Not for nothing, but where the hell is everyone? This is just the seventh post of the month, 17 days in, and I've authored five of those. I know people are starting new jobs and going on cruises and such, but man, we're a far cry from the blistering pace of January, or even the moderate pace of a post a day that we managed over the last three months. Just saying!
Anyway, let's talk about Wilfred. I don't have much to say about the comedy aspect of the show, which varies wildly from week to week. Some episodes feature some of the funniest things I've seen on a TV series, and others are pretty flat throughout. Of course, the humor is almost a secondary concern in Wilfred. It's a comedy, sure, but it's also a bit of a psychological mystery. Not a thriller, really, as there aren't really any stakes to any of this, but a mystery nonetheless. Who or what, exactly, is Wilfred? That's a question the show has yet to concretely answer. Ostensibly, Wilfred is a dog. Main character Ryan, however, sees him as a grown man in a dog suit. They hang out, have conversations, smoke weed, and waste time in Ryan's basement. But Wilfred offers Ryan a series of life lessons, too. Stick up for yourself. Seize the day. Let your feelings out - all that sort of stuff. So, is Wilfred just an odd manifestation of Ryan's subconscious? Ryan does do a lot of drugs, after all, and insanity runs in his family. Or, is Wilfred truly a supernatural being that appears to everyone but Ryan to be a dog?
Piecing this puzzle together is one of the main reasons to watch Wilfred. It's a funny show and its characters are endearing and relatable, but it's that weird psychological mystery element that makes Wilfred stand out in some way. Over the course of the first season, we're offered several clues - or maybe just red herrings - as to what exactly is going on. In one episode, it's revealed that Ryan's mother (who's been living in a mental institution) sees her cat as a woman in a cat suit. Throwaway joke, or meaningful sign? In another episode, Ryan meets another man who can see and hear Wilfred. But is that man also just a hallucination? Impossible to say! In one episode, Wilfred channels Ryan's childhood dog, Sneakers, speaking to Ryan from beyond the grave. Their conversation includes details Ryan has never shared with anyone else, suggesting that Wilfred is really just a manifestation of his imagination. On the other hand, if Wilfred really is a supernatural being of some sort, sure, why not let him channel dead dogs?
The biggest factor leaning in favor of Wilfred truly being a sentient being, and Ryan not simply being crazy, is that Wilfred sometimes shares information with Ryan about other people - information Ryan couldn't possibly know on his own. If Wilfred is an agent through which Ryan comes to learn new things that he never learned independently, and if those things are later confirmed to be true, then doesn't Wilfred have to be more than just a dog? Or, is the whole point that Ryan must have known this information all along, or else is just wildly speculating things that later are confirmed to be true?
Look, clearly I'm over-thinking this, but there aren't many comedies you can "think" about at all, and that's what makes Wilfred one of the most compelling shows on TV right now. I wouldn't call it one of the greatest, or even a personal favorite, but it's pretty damn interesting. Season 2 gets even deeper, darker, and weirder, but I'll save that post for another time.
Anyway, let's talk about Wilfred. I don't have much to say about the comedy aspect of the show, which varies wildly from week to week. Some episodes feature some of the funniest things I've seen on a TV series, and others are pretty flat throughout. Of course, the humor is almost a secondary concern in Wilfred. It's a comedy, sure, but it's also a bit of a psychological mystery. Not a thriller, really, as there aren't really any stakes to any of this, but a mystery nonetheless. Who or what, exactly, is Wilfred? That's a question the show has yet to concretely answer. Ostensibly, Wilfred is a dog. Main character Ryan, however, sees him as a grown man in a dog suit. They hang out, have conversations, smoke weed, and waste time in Ryan's basement. But Wilfred offers Ryan a series of life lessons, too. Stick up for yourself. Seize the day. Let your feelings out - all that sort of stuff. So, is Wilfred just an odd manifestation of Ryan's subconscious? Ryan does do a lot of drugs, after all, and insanity runs in his family. Or, is Wilfred truly a supernatural being that appears to everyone but Ryan to be a dog?
Piecing this puzzle together is one of the main reasons to watch Wilfred. It's a funny show and its characters are endearing and relatable, but it's that weird psychological mystery element that makes Wilfred stand out in some way. Over the course of the first season, we're offered several clues - or maybe just red herrings - as to what exactly is going on. In one episode, it's revealed that Ryan's mother (who's been living in a mental institution) sees her cat as a woman in a cat suit. Throwaway joke, or meaningful sign? In another episode, Ryan meets another man who can see and hear Wilfred. But is that man also just a hallucination? Impossible to say! In one episode, Wilfred channels Ryan's childhood dog, Sneakers, speaking to Ryan from beyond the grave. Their conversation includes details Ryan has never shared with anyone else, suggesting that Wilfred is really just a manifestation of his imagination. On the other hand, if Wilfred really is a supernatural being of some sort, sure, why not let him channel dead dogs?
The biggest factor leaning in favor of Wilfred truly being a sentient being, and Ryan not simply being crazy, is that Wilfred sometimes shares information with Ryan about other people - information Ryan couldn't possibly know on his own. If Wilfred is an agent through which Ryan comes to learn new things that he never learned independently, and if those things are later confirmed to be true, then doesn't Wilfred have to be more than just a dog? Or, is the whole point that Ryan must have known this information all along, or else is just wildly speculating things that later are confirmed to be true?
Look, clearly I'm over-thinking this, but there aren't many comedies you can "think" about at all, and that's what makes Wilfred one of the most compelling shows on TV right now. I wouldn't call it one of the greatest, or even a personal favorite, but it's pretty damn interesting. Season 2 gets even deeper, darker, and weirder, but I'll save that post for another time.
It'd be weird to call this one of my favorite shows on the air- there's so many imperfections and seeming inconsistencies, and the second season finale really frustrated me. But somehow it's the one that I really can't wait to start watching again, because it can switch back and forth between simple comedy and crazy mind-fuck so effortlessly. There probably won't be a satisfying conclusion to it all, and desperately trying to figure out what 'Wilfred' is is probably missing the point, but I'm very interested to see where the show goes next.
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