Overview
Mark and Tammy discover Darren’s first girlfriend is actually AI.
Our Take
One of the biggest things I was looking for with Universal Basic Guys was that the show was going to lean in to a couple of new concepts that the other shows really hadn’t touched. For starters, we know that creators Adam and Craig Malamut have proofed a concept for an animated series that features discussions around automation affecting the workforce thereby levying a universal basic income to sustain on a monthly basis. The series also features a step father/step son situation that isn’t really the norm in animated sitcoms. Unfortunately, none of these ideas have been cultivated all too much leaving Darren more of a recurring character and most of our money being made being wasted on dumb shit ala Peter Griffin, but this week’s episode has given me hope that perhaps we can dig into these ideas a bit more.
The conversation around AI is at it’s height at the moment with tech industries,Hollywood, and every day people having conversations around the topic. South Park has commented on it a few times for the last couple of seasons and now Universal Basic Guys is checking in. While The Simpsons does their classic “A.I. sucks motif”, the producers of UBG are showcasing how AI can impact different areas of life, in this case, a growing boy’s lean into teen angst-driven romance. This of course manifests into how a married couple deals with AI as well, but seeing the different sides to this conversation was very well done and brought up a lot of interesting ideas that haven’t really been delved into before.
Just getting to spend a LITTLE time with the Jersey Devil, Darren, etc., is a refreshing change of pace for the show as we seldom get to see any of them so hopefully we get more of those guys in the future. Overall, Universal Basic Guys showcases a fun idea with warnings about AI, online scams, and more that seem like a good idea to parody right about now.