Ryan has problems.
Normally, that would wrinkle a line of consternation on someone’s brow. But, in this case, it seems the fact Ryan has problems will make for a nice little ride on FX’s new vehicle Wilfred.
Watching the pilot of this show right through to its final credits, I did some thinking along the way: Why was Ryan (Elijah Wood, the Lord Of The Rings films) hallucinating man-dog Wilfred (Jason Gann) in the first place? And a crass, manners-when-it-suits-him, sarcastic, turn-table man-dog at that?
It certainly wasn’t due to the placebos his sister Kristen (Dorian Brown) gave him, which he gratuitously mixed into a death cocktail in order to off himself. Could it be the restless, directionless path his life is taking as a former lawyer and all the pressure of being unemployed? Maybe his cute neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann) has got him all swoony, causing monkey business with his heart in all this mix?
The thing is: I don’t know.
What I do know, however, is the pilot of this program was a kick to watch. From Ryan’s initial squeek at Wilfred talking for the first time upon entering his house, to the scene from The Godfather our furry namesake pulled on him, it was a fun half hour. Keith suggested this show would be right up my alley and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with what I saw.
But … where can this show really go? (Not being privy to the Australian counterpart of the show which gave this one birth might make it all the more engaging.) How long can the hallucinating Ryan (if that’s indeed and in fact what he’s doing) play out the game with Wilfred? Sure … there’s the potential for comedic gold, but time will tell. It’s not usual I inject skepticism into a brand new show right from the start without giving it a run for its money, but really: Where can this go and still stay fresh episode after episode?
The bottom line is I have no idea. But so far I’m pleased with the result.
Maybe it’s because I’m a dog lover. I figure if you’re a “cat” person you won’t get this. Because cats haven’t got an existentialist bone in their bodies. All they want to do is suck the breath out of sleeping babies and glare at you.
Dogs — especially those who are “part Labrador Retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender” and human to boot — are just more fun. A man in a dog suit, more so. Asshat man in a dog suit? Bingo.
I’m curious to see where Wilfred goes. Think I’ll stick around a bit.
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Jun 24, 2011 @ 14:59 EST5EDT
When I saw the existence of this show I thought, “Sounds like it could be bad, but there isn’t much on right now so what the hell.” I liked it more than I expected, but like you I wondered just how long “Wilfred” can carry the schtick and remain as entertaining. It will be interesting to see although I thought the end bit during the credits with Wilfred and the giant teddy bear was a bit silly/crass/unnecessary. Maybe it was just me.