This Giant Beast That Is the Global Economy

This Giant Beast can be as off-putting and superficial as the psychopathic CEOs it studies, which makes it an imperfect step forward--but it’s a step forward nonetheless.

The series is as intellectually fascinating as it is stylistically frustrating. ... This all being said, the episodes are indeed engaging.

There’s a fine line between keeping your viewers entertained and condescending to them, and like most of the well-intentioned projects that constitute McKay’s second act (with the notable exception of Succession, the great HBO media-dynasty dramedy that he executive produces and has directed but didn’t create), Giant Beast too often ends up on the wrong side of it.

Amazon’s series braids a layer of too-easy humor-adjacent content atop a show that’s not as clued-in about politics as it thinks it is. Neither strand works on its own, but the jokes seem the clear afterthought. It’s unclear what, exactly, McKay and company wanted to achieve.