Wilfred Pilot Premiere: The Dog Made Us Laugh

Who says a live action comedy starring a suicidal average Joe and an Australian Bloke in a cheap dog suit will not create any laughs?

Obviously the ones who have not tuned into this hilarious brand new premiere from FX called “Wilfred.”

After the trailer and promos had premiered for this show, it was obvious that people would be hesitant to tune in. Bizarre and not nearly as cookie-cutter as the variety of sitcoms on cable, it’s not a comedy that will appeal to everyone. However, the unique plot was enough for audiences to give it a chance and in result was one of the highest rated comedies to hit FX.

“Wilfred” is a live action comedy about a young man named Ryan [Elijah Wood], who seems to be headed nowhere in life. This causes him to try to commit suicide when he swallows an enormous amount of pills. The episode opens with Ryan at his desk, who has finished the fourth draft of his suicide note. He then hears his neighbor yell at what seems to be her boyfriend. The next morning, Ryan wakes up and is disappointed that he has failed to kill himself. He hears his doorbell ring and is happy to see that his neighbor is at the door; however, he is confused on why he sees his neighbor’s dog as a real person dressed in a dog suit. After Ryan agrees to watch his neighbor’s dog, Wilfred, for the day, he notices that the dog speaks with an Australian accent.

While Ryan and Wilfred spend the day together, there are odd occurrences that take place. Wilfred, for instance, is a dog who smokes cigarettes and pot and loves to hump people. A funny scene during the episode is when Ryan takes Wilfred for lunch at an outdoor restaurant, and a waitress comes by to pet him, Wilfred gets excited and starts to hump the waitress. That alone with draw plenty of laughs.

What is unique about “Wilfred” is that you do not see him as an actual dog, all you see is the Australian man with a dog outfit.

During the pilot, Wilfred leads Ryan through a series of comedic and existential adventures, one of which involves pooping in one of Ryan’s obnoxious neighbors shoes and stealing his marijuana plants. Through this, Wilfred shows Ryan how to overcome his fears and joyfully live life to the fullest.

Overall, “Wilfred” gets of to a great start. It is engrossed with laughs and creativity that no other comedy has attempted yet. What is so great about “Wilfred” is that each character is relate-able and the story is good enough to draw the audience back to watch the show again. In the end, if a grown man in a dog outfit is not enough to draw you in, than you don’t know comedy.