Season Review: Haha, You Clowns! Season One

Created by Joe Cappa and based on his popular Adult Swim Smalls short, Haha, You Clowns! follows the Campbell brothers—Preston, Tristan, and Duncan—and their tenderhearted father, Tom.

The season thrives on its juxtaposition of “low-fidelity, crude” animation with deeply wholesome family dynamics. The brothers’ refusal to ridicule their father—most notably in “Viral,” where they protect his dignity rather than let him become a laughingstock—sets a refreshing tone for adult animation. The show embraces the “deranged and twisted” mind of Cappa (especially in the “borderline demented” imagery of the “Duncan Holds A Baby” episode), it always returns to a core of sweetness.

Throughout the season, the show tackled mundane relatable fears—like flying in “Plane” and social anxiety in “Therapy” (which featured a standout guest performance by Justin Theroux). Even when the show leaned into “macabre tendencies” and violence, such as the bloody consequences of poor maintenance in “Hot Tub,” it maintained an endearing quality. While some episodes, like “Dad’s Birthday,” felt slightly thin on content, the season finale “Improv” proved the show could “go out with a bang,” blending horror, mystery, and heart to solidify Haha, You Clowns as a breakout hit.

Haha, You Clowns has quickly become one of Adult Swim’s most unique offerings, pivoting away from the network’s traditional cynical edge in favor of “unsettling sincerity.”