Hit or Miss: Apple TV+’s 'The Last Day of Ptolemy Grey'
Apple TV+ has released the trailer for its upcoming drama miniseries The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey set to premiere on March 11, 2022. Based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley, it follows a 93-year-old man with dementia who is forgotten by everyone around him. With no one around and on the brink of sinking into a lonely area of his dementia, Ptolemy is presented with the opportunity to take care of an orphaned teenager named Robyn, played by Dominique Fishback. Together, this spurs a journey led by the possibility of a treatment that can restore his memories leading to the investigation of his nephew’s death. Samuel L. Jackson stars in the titular role with Walton Goggins, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Damon Gupton, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams, and Omar Benson Miller rounding out the cast.
This series is executively produced by Mosley, Diane Houslin, Ramin Bahrani, Eli Selden, David Levine for Anonymous Content, and LaTanya Richardson. Mosley has also taken on the role of writer, adapting his own novel into the screenplay. In March 2021, Bahrani was set to direct the series with the rest of the cast being added to the production in April of 2021 sparking the start of filming. It finished shooting on June 26, 2021, and has kept its slated release date of March 11, 2022.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey mark the second collaboration between Jackson and Apple TV+, with the first being the 2020 film The Banker. This series is following the excellent reception that the novel received during its release. Tim Rutten of the Los Angeles Times even stated that “At the heart of this remarkable new novel is a tragic wisdom.” Based on Mosley’s experience watching his mother battle dementia, this story ultimately comes from a vulnerable and honest place. Mosley has also served as writer/ executive producer on the FX drama series Snowfall.
The trailer opens with an overhead shot of Jackson with the voiceover “I got a lot to do, and I need my memory to do them,” showcasing the vibrant colors and contrast of Jackson’s character. The opening moments, it sets up the overall theme of the show: A man who is dealing with dementia. After the title card, Jackson is shown in the emotionally heavy role of struggling with day-to-day life. This is exemplified as he looks around his living room that is cluttered with his belongings.
Through an over-the-shoulder shot, the audience sees that the person whom Jackson is speaking to at the beginning is most likely someone related to the experimental drug mentioned previously. The trailer once again emphasizes the struggle that Jackson’s character faces every day as he almost gets hit by a car while approaching someone, he thought he knew.
This transitions to the first introduction of the experimental drug as Jackson hopefully looks up at the thought of him remembering everything that he knew. Fishback’s character sits in the room with him and asks, “Is that what you want?” with the understanding that the treatment will only work once. After, a dark tunnel fills the frame with a door illuminating the path. Jackson emerges walking towards it illustrating the journey to regaining his memories.
With some quick cuts, the audience is presented with Jackson on an operating table and then a montage of some of his memories. His look is quickly contrasted with a new suit and clean shave when Dr. Rubin asks how he’s doing. Through a close-up of Jackson’s eye, a glimmer of light is shown; this is an entirely different man when compared to the first shots of the trailer. The rest of the trailer cuts from Jackson’s need to finish what he put his mind to and the deterioration of the treatment. With the experimental drug being a one-time use, it seems to be a race against the clock.
Jackson seems to be on track to deliver a performance that combines the emotions of longing and fear. With the plot, his character goes through many phases whether that be deteriorating from dementia or running to keep his memories intact, and from the looks of the trailer, Jackson will deliver. In this short trailer, the shots seem to be another beautiful aspect of this show. The balance of highlighting Jackson’s mindset is captured perfectly on screen. With its strong cast and emotional premise, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey seem to be another excellent addition to Apple TV+’s growing catalog. It will release the first two episodes on Friday, March 11 followed by one new episode weekly, every Friday.
