Rob Lowe’s ‘Unstable’ Ellis Dragon is the Character He Was Born to Play
Unstable, Rob Lowe’s passion project with son Owen Lowe, premiered March 30 on Netflix. Despite an unfortunately bland title, Unstable serves as a beacon of light in a television landscape mostly populated by darkness or cheesy comedies with outdated laugh tracks. Seriously, why is that still a thing? If a show is truly funny, it doesn’t need to cram it down audiences’ throats.
And ‘Unstable’ is truly funny. The improbably named Ellis Dragon, played by a never-better Rob Lowe, is the character the actor was born to play. Following his run as Chris Traeger on Parks & Recreation, Lowe seems to have leaned into the “vain, yet zany and loveable” archetype. Even the title of his wildly popular podcast, “Literally: With Rob Lowe” is a satisfying nod to a beloved Traeger catchphrase.
You literally need to listen to this
On his podcast, the elder Lowe talks about writing Unstable together with his son John Owen Lowe. Even if viewers haven’t heard the podcast, they can tell right away that the strained but affectionate dynamic between the Dragons mirrors that of the real-life Lowes. While the senior Lowe basks in the limelight, the younger Lowe seems content to stay largely out of the media except when he’s hilariously dragging his famous father on Instagram and Twitter.
Look at these two. So presh.
Since his turn as Sodapop Curtis in 1983’s The Outsiders, it seems as though Lowe has been typecast as the quintessential Hollywood heartthrob. While it’s clear that Lowe deserves his heartthrob status, he shines so much brighter as the (still hot but) comedically quirky genius, Ellis Dragon.
There be dragons. And they are hysterical.
Driven to derangement by the loss of his wife rather than his vast wealth, Lowe’s character is one audiences can both laugh at and relate to. Lowe’s spot-on delivery and comedic timing make audiences love him immediately, despite his seeming insanity. His son, Jackson is brought in by emotionless manager Anna, played by Sian Clifford and assistant Malcolm, an hilariously frenzied Aaron Branch. Initially hesitant to stick around and provide the grounding his father so desperately needs, Jackson predictably warms to the diverse group of workers at the Dragon Company and immerses himself in the science of saving the world…and his father.
Unstable is the perfect antidote to the dark shows and difficult times we’re all experiencing in 2023. It delivers witty writing, a superb cast of well-played characters and possibly the funniest joke ever uttered about an invisibility cloak.
