Wilfred... What?

Last week, I wrote my post about the pilot of Psych, a comedy about a man who claims to be a psychic.  I haven't watched any more episodes of it. Oops.

However, I watched another pilot of a show recommended by a good friend.  Wilfred, a show featured on FX, was hilarious but left me wondering so many questions- all coming down to one word.



What?

My expectations for the show were high in terms of comedic effect.  I heard that the show was very funny, and was expecting to laugh a lot.  And I did.  It was very well written.  The concept of a talking dog induced by overdose just screams one word.

What?

I really appreciated the deeper meanings behind the comedy.  The episode opens with the main character, Ryan, writing an edit of his suicide note.  He attempts suicide, fails, so tries again.  After overdosing on what looks like NyQuil and some pills, he begins to feel hazy.  In this haze, Ryan is asked to watch his neighbors dog, Wilfred.  Ryan, due to the overdose, thinks Wilfred as a talking dog.

Again, what?

But as I was saying before, there is a deeper meaning.  Ryan is depressed.  The blank stare in his eyes, the sinking inflection in his voice, and the lack of effort to make something of his life shows that Ryan just doesn't know where to go.  But somehow, through this hallucination of a talking dog, he learns to "live his life" instead of float through it.  I was reminded of my project that I did with Kyle and Jake, Sperm Bank.  There are two characters, one on the serious side and one on the silly side, and the silly character helps the serious character come to a realization.

Aesthetically, this show is pretty modern.  The lighting is bright and the colors are saturated, which I believe helps make light of the serious aspects of the show.  There is low depth of field throughout most of the show, allowing you to see every last thing in the frame.  It is shot in handheld format, putting the viewer in the show and making it feel like they're actually there.

I really liked this show.  It was really weird, leaving me asking "what?" a lot.  But I think it has potential to create some great laughs and a very meaningful story.  I'll definitely be watching more episodes.