I spoke recently with someone from theBad Monkeycast about his role on the show, and what he told me about a potential second season suggests the showrunner has something interesting in store in the eventuality that Apple TV+ greenlights a second season. Led by Vince Vaughn as Andrew Yancy, theBad Monkeycasthelps tell a story that’s based on a 2013 Carl Hiaasen crime-fiction novel of the same name. During my conversation with the actor in question, it was clear the show’s potential future would continue to tweak the source material, which could be an exciting development.
Bad Monkeyseason 1’s endingmay have seemed strange and sudden to some, but it actually perfectly set up what could be a relatively faithful second season. WhileBad Monkeyis shot entirely in Florida, the Carl Hiaasen adaptation is set partially in the Bahamas, and although some changes were made to accommodate Apple TV+’s version of the story, the overall plot remained largely the same. AlthoughBad Monkeyseason 2 will also have a novel to help guide it, the showrunner doesn’t seem too concerned with restricting himself to the characters and storylines within.
After writing aboutClendenin appearing in his third Bill Lawrence project, the KJ Claspers actor reached out to me to discuss my theory thatScrubs,Cougar Town, andBad Monkeyall quietly had him playing the same character in disguise. Although he enjoyed the idea and agreed with the logic, he ultimately confirmed this wasn’t the case. However,Clendenin did have some interesting news about hisBad Monkeycharacterspecifically. He shared with me an exchange he had with long-time collaborator andBad Monkeyshowrunner Bill Lawrence during a viewing party for the Apple TV+ show.
“Bill’s always been really nice to me. We did a screening party, and he said ‘I’ll find a way to get Claspers back if they order a second season.’ I don’t think [Claspers] is in [Razor Girl] but Bill also had a fair amount of leeway with even that first book. Carl [Hiaasen] is a producer, so he worked with him. He didn’t have to stick to it too religiously.” - Bob Clendenin
Razor Girlwas published in 2016, and it’s currently the only other Hiaasen novel to feature Andrew Yancy. Lawrence confirmed in an interview withMSNthat he plans to useRazor GirlforBad Monkeyseason 2. Although Clendenin’s character is in the first book, Clasper is absent from the sequel. Lawrence’s plan to bring back Claspers, even though doing so would deviate from the source material, is a compelling one.I loved Clendenin’s take on Claspers, so I’m not only thrilled to hear he’s probably coming back, but also about the other changes this could lead to.
Razor Girlis pretty much a standalone sequel toBad Monkey, with very few characters other than Yancy appearing in both books. So, themass character exit in theBad Monkeyseason 1 finalemay seem extreme, but Lawrence and company have actually perfectly set up aRazor Girladaptation that fits into the Apple TV+ version of Hiaasen’s work. Weirdly, althoughClaspers is technically also among the group who shouldn’t be inBad Monkeyseason 2, he’s one of the lucky few to survive the huge character cull at the end of season 1.
Razor Girl’s story will need to bend a little to accommodate him. Thankfully, Lawrence appears willing to do that.
I love the thought of Claspers coming back to reunite with Yancy inBad Monkeyseason 2. On the surface, Clendenin’s character doesn’t seem the criminal pilot type, and he seems so concerned with making friends that his responsibilities are always at risk of being sidelined. Althoughhe was a vital ally to Yancy and Rosa inBad Monkeyseason 1,Razor Girl’s story will need to bend a little to accommodate him. Thankfully, Lawrence appears willing to do that, and season 2 will be richer for the decision.
Speaking withDecider, Lawrence confirmed he has a “three-season arc” planned forBad Monkey. One of the biggest obstacles in the way of the showrunner achieving this goal is the fact that Hiaasen never wrote another Andrew Yancy book afterRazor Girl. So,Bad Monkeyseason 3 would need to be a completely original storywithout any source material on which to base it. Thankfully, the involvement of Carl Hiaasen in the adaptation so far suggests he could serve as a consultant if Lawrence gets to fulfill his three-season plan.
Bad Monkey Season 2 Now Has A Big Vince Vaughn Story Problem To Fix After Season 1’s Final Rosa Scene
The final Bad Monkey season 1 scene with Natalie Martinez’s Rosa Campaseno could have been far more effective at another point in the timeline.
During my conversation with Clendenin, we discussed similar instances to this that have happened in the production of other TV shows. Although there have been plenty oflive-action adaptations that have gone beyond the source material,Game of Thronesseason 8 immediately came to mind for both of us. With no more books to work with, the fantasy show’s final season had only a rough idea about where George RR Martin’s story was going. Thankfully,Bad Monkeyseason 3 won’t quite be the same sort of continuation, so I’m sure Bill Lawrence won’t repeatGame of Thrones' mistakes.
Bad Monkey
Cast
A former Miami detective turned health inspector, Andrew Yancy, discovers a severed arm while working in the Florida Keys. Determined to solve the mystery and reclaim his former position, he navigates through a web of quirky locals and corruption, all while dealing with a troublesome monkey.
