sister is a big crime boss. They're screwed. But he helps them put the body into the tanning spray bottle costume, load it into the car, and chuck it over the fence at a crocodile farm. We see that they accidentally left some bottles of the tanning spray, and the fence has a hole in it.
Then they clean the hotel room, which is back to an apartment loaded down with personal effects. I wouldn't mind a magical room like that. Ruffian advises that the next few days will be rough, but then it gets better. Don't talk to anyone, because if Kash's sister finds out, she'll order him to kill you.
After Ruffian and Susie leave, there's a knock on the door: Henley (Leon Ford), a cheerful suit guy. Not actually short: he's down a few steps.
He wants to order 2,000 cans to put in a few of his stores. If they sell, he'll order a lot more. Vickie wants to get the heck out of town, but Brother agrees to a meeting.
Scene 13: Two golfers see an crocodile coming toward them. Instead of running away, Liam (Chen Tang, left) bets his friend that he can hit it with a golf ball. He tries three times, and the croc explodes! From being hit?
Cut to the cops investigating. Inside the body, they find a human arm with the telltale tattoo of Kash's sister (I didn't mention it before because I thought it was irrelevant). The end.
Beefcake: Just the Brother.
Heterosexism: The Brother's entire reason for living is to win the Woman of His Dreams (again). And sell tanning products.
Gay Characters: Vickie is all innuendo and flirtation, no undeniable queer codes. None of the gangsters express any hetero interest.
Plot Holes: Why does a cheap hotel rent fully-furnished apartments? Why did the Brother collapse on stage? Why was he so excited by the Junkyard Queen billboard? What was the "other way" that the Ruffian mentioned? Where did they get the $10,000?
My Grade: It's about business and Winning the Girl. C-
Left: Gareth Davies (Bank Guy Phil). I don't know which he is.
See also: The Four Seasons: Elitist New Yorkers discuss True Love, with a gay couple, a lumberjack, Vivaldi, and a n*de Len Cariou
Gemstones Episode 4.8: BJ's hookups, Corey's birthday blade, and Tyler's tree trunk. With the Gator Farm Massacre.
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