Review: Bless the Harts “Crappy Death Day”

 

 

Overview:

Betty is saying her goodbyes. Her death day has arrived as predicted by a psychic. Though to her shock, she survives. Now she wants her money back from the psychic for his false predictions. 

Unfortunately, in doing so, they discover that Jenny is cursed. Surviving through some terrible bad luck, Jenny finally admits that she has a curse on her. Thankfully, Violet is there to give her insight on how her curse is also a blessing.

Meanwhile, Wayne is hoping to help his coworkers calm down by taking them on a fishing trip. But when they discover an invasive fish, their trip becomes a fight for survival. Thankfully, Wayne is ready to put up a fight, provided he can keep his head on straight.

 

Our Take:

This episode of Bless the Harts has been pushed back and pushed back again. And still, the episode awaits its official release next Sunday. Originally intended to premiere in early January, Fox opted to release the premiere episode of new series, The Great North, in its place. Rescheduled for Valentine’s Day, the entire holiday Animation Domination line-up was cancelled due to weather conditions at the Daytona 500.

However, if you were quick enough to the punch on Monday morning, the unreleased episodes from the night before were included to their typical digital streaming platforms.

So, with this episode of Bless the Harts over a month late, and still awaiting a proper premiere, there is one question, is it worth the wait?

Thankfully, this is not an ordinary episode of Bless the Harts. Instead of the typical scratchers and money problems, this story takes on themes of the occult and psychedelics. Making this one of the most outrageous episodes from the series thus far.

Jenny’s adventure of being cursed is pretty standard as her bad luck includes bird poo, stubbing her toes, and a minor house fire. What makes this plot exciting is how her mother and daughter tie-in.

Betty brings the humour with her overly dramatic belief in their ridiculous psychic. While Violet’s unhealthy attachment to the occult adds another layer to the entire plot. And the way that this story concludes is unexpectedly heartwarming.

Wayne takes a much different journey from the ladies of his life. Taking a much-needed fishing trip, things get out of hand. Discovering the invasive fish species, the Snakehead, is enough to throw his day-off into disarray. But considering the fish causes psychedelic hallucinations, Wayne gets a trip he never expected.

This entire episode is worth watching for the couple minutes of screen time of Wayne’s out-of-this-world experience. His hallucinations include an alien invasion attempt, a cameo from E.T., and inter-dimensional travel. Making this one of the most ambitiously animated episodes from the series.

It is nice to see Bless the Harts push its own boundaries. Taking on these unexpected themes breaks away from the standard storytelling that we have seen from the series. A good thing considering the rising competition of new animated shows coming out of Fox. Delivering bigger and bolder episodes like this one will help to keep Bless the Harts unique in a crowded Animation Domination lineup.