At the start of each episode of the new Prime Video series The Sticky, a text appears on screen, proclaiming that “This is absolutely not the true story of the great Canadian maple syrup heist.” Presumably, most of the audience will not know what the hell that statement is even about. A heist involving stealing maple syrup sounds more like the plot of a madcap Coen Brothers’ comedy than something you’d hear about on the news.

That aforementioned disclaimer seems very well aware of that fact, and that’s part of the reason why The Sticky works as well as it does. The series takes the general concept of a real-world event and completely reinvents it, creating a story about grief, murder, the mafia, and, of course, maple syrup — plus it has esteemed character actress Margo Martindale in the leading role, and that’s always a bonus.

What Is ‘The Sticky’ About?

Rather than focusing on real-life events, The Sticky instead chooses to revolve around three misfit underdogs who couldn’t be more different from one another. Ruth Landy (Martindale) is a maple syrup farmer who has been standing firm on not selling her property to the corrupt chief bureaucrat Léonard Gauthier (Guy Nadon) after her husband falls into a coma. Remy Bouchard (Guillaume Cyr) is an introverted security guard at Quebec’s Maple Syrup Reserve and still lives at home with his loving father (Michel Perron). And then there’s Mike Byrne (Chris Diamantopoulos), a mobster from Boston who has long been looked down upon by his compatriots.

Ruth, Remy, and Mike have all been dealing with their own financial woes, but their lives come crashing together when Remy spots Mike dining out at a fancy restaurant and makes him an exciting proposition: to rob the Maple Syrup Reserve. Mike is soon able to rope Ruth into the plot, and with millions of dollars on the line, the three team up to attempt to pull off the sweetest heist in Canadian history. When a series of fatal missteps lead to a dead body, Detective Valérie Nadeau (Suzanne Clément) and police officer Teddy Green (Gita Miller) attempt to track down the team of would-be-criminals before it is too late.

Related ‘The Sticky’: Canada’s Maple Syrup Heist Gets Scripted Series Bit of a sticky situation, eh?

Prime Video’s ‘The Sticky’ Perfectly Blends a Gritty Crime Story With Dark Comedy

The Sticky is a series that feels like it’s very much in the vein of Fargo. Not only does it have that distinct small-town setting, but creators Brian Donovan & Ed Herro and directors Michael Dowse & Joyce Wong can strike the right tone, juggling between a gritty crime story and the darkest of dark comedies. It’s the kind of show that relishes having both exaggerated characters and those who are much more grounded.

Martindale is always a joy to watch in every single film and television series she appears in, whether her Emmy-winning role in The Americans or her scene-stealing performance as an exaggerated version of herself on Bojack Horseman. In The Sticky, Martindale finally earns her long-deserved leading role, and she more than delivers. Martindale portrays Ruth as the kind of no-nonsense woman who other characters often underestimate. Yet, despite the buffoonery of those around her, Martindale brings so much depth to her role. Ruth’s grief and denial over her husband’s debilitating condition are handled delicately, as Martindale ensures that we know what brought Ruth to this point.

Cyr is another major standout in the cast as Remy, a character who begins the series as a much more quiet and reserved man who is still coddled a little too much by his father, but his arc proves to be one of the show’s most compelling. Cyr makes Remy incredibly easy to root for, but he’s also completely unpredictable, and the series does a brilliant job of throwing viewers off-guard. In contrast to that is Diamantopoulos’ role as Mike. While his character is far more looney than Ruth and Remy, The Sticky still gives him enough dimensions that help him pair nicely with his co-stars. Jamie Lee Curtis even has a memorable and hysterical appearance as a character who not only brings the laughs but also proves to be menacing. Every single one of these characters fits into the plot perfectly, and it’s largely because of the series’ perfect tonal balance. Much like Fargo, The Sticky is mostly able to make the outlandish feel believable, even if it deviates heavily from actual real-life events.

‘The Sticky’ Rushes Through Its Conclusion
Image via Prime Video

The Sticky is a fairly short series, with this supposed first season consisting of six 30-minute episodes. It’s, of course, a more than welcome occurrence to have a show that is such a quick and easy binge, but The Sticky leaves a lot of storylines unresolved, hinting at a potential second season. This feels strange, as most of these conflicts could have easily been solved in just one or two additional episodes.

While The Sticky never wastes much time when it comes to its premise, it also bears more of a resemblance to a limited series. If the plan is to deliver a long-running story, there’s really not much more that the central premise has to offer. The finale ends with an incredibly abrupt conclusion, and nothing truly feels finite. It’s the kind of cliffhanger that you would expect to happen in the penultimate episode of a season of television, rather than the finale.

Plenty of other streaming series have similarly attempted to meld together crime and comedy, and without the amusing concept of stealing maple syrup, The Sticky would likely feel a little too familiar to some viewers. Yet the complete mastery of tone makes this series stand out from the rest of the pack. The story is never overly complicated, the pacing is quick, and you can’t help but root for many of these characters. The Sticky also has less cynical energy compared to other shows of this genre, but never to the point where it’s playing things too safe. Maybe it’s that Canadian hospitality, but this show serves as the perfect binge-watch for this holiday season.

The Sticky premieres December 6 on Prime Video.

Margo Martindale is fantastic in Prime Video’s highly entertaining crime comedy series The Sticky.ProsThe trio of leads all deliver great performances as an unlikely team of maple syrup thiefs.The Sticky strikes the right tonal balance between being a crime drama and a being a dark comedy.The series’ refreshingly short length flows at a brisk pace. ConsThe ending feels abrupt and unsatisfying.This likely would have worked far better as a limited series rather than an ongoing one.

Release Date December 6, 2024 Main Genre Comedy Seasons 1 Writers Adriana Maggs , Shannon Masters Showrunner Brian Donovan , Ed Herro Expand

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