Review: Corner Gas Animated “A Lot to be Desired”

Overview:

The infamous empty lot in Dog River has been purchased by a mysterious buyer. Oscar, Emma, and Hank begin to think the worst-case scenario, that the lot has been bought by bikers or a big box store. The fear drives them to protest the purchase. When that doesn’t work, they decide to buy the lot themselves. Paying way over the asking price is much to the profit of the mysterious buyer, who is closer than they realize.

Meanwhile, Karen, Wanda, and Lacey have jumped into a new dating app, Ringer. However, they start to get concerned when no gentleman callers are sending them messages. Their disappointment is ramped up when they discover Davis has been cleaning up on the same app. Although, it may be less about him being a magnetic catch and more about his tech-savviness.

Our Take:

Like that, and we are already halfway through the final season of Corner Gas Animated. Five episodes in, and season five has been one of the best years already for the animated spin-off. Although, this latest episode tones things down from the ambitiousness we have been seeing. Instead, this piece delivers an insightful take on dating apps and blind fear.

The locals of Dog River are extremely sensitive about the sanctity of their small town. With a population near 400, any new neighbours equate to big news. This episode plays with the idea of the locals being oblivious to who is moving in next and how fear can lead them to do crazy things. Unfortunately for them, big protests do not pay off in small towns, and it ends up costing them a pretty penny.

Much more fun is had watching the bachelorettes of Dog River drive themselves crazy over a dating app. Karen goes a little heavy on the eyelashes; Wanda sells her legs like a car salesman; Lacey turns orange with too much bronzer. Not often do we see the ladies of Corner Gas get worked up about boys, but the commentary of modern dating is clever and entertaining.

This was a big episode as far as the guest star goes. The collection of names that have appeared on Corner Gas and its animated spin-off could be considered a hall of fame for Canadian actors. So, it is surprising that legendary actress Tantoo Cardinal had yet to appear on the show. Thankfully, her humour can come out as a realtor, a nice change from characters she played in Dances with Wolves and North of 60. Most exciting is that she managed to cameo on Corner Gas before it ends.  

By no means was this the most outrageous episode of Corner Gas Animated this season. There is no significant conclusion or anything out of the ordinary. However, the classic writing of Brent Butt and company has paid off for years, so no one is complaining. And the updated themes make this a great addition to the collection.