Wilfred wants you to do very bad things.

Today on why TV matters I’m going to review Wilfred, an exotic important with a dry sense of humor ready to take over America.  Wilfred is currently enjoying a mid-season run on the sometimes programming challenged FX Network. This Australian import based on a show of the same name stars Elijah Wood as Ryan, a suicidal stoner young slacker who befriends his neighbor’s dog Wilfred played by original character actor Jason Gann. The show has had some trouble finding its balance as far as what kind of comedy it wants to be. Its sometimes dark and twisted referential comedy works best, but at times it will run with thinly laid out plots that require the characters to save it from mediocre punch-line comedy. Ryan conjures up Wilfred one day and they quickly become best friends setting the groundwork for “wacky” misadventures. Each episode is some statement word that you would find on one of those inspirational posters (episode one was smugly titled “Happiness”) that the entire plot is built around. The chemistry between Wood and Gann snaps with disparity and sharp college humor that threatens the surrounding almost mundane show with its sheer genius. It feels stereotypical when it should feel fresh because Ryan is indeed talking to a pot smoking over sexed dog (I feel bad for poor bear). The show smartly doesn’t outright declare that Ryan is seeing a real dog or a make believe dog or a subconscious manifestation of his worst personality traits. It just wants to show the adventure and allow Ryan to get into all sorts of trouble that Wilfred pushes on him. The comedy can sometimes be very dark and really push the boundaries as far as cable can handle. It doesn’t heavily rely on you knowing what its referencing and just expects you to understand with smartly written non-sequiturs and dirty visual gags. Wood looks mopey enough to handle all the proceedings and Gann is a bit of a revelation as Wilfred giving him some nicely written dark undertones. What stops Wilfred from being a great comedy instead of just a good one is pacing. It just doesn’t know what kind of comedy it wants to be yet- from a dark character study on the human plight or just a show about a funny dog that does human type stuff. The doggy humor can sometimes be funny or just an easy laugh, but the show doesn’t always know how to treat other characters who surround our two leads. Ryan’s sister is probably the worst written on the show being almost a caricature of Ryan’s own demented mind. I believe this is what we the audience or supposed to see…Ryan’s view of his sister and not really who she represents as a person. These little structural metaphors can drag Wilfred into poorly plotted episodes such as when Wilfred wants to get rid of his owners boyfriend. Of course like any sitcom Ryan has a crush on Wilfred’s owner Jenna who barely registers as any kind of interesting person. Wilfred is a weird show and sometimes disgustingly weird or absolutely laugh track ready and if decides to pick a direction then I hope its one of a richer darker more demented take on this gimmicky premise.

Should You Watch? Yes, if only to see a grown man in a dog suit humping a stuffed bear which is funnier than you think.