Television Pick: Wilfred (2011-?)
While FX had some excellent programming at the beginning of the century such as The Shield and Rescue Me, the network never really hit full stride until the last few years. Long running comedies like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and The League have major followings, while programs such as The Americans and Louie have garnered mass critical acclaim. Lost in the mix of all of these shows, though, is Wilfred, which has turned off as many viewers with its odd premise as it’s won over.
A remake of an Australian show of the same name, Wilfred centers on Ryan Newman (Elijah Wood), a young man with some rather severe mental issues. After a botched suicide attempt, Ryan is approached by his new neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann) about watching her dog while she is out. However, instead of seeing a regular dog, Ryan instead sees and hears a man in a dog suit (Jason Gann). Although he is unsure of who or what he is exactly talking to, Ryan soon comes under the tutelage of Wilfred, who helps him achieve some type of goal in each episode.
What makes Wilfred such a unique experience (other than Wilfred himself) is that it deftly manages to blend pitch-black humor with intriguing and exciting plot development. While Wood is excellent as Ryan, showing us just how crazy and broken this man may be, it’s Gann that holds the show together. He provides a majority of the humor, either through the fact that we see him do dog-like things or his (usually terrible) wisdom. However, as the creator and writer for the show, he also provides Wilfred with its surreal and fascinating story.
As I mentioned before, Wilfred is certainly not for everyone. It’s odd and abrasive and black-hearted – but it’s also unique and funny. With season three set to come to Netflix within the week and the final season set to debut on FXX on June 25, now is the perfect time to start watching.
