After months of anticipation, YAGA is finally here. And even though I watched the first two episodes at TIFF, there are so many things that I couldn’t talk about in my spoiler-free review, like the way that I have fallen in love with Noah Reid and Clark Backo, how much their individual performances shine, and what it was like to watch Hudson Williams as this mysterious young man named Logan.
Be warned, I haven’t watched the play or read Kat Sandler’s play. So I’m experiencing this spooky, sexy, and twisted story about power, the stories we tell, and the darkness that leads to chickens being nailed to your door right along with viewers.
Noah Reid, I Didn’t Know You Could Be This Smooth
For many, including myself, Noah Reid is Patrick from Schitt’s Creek. And in Schitt’s Creek, Reid was a loving and sarcastic man who was the main love interest for David. So when I tell you I didn’t even recognize Reid when I saw the trailer for YAGA way back when, I need you to understand that someone had to tell me it was him. And when I watched the first two episodes, I had to remind myself that this was the same actor, cementing Reid as truly one of the best Canadian actors I’ve ever seen.
His investigator Rapp is probably the slipperiest person I have ever had the delight of experiencing on my screen. There is intentionality in everything that he does, from him stumbling in that first meeting with the officers to disarm them, to buying the bracelets from the girl at the restaurant to endear her to him. He’s always five steps ahead of you, thinking of how this interaction can pay off in the future. And then he wraps that slippery and manipulative nature in a charm and wit that you find yourself lured to.
We’ve all experienced charming roguish characters before, the kind that can go toe to toe with someone like Carrie-Anne Moss’s Katherine like nothing. But I don’t think I’ve ever encountered someone so slippery that is charming and disarming. Like I would fall for his charms. At the same time, back to Katherine, the flirting between those two was hot and so dangerous. But Rapp likes danger, wields it almost. And when he clocks that someone might find him attractive, even that is up for grabs. But that confidence he has… I don’t think it’s going to save him from what’s to come.
Clark Backo, Your Carson Knows What’s Up
I’m not as familiar with Clark Backo as I am with Noah Reid. I’ve never seen her in Venom: The Last Dance, and I’ve never watched Letterkenny. But I love a good partnership. And I think that’s where I saw her shine in a way that made me fall in love with her as an actress and with her character, Carson. Because I think, by herself, her character is the stereotype of a grumpy small-town cop who is competent and intelligent.
With Rapp, her character flourishes. Why? Because she sees his charm and his manipulation going hand in hand. But she’s also fascinated by him and is trying to suss him out in a way that no one else is in this town. At the same time, I love their interactions because Rapp brings out the banter in her. It’s this push and pull that shows that she can give as good as anyone else and that she will push back on his slippery manipulation without hesitation, no matter how drawn in he thinks she is. She’ll also push back on Moss’s character, Katherine, which was a delight in itself.
Also, I know that YAGA isn’t the kind of show that a ship could officially launch. But there’s so much potential with these two. They have chemistry. And I think that chemistry is going to lead to some really tense moments that aren’t going to go anywhere because they’re two different, and I believe that whatever is going on in this town, it’s going to tear Rapp apart while Carson continues. Or at least that’s what I hope. Because someone as competent as Rapp can’t die, right? RIGHT?!
MORE: INTERVIEW: Sam Krochmal Talks Yaga, Hudson Williams & How Canadians Have a ‘Fire in Our Bellies’
Hudson Williams is Truly a Chameleon
As Hudson Williams continues to snatch up acting role after role, he’s going to take risks to define himself as more than just “that actor from Heated Rivalry.” And I could see him doing that in his role in YAGA. So far we’ve seen more of the Logan of it all instead of Henry, even though that didn’t last long. But this role in particular really showcases how transformative Williams’ acting is.
You can see how Williams disappears into Logan in the little ticks and distinct mannerisms in his overall way of embodying the character. Even just the way that he carried himself, this hesitance in his first meeting with Reid’s Rapp, and then this… shall we say confidence when they see him at the party. And by the end of Episode 2, I was like, “I’ve never seen this man before. Because I don’t see “that actor from Heated Rivalry” here. And this is why I called him a chameleon. He disappeared into this role.
Then there’s Henry. The more that we learn about Henry, the more I hate him. But we’re supposed to hate him. That’s the whole point. And I plan on hating him thoroughly, especially if Williams is going to give us the caliber of a performance he did with Logan.
YAGA releases new episodes every Friday on AMC+.
