Review: Squidbillies “Duel of the Dimwits”

Y’all brought a rebar to a gunfight.

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

The Cuyler boys lick clean their rifles and Russian Roulette to get ready for the hunt of domesticated horses when the noise of weed whacking scares off their prospective kill. These are apparently the Duvalls, a neighboring clan of hicks we only know learning about, but have a long and sorted history with the Cuylers. Seems their patriarch, died the previous day from trying to put a deer stand in a cellphone tower and died from the radiation, leaving his son Dewey Jr in charge of things. Early being Early begins his consoling and ends it by reminding him of the supposed fact that Dewey Sr was notorious for putting the moves on Granny Cuyler, but was repeatedly rebuffed. Dewey Jr contests this, insisting his daddy “milked that cow like he owned it.” This devolves into things being said to vary faces and guns and irrational fears of kissing and making love between the two. But the main issue is whose land is whose, as well as whether or not the Duvalls can bury Dewey (Jr-Sr) Sr on this land, and whether Early will tip over the gravestone out of spite.

Back at the house, the two break the news to Granny, who bursts into tears over Dewey Sr’s passing, to Early and Rusty’s confusion. She confesses her love for Dewey, having seen him as a way out of her loveless marriage to Ga Ga Pee Pap, who was apparently also her brother. Early still idolizes him despite all the abuse, but Granny saw him for what he was and so went to Dewey Sr for comfort. Their affair was discovered, and Ga Ga and Dewey dueled for her love by beating themselves senseless with rebar. This lasted a whole day, until Ga Ga forced Granny, then named Ruby Jean, to strike Dewey, forcing him to forfeit. In the present day, the Cuylers arrive at the gravesite in the dead of night to topple it but are found by Dewey Jr and his son, leading to yet another rebar duel, this time for ownership of the land. The sheriff arrives with Rusty to settle things on property lines once and for all. Turns out all the land is actually Duvall land, with the Cuyler shack the only thing they really own. Early spitballs to get a deal for more land, but no such luck.

OUR TAKE

Another dry episode for social commentary, but still a fun one. Curious if these Duvalls are gonna end up being recurring characters, though this seemed to be the full extent of how their interactions can go, unless they have them work as more active foils to the Cuylers in how they interact with other characters, or at least have the son and Rusty bond or something. It’s nice to see more of the squid family history I guess, but that’s about all that we really get out of this one. Not necessarily bad, just kind of a dud in comparison to earlier episodes this season. Next week looks ripe for commentary though!

Score
6/10