Plot

Obliterated 2023 Movie Cast, OTT, Budget, Box Office, And More

Details

Cast

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Obliterated (2023): Inside the Short-Lived, Raunchy, High-Octane Action-Comedy

The world of streaming entertainment is a wild frontier, often producing shows that are either runaway hits or quickly forgotten experiments. Netflix’s Obliterated—an action-comedy series that premiered on November 30, 2023—falls into the latter category, yet its unique premise and divisive reception cemented its place as one of the year’s most talked-about, albeit short-lived, programs. Created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, the trio responsible for the massive hit Cobra Kai, the show promised a mix of high-stakes thrills and uncensored, adult humor, essentially framing itself as The Hangover meets an elite military drama.

Despite its big-name creators and bold concept, the show ultimately completed its mission in just one eight-episode season before being canceled in early 2024.

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The Plot: A Mission Gone Sideways in Sin City

The central concept of Obliterated is as simple as it is outrageous. The series centers on an elite joint special-operations team, composed of the best and brightest from various U.S. Armed Forces and intelligence services. Their mission: stop a deadly terrorist network from detonating a nuclear bomb in Las Vegas.

The team successfully neutralizes what they believe to be the threat and, in a moment of premature celebration, decide to blow off steam with a night of extreme partying in Las Vegas, filled with “booze, drugs, and sex.”

The celebration comes to a screeching halt when they receive a shocking update: the nuclear device they deactivated was a decoy. The real bomb is still out there, armed, and on a countdown timer. The now heavily intoxicated, high, and hungover team must immediately sober up—or, more accurately, not sober up—and race against the clock to find the actual weapon and save the city. The entire series chronicles this frantic, impaired attempt to complete a life-or-death mission while battling the debilitating effects of their own excess.

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From Cobra Kai to Uncensored Chaos

A significant part of the buzz surrounding Obliterated came from its creative pedigree. Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald had already proven their ability to revive a beloved IP and craft a long-running hit with Cobra Kai. However, Obliterated represented a significant tonal departure from the family-friendly martial arts dramedy.

The creators, who were also known for the Harold & Kumar film franchise, returned to their roots with this series, opting for an unapologetically raunchy and adult-rated style of comedy. In fact, one review noted that the show felt like “Zero Dark Thirty did a truckload of LSD and had a baby with The Hangover.”

The creative team even hinted at a future for the series that mirrored an anthology format, comparing their vision to “the White Lotus of action comedies.” Had the show been renewed, the creators discussed moving the special forces team to new international party destinations for a second season, such as Ibiza, Miami, Rio, or Cabo, to tackle a new global threat.

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The Special-Ops Team and Main Cast

The series features a talented ensemble cast tasked with portraying the team’s professional competence and subsequent impaired buffoonery. The core group brings together a mix of military and intelligence roles, each with their own personal baggage and, during the main plot, levels of intoxication.

The main cast includes:

• Shelley Hennig as Ava Winters: A no-nonsense CIA officer and the team leader. She is often forced to balance her rigid professionalism with the chaos her intoxicated team creates.
• Nick Zano as Chad McKnight: A Navy SEAL team leader, often referred to as a “ladies’ man.” His character struggles to maintain command while secretly dealing with his feelings for Ava.
• Terrence Terrell as Trunk: A Navy SEAL whose physical size and strength are constantly challenged by his inebriated state.
• Paola Lázaro as Angela Gomez: A Marine sniper whose precision is hilariously compromised by their night out.
• C. Thomas Howell as Haggerty: An Army explosives technician with an affinity for bombs and a noticeable lack of several digits.
• Kimi Rutledge as Maya Lerner: An NSA agent who provides technical and intelligence support.
• Eugene Kim as Paul Yung: An Air Force pilot, often the most cautious, thrown into the drunken fray.
• Alyson Gorske as Lana: A civilian party girl who accidentally gets swept up in the mission.

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A Divisive Legacy: Critical Flop, Audience Hit

The reception for Obliterated was starkly divided, creating a fascinating contrast between professional critics and the general audience.

Critical Reaction

Critics largely condemned the show, with many outlets labeling it as one of the year’s worst. The common complaints centered on:

• Tonal Issues: Critics felt the action was “middling at best” and the comedy was “woefully unfunny” and reliant on recycled, “taxing” dialogue.
• Wasted Potential: Many noted that despite the high-concept premise and the talented creators, the final product was a disappointment, lacking genuine character development and relying too heavily on clichéd action.
• Offensive Humor: Some reviews criticized the show’s “very frat boy ‘humor'” and described it as objectifying, homophobic, and jingoistic, feeling out of place for a 2023 release.

On Rotten Tomatoes, Obliterated received a low 47% Tomatometer score from critics.

Audience Score

In direct contrast to the critics, the audience reception was overwhelmingly positive. Viewers appreciated the show’s “turn your brain off” entertainment, finding its over-the-top action, violence, and unapologetic maturity refreshing in a landscape often criticized for being too sanitized. This divergence resulted in a far more favorable 79% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ultimately, despite the strong audience reaction, the metrics required by Netflix for renewal were not met, and the series was officially canceled after its single eight-episode run in February 2024. Obliterated will be remembered as a high-concept gamble from established creators that delivered a polarizing—but certainly not boring—night out in Las Vegas.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

What is Obliterated (2023) about?

Obliterated is an action-comedy series that follows an elite special-operations team who, after successfully deactivating what they believe to be a nuclear bomb in Las Vegas, celebrate with a night of intense partying involving drugs, alcohol, and sex. They soon discover the bomb was a fake, forcing the now heavily intoxicated team to find the real nuclear device and save the city while battling their severe impairments.

Who created the Obliterated series?

The series was created by Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, the same trio responsible for the popular Netflix series Cobra Kai and the Harold & Kumar film franchise.

Why was Obliterated canceled?

Obliterated was canceled by Netflix after only one season in February 2024. While the exact reasoning for cancellation is rarely given, it is generally based on Netflix’s performance metrics, which include completion rates and overall viewing hours, which were likely not high enough to justify a second season, despite a relatively high audience score.

How many episodes are in Obliterated Season 1?

Obliterated Season 1 consists of eight episodes, all of which were released on Netflix on November 30, 2023.

Who are the main actors in Obliterated?

The main cast includes Nick Zano as Navy SEAL team leader Chad McKnight and Shelley Hennig as CIA officer Ava Winters. Other key cast members are Terrence Terrell, Paola Lázaro, C. Thomas Howell, and Alyson Gorske.