This post contains spoilers from the first episode of Netflix's Running Point.
Ready for some slam-dunk laughs? Netflix's new original comedy series Running Point, from none other than Mindy Kaling, finally made its premiere on Feb. 27, and it's going to be tough to beat as the funniest comedy series of 2025. Kate Hudson makes an easy lay-up in her first foray into comedy television, finding a comfortable home in Kaling's witty writing.
Running Point takes a play from the real-life experience of Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss, but Kaling and her co-showrunners Ike Barinholtz and Dave Stassen turn the realistic setup up a notch into a larger-than-life comedy world. Isla Gordon (Hudson) unexpectedly takes over as president of her family's business, the successful Los Angeles Waves basketball team.
Isla hikes an uphill battle (in heels!) to be taken seriously amid doubts from her brothers, the board, the team, and the unrelenting public. But she's ready to prove them wrong! The surprises don't stop with Isla taking over the team, as the Gordon family gets a bit bigger in the Running Point series premiere with a surprise twist that the Gordons never saw coming.
Isla becomes president of the Waves
The Los Angeles Waves (a fiction team, to be clear) are the most successful basketball team in the league, and they were previously led by their president Jack Gordon. The team has supplied the Gordon family with a lot of wealth, allowing his four children to share in the excess and work for the team and continue his and its legacy.
After Jack's passing, Cameron "Cam" Gordon (Justin Theroux) takes over as president. Ness Gordon (Scott MacArthur) previously played for the Waves before an injury and an arrest provided a career as the general manager. Alexander "Sandy" Gordon (Drew Tarver), Isla's younger half-brother, works as the Chief Financial Officer for the team.
Before rising up as the president, Isla was the "coordinator of charitable endeavors" for the Waves, a job that was given to her in the wake of her rocky personal life: posing for Playboy, marrying Brian Austin Green for 20 days, partying too much. But when Cam's drug addition catches up to him and he crashes his car, he's off to rehab and appoints Isla to his position as president. She finally can put her extensive and useful basketball knowledge to use.
By her side, Isla has her best friend Ali (Brenda Song), the team's chief of staff. Isla's doubted by everyone, including sports podcaster Sean Murphy (Jon Glaser) and even Ness and Sandy, who try to walk all over her and pressure her into trading Travis Bugg (Chet Hanks) to avoid a salary cap tax.
However, even after Travis is disrespectful to her, she works her magic to appease billionaire board chairman Stephen Ramirez (Roberto Sanchez). She orchestrates a trade between two other teams and makes million-dollar deals to make up for Travis' salary cap. She also snags a new recruit Dyson Gibbs (Uche Agada). President Isla Gordon isn't to be messed with!
There's one more Gordon brother: Jackie!
Throughout the episode, which covers the happenings of the Gordon family and the Waves team and organization, there's one character that pops in and out of the story. Jackie Moreno (Fabrizio Guido) works at the stadium and often makes awkward mistakes, like accidentally spraying Isla with meat juice while working a dinner for the Waves. He's adorably bumbling, but for the most part, we're spending the episode wondering how he fits into this world.
When he receives a message from his lawyer and cousin Ana Moreno (Keyla Monterroso Mejia), he later meets with her to discuss his late mother's will. Ana informs him that his birth father has passed away, but he was the owner of the Los Angeles Waves. That means that his father was Jack Gordon, and he's now the fifth member of the Gordon sibling crew. That's unexpected! It's definitely going to shake up the dynamic and throw a wrench in Isla's plans.
Watch Running Point only on Netflix.