Apple TV+’s Stick Is Already Halfway Through Season 1, Yet There’s Still An Obnoxious Santi Problem That Should Have Been Fixed Episodes Ago

Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Stick season 1, episode 6.Apple TV+’s Stick is over halfway through its first season, but it still has a problem with Santi (Peter Dager) that it desperately needs to solve. So far, Stick season 1 has been a bit of a mixed bag. Stick‘s Rotten Tomatoes score is sitting at a fairly impressive 79% with critics, but its audience score is at a much less impressive 59%. The show has proved divisive, and reviews for Stick season 1 reflect that. It’s clear that Stick has some problems it needs to solve if it wants to be viewed favorably by fans, and one of the most important ones is named Santi.

The cast of Stick is filled with some lovable characters, from Owen Wilson’s Pryce Cahill to Marc Maron’s Mitts. They all have their own problems to deal with and baggage going into the show, such as Pryce’s late son, Jett, but they’re all generally still likable people. Many fans have taken issue with Zero (Lilli Kay) and the way Stick is trying to make Generation X and Generation Z clash, but even they can’t derail the show entirely. The only character who can is Santi, and he’s been trying his hardest to do just that so far.

Santi Continues Acting More Childish As Stick Season 1 Goes On

Santi Is 17, But He Throws Temper Tantrums Constantly & Is Getting Annoying

After Stick episode 6, Santi has a clear problem: he’s far too childish. Santi is only 17 years old, which gives him some measure of grace, as teenagers are generally pretty stupid and impulsive. Still, a 17-year-old like Santi shouldn’t be throwing temper tantrums, be completely self-involved, and choose to do the most childish thing possible at every opportunity. If Santi is ever even mildly upset, he immediately shuts down and begins acting like a toddler. On the links, he’ll start grunting and slamming his clubs after one slice, and he’s even worse in his regular life.

Santi refuses to listen to Pryce even though Pryce has demonstrably more knowledge about golf and has irrefutably improved Santi’s game. Instead of taking the wisdom that’s offered, Santi, like a child, will only listen to someone he has a crush on. At least two of the six episodes of Stick season 1 so far have also ended with Santi telling Pryce he hates him and storming off, which is exactly what I would have done to my baseball coach when I was five. He also handled the revelation that Pryce hired Zero with absolutely no nuance and said a lot of hurtful things.

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Santi’s childish antics make sense, to an extent. At the start of Stick, Santi had a right to be wary of Pryce and maybe not fully trust him and his advice. However, over half a season later, Santi has no excuse to continue being so childish in Stick. Stick should have gotten into the meat and potatoes of Santi and Pryce’s relationship by now. Santi knows that Pryce knows more about golf than him, he knows that he should listen to him, and yet he doesn’t. It’s honestly just frustrating and annoying at this point that Santi has had seemingly no character development at all.

Santi’s Attitude & Stubbornness Has To Change Before Stick’s Season 1 Finale

Santi Has To Become More Likable Or Stick’s Final Episodes Will Flounder

Santi’s childish attitude and his stubbornness really have to change before the ending of Stick season 1. Stick basically revolves around Santi: he’s the center of the found family and his golf career is literally the foundation of the show. Santi is the single most important part of Stick, but he’s also among the most annoying characters in the show. If Stick doesn’t find a way to make Santi more likable in the next three episodes, the ending of the season is going to absolutely flounder. It doesn’t matter if Pryce is funny or Mitts and Elena get together if the core of Stick is annoying.

Santi’s childishness also just doesn’t make sense from a logistical point of view, especially if Stick gets another season. This show can’t survive if Santi just refuses to listen to Pryce and always has to have things his way. He’s not smart enough to win a PGA tournament without Pryce’s experience, and Stick needs to develop the relationship between Santi and Pryce without using Zero as a mediator. Right now, they can only be friends if Santi is in a good mood, like when they played pickleball. If Santi doesn’t grow up, Stick won’t have a pro golf career or a found family to follow.

Stick

7/10

Release Date

June 4, 2025

Network

Apple TV+

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