Wilfred The Complete First Season

Wilfred Season One
Elijah Wood, Jason Gann
Aired FX summer 2011
FOX Home Entertainment 2012

 

Wilfred is one very weird situation comedy. Ryan (Elijah Wood) is an unemployed thirty-something who is at the end of his rope (well, an overdose of pills in his case).  Jenna, his very cute neighbor asks him to keep an eye on her dog Wilfred (Jason Gann). Wilfred is a really big dog with a strong personality. Wilfred and Ryan become good dysfunctional pals. You either buy into Wilfred’s premise or you do not. You should. Wilfred The Complete First Season features 13 episodes on 2 DVD

The characters on Wilfred are very interesting. Wilfred is dominant in the relationship yet makes Ryan a better person. Ryan’s domineering and manipulative sister is an obstetrician who “only gets paid if I am there to catch the damn baby”.

This sitcom is full of surreal moments like Ryan and Wilfred arguing as to whether or not a stuffed bear should be allowed to join their band.

What really makes this situation comedy work is the lead actors. Elijah Wood is excellent as the befuddled straight man but it is Jason Gann who makes Wilfred believable and convinces the viewer he is a dog.

The writing in Wilfred is particularly warped with lines like “Like those baby killers say, “my body, my choice”.” and episodes like Respect where Ryan volunteers at a hospice to impress Jenna and discovers Wilfred can predict when someone will die (or does he kill them?).

There are a couple of things in this situation comedy that do not work. One is the too often repeated scene of Wilfred having sex with a stuffed bear –the stuffed giraffe is a whole other matter.

Extras include Wilfred at ComicCon 2011, deleted scenes, a Mary-Jane mash-up, Wilfred & Bear: a love affair, and a FOX Movie Channel feature on Jason Gann

 

 

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