Ray Romano is back. But if you were expecting the nasal, lovable dad from the early 2000s, you’re in for a bit of a shock. His latest project, No Good Deed, isn't a cozy multi-cam sitcom with a laugh track. It’s a jagged, dark comedy on Netflix that basically turns the "American Dream" of homeownership into a literal crime scene.
Honestly, it’s a weird time for Ray fans. We just came off the Everybody Loves Raymond 30th Anniversary Reunion in late 2025, which reminded everyone how much they miss that specific flavor of family bickering. But Ray? He’s done with the Barones. He’s spent the last few months making it crystal clear that a reboot is never happening. Instead, he’s leaned into this prestige-TV era of his career, playing Paul Morgan—a man who is significantly more stressed and morally gray than Ray Barone ever was.
What No Good Deed Is Actually About
The show, created by Liz Feldman (the mind behind Dead to Me), dropped its eight-episode first season recently, and it’s been a wild ride for anyone who’s ever tried to buy a house in a competitive market. Ray Romano stars alongside Lisa Kudrow, which sounds like a sitcom fever dream, but they aren't playing for easy laughs here.
They are the Morgans. They live in a gorgeous 1920s Spanish-style villa in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. On the surface, it’s a "Happily Ever After" house. In reality? It’s a pressure cooker. Paul and Lydia Morgan are desperate to sell the place to escape a crushing family tragedy, but there is a massive catch. Their teenage son, Jacob, was killed inside the house years prior. Under California real estate law—if you've ever looked into the fine print—you don't always have to disclose a death if it happened more than three years ago. The Morgans are banking on that silence.
The Chaos of the Open House
The plot kicks into high gear when three different families try to outbid each other for the property.
🔗 Read more: The Reality of Sex Movies From Africa: Censorship, Nollywood, and the Digital Underground
- Abbi Jacobson and Poppy Liu play a couple who think this house will fix their marriage.
- O-T Fagbenle and Teyonah Parris are expecting a baby and want the "perfect" nursery.
- Denis Leary pops up as Paul’s estranged, ex-con brother, adding a layer of grit that feels very different from the usual Romano vibe.
What makes the show so addictive—and kinda stressful—is how it handles the "black comedy" label. One minute you’re laughing at the absurdity of a bidding war, and the next, you’re watching the Morgans use high-tech security cameras to spy on potential buyers and tear their lives apart from a hidden bedroom. It’s dark. Like, really dark.
Why Fans Are Divided on Ray's Performance
Some people just want the old Ray back. You’ve seen the comments on social media; people are still holding out hope for a reboot despite Ray telling Real Time With Bill Maher and the CBS reunion special that it’s "out of the question." He’s right, too. Without Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts, the chemistry would be gutted.
In No Good Deed, Romano is doing something more nuanced. He’s playing a contractor with deep debts and even deeper secrets. He’s "Paul," but he still carries that classic Romano "everyman" quality that makes you want to root for him, even when he’s doing something objectively terrible. It’s a tightrope walk.
Critics have been mostly kind, with many pointing out that the chemistry between Romano and Kudrow is the only thing keeping the show’s more "soap opera" twists grounded. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the show is sitting at a solid 80%, but the audience score is a bit more of a battlefield. People either love the cynical take on LA real estate or they find the "murder mystery" elements a bit too meandering.
💡 You might also like: Alfonso Cuarón: Why the Harry Potter 3 Director Changed the Wizarding World Forever
Is There a Season 2?
Here is where things get a bit messy. While the show performed well initially, reports from July 2025 indicated the series was placed on an indefinite hiatus. Netflix hasn't officially "canceled" it in the traditional sense, but the buzz is that if it does come back, it might be an anthology. Think The White Lotus style. Same theme, different house, different cast.
That means we might have already seen the last of Paul Morgan. It’s a bummer if you were invested in the Morgan family's survival, but it fits the "limited series" vibe that Liz Feldman usually aims for.
Beyond the Screen: Ray's 2026 Schedule
If you can't get enough of Ray, he isn't just sticking to Netflix. He’s actually hitting the stage. He’s currently scheduled for a Broadway run in a play called ALL OUT at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City through March 2026.
He’s also gearing up for the sixth Ice Age film, where he’ll return as the voice of Manny. It’s a weird career trajectory—from dark Netflix thrillers about dead children to a talking woolly mammoth—but that’s why Ray Romano has lasted thirty years in this business. He doesn't stay in one lane.
📖 Related: Why the Cast of Hold Your Breath 2024 Makes This Dust Bowl Horror Actually Work
How to Watch and What to Expect
If you’re planning to binge the show this weekend, here’s the reality check:
- The Episodes are Short: Each one is about 30 minutes. You can knock out the whole season in four hours.
- It’s Not a Sitcom: Don't go in expecting a "funny" show. Expect a "cringe-inducing" show that happens to have funny people in it.
- The Ending is polarizing: Without spoiling too much, the finale answers the "who did it" question regarding the son's death, but it leaves a lot of the emotional fallout hanging.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’ve already finished No Good Deed and you’re looking for that specific "Ray Romano charm" without the murder, go back and watch his directorial debut, Somewhere in Queens. It’s much closer to the heart-on-its-sleeve comedy that made him famous, focusing on a suburban dad trying to get his son a basketball scholarship.
For the hardcore fans, keep an eye on the Paramount+ listings for the encore airings of the 30th Anniversary Special. It’s the closest we’re ever going to get to a reboot, and honestly, seeing the surviving cast together one last time is a better "ending" for Ray Barone than any scripted revival could provide. Paul Morgan is the future of Ray’s career, but the Barones will always be the foundation.
To get the most out of the new show, watch it as a satire of the housing crisis rather than a straight mystery. The "villains" aren't just the people hiding secrets; they're the people so desperate for a zip code that they'll ignore a literal bloodstain on the floor.