The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Pilot Review: Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe Are the Duo You Didn’t See Coming
- Je-Ree
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
NBC and Peacock may have another certified comedy hit on their hands with The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins. After screening the pilot ahead of its special preview airing tonight, one thing is immediately clear: this half-hour comedy understands exactly what it wants to be and more importantly, it knows how to make you laugh. A lot.
Headlined by the endlessly unpredictable Tracy Morgan, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins is a sports comedy with heart, chaos and just enough self-awareness to poke fun at fame, failure and the absurdity of redemption arcs. From the opening moments, the pilot wastes no time establishing its comedic rhythm, delivering joke after joke while setting up a surprisingly layered ensemble.
You really can’t go wrong with Tracy Morgan. Many of us were first introduced to him as Hustle Man on Martin, and he’s been a comedic force ever since. As Reggie Dinkins, a disgraced former NFL star, Morgan leans fully into his larger-than-life persona while still grounding the character in real consequences. Reggie’s fall from grace is swift and brutal: he’s banned from the NFL for gambling, including betting on himself and his own team, the Jets and almost poetically, the team goes on to lose the Super Bowl without him. Fame gone, reputation ruined and his personal life in shambles, Reggie’s ego takes as much of a hit as his career.
The supporting cast only elevates the pilot. Erika Alexander (Living Single) shines as Monica, Reggie’s ex-wife, manager and reluctant stabilizing force. Even after their marriage crumbles, Monica sticks around for the sake of their son Carmelo, played with charm and emotional grounding by Jalyn Hall (All American). Monica’s financial savvy ensures that despite losing everything else, Reggie still has millions in the bank, a detail that becomes crucial to his next big (and wildly misguided) plan.
That plan? Hiring Arthur Tobin, an Oscar-winning filmmaker played by Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), to document his comeback. On paper, Radcliffe might seem like an unexpected addition but he ends up being the pilot’s secret weapon. Yes, Morgan, Alexander, and Bobby Moynihan (SNL) reliably bring the comedy, but Radcliffe is the sleeper agent here. His comedic timing is sharp, awkward and perfectly calibrated against Morgan’s bombastic energy. Their dynamic becomes the beating heart of the episode, a comedy duo you didn’t know you needed until now.
Arthur, much like Reggie, is disgraced. His career imploded after a failed commercial and an even bigger meltdown on the set of a scrapped Marvel film. The parallel between these two men both desperate for redemption, both in denial is played for laughs without ever feeling forced. Reggie insists the project be more of a movie than a documentary, complete with scripted “authentic” moments. Watching him coach his son at the breakfast table about the importance of reading, or having his former teammate Rusty (Moynihan) pretend to be devastated about Reggie not making the Hall of Fame, are standout moments of absurdity.
"Books are brain movies."
Rusty, who was also fired for gambling and now lives in Reggie’s basement, is exactly the kind of character Moynihan excels at: pathetic, loyal and unintentionally hilarious. His scenes add to the show’s lived-in drama and underscore how far Reggie’s world has fallen.
As the pilot progresses, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins smartly pivots from pure farce to something more meaningful. Arthur pushes back against Reggie’s desire to sanitize his story and eventually, the group comes to terms with the idea that second chances only work if you’re willing to be honest. It’s not heavy-handed, but it lands.
There are multiple laugh-out-loud moments throughout the pilot and the pacing rarely lets the energy dip. The jokes hit, the cast clicks and the premise feels sustainable beyond a single episode. Come for the big names, stay for the laughs and maybe stick around to see whether Reggie Dinkins’ comeback is as entertaining as his downfall.
If this pilot is any indication, NBC and Peacock have a comedy worth betting on and unlike Reggie, that’s a wager likely to pay off.
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