Jimmy Tatro, star of the Netflix comedy series 'The Hawk,' revealed that he was as surprised as the audience by the significant twist in the show's Season 1 finale. The episode, titled "Pickle," concluded with Tatro's character, Lance, winning the golf championship, seemingly due to his father Lonnie's (Will Ferrell) intentional misplay on the final hole.
However, it is later revealed that Lance had fabricated the dire financial situation and the supposed mob threats that pressured Lonnie into throwing the game. Tatro admitted in an interview that the plot development caught him off guard when he first read the script.
"I thought it was an unexpected way to go. I also was caught by surprise when I first read it," Tatro told Decider. The season had built a narrative suggesting Lance was in deep financial trouble after a gambling spree in Las Vegas, even involving a poker game with Tony Hawk and others. These events led Lance's mother, Stacy, to plead with Lonnie to lose the match.
Furthering the deception, Lonnie observed men he recognized from the Vegas poker game in the crowd, appearing to watch the outcome and implying a continuing threat to Lance. The finale, however, shows these individuals celebrating Lance's victory and casually thanking him, indicating they were part of his elaborate ruse.
Tatro expressed a desire to discuss the specifics of when Lance's fabricated troubles began with the show's creators. "I think THAT was all real," Tatro said regarding the Vegas poker scene. "This might be more of a question for the creator, but I think that was all REAL. I don’t really know where it started [though], like when they started to be paid actors."
Co-star Fortune Feimster, who plays Lonnie's caddy, commented on the layered nature of the storyline, stating, "Layers, layers to the show." The ambiguity surrounding the exact point at which Lance's predicament shifted from genuine crisis to manipulative tactic leaves room for audience interpretation and speculation, with the possibility of a second season potentially addressing these unanswered questions. 'The Hawk' Season 1 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.