Why Obliterated needed Crazy Susan

As always, Lori Petty’s brief appearance as Crazy Susan in Netflix’s Obliterated is a master class in character-acting.

Netflix’s new action-filled special ops action dramedy (from the same creators as Netflix’s other hit series, Cobra Kai) has already taken the world by storm.

And although this unique raunchy and suspenseful show has already been hailed as a new 24-meets-The Hangover, it does not exactly have the kind of star-studded cast that made these films such huge successes.

And while Nick Zano and Shelley Hennig (who star in the series as Chad McKnight and Ava Winters), as well as the rest of Obliterated’s cast, have certainly been involved in a few projects over the years, there is no denying that the years of acting experience that Lori Petty brought to her character, ‘Crazy Susan’, absolutely stole the show – in the best way possible.

Why Crazy Susan stole the show

Petty’s Crazy Susan only makes a brief appearance as the strung-out survivalist who captures Chad and Ava in the “Walks of Shame” episode.

But her always-charming and endearing take on this truly whacky character is what has really made her few minutes on screen such a stand-out for the series.

Because while Obliterated never falls short in its ever-mounting tension, or its incredibly well-executed action scenes throughout its first season, we all know that what really makes this kind of buddy-cop series successful are the moments where the action dies down and the story and its characters have to shine on their own.

And given the fact that the show’s main characters are often in varying stages of being under the influence in most of this first season and things can get a bit far-fetched, Petty manages to portray one of the show’s most out-there characters in a way that seems entirely grounded.

Not to mention the fact that adding a name like Petty’s to the line-up helps to add some much-needed credibility to a series that is still trying to find its feet in the overly-competitive world of streaming.

Obliterated’s other season one guest stars

Petty’s out-of-the-box yet down-to-earth portrayal of Crazy Susan certainly added a whole new dimension to Obliterated’s already jam-packed storyline. But she was not the only guest star that signed on for the show.

Some of the other guest stars that you may have spotted throughout these first few episodes, include:

Other projects from which you may know Lori Petty

Before Petty once again appeared on everyone’s radar for her brilliant portrayal of Crazy Susan, she was involved in another Netflix hit show called Orange Is the New Black.

In this show, Petty portrayed the role of Lolly Whitehill, an inmate and avid conspiracy theorist which similarly stole the show in just about every appearance on-screen.

Petty has also had roles in shows like The Equalizer, House, Prison Break, Gotham, Station Eleven and more.

This includes films like Point Break, A League of Their Own, The Survivalist and many more. Petty has also acted as the director on projects like the 2008 film The Poker House, which starred Jennifer Lawrence, Selma Blair and Bokeem Woodbine, to name a few.

Why you may not recognize Petty in real life

Whilst Petty always delivers an unforgettable performance, her real-life day-to-day is markedly different to that of the all-over-the-place Crazy Susan from Obliterated.

And though Petty’s Instagram page does disclose that she recently colored her signature pixie cut hair in shades of bright pink, blue and purple, she seems to spend most of her free time these days tucked away in her home in Venice Beach rather than collecting boat-loads of ammunition the way that Crazy Susan does.

What is next for Obliterated?

Obliterated managed to rack up millions of views within days of its November 30, 2023, release date and wasted no time climbing to the Top 3 on Netflix’s English most-watched list.

So, while only time will tell if this series will be able to return for a second round (and even whether Petty will reprise her role as Crazy Susan) at some point in the future, there certainly seems to be enough interest for Netflix to strongly consider the possibility of an Obliterated season two.

And it seems like the show’s creators, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg are already preparing for all possibilities, as they have already hinted that if the show does return – the team will likely find themselves in a new “party city”, undertaking an all-new world-saving mission.