Review: President Curtis “Timber”
Overview
When a murderous American legend resurfaces, Curtis once again rises to the challenge
Our Take
Adult Swim’s breakout Rick and Morty spin-off President Curtis wrapped up its inaugural 10-episode run with “Timber,” a season finale that somehow manages to combine American folklore, public relations disasters, and existential tree horror into a single 22-minute satire.
Expanding on a unresolved joke originally established in the series premiere, “Timber” delivers a chaotic capstone to Season 1 that leaves the political fate of Keith David’s Commander-in-Chief on precarious ground.
Rather than revealing the horrifying truth—that the forest tried to wipe out humanity—Curtis makes a calculated political decision. Realizing that the nation actually united in their shared hatred for him over the tree incident, he allows the public to believe his administration made a blunder, accepting the bad PR to avoid causing a global panic over sentient plants.
The episode escalates into an absolute circus when the manhunt crosses state lines. Curtis’s ex-wife Beverly steps into the fray in an official state capacity, invoking “White Flag” rehabilitation laws to protect the entity.
This sets up a hilarious three-way standoff between Curtis in a combat mech-suit, his cyborg Chief of Staff Rho Banks (Stephanie Beatriz), his half-leprechaun Secret Service agent Francis O’Doyle (Jim Rash), and local authorities.
Instead of taking victory laps after destroying the arboreal threat, Curtis makes a hilariously cynical decision: he lets the public continue believing he made a bad military call, taking the hit in approval ratings just to avoid causing a global panic over sentient, human-eating plants.
The episode ditches the show’s signature post-credits stinger and Curtis’s usual shower-singing sequence, ending on a stark black screen. It’s a surprisingly tight, punchy finale that highlights the series’ greatest strength: Keith David’s phenomenal voice work anchored by sharp, high-concept workplace comedy.
