Oh, Tim and Eric. You assault my brain with such seizure-inducing aggression, I can’t sit through an episode without smelling some hair burning. It’s a good thing I now have the third season on DVD so I can do this at my own pace. And may I suggest that the best way to watch it is really late at night, in a black-hole of a room, with something alcoholic sitting by your side (be it a beer or a tipsy friend). This way, you can wake up several hours later on the couch, with a pouch of sequins inexplicably in your mouth, and a fistful of spaghetti that you don’t remember making, accompanied only by the DVD menu quietly droning through its loop on the screen. I mean, I’m assuming that’s what would happen, anyway. Not like it happened to me.
If you’re uninitiated in the ways of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, it’s really not too late to join in. The good thing about this series is that there’s no right or wrong place to start. Despite the fact that the second season ended on a kind of, sort of cliffhanger, there are no consequences or story arcs. By starting a few seasons in, you may not be as attached to some of the recurring actors, but that’s really no loss. And although it’s pretty easy to jump into the show at any time, that’s not to say it’s everyone’s cup of tea. The show is an acquired taste, to say the least.
I had forgotten how many guest stars appeared this season. Rainn Wilson and Patton Oswalt looked equally horrifying with their singing heads super-imposed onto those of small children. John Mayer was one of the weirder additions, possibly trumping that of Ed Begley, Jr. The greatest, as usual, was John C. Reilly appearing as his recurring character, Dr. Steve Brule, presenter of Brule’s Rules. And now that I’ve mentioned him, I’m going to use this as an excuse to embed a bunch of those videos.
The DVD itself has a fair amount of extras, including an extended version of “Muscles for Bones,” and the excruciating “Gettin’ It Dunn.” The blooper reel is worth watching, if only to see how painful it must be to work on that show. I got a kick watching the crew members tearfully holding back laughter as the actors improvised in the show’s trademark deadpan. Then again, I’m the type that will immediately crack up upon seeing others laughing and/or being in pain. That’s about it, so commentary nerds, you guys are out of luck. There are two online video commentaries for the “Jim & Derrick” and “CORBS” episodes, so you’ll have to make do.
Clacked by Annie Wu 
on Aug 26, 2009 @ 10:00 EST5EDT
