Cristin Milioti is enjoying a significant moment in her acting career. Currently, she stars in the highly anticipated Max neo-noir thriller The Penguin, alongside Colin Farrell. The show is a continuation of the acclaimed DC Comics film The Batman, and Milioti’s performance has captured much attention.
In the show, she portrays Sofia Falcone, the dangerous daughter of former mob boss Carmine Falcone. Her character’s secret alias, The Hangman, places her in a notorious comic book role, making her the standout performer in the series.
Before The Penguin, Milioti had already established herself in television, taking on various prominent roles. Her first big break came when she appeared in David Chase’s hit series The Sopranos. However, many fans recognize her most from her memorable role as the mother in How I Met Your Mother.
Besides that, she played significant parts in Fargo Season 2 and HBO Max’s Made for Love, though the latter was unfortunately short-lived. Despite these successes, Milioti’s most underrated performance comes from her role in Peacock’s time-traveling mystery series The Resort.
In The Resort, Milioti plays Emma Reed, a woman struggling with emotional pain. Emma, along with her husband Noah (played by William Jackson Harper), goes on vacation to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. The couple’s relationship is strained, but during their trip to the Mayan Riviera, they unexpectedly find themselves drawn back together.
After crashing a dirt bike, Emma stumbles upon an old Razor phone in the jungle. This discovery leads Emma and Noah on a quest to solve the mystery of a college student, Sam (Skyler Gisondo), who went missing 15 years ago during a hurricane, along with another girl, Violet (Nina Bloomgarden). Their investigation forms the heart of the show as they uncover deeper secrets surrounding the disappearance.
The show cleverly weaves together different timelines. It frequently jumps back to 2007, providing flashbacks of Sam and Violet’s vacation in the days leading up to the hurricane and their disappearance. These flashbacks also introduce Nick Offerman as Murray Thompson, Violet’s father and a vulnerable widower, adding emotional depth to the story.
The flashbacks continue to reveal more pieces of the puzzle, including the unstable former resort owner (played by Ben Sinclair), and Baltasar Frías (Luis Gerardo Méndez), a former resort employee turned detective who helps Emma and Noah in the present-day investigation.
Cristin Milioti’s portrayal of Emma is one of the show’s strongest aspects. In The Resort, Emma battles her own grief while becoming an amateur detective during the couple’s vacation. Her character is driven by a deep need to find the missing kids, but this search also helps her confront her own inner turmoil. The show mixes genres, blending mystery, romance, drama, and even screwball comedy.
Milioti shines as a versatile actress, balancing humor, action, and emotional complexity. In one of the show’s standout scenes, she rides a dirt bike through the jungle while hungover crawls through narrow tunnels, and gets involved in physical stunts, showcasing her comedic talents and dedication to the role.
The series also offers many lighthearted moments. Milioti’s character and Noah engage in detective work that often parodies the noir genre. In one particularly funny scene, they chase down leads while drinking tequila and eating tacos during their stakeouts. These comedic moments give the series a unique charm, but beneath the humor lies a deeper message about pain and loss.
As Emma and Noah go deeper into the mystery of the missing children, Emma’s story becomes more than just a quest for answers. It becomes clear that her obsession with the case reflects her struggle with grief. Throughout the series, Emma grapples with the emotional pain of a miscarriage she experienced in the past, which is symbolized by a persistent toothache she refuses to address.
This toothache serves as a metaphor for the pain she has been avoiding, and in a pivotal moment, she pulls out the tooth in a brutal and darkly comedic scene in the jungle. This act symbolizes her need to confront her grief head-on and marks a turning point for her character.
Milioti’s portrayal of Emma’s emotional journey is both raw and powerful. Her performance stands out as one of the best in the series, as she brings vulnerability, strength, and humor to the role. The physicality of her acting is particularly notable; from quietly staring into a pool to sprinting through the jungle with raw emotion, she uses her entire body to convey the weight of her grief.
Emma’s pain remains a constant presence throughout the show, even after she physically removes the tooth. It becomes clear that her journey is not just about finding the missing children but also about coming to terms with her own emotional scars.
The Resort goes beyond being a typical mystery series. It incorporates philosophical themes and uses time travel as a metaphor for grief and the danger of living in the past. The series begins with a thought-provoking quote: “The pursuit to capture your past is a waste of time. The past lives in the past and is therefore non-existent in the present. Time travel has not been invented.”
This quote sets the tone for the entire show, emphasizing how holding onto painful memories can prevent people from moving forward in life. Violet and Sam’s disappearance becomes a symbol of how people can lose themselves by becoming too focused on the past.
While The Resort includes elements of time travel, it is less about the sci-fi mechanics and more about how the past shapes people’s present. Emma’s relentless pursuit of answers reflects her struggle to let go of the pain she has been carrying.
As she digs deeper into the mystery, she begins to heal, not just by finding the missing children but by coming to terms with her own loss. The show highlights how the process of grief is not something that can be easily fixed or forgotten, but rather, it is something that stays with people and shapes who they become.
As the series progresses, it also deals with the complexity of Emma and Noah’s marriage. While their relationship is strained at the beginning, their shared investigation into the disappearance brings them closer. Through their adventure, they begin to reconnect, and Emma’s emotional walls start to come down. Milioti’s performance is layered, showing how Emma’s personal growth ties into her healing and the rekindling of her bond with Noah.
The show’s other characters also contribute to its emotional depth. Nick Offerman gives one of his most vulnerable performances as Violet’s grieving father, and Luis Gerardo Méndez adds a touch of humor and intrigue as Baltasar, who helps guide Emma and Noah on their journey. Each character has their own connection to the theme of grief, loss, and healing, making The Resort not just a mystery but a thoughtful finding of human emotions.
Beyond the emotional storylines, The Resort also keeps viewers engaged with its suspenseful plot twists and beautiful cinematography. The lush setting of the Mayan Riviera adds to the show’s atmosphere, creating a sense of adventure and mystery. The show’s time-jumping narrative keeps viewers guessing, and the mix of comedy, drama, and action makes it a unique viewing experience.
While The Resort did not receive the same level of attention as some of Milioti’s other projects, it remains one of her best performances. The show’s ability to blend different genres, along with its deep philosophical themes and emotional complexity, makes it a standout series. For fans of Milioti, her role as Emma Reed is a must-watch. She brings depth, humor, and heart to the character, making Emma’s journey one that is both relatable and deeply moving.
