Check the scoreboard before you keep reading: this article contains spoilers for season 1 of “Running Point.”
Ever since she got her start on “The Office,” Mindy Kaling has become a seriously major producer and writer — and her latest project, “Running Point,” is making a huge splash on Netflix. As an original series for the platform, it’s ranking high in the streamer’s top 10 after dropping its first season on February 27, 2025 … and whether you’re a basketball diehard or you barely know how the game is played, I can tell you the show is definitely worth checking out.
When we first meet Isla Gibson (Kate Hudson), she’s working as the coordinator of charitable endeavors for the Los Angeles Waves basketball team alongside her siblings — her younger half-brother Sandy (“The Other Two” standout Drew Tarver) is the company’s chief financial officer, and her younger brother Ness (Scott MacArthur), a former player, works as the team’s general manager. When the oldest Gibson brother Cam (Justin Theroux) causes a major scandal, he decides that Isla should take over as president of the Waves, and though Sandy and Ness initially try and take her down, Isla turns out to be better at the job than anyone thought … including her. Alongside her best friend and chief of staff Ali Lee (Brenda Song) and her newly discovered half-brother Jackie Moreno (Fabrizio Guido), Isla helps the Waves make it to the playoffs, even though it causes issues in her relationship with her fiancé Lev Levenson (Max Greenfield). So what do critics think of this Netflix newcomer?
What do critics think of Running Point?
Netflix
Turns out, critics like “Running Point!” On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has a solid 80% “fresh” rating with a critical consensus that declares, “Kate Hudson continuously makes three-pointer shots with her dynamite charisma in Running Point, carrying this amusing series while it straightens out its game strategy.” (This is correct, by my estimation, Hudson’s extremely funny central performance holds the whole thing together, nothing new for this acting titan.)
Writing for the Chicago Tribune, Nina Metz made an accurate (if generally unfortunate) assessment of the show, writing, “Ultimately ‘Running Point’ works because while Isla may be in charge of a team worth several billion dollars, she actually has a moral compass. That feels conspicuously, alarmingly, unique at the moment.” Judy Berman agreed in her review for Time Magazine; as she put it, “‘Running Point,’ like most successful comedies, gives us characters that draw on recognizable archetypes but come across as layered people.”
Variety‘s Alison Herman agreed, concluding, “‘Running Point’ weds a shiny — if not totally unique in recent history — hook to a reliable setup and charismatic cast. I can’t speak to the level of basketball knowledge at work, but the TV expertise is obvious enough.” Over at Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “‘Running Point’ merrily glides along on sturdy rails, its tart jokes delivered in bright staccato. The show’s affability could prove too cloying were it not for Hudson’s flintiness.”
Still, some critics had misgivings despite generally positive takes. As Angie Han put it at The Hollywood Reporter, “As the show’s own hoops-obsessed characters would tell you, even the starriest team cannot guarantee a victory. While ‘Running Point’ is no loser, nor is it the slam-dunk you might hope for from this lineup.” Ben Travers seemed to agree in his IndieWire review, writing, “Season 2 should be able to dial up “‘Running Point’s’ strongest attributes while cutting the stuff that’s not working. It’s a functional franchise right now, but there’s a lot of work to do before it reaches championship levels.”
The season 1 finale of Running Point perfectly sets up a second season
Netflix
As of this writing, “Running Point” hasn’t been renewed for a second season just yet — so fans will just have to wait and see if Netflix wants another installment. (If I had to guess, I’d bet on a renewal — Mindy Kaling’s Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” ran for four seasons on the streamer — but I digress.) By the end of the season, a lot is going on in the show. Isla, who’s been neglecting Lev while working as president of the Waves, misses an important awards ceremony where Lev is being honored for his work as a pediatrician, at which point Lev leaves her, and one of the Waves’ most important players, Travis Bugg (a fascinatingly competent Chet Hanks), has to take a break from playing after it’s discovered that he’s abusing prescription drugs. After getting into the playoffs, the Waves ultimately lose, and in a quiet moment, Isla shares an unexpected kiss with the team’s coach Jay Brown (Jay Ellis).
Despite the loss, Isla returns to her office the next morning determined to have a better season next time, only to discover that Cam — who we know has been leaking Waves secrets to the press — is in her office chair and, apparently, is “back.” This is a perfect cliffhanger, so let’s hope “Running Point” gets renewed; for now, you can watch season 1 on Netflix.
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