As I fade away / They'll all look at me and say / They'll say, 'Hey, look at him,' /and 'Where is he these days?' / When life is hard, you have to change.
Change by Blind Melon

That’s exactly where Andrew Cooper’s story begins.

Dear reader, imagine if you were a college student who studied hard to achieve something in the future. Then you met your soulmate and fell in love during college. You grew together, had fun together, shared dreams and hopes, and struggled through tough times together. You had mad, passionate sex together. Then you graduated and had your first child together. You started to work hard and build a career and a life financially from the bottom, because your parents were normal, decent folks who couldn’t help you with anything.

Step by step, you started making it; you moved from an apartment to a better house, got promotion after promotion, and moved from a car to a better car, then to a big house. And when you finally made it and started enjoying what you had achieved—a fat bank account, a new expensive car, a dream house, and membership in the community of the rich—you found out that your partner was cheating on you. With one of your friends. In your bed. In your house.

Then you got divorced, and your partner is now officially in a relationship with your friend, living in your house, sharing the same community, the same friends, and the same reunions, parties, and events. And all your friends and environment feel sorry for you and pity you. But not only that. Because after all this, you lose your job after getting played by your jealous boss. What would you do? How would you deal with it?

After decades of playing the lead role in the famous TV show Mad Men, Jon Hamm finally returns as Andrew Cooper, a struggling, divorced, and unemployed man, in Apple TV’s new hit series Your Friends & Neighbors. Created by Jonathan Tropper, this 10-episode crime drama marks Hamm’s comeback and earns him a spot on magazine covers with headlines like "Jon Hamm is Back."

The show also stars several great actors. Amanda Peet plays Cooper’s ex-wife, Lena Hall plays his sister, and Hoon Lee takes on the role of his manager and closest friend. Olivia Munn plays his secret on-and-off girlfriend and a fellow member of the wealthy community who is also dealing with divorce. Mark Tallman appears as his ex-wife’s new boyfriend.

When everything collapses in a man’s world: the day the dream turned into a lie

The series gets straight to the point from the very beginning. The intro shows Andrew walking alone through a space where pieces of his world slowly fade away: furniture, walls, neighbourhood houses… With every footstep, something else disappears. He passes through familiar settings in different outfits that reflect the routine of his weekly life: a business suit, golf clothes, jeans, and a casual shirt. It’s not just his surroundings that are vanishing; it's the life he built, slipping away piece by piece. Without saying a word, the scene tells us everything: this is the story of a man who is about to lose it all.

But when a man is trapped at rock bottom, what does he do? When there is no plan left, no hand to hold, and no version of himself he still recognizes, every decision becomes critical. Every thought that crosses his mind, every sleepless night, and every tiny impulsive move carries weight.

Because when you are standing on the edge, it is not just your future that hangs in the balance. It is the lives around you too. The people who stayed, the ones who left, and even the ones who betrayed you all orbit the choices you are about to make. And that is where Your Friends & Neighbors grips the viewer in the fragile and terrifying space between collapse and reinvention.

That is where our show shifts from a drama series to a crime drama. Andrew begins stealing expensive items such as watches, original paintings, jewellery, and fancy purses from his friends’ and neighbours' houses. He takes advantage of knowing their schedules and the low security in his neighbourhood, a place no one else dares to steal from. He does not do it for greed but to keep things moving, to pay bills, and to cover his family’s and kids’ expenses.

After that, the series enters a new chapter where actions have consequences. This path leads him to discover the thieves’ underworld, full of dirty money, violence, and blackmail. At the same time, Andrew starts to mentally distance himself from the community. He begins to see things from the outside, feeling as if he no longer belongs there. He feels increasingly isolated, convinced that no one understands him.

Jon Hamm still rocks and owns every scene

Charismatic and charming, with a commanding presence and a sharp, sarcastic wit, cool and composed even when his world is collapsing. Who else but Jon Hamm could bring Andrew Cooper to life so perfectly?

Jon Hamm delivers a layered, magnetic performance that brings Andrew Cooper fully to life, not just as a man who lost everything but as someone desperately trying to stay on track while quietly unravelling. Through subtle expressions, perfectly timed silences, and sharp, dark humour, Hamm captures the emotional weight of a father navigating a fractured relationship with his kids, even as he pretends everything is fine.

At the same time, Andrew begins to see the elite world he once belonged to from the outside, almost like a secret agent observing a society he no longer trusts. This shift in perspective from insider to detached observer adds a rich tension to the role. Hamm plays it cool on the surface, always the charming, sarcastic man with the right comeback, but just beneath is someone lost, searching, and dangerously close to crossing lines he once never would have considered.

At the same time, some of the other characters felt underdeveloped, as if we didn’t get to dive deep enough into their lives, perspectives, or backgrounds. It often felt like they were written mainly to serve Andrew’s storyline, orbiting his world rather than fully inhabiting their own.

Exceptions to this were few but meaningful: his ex-wife Mel Cooper, his long time friend Barney Choi, his sister Allison “Ali” Cooper, and his crime partner Elena Benavides. These characters had moments that hinted at complexity and emotional depth, but the series stops short of giving them the space to fully evolve or challenge Andrew’s central arc.

From light to shadow: how style amplifies Andrew’s journey

The cinematography is striking, capturing that signature Apple TV style with precision. Each shot is carefully composed, with well-framed angles that enhance the storytelling. The visual transitions are seamless, and the colour palette shifts thoughtfully to match the mood of each setting, from the tense, shadowed tones of a planned theft to the warmth of community reunions, the sterile chill of a prison, or the vibrant chaos of a party.

Every environment, whether an office, a funeral, a restaurant, or a quiet neighbourhood street, feels visually distinct yet part of the same cohesive world. The soundtrack plays a vital role in amplifying emotion, perfectly synced with the rhythm of the scenes.

One standout moment is the use of Blind Melon’s “Change” in the final scene of episode eight, just as Andrew is falsely accused of murder. As he steps into a new, darker path, the song underscores the shift with haunting relevance, marking a turning point he fully understands, not a moment of uncertainty, but of resigned acceptance and quiet determination.

Overall, Your Friends & Neighbors is a solid, gripping series that’s worth the watch. It knows what it's doing with great writing, strong acting, and a story that slowly pulls you in without forcing anything.

Jon Hamm brings real weight to Andrew’s character, and while the focus stays mostly on him, there’s a lot more to explore in this world. The side characters have room to grow, and the story leaves just enough open doors to keep us wondering what could come next. If there’s a second season, it wouldn’t just make sense. It would be necessary.