Reasons to watch ‘Wilfred’ (US)
So I’m aware that this show ended a few years ago, but I got into it just after it had finished because I was having an Elijah Wood phase, and it remains to this day one of the funniest shows I’ve ever watched.
Why should you watch ‘Wilfred’ (US)? Here are a few reasons:
Elijah Wood I mean god damn it, we all know Elijah is one talented dude but he’s hilarious in this and it could not be farther from LOTR. Also his blue eyes
^baby blue eyes up there^
The show is about a depressed/suicidal man who hallucinates his neighbour’s dog as being some Australian git in a cheap dog onesie, I mean HONESTLY, where else are you going to find a show like that??
The show is WILD, holy shit. In one episode, there’s a whole plot about Ryan (the main character) trying to figure out the truth of what Wilfred (the dog) is and it turns into some giant mindfuck of “what’s real and what’s not real?!?”
The show really isn’t that politically correct but for good reason - Wilfred is a dog, so he kinda just calls it as he sees it.
Wilfred’s ‘dog-isms’. Despite the fact he’s played by a guy in a onesie, they go all out on making sure he behaves like a real dog - like circling before squatting, Wilfred drooling, Wilfred panting when he’s hot etc. Tiny little things that make it weirdly believable that he’s actually a dog.
Despite all the hilarious/inappropriate-ness, there is genuine heart in the show too. I won’t spoil the ending of the last series, but I will say that it’s emotional and heart-breaking.
Even though ‘Wilfred’ makes jokes about Ryan’s depression/suicide attempt(s), it’s not portrayed that badly. His mental health is something he struggles throughout the whole series with, from the first episode when he writes his suicide note, all the way to the end of the series. His depression/mental illness isn’t turned off just because he gets a friend or (later) a girlfriend. The fact he sees Wilfred like he does also brings some questions about just how bad his mental state is really.
The abundance of drug use/weed is comical. At the end of nearly every episode, while the end credits are appearing, Ryan and Wilfred are sat in the basement smoking a bong together. Ryan literally has a gatorade bong around the house that I’m 100% convinced he made himself.
There’s an episode where Ryan is rubbing out a cramp in Wilfred’s thigh and Wilfred ejaculates on him; later, while Ryan’s out at a club, he gets stopped by the bouncer who shines a UV light on him/his ID - and, lo and behold, there’s dog semen up his arm. It’s so sick and hilarious.
I don’t think the show ever denies the fact that Ryan is a bit of a loser, to be honest. He even says so himself, “I hang out and smoke weed with the neighbour’s dog all day”.
There’s a golden moment where Wilfred and Ryan are talking about one of Ryan’s exes and Wilfred asks why he dumped her; Ryan goes into detail about how they were in bed when she stuck a finger up his butt. “You’d dump a tidy piece like that over the harmless act of knuckle busting?!” Wilfred asks in disbelief. Ryan scoffs and says “What, I’m supposed to put a ring on that finger?!” It’s fucking hilarious.
‘Wilfred’ goes there and acknowledges the similarity between Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Wood by making a joke about Ryan dressing up as Harry Potter.
Pretty much everyone in this show is a fucking mess and it’s amazing.
There’s a beautiful moment where Wilfred channels Ryan’s childhood dog, Sneakers, so Ryan can have a cuddle/dance with him and it shows Ryan actually hugging his dog that he never said goodbye to.
^that’s the face of a guy who deserves some nice things though
The mystery side to the show is legitimately so intriguing though, like I don’t think we’ll ever really know 100% what the fuck Wilfred is but the show makes you want to know so bad
The show has a motherfucking dance montage with Ryan and Wilfred dancing to funky music like I CAN’T
In one episode, there’s a scene with Ryan babysitting his baby nephew - who is called fucking JOFFREY - and he starts telling him the story of “Wilfred the annoying dog” and he puts on this baby voice and it’s honestly simultaneously so hilarious and cute
There’s an episode with ROBIN WILLIAMS AND HE’S AS AWESOME AS ALWAYS
The ending isn’t exactly happy but it isn’t exactly sad either. It’s realistic and ends where it should.
The thing about this show is that you’re not supposed to take it seriously - it’s well-written, hilarious and sometimes heartfelt. If you look at it too critically or try to name all the problematic shit, you won’t enjoy it. You just have to accept it and laugh, which is honestly so great.
