Fresh Take on Crime Drama 'Nemesis' Explores Complex Loyalties and Grief
By & Published May 15, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
Netflix has a twisty new crime thriller in the form of , and the creative team want to push audiences' loyalties to the limit.
Co-created by and Tani Marole, the new series revolves around Coltrane Wilder and Isiah Stiles, a seasoned thief aiming to fully shift out of his criminal lifestyle to continue building his real estate empire, and a determined Los Angeles Police Department detective. When their paths begin to converge, the two engage in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, putting both each other's lives, and the lives of their families, at risk.
Kemp and Marole have assembled a star-studded cast for Nemesis, with Insecure alum Y'lan Noel and Abbott Elementary's Matthew Law leading as Coltrane and Isiah, as well as Black Rabbit's Cleopatra Coleman, , Tulsa King's Domenick Lombardozzi and Tre Hale, among others. Having premiered on May 14, the series is garnering highly positive reviews from critics, currently holding an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ahead of the show's premiere, ScreenRant's Ash Crossan and Grant Hermanns interviewed Courtney A. Kemp, Tani Marole, Matthew Law and Y'lan Noel to discuss Nemesis. When asked about finding a balance in the writers room of making both Isiah and Coltrane characters worth rooting for rather than having audiences side with just one, Marole began by using the cinematic comparison of "King Kong versus Godzilla," looking at the pair facing off as a "marquee event where you're not just rooting for one," and rather are thinking "I like them both" and "I don't want the [other] guy to lose":
Tani Marole: "You may just like criminals, you may like the law, but by the time you're watching both, you're like, 'Oh, I like them both. I want my guy to win, but I don't want the guy to lose.'" And then the real magic trick is, hopefully, when you get the opportunity to really binge through it, you're going to shift. Your loyalties are going to shift at a certain point. And the guy you're rooting for, you're going to be like, "No, I want the other guy." And that's the true magic trick that Courtney's really been able to show us all in the room. "How do you get you to shift your loyalty midstream without letting go of the heart of your person?" So that's been an amazing situation.
Kemp went on to recall when she first began , in which she found herself "told multiple times" that "no one will ever root for Tariq" after killing his father in the prior series' finale. Having argued that audiences would, and it was "just a question of how" to set him up in a way viewers could, she took a similar approach to Nemesis, agreeing with Marole that opinion "will be shifting" on both characters throughout the series:
Courtney Kemp: I love the King Kong versus Godzilla metaphor, because watching them fight is really cool. Forget the rest of it. You know what I mean? It's like even if you pick a side, just watching them fight is super cool. One of my favorite movies is Pacific Rim. I love Pacific Rim, because I love the big fight sequences. It's not rooting for the Kaiju, but the Kaiser is kind of awesome. You know what I mean? That's what you want. You want that big, big fun of, "I don't know who's going to win." And that was something that we were breaking when we were starting the process. Tani was like, "We absolutely do not let people get ahead of who's going to win. We never let them get ahead." It was so right, and so dead on, because we really want you keeping pace with the scorecard.
Coltrane & Isiah Are Mirrors Of Each Other With Their Obsessive Behavior
ScreenRant: I've only seen the first episode of Nemesis, but I'm already hooked. I love both Coltrane and Isiah, and I'm so curious to see what this cat-and-mouse game is going to be like. First and foremost, Coltrane feels like a very fresh character for you. Totally different from , but at the same time, he's got a very casual coolness to him. What was it like getting to work with Courtney and with Tani to really find who this character is coming into the show?
Y'Lan Noel: That's a good question, man. I want to talk about the coolness first, and then I can talk about Tani and Courtney. I think some of the coolness is because he has so much obsession. It's almost like you think about how you could describe Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant as being cool, but we both know underneath there's just this ferocious engine that wants to win, and there's obsession. And with this obsession, there's this control. So, for Coltrane, it would seem like the only way that you control that monster is by being cool. There's so much need for restraint, because there's so much coming out of me. He just wants to win. And I think that's the only way to be in that situation is to be cool. So, it seems like he's really cool, because he's just holding onto so much, and he's having to restrain himself. And I'm glad he comes across that way. But then, in regard to Courtney and Tani helping me find that, it was really impressive. You never know if you're going to be on the same accord with a creator of a show, because this is their baby, and you're helping them bring it to life. But we were just very aligned in how Coltrane thinks and acts. So, Stiles explodes, whereas Coltrane implodes, things are more internal for him and he communicates. But instead of him speaking and having all of these really cool things, Stiles says a lot of cool things. Coltrane does a lot of cool things, and he communicates, but he might communicate with his eyes or his body language more so than he communicates with his words. We were on the same accord with that. So that was fun.
ScreenRant: Since you talk, by the way, about communication and everything, we do see a little bit of cracks under the surface for Coltrane, and what he and Ebony have gone through prior to the start of the season. What can you tell me about how this season is going to really explore that element, and how that impacts Coltrane as he tries to pull off these final couple of jobs to finally let him and Ebony live a "clean life"?
Y'lan Noel: Oh man. Yeah, I'm glad you brought Ebony into it because she's the foundation. The women are the foundation of the show, and particularly for Coltrane, obviously [that's] Ebony. I think that that's really important for viewers to know and understand. Ebony, he's trying to hold on to his marriage. His obsession is winning, but he's just as obsessed and as enthusiastic about his wife and his family, and his marriage as he is with those two things. I think that's the major point. That's the way the major tension comes. Some people say the quote, "They can't serve two masters." You can't be in both of those things. So, part of the tension that the audience is going to experience is when does one crack, and how does that feed into the cracking of the other? They're both husbands that are navigating grief — Stiles with his brother and his partner, and then Coltrane and Ebony navigating the loss of their child. So yeah, I think the ground is set for some pretty incredible tension.
ScreenRant: So continuing on that, we talked about Courtney and Tani, and finding the overall approach to this character, but that specifically, losing a child. That is such a very harrowing thing to tap into. I'd love to hear your conversations with them about, again, finding that balance between letting us as a viewer see his heartbreak, but also keeping all of that under wraps for that, specifically.
Y'lan Noel: That's interesting, man. The conversations that were had, there were not many conversations, man. That's one of those scenes that you see on paper — the scenes for me that always strike a little bit of fear are the ones that have no words, because you can't lean on dialogue. The scenes that we're talking about, when you watch those private moments of Coltrane, a couple of thoughts that just came into my mind. The thought that's now trying to get out is you very rarely see Coltrane being able to process things on his own. He's trying to be the fulcrum of his group, his business associates and friends, and make sure that they're whole. He's trying to be a good husband. He's trying to be the real estate mogul that he actually is, authentically, and he's trying to do all of these different things. So, the very rare moments that you are able to see him process who he is outside of any of those public personas are the truest, most authentic moments. So, that moment for me was special. Those moments for me are very special. And now that we also get to see him navigate his grief, it's just about letting the camera see who he is without people around. So, we didn't have much conversation on that. I think the one thing that you sort of hit on was, okay, considering it's early in the show, and he is a "not good guy" or bad guy, and that's sort of a spectrum there. How much emotion do we allow them to see? So, we shot it a bunch of different ways, and then it was just a surprise to me, whatever they ended up keeping in the edit. I liked the fact that they kept that they locked, what they ended up with. I'm glad we went that route, because it plays to what the show is really about. We're all on the spectrum, in terms of good guys, bad guys. So, if Matthew [Law], who plays Stiles, if his grandma is like, "[In an intrigued tone] Hmm, okay, Coltrane." If she finds a way to empathize, or some grandmas find a way to empathize with Coltrane, I feel like I've done a good job. That's all I want is for people to see themselves in both characters, all the characters.
ScreenRant: Now, one thing I did want to touch on, by the way, is the jewelry store heist in the opening, because as cool as those diamond masks are for y'all to wear, those things look like they're probably a nightmare to actually film in. What was it like getting to film in those things?
Y'lan Noel: Yeah, it's funny speaking about being public and private, or being private and public, it is very cumbersome having that thing on your face. It looks cool. That's why I don't understand the fashion world a lot of times, because a lot of people sacrifice comfort for fashion, and that was the embodiment of that. Not only are they sacrificing comfort for fashion, they're going on a jewelry heist, life-or-death stakes are involved, and yet the obsession, the control, the image-keeping, Coltrane is the mastermind of that too. It's like, "This is how we're going to do it, and this is what we're going to do." But then for the actor, it was kind of fun, because you got an opportunity to just be like, "I'm standing here right next to you, Grant, but you can't see if I'm looking at you or if I'm looking at the girl right in front of me." I might just be looking at you, and just really get to look at you without you knowing that I'm looking at you, which is kind of creepy. [Chuckles] But at the same time, it's kind of fun because nobody's looking at your face, your expressions. You're on set all day with people, and doing hair and makeup, but now, you just get to hide in a mask. We got to do a lot of that. I think people are going to really like the different ensembles that Tani and Courtney cooked up for us.
ScreenRant: So, Coltrane and Stiles are kind of mirrors of each other. How do you say they mirror each other, and what do they bring out in each other?
Matthew Law: You know the bull scene with the red cape? Y'lan's been talking about their need to win, that they have this need to win, so they see somebody else who's operating at the highest degree of what they do. I think for Isiah, it is seeing this man who he has to eliminate. But then, at the same time, he starts to find and put these pieces together, and says there is a strategy here, and a mind and an intelligence that reminds him of his own. I think that he can't confront the fear of that, or the reality of it. So instead, he has to just kill it, which is the only language he knows how to respond to it with. His violence.
Y'lan Noel: Yeah, and I think that if there is any fear there, it's in not being the person that they thought they were, which is the best man for the job. Coltrane is completely obsessed. He sees that Isiah is equally obsessed. And I think what that brings to you is it's a thrill of the game, to be honest. This is a sport that a lot of people can't play. So, to see somebody on the opposite side of the fence or the court or the net that's equally yoked is just so affirming to him, because he sees him. It's like the sun and the moon. It's a twin flame. He's like, "Yes, let's go for this. We finally get to dance in a way that they're always intended to dance," and it's a beautiful relationship. Peaches and cream.
ScreenRant: There are a lot of layers to the show, but it kicks off with what I think is something that everyone has always wanted to do, a heist.
Matthew Law: True, everybody wants to [do one]. Everybody wants to. [Laughs]
ScreenRant: What role do you think you would have?
Y'lan Noel: How would you break the law, bro? Hypothetically. [Chuckles]
ScreenRant: Hypothetically, let's say we're getting away with the heist. We just know we're getting away with it.
Y'lan Noel: It's The Purge. It's 12 hours of legally heisting. Shout out to The First Purge. [Chuckles]
Matthew Law: I'm going to be the driver, bro. I love it.
Y'lan Noel: Putting everybody on your back.
Matthew Law: I love the [moment where] everybody's panicking, you throw it in reverse, and you're going down. And it's in Italy for some reason. The heist is in Italy, hypothetically.
Y'lan Noel: Ooh, that's good. Honestly, I need to be the architect. I need to be the person that's back at the crib, engineering the plan. [Chuckles] "Y'all go do it. Make sure it happens, and it falls on me if it doesn't go off the way I engineered it." I'm not going to be the muscle. I'm going to be the person that's sort of the brains behind the operation. What about you?
ScreenRant: I think I'd also want to be a driver. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a NASCAR driver so badly.
Y'lan Noel: I love to drive, but d--n, that's a lot of pressure.
ScreenRant: It's a lot of pressure, because you're going to be in an alley at some point. They're going to come this way. You're going to reverse out of there.
Matthew Law: Exactly, you and I are thinking the same moment!
Y'lan Noel: Are you the driver that gets to get away? Oh no, he can't get away without everybody else. Like, is he a part of the team, or is he just a driver? Remember Ryan Gosling [in Drive] was a driver, but he wasn't part of the crime. He was just a driver. Are these your family that you're driving?
Matthew Law: No, yeah, it's the rest of the team. I'm waiting for you.
ScreenRant: There's a lot of action in this show. Did you have a favorite sequence, or most banged-up day that you got on set that comes to mind?
Y'lan Noel: All of them. Honestly, all of the heists. That's the fun of it, though. I want to get in the mud. I want to feel it. You know what I'm saying? And that's the hard part too, because we don't actually want to do heists in real life, but we get to feel it. We get to feel it.
Matthew Law: Because your body doesn't know the difference when you're in those moments as an actor.
Y'lan Noel: Yeah, those moments — because I was an athlete before I started acting, and I still try to be. So those moments on set when you get to be the most athletic, that, for me, when we get to shut down highways and shoot guns, and you feel your legs still shaking after a scene right before the first take, that, to me, that's the fun, the Greek theater of it.
Matthew Law: And I think the preparation for that, as I'm sure you do too, is part of that thrill. Doing all the weapons training and doing all of the conditioning. I will say that that last scene that we did, spinning through the hospital, I definitely was falling into stuff.
Y'lan Noel: Speaking of bodies though, I mean, I had torn my hamstring, so I was still having to run, but I was like, "Yes, I like this." Yeah, it was tough.
Matthew Law: I think it's a physically demanding show, and I think for us actors, it is such a gift anytime we get to actually step into the things that we're professing that we do.
Y'lan Noel: Sorry to my stuntman, because they didn't really get to do much. I was like, "Nah, I'm going to be doing this." Absolutely. We can still have masks on, but no, we got to have some [for myself].
Matthew Law: [Chuckles] Yeah, we both elected to do all our stunts.
ScreenRant: Now, I know I keep getting ahead of myself, but Courtney Kemp revealed, "Hey, we're already working on season 2. We're already thinking about season 2."
Y'lan Noel: Working, just hypothesizing.
Matthew Law: No, that's it. Nah, word is bond.
ScreenRant: What's something you really would want to see in season 2?
Matthew Law: I got a list!
Y'lan Noel: Italy.
Matthew Law: [Laughs] Yeah, yeah, let's go.
Y'lan Noel: Let's 10X this, right? You said we got the universe to work with. Italy.
Matthew Law: It's a globalized [series]. A submarine.
Y'lan Noel: A submarine.
Matthew Law: Coltrane's got a submarine. [Chuckles] No, I think just continue to dive into Isiah. I love this character, and I love this world that they've built, Courtney and Tani built. So quite literally anything.
Y'lan Noel: Anything, honestly. That's one of the things you hop on board with, people that you trust. You say, "Okay, we defer to you on that part. We'll figure out how to embody it."
Kemp & Marole Wanted The Women To Be The Ultimate Foundation For Their Characters
ScreenRant: I've only seen the first episode, and I am already so hooked to see how this plays out between Coltrane and Isiah. Now to start with, Courtney, you are obviously no stranger to stories that sort of aim to humanize and help audiences empathize with those on both sides of the law. But I'd love to hear for both of you, where was the original idea for Nemesis that came about for you both to collaborate on?
Tani Marole: I think we were both thinking about experiences, things that we'd like to see. I often start outward, she starts inward. I'm an outward thinker, because I'm like, while you're talking, I'm scheming on your background for your DVDs and Blu-rays. So that's the kind of guy I am, I'm outside in. [Chuckles] So we were just talking about things we'd like to see, and experiences that are missing from the world. And as we kind of zeroed in on this experience — hat on a hat — we just kind of went in. And then maybe 21 days later, after furiously writing, a little script baby was born in the form of Nemesis.
Courtney Kemp: We were really interested in, obviously, this genre and fun and making something that was great entertainment. Things that aren't so heavy that you have to take notes in order to really follow them, but we really need something light right now. Everybody could use something fun to watch. So, it started with that, and things that he and I happened to love. So, we were falling in love with each other as we were falling in love with some of the things that we both enjoyed. And then, we started to talk about thematics, and we started to talk about what it is to be a man, what it is to be a Black man, what is masculine burden. We started to really want to write about that, what it is to be a husband, what it is to be a father. We wanted to write about those things. And then it's me. So, obviously, guns, violence, all the things that we love. And I always want to write about women being part of the story. Not being adjacent to the story, but being part of the story, and pushing the story forward. So, all those things, put those together with a heaping dose of generational trauma, and you get Nemesis.
ScreenRant: You mentioned powerful female characters, and it wouldn't be a Courtney Kemp show without some strong female characters. I already love Ebony and Candice. They have such powerful influences and impacts on their men's lives, but we only have scratched the surface in episode one. What can you both share about how that influence and that impact is really going to start to expand as we go into this season?
Courtney Kemp: I would start by saying that Ebony is already presented as a partner. She's already presented from the perspective of she's totally down. So, what's interesting is she's trying to work with grief, she's trying to keep in that space, but also still stay a partner, and then letting him lead, trying to figure out how to let him lead at that moment, while at the same time trying to figure out how to trust. That's a really interesting, complicated mix for her own character, and what she's doing, in addition to trying to be in partnership with this man who's not always telling the whole truth about everything that he's doing. And it's not on an adultery level. It's not about that. It's about what is he doing, what is his plan, and how is he going to carry their family forward? I think on the Stiles side with Candice, you have someone who is really trying to save her marriage, but also realizing she's losing grip on this man who is now completely consumed with one thing. And it's true. Women multitask, men have a tendency to do this [imitates locking in]. So it's kind of real. What I love about what I do is that I like to take banal stuff, which is conflicts, like regular old conflict, "When are you coming home for dinner?" And then I add guns and a cartel guy, and we like to just spice up the world, but everyone should be able to relate to the conversations these people are having. And I will just say real quick that these women are not that sort of flawless girlboss character who doesn't have any problems. These are always real people. I always want real people with real problems and real relationships. No matter what their gender or their race, they need to feel like somebody we know.
Nemesis is now streaming on Netflix!
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Cast
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Michael Potts James Sealey -
Y'lan Noel Coltrane Wilder -
Matthew Law Isaiah Stiles -
Cleopatra Coleman Ebony Wilder
A new Netflix crime series by the creators of the TV show Power, centered on the strained conflict between a master thief and a cunning detective.
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Like Follow Followed TV-MA Release Date May 14, 2026 Network Netflix Series Episodes 8 Expand Collapse
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