Wilfred – Trust is definitely at issue

Wait a minute: What happened?

What happened with all that suicidal monkey business from the first episode?

You know, the multiple drafts of death letters Ryan was writing … the bathroom Nyquil chugging … the frappéed death shakes? Did depression take a holiday? Did the smothering pillows he was trying to bury himself in have something better to do? Did the fatalistic tendencies wend their way to more seductive climes?

What the hell, Ryan?

In a mere matter of a week (or, in this case, in a matter of an episode) our anxious Ryan is buddy-buddy with the titular namesake of Wilfred in more ways than many. Trust is key here. He’s bicycling him around the beach. He’s sharing suspect smokin’ stuff and imbibing brewskis with him at the drop of a hat. He’s allowing him to take off on a “no animals allowed” beach with the tiniest urge. He’s commiserating with Wilfred devil-may-care style while lounging about, barely a concern in the world, joblessness notwithstanding.

Things sure do motor right along on this show, don’t they?

And that’s why I’m just not certain where the writers are taking the show. They’ve got us all over the place right now. The jokes and situations are coming fast and furious, sometimes verging on the pornographic, sometimes with great comedic effect, sometimes as one-offs that elicit a quick and grand guffaw … then gone. See? I’ve got some trust issues here, too.

See, Wilfred (Jason Gann) is in a very interesting, formative relationship with fragile Ryan. There seems to be some sort of strange bonding going on, but I can’t pin it down. It’s off in so many directions, you can’t tell up from down. Ryan wants to trust Wilfred, but there are too many instances (and there have been plenty thus far) where Wilfred has pulled the rug right out from under him, violating that trust just enough to stir things up … but not quite enough to cut it off at the knees.

I’m of the mind that — come the third episode of the series next week — we’ll get some concrete answers where this series is truly headed. I sure hope so. I’m putting my trust in the writers that that will happen.

What? Don’t do it, you say? Really? Why not?

I mean … if I can’t trust them, who am I supposed to trust? Wilfred?

Interesting note this episode: Remember when Wilfred was talking up the girls in the jeep next to him when he and Ryan were cruising down the boulevard? Could’ve sworn they understood what he was saying. Isn’t Ryan the only one that’s supposed to be able to hear Wilfred?

… hmmmm …

Clacked by Michael Noble
on Jun 30, 2011 @ 23:52 EST5EDT