Review: Housebroken “Who’s a Bad Girl?”

 

 

Overview:

Insecurity takes over for Honey with the announcement that a new puppy is coming. Thankfully, little New Cookie belongs to the neighbours. Unfortunately, the pup quickly bonds with Chief making Honey the third wheel. And when Jill also finds a new playmate, it leads Honey to do something drastic.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group is left facing their own life-changing circumstances. Max finds out he has a new owner. An uncertain Tabitha discovers her old owners are still searching for her. And Shel’s love triangle meets a violent conclusion.

 

Our Take:

Housebroken has been a wild ride through its first season. Unsuspectingly, Fox’s unassuming new series has won fans over with its easy humour and intricate ongoing plots. Though the larger stories at play have come to a climax in this two-part season one finale. And after this destructive penultimate episode, viewers will be clamouring to see how the season wraps up next Monday.

It has become apparent that this show never intended on pulling any punches whether it received that second season order or not. The first eleven-episode batch is concluding with significance. Enough so that it may not look the same when we revisit this group therapy session next year.

Chiefly, the driving romantic storyline leading Honey to adultery has reached critical mass. The therapist dog has been facing uncertainty throughout the season while being torn between her partner, Chief, and a handsome wild coyote. 

This episode adds the insecurity that makes Honey go from being a good girl to a bad dog. Making the season finale all that more interesting when we watch how it plays out for her.

Alternatively, another love triangle has been playing out throughout the series between two tortoises and a discarded shoe. Shel was hoping to be with his true love Darla, while his promiscuous ex-companion footwear has caused some turmoil. However, jealousy rages when this story ends in a violent catastrophe.

Though being one of the most comedic players, Max has been held back from any larger plots. However, the cocky pig was thrown for a loop last week when he discovered that he was a replacement pet. Things have just become drastically worse for him now that he has been gifted from Hollywood A-lister, George Clooney, to Ray Liotta.

While all these storylines could have major implications on the series moving forward, one ongoing plot may have just been set back to the status quo.

None of the characters in this large ensemble cast has had a more difficult journey than Tabitha. The ageing beauty went from being a prized pet to fighting for leftovers. Thankfully, she had the lovable but disgusting, The Grey One, to help guide her through the transition. Which makes her decision to go back to her old owners understandably difficult.

As far as wrapping up a first season goes, this is how you do it. With a bang. Throwing caution to the wind and bringing in major changes for the characters. So many other animated shows are afraid to veer from returning to the status quo by the end of an episode – even with a two-part piece. Meanwhile, breaking away from that idea is the very thing that is making Housebroken successful and one of the best new additions to Fox’s animated bullpen.