Season Review: Paradise PD Part Two

In adult animation, you need your soldiers that simply do not give a fuck. For sure it’s Matt Stone and Trey Parker as the gods of “don’t give a fuck” and there was a time Family Guy was very much in that ilk but in recent years not too much. Paradise PD creators Waco O’Guin and Roger Black are absolutely from that same branch of “don’t give a fuck” as the producers of South Park. You need gratuitous violence? These guys. Need constant orgies with and featuring animals? These guys. Need below the belt hits on current political figures and celebrities? These guys. The difference is what your tolerance is. For some, this level of “don’t give a fuck” can be a little unnerving which leads right into a culture that for decades has tried to define what comedy is but has always failed. For me, I’m always looking for those who dance on the line for dangerous comedy that others are too afraid to broach.

If you need any reminder of what we’re dealing with here, the first episode of Paradise PD Part Two features a guest appearance by High Pitch Eric from The Howard Stern Show. It’s not the only Stern Show guest appearance during the course of the show’s eight episodes, but it helps remind the viewer what exactly you’re getting into here. Take Brickleberry and remove the basic cable TV restrictions, and you have yourself Paradise PD, a show centered around a small-town police department dealing with harassment from the Argyle Meth kingpin. The kingpin eventually reveals himself which forces the police station to find refuge in the sticks of Brickleberry National Park!

Among the many instances of fourth-wall breaks that Paradise PD entails, they become fairly prevalent in the long-teased crossover with Brickleberry and as such we get to see some of the strongest voice over performances of the year so far. With the casts of both shows on display, the likes of Tom Kenny (“Randle/Woody”), David Herman (“Kevin/Steve”), and our creators Waco and Roger showcase enough range to not confuse you on who is saying what all the while not keeping anybody silent so that you can still marvel and awe at everyone’s talents. Moreover, this might be Dana Snyder’s best vocal performance to date. He voices half-a-dozen characters for Paradise PD and each one of them are hilarious. A lot of love is going to go towards Rick and Morty’s Sarah Chalke for her portrayal of “Gina” and it’s warranted, but Grey Griffin nearly steals every scene she’s in with any of the boys in her much-expanded role as “Mayor Karen Crawford.” I can’t go into too deep of detail on Cedric Yarbrough as “Fitz” without spoiling some key plot points, but he’s excellent this season, especially in the finale.

That’s not to say Paradise PD Part Two didn’t have some down sides. I thoroughly enjoyed the increased use in music this season, however, some of the songs are a tad derivative, especially with “Kev-Man” which almost sounds note-for-note the main theme song for Team America: World Police. And while I like Kyle Kinane as a stand-up, too many of his lines as “Bullet” seem like they are read right off the page with very little skill in delivering lines. This is especially upsetting because Bullet is written in some hilarious scenes, however, my hope is that his growth as a voice actor will be similar to Tosh’s on Brickleberry as “Malloy”(I miss Daniel so much in this role).

Suffice to say, Paradise PD Part Two not only improves upon the show’s first season, but it might even be on par, possibly better, than most of Brickleberry. Unlike that show, this one features a true crime vibe with twists and turns that really isn’t tried anywhere else in Stateside produced efforts. In fact, there’s even a joke in the Brickleberry crossover describing the now canceled series as “Family Guy in the woods”, and while one could say similar of Paradise PD, the true crime sauce helps this show differentiate a little more. And let’s be honest, Paradise PD featured a scene where the guys unload a Disney vault filled with racist characters, and there’s no way Family Guy is going to touch that any time soon.