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
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