Review: Son of Zorn “A Taste of Zephyria”

Just a taste…

Spoilers Below

After discovering the stereotype-heavy sitcom I’ll Have What He’s Stabbing, Zorn decides that he needs to teach Alan about the culture of his homeland. But he runs into trouble when he realizes that just about every piece of Zephyria in Orange County is far from the real deal, nor does it help that Zorn is basically a walking stereotype himself. Also, Alan is not especially down for these bonding moments, especially when they get in the way of quality time with a friend who may have deeper feelings for him. Meanwhile, Edie is a little nonplussed by her new neighbors’ kitschy talking lawn gnome, and things go awry when she is not exactly honest about who her fiancé is.

Since the beginning of the series, I have been a big proponent of Son of Zorn revealing how much the un-animated world knows about Zephyria. So the revelation of I’ll Have What He’s Stabbing (and its inclusion of Tim Kalpakis, late of the IFC sketch show The Birthday Boys) is certainly welcome. Rom Rom’s destruction of a table is the sort of reflective moment for a character like Zorn to ask himself, “What is this embarrassment I have become?”

Despite the right instincts, “A Taste of Zephyria” fails to give us a really thorough taste of Zephyria. Part of that is because Zorn’s lack of nuance means he is not the most qualified person to explain something as multi-layered as an entire culture. There is also a bit of ambivalence about whether a culture as warrior-centric as Zephyria’s really should even rise above stereotype. And finally, everything that Zorn shows off, while interestingly weird, feels so random. Perhaps an episode that actually takes place in Zephyria is in order.

At least Alan’s chemistry with Layla (Clara Mamet) is fine. She may have come out of nowhere, but their friendship feels plenty genuine. Plus, it is a good sign that she is not scared off, but rather intrigued, by Zorn’s Zorn-ness.

Edie’s story is a bit of deadweight. It is a pretty standard neighbor conflict sitcom plot. Also, it is rather inexplicable. Why gnomes? It seems like, given the rest of the episode, they would have something to do with Zephyrian culture, which is kind of hinted at through Zorn’s reaction, but that bit is undercooked. At least we eventually get an examination of what Edie finds attractive about Zephyrian culture, which helps this episode wrap up peacefully and sets a good precedent for the future.

Memorable Lines and Other Stones of Insight:

-You can learn about a culture from its cuisine. That’s how Craig learned about Ohio.

-“Can you use your karate to open up this pickle jar?” Son of Zorn may be struggling to fulfill its potential, but then it whips out lines like that, and a fit of hysterics makes me forget everything else for a little while.

-Craig, to Edie, with toothpaste smeared around his mouth, “Ooh, tell me more about this Dream Craig.”

-Zorn’s only movie-playing device is a Laserdisc player, and the only Laserdisc he has is Fletch Lives.

-I definitely laughed when the human tongue honked when hitting Layla in the face.

-“Masturbation is perfectly normal. And fun.”