Apple TV+ series Stick is a comedy-drama about Pryce Cahill, a former golf star who now works as a coach. Played by Owen Wilson, Pryce is trying to fix his life while helping the talented Santi, a golf prodigy. Till now, the show has been picking up slowly from him working at a sports goods store to a golf coach.
In Season 1 Episode 4, things get tense between Pryce Cahill (Owen Wilson) and his student Santi. After Pryce gets angry during a golf match, Santi distances himself. He spends time with his friends instead, one of whom is Zero, who doesn’t hold back from saying what she wants. The episode follows Pryce as he tries to fix their relationship, but talking things out isn’t easy, especially when trust has been lost.
Pryce and Zero cut a deal to help Santi
Episode 4 of Stick earned an alright score from critics at Fandomwire and viewers alike, with some praising its emotional beats while others felt it lacked the spark of earlier chapters. The story centers largely on Pryce’s struggle to reconnect with Santi after falling out during a tense golf match. Despite his efforts, like showing up with breakfast and trying to start a conversation, Santi keeps brushing him off, clearly still holding a grudge.
It’s clear that the teen isn’t ready to forgive or open up. Things reach a breaking point when Pryce finds out Santi skipped a scheduled meeting meant to help him grow as a player. Instead, Santi chose to hang out with his friends near a cliff-diving spot. When Pryce tries to talk to him again, Santi and Zero casually jump off the cliff, ignoring him. Desperate to get through, Pryce jumps in after them.
It’s at that moment that Pryce starts to see something he hadn’t before—Zero has real influence over Santi. That suspicion deepens later when Santi shows up starving and ready to eat a steak prepared by Mitt. But when Zero casually mentions the downsides of industrial agriculture, Santi steps away without eating. Pryce realizes that if he wants to reach Santi, he’ll need Zero’s help.
Later, while washing dishes with her, Pryce pitches a deal: he’ll pay Zero $10,000, plus $100 for every time she caddies, if she comes along on the tour and helps keep Santi focused. As a show of good faith, Pryce even offers up his 1999 Ryder Cup team ring as collateral—a ring worth $5,000. It’s a bold move, showing just how far Pryce is willing to go to help Santi. And for the first time, it looks like he might finally be playing smart.
By the time Stick reaches its character arcs, there might be no one left to watch
Stick began with real potential—funny, heartfelt, and even comparable to Ted Lasso in its early episodes. But by Episode 4, that spark is fading. The humor feels watered down, especially the exaggerated boomer-gen-z gap. The energy is slipping, and the characters are starting to feel flat. What once felt like a fresh take on a sports redemption story is now starting to feel slow and dragging.
Even new characters like Zero, who could have made things more interesting, end up being annoying. She goes around calling people “capitalist pigs,” but the moment Pryce offers her money, she’s quick to say yes, as if you could hear a cha-ching sound in her head.
Santi, meanwhile, gives major Jamie Tartt vibes—arrogant, privileged, and tough to root for. But unlike Ted Lasso, Stick might not earn the right to tell a redemption story if it keeps losing its heart and fans. If future episodes of this Apple TV+ show follow Episode 4’s path, there is a huge change; there won’t be enough people to watch his story turn around.
Stick is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
