Review: Squidbillies “Cooler-Heads Prevail”;”Blue Lives Battered”

Overview (Spoilers Below)

“Cooler-Heads Prevail”

Early gets a new Yeti-like cooler called Sasquatch that makes your drinks cold but at the expense of the environment because the cooler burns up more fossil fuels than a ’59 Buick. Instead of getting the new upgraded model that is energy efficient, Early burns down the surrounding forest left alive only because the Cuyler family were able to take refuge inside of the cooler for protection. By the end of the episode, Early finally opts for the upgrade to the new model cooler.

“Blue Lives Battered”

The Sheriff and Denny have a little squabble on getting the most traffic on posted videos on their favorite video streaming network. The only successful video that really posts is where Early beats the ever-loving shit out of the Sheriff which then makes Early one of the more popular casters in the area. The manner in which Early delivered the beatdown on the Sheriff becomes a point of contention between the two, with Sheriff heartbroken that his best friend would do that to him. Denny threatens to file charges against Early if he doesn’t fix it, so papa Squid offers Sheriff to take a few swipes at him, but the longtime police officer just can’t find it in himself to hurt his pal. The two make up, and the result is another posted video.

Our Take

If you were looking for the Southern liberal response to today’s current political climate, this week’s two episodes have all the ingredients that you need. Climate change, police violence, and the internet being used as a possible means to incite violence are all on display this week but with the comedy pathos that’s certainly on par with the primetime network series of today i.e. The Simpsons or Family Guy. To be honest, I was a bit worried at first because getting viral videos on Youtube is more than a common trope used by animated comedies these days, but Squidbillies’ take was truly unique and of more important social stature than just getting internet famous. Moreover, Early burning down his forest within the same week or so as the Amazon is on fire and putting a square target on those who are complicit by just doing nothing or joining the increasingly powerful choir of “climate change is a hoax” are duly noted, and maybe Adult Swim’s only series that dares to tread some of the roads now occupied by your late-night comedy news and variety shows of today. It’s a daring play, but somebody’s gotta do it.