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Pryce Cahill's life hits rock bottom at the beginning of Stick season 1. His career as a pro golfer was cut short due to an on-course rage meltdown. His ex-wife pressures him to sell their house. He works at a golf store selling clubs. But when it looks like nothing is going his way, he spots Santi, a teenager who could become the next big thing in the sport, and the quest to greatness begins.
Created by Jason Keller, this Apple TV sports comedy stars Owen Wilson in the lead role. The ensemble cast is dropped in a storyline where relationships are tested and dreams are created, with a love for golf at the center of it all. The show is lauded for its sharp writing that weaves emotion and humor seamlessly, but the open ending leaves unanswered questions ahead of Stick season 2.
Disclaimer: All opinions in this article belong to the writer. Spoilers ahead.
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Pryce and Clark's rivalry, Santi's future, and other unanswered questions after the Stick season 1 finale
1) Will Clark and Pryce's relationship improve?
Pryce's golf career came to a grinding halt because of Clark and his comments during the Sawgrass Invitational. The tournament had been right after Pryce lost his four-year-old son, Jett, to cancer, and he performed poorly. But his rival, Clark Ross (Timothy Olyphant), added fuel to the fire and said something so insensitive that Pryce punched him and got his golf tour card revoked.
But in the finale of Stick season 1, Clark and Pryce share a moment of camaraderie after Santi's PGA Tour goes well, which raises the question: Does Clark have a redemption arc coming next season? If there's more to him than what his grating personality lets on, then there might be a respectful friendship between Pryce and him next season.
2) What will happen to Gary and Santi's relationship?
Stick season 1 throws the spotlight on parent-son relationships. Santi's struggles with his psychologically abusive father, Gary (Mackenzie Astin), come to a head in the finale, when Santi misguidedly appoints Gary as his caddie mid-game. But Gary shows his true colors and comes down so hard on his son that Santi spirals into self-doubt, causing Pryce and Elena to step in.
Gary's true intentions are revealed: he wants a share in Santi's golfing success and nothing more. Elena tells him that she wants him out of Santi's life, and he leaves, but is this the end of Gary? Or is there something more sinister looming in the shadows as Santi climbs up the career ladder as a prodigal golfer?
3) What happened to Elena's grand plans with the $100,000?
In Stick season 1, episode 6, RV Shangri-La, Elena approaches Mitch with a proposal for the $100,000 she receives from Pryce for Santi's golfing career. Her idea was wacky but lucrative: invest in a helium balloon business. Her explanation revolved around a gap in the market she could take advantage of.
However, her storyline fizzled out in the latter half of season 1, with Santi's turbulent relationships with Pryce, Gary, and Zero taking center stage. So fans never find out if she goes through with the plan. Did it work, or did it backfire? Season 2 could focus more on her successes, with the business as well as her potential relationship with Mitch.
4) Do Pryce and Amber-Lin have a shot in season 2?
Pryce and his ex-wife, Amber-Lin, share an emotionally charged relationship because the death of their son and the overwhelming grief hang between them. They sell the house they own together, and she dates another man, named Ben, throughout Stick season 1. But things change in episode 9, Showtime.
The two of them get close to being physically intimate, but decide not to go through with it. The plot moves away from that moment with Gary's arrival. With Pryce opening up more after Santi's arrival, he might be more emotionally available for Amber-Lin. But will the two of them give their relationship another shot?
5) Do Zero and Santi have a future?
Speaking of romance, another duo that went through ups and downs is Zero (Lilli Kay) and Santi (Peter Dager). Santi opens up to Zero after struggling to keep up with Pryce's expectations, and Zero becomes his caddie. Their relationship blossoms, and the duo kiss in season 1, episode 5, Birdie.
But the betrayal of finding out that Zero became his caddie only after Pryce paid her eventually breaks their relationship, even though Zero truly liked Santi. Their relationship is interrupted by the tumultuous time Santi has with his golfing career, so it remains to be seen if they will pick things up again in Stick season 2.
6) Will Santi's golfing career take flight?
This is an obvious question that cannot be answered in just one season. Stick has established that Santi is an extremely skilled golf player with what it takes to make it big. His obstacles are more like mental blockades involving self-worth, his relationship with Gary, and the growing pains with Pryce as his mentor.
But the season finale saw him making the right decisions for his mental health, which will ultimately impact his career in the long run. He does not win the Ready Safe Invitational because of his early mistakes, but his comeback is noticed and appreciated by his peers. How will his career as a golfer grow and evolve? Fans are excited to see what the outcome of his attention-grabbing golfing outing is.
7) Will Pryce ever get back to playing?
Pryce finds his footing in Stick season 1 as Santi's coach and mentor. He processes the grief of losing his son, which is what led to his golfing career ending in the first place. While he starts heavy-handed in coaching Santi, he hits a sweet spot, becoming more of a father figure, which heals parts of both of them.
This begs the question: Will Pryce ever re-enter his golfer era? He is ecstatic when he plays the sport and still has what it takes to try again. It might be the full circle moment the show is looking for, and give Pryce the closure he desperately seeks from the sport.
Watch all episodes of Stick season 1 on Apple TV.
