Loot, Apple TV Plus review — Maya Rudolph shines in a comedy of adultery and absurd wealth

With a fortune of $87bn, Molly Novak can get any luxury she wants — from a convoy of SUVs to a live-in celebrity chef ready to microwave her burritos. But after her tech entrepreneur husband of 20 years falls for a much younger woman, Molly finds that life as “the most famous cheated-on woman on the planet” doesn’t amount to all that much.

New 10-part comedy Loot on Apple TV Plus spins a familiar story about how an absurdly wealthy person with little self-awareness begins to learn the true meaning of value and self-worth. Despite the sentimental premise, the show adopts an enjoyably breezy touch, with the same heartfelt tone and tickling humour that made Schitt’s Creek and the platform’s own Ted Lasso such unassuming hits.

Loot is underpinned by the charisma of its lead, played by Maya Rudolph, who relishes leaning in to her character’s egregious privilege, as well as her good nature. Ironically, it’s the former that initially sets Molly on the path towards fulfilment. Following her lucrative divorce from the aggressively self-satisfied John (Adam Scott), the newly-minted third-richest woman in America goes on a continent-hopping bender that does little for the environment, or her reputation.

Her high-profile humiliations provide poor optics for the charity foundation that bears her name and which she didn’t know existed. A scolding at the hands of Sofia (Michaela Jaé Rodriguez), the organisation’s director, persuades Molly to give her time and interest, as well as her money, to community causes. A first attempt to get involved does more to harm than help; having seemingly attended the Marie Antoinette school for public relations, Molly opens a homeless shelter with a speech about how she once had to slum it at the Plaza.

These painful moments of obliviousness aren’t dragged out too long. While she may still require “reading gloves”, Molly proves willing to commit to her work, eschewing some of the limelight to use her influence behind the scenes and better serve her colleagues (the usual group of quirky oddballs, bumblers and eye-rollers).

Loot’s easy-going charm can occasionally slip closer to complacency and too often lacks comedic sophistication — especially in its limited satire of Molly’s moneyed female friends. But the further the show goes on, the richer Molly, her support ensemble and her story seem to get.

★★★☆☆

Episodes 1-3 on Apple TV Plus from June 24; new episodes released weekly