Sneaky Pete Season Three is Here!

If you’re reading this, it might mean you’ve seen the first episode of Sneaky Pete’s third season. If you did, wasn’t that a trip? Mrs. Buckler and I couldn’t wait for the weekend to watch it, so we streamed the first episode at midnight. I’m a little groggy this morning because of it, but it was well worth it. I’d love to discuss the ins and outs of the first episode of season three but I’ve committed to doing no-spoilers reviews over here and I have to stick to that. But what I can say is wow! The writers really know how to kick things off. While I won’t spoil the show for those who haven’t seen it, I’m happy to share the Sneaky Pete season three trailer:

I Just Found Out Myself

A friend emailed earlier this week to tell me that Sneaky Pete’s third season kicks off on May 10. When I heard the news, I first became ecstatic, then I called Mrs. Buckler. We fell in love with this series since the pilot debuted on August 7, 2015, then we naturally watched the series when it debuted on January 13, 2017. This approach was a bit odd in the age of streaming services. Most new series are just introduced in entire seasons, with the providers basically saying, “Here’s a new show we created; if enough of you like it, we might renew it.” Despite Amazon Prime’s unorthodox approach, this unique crime drama series was a hit with Casa del Buckler and many other American homes.

“What’s So Great About Sneaky Pete?”

That’s what my colleague Stuart Sweet asked me. I told him to just watch it and enjoy all the glory that is Sneaky Pete, but that was a no-go. Stuart has an uncanny knack for avoiding every good original series available on streaming to date. Oh, and wait until you hear why he refuses to watch this show. It’s because he can’t see its lead actor, Giovanni Ribisi, as anyone other than Frank, Phoebe’s brother on Friends. That’s a pretty lame reason not to watch a great show, isn’t it?

Since Stuart wants to be stubborn, I’ll tell all of you what this show it about. Sneaky Pete is a popular Amazon Prime crime drama series that follows the somewhat incredulous adventures of Marius Josipović (Ribisi). A con man recently released from prison, Marius masquerades as his prison friend Pete Murphy. He’s so good that he even has Pete’s family fooled. (It’s actually more believable than it sounds.) This lets him ply his trade as a con man and thief while staying off the radar of his parole officer, James Bagwell played by Malcom-Jamal Warner. (Yes, “Theo Huxtable” has grown up, changed his name, and became a parole officer.)

Sneaky Pete Plot Structure

The first two seasons of Sneaky Pete followed a rather exciting formula and it looks like the third season follows this too. These convoluted plotlines are a big part of what makes this series so intense. I’m talking edge-of-your-seat suspense in most cases. Here’s the basic formula that was established in the first two seasons:

  • There’s usually the main con that Marius is forced at gunpoint to pull off.
  • Different problems involving each family member: Julia, Carly, Otto, and Audrey.
  • Something or someone threatening the family’s bail bonds business and the income it generates.
  • A threat to the Bernhardt/Bowman family, usually by way of the criminals who forcing Marius to make them money.

These convoluted plot points intertwine and intersect with each other. This creates a field of landmines that Marius/Pete must safely navigate for his safety as well as that of his fake family. The problems always escalate, and the more Marius does to solve them, the more complicated things get. Sneaky Pete is a lot like Netlifx’s Ozark in this way. (There’s another show that Stuart detests.) In the end, Marius is usually able to save the day, often by the skin of his teeth.

No Sneaky Pete Spoilers but…

… I will make some predictions based off the season three trailer. Keep in mind that these come from some notes I scribbled down after watching the trailer on Tuesday. Here’s what I thought on Tuesday morning, immediately after watching it:

  • It looks like Marius confesses the truth about his identity to the Murphy family. Then again, he could just be telling them that “Pete Murphy” is a con man.
  • The main plot, which always centers on a con that Marius is running, seems to be the conning of a con man. This job is offered to Marius by an older man who appears throughout the trailer and who will no doubt play a significant role in this third season.
  • It appears that Julia Bowman (Marin Ireland) gets pulled into playing a part in Marius’s con. It also appears that Audrey Berhhardt (Margo Martindale), the tough-as-nails matriarch of the family, is concerned about Julia’s involvement in Marius’s schemes.
  • A woman from Marius’s past, someone named Liz, comes back into Marius’s life. Apparently, this is not good, as Liz seems as dangerous as some of the grifters and criminals that Marius typically associates with. I’m guessing that Marius owes her a large sum of money.

How accurate are these predictions based on what I’ve already seen? Like I said before, I don’t do the whole spoilers thing. I guess you’ll have to check out Sneaky Pete on Amazon Prime to find out for yourself. Just don’t expect to discuss the show with Stuart. That’s not happening any time soon… if ever!

About the Author

Jake Buckler
Jake Buckler is a cord-cutter, consumer electronics geek, and Celtic folk music fan. Those qualities, and his writing experience, helped him land a copywriting gig at Signal Group, LLC. He also contributes to The Solid Signal Blog.