Review: Corner Gas Animated “Lock n’ Loaf”

Overview:

The whole town is running to line up for a loaf of Emma’s sourdough. But when Lacey goes to investigate, she discovers that Emma is not enjoying herself. Emma has only agreed to make the bread each year as a favour to Davis. So, Lacey agrees to take over the baking duties, providing they can get Davis on board.

Meanwhile, Brent has a new remote locking system installed at Corner Gas. Unfortunately, the phone app does not work as smoothly as he would hope, resulting in Hank and Wanda being locked inside of the store. Brent scrambles to make the app work before he needs to pay Wanda overtime and Hank eats all the chips.

Our Take:

Corner Gas Animated has really settled into itself for season three. Where the first season knocked out some of the details, the second season established the show from its live-action predecessor. It has taken some time to solidify where the animated series sits canonically within Corner Gas lore. But this episode of season three is as good as anything the franchise has ever released.  

From start to finish, this story was entertaining, humorous, and took advantage of the animation media. The episodes cold open starts with an ominous scene with Davis, that leads into a healthy conversation about Godzilla attacking Dog River. The show concludes with Brent writing an entry into his diary, much like a 13-year-old. And everything in between is just as good.

This was likely one of the best episodes for Lacey thus far in the series. She manages to deliver some of the best jokes, and her plot is fitting to her character. Having the animated series take place between the earlier years of the franchise really gifts Lacey the opportunity to be the naive newcomer once again. Thankfully, this leaves her character in a prime comedic role and not bogged down with establishing a relationship with Brent.

Brent’s storyline forces him to focus on an objective and therefore leaves him open to make those clever comebacks and one-liners that he is known for. His scenes are made even better given he has his father, Oscar, nagging in his ear. And the fact the last two people he would want to be trapped in his store are creating a nightmare for him.

What is most enjoyable about this episode compared to others is the simplified plots.  Corner Gas Animated can often suffer from having a main cast of eight unique characters. Attempting to fit all of them into the limited screen time often leaves some characters with pointless directions. The show is better for it when they can organically squeeze all of them into one or two plots, instead of over-complicating things with a third.

At times it is astounding that this long-running franchise can continue to find interesting stories to tell from a gas station in rural Saskatchewan. However, episodes such as this one can reassure fans that Brent Butt and the writer’s room have a lot of gas left in their tanks. The born-and-bred Canadian series is as fruitful as ever, and the animated series has successfully brought these beloved characters into a world that can last for many more years.