Review: Housebroken “Who’s Afraid of Boomsday?”

Overview:

As summer hits full swing, Honey has the group watching closely for the annual night when booms come from the sky. If there are paper plates, colourful shorts, and any word of fireworks, chances are it is the night that Chief loses his composure and puts himself at risk.

Conversely, the cats see the annual event for its benefits. The Grey One knows the perfect spot to grab a buffet of left-over crab cakes. The only problem, they are going to have to face down a swarm of seagulls to get at the food.

Meanwhile, Honey and Chief join the rest of the dogs at the beach. Still mourning the loss of her best friend, Honey meets a new friend with identical characteristics. Unfortunately, it distracts her enough to lose sight of Chief for the day. And just as the booms begin, he is already invested as the new god in a tribe of Zen sea lions.

Our Take:

Okay, after a few episodes of getting to know these lovable animal characters and establishing the through-line plots, it is time to say: this show is excellent. This fifth episode showcases the talents behind the series and where it is capable of going. And the consensus is, this is a uniquely fun addition to Fox’s animation line-up.

There is likely no chance that this show will ever reach the fame and recognition of more risqué animated sitcoms. However, with a slew of entertaining characters and enjoyable episodes such as this one, there is no reason why Housebroken couldn’t remain in the Animation Domination collection for years to come. Like a cute and cuddly pet, the show is the perfect accompaniment to the more dominant programs on the block.

There is a simplicity and humbleness that makes Housebroken a winner. Unlike some of the other new sitcoms that have arrived on Animation Domination over the last couple of years, this series is not trying to be the next big thing. Instead, the series offers a natural approach to storytelling, plenty of animal puns, and a solid collection of talent.

Unlike some of the other episodes we have seen, this episode managed to hold itself back to just two main plots. One story includes all the dogs of the group enjoying a nice summer day at the beach until shit hits the fan. The other plot follows the cats in their quest to win a dumpster full of food from a flock of seagulls. Yet, expertly, each of the seven characters is given their own arch, whether that be hiding their home life or dealing with a day-long raging boner.

The magic of this large ensemble cast is that we could be exploring a new set of characters with wildly different problems in the next episode. And there is no doubt that it will be just as entertaining. For example, comedic powerhouse Will Forte, and his character, Shel, were limited to just one line in this episode. If the series has that much talent loaded in the barrel, they must be doing something right.

Being able to incorporate as many themes and jokes as this episode packed into 21-minutes is what other shows dream of accomplishing.  Housebroken manages to do it with such simplicity that it makes it look easy. Thankfully, the viewers receive the benefits of being lost in a lovable show about the pets that fill our lives. And it teaches us a thing or two, like being extra aware of our animal friends when the big booms start popping in the sky this holiday weekend.