There is something purely magical about ‘Ride or Die’ on Amazon Prime. Perhaps it’s the friendship between Judith and Debbie. Perhaps it’s the acting talents of Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer. Or perhaps the magic lies within the talented cast and crew across the board. Whatever the magic of this action comedy is, I can’t get enough of it.
‘Ride or Die’ premiered on Amazon Prime on July 15, 2026. “Best friends Debbie Claybourne and Judith Burton thought they knew everything about each other, except Judith turned out to be an international assassin; when a mysterious figure emerges, both of their worlds are turned upside down.” Amazon Prime states as the premise of the show. To be honest, this is just scratching the bare surface. What happens in ‘Ride or Die’ is something much bigger.
Judith Burton, played by the marvelous Hannah Waddingham, does in fact get revealed as an international assassin. This reveal happens in the first five minutes so the viewer has no doubt what kind of power Judith has. Judith is taken on this rollercoaster throughout the first (and hopefully not the last) season. Waddingham plays Judith with so much delicacy and nuance that when Judith turns back into the cold assassin persona, she does become a little scary. Yet, going against all the rules that has been instilled in Judith since she was 15, Waddingham plays the vulnerable side to Judith with a heartbreaking grace.
Debbie Claybourne on other hand is the wife of a Member of Parliament. Debbie spends the show growing out of her old self and into her new self. Who Debbie was before, even though there is no before, is no longer and Octavia Spencer takes Debbie on a journey of self discovery that is absolutely gorgeous, poetic, and downright badass. What else are you to do when you find out your best friend is an international assassin and your husband was involved in something that turns out to be extra shady?
Together, these two women, Spencer and Waddingham respectively, play these characters in a way that audiences can see how they have been best friends for 20 years. That, even though Judith is an assassin and kills people for a living, because “well if I did it for free I would be a serial killer”, Judith and Debbie would do anything for each other. Including jumping out a train and a moving vehicle together.
It’s in the first episode, named, The Book of Judith, introduces us to the world we are about to enter. It starts with a ski chase down the mountains of the Austrian Alps and that starts our epic journey through the lives of Judith and Debbie. Like all international spy action movies, ‘Ride or Die’ takes folks through various parts of Europe. We get to see the gorgeous sites of London, Austria, Geneva, Monaco, just to name a few. These are the places of love, heartbreak, devastation, and both mission success and mission failure.
There are so many things to talk about this show overall, but without spoiling everything for you, I will have to go episode by episode. My general consensus is that if Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer don’t get nominated for this show, I will figure out how to lead the campaigns myself. Together, these two women packed a bunch that is going to be remembered for the ages.
Check out the trailer below!