With the third season of 'Wilfred' starting on FX this summer, we now have the complete second season of this twisted dark comedy on Blu-ray. I have been watching 'Wilfred' since the beginning and fell in love immediately with its off-beat comedy and genuine characters. Although, this show is about a troubled young man and a big Australian guy in a dog suit, the series has some deep layers and manages to push out some brilliant comedy along the way. This second season has certainly found its groove and I can't wait to start season three.
If you're not familiar with 'Wilfred', the show follows a young man named Ryan (Elijah Wood) who is a former successful lawyer, but became depressed and was a second away from committing suicide. Right before he committed the act, he met his new beautiful neighbor Jenna (Fiona Gubelmann) who asked him to watch her dog while she is away. Ryan agrees to watch her dog, named Wilfred, although he doesn't see an actual dog. He sees an Australian man in a cheap dog suit (Jason Gann). Wilfred is not above smoking weed, drinking alcohol, or humping his giant stuffed animal constantly. He also provides Ryan with life advice, but mostly devises elaborate schemes to Ryan's dismay.
The second season shows us that Ryan now has a new job where he is forced to interact with new people, including his boss, Jeremy (Steven Weber). It's not all bad for Ryan though as one of his co-workers is the beautiful Amanda (Allison Mack), who takes a liking to Ryan almost immediately. Meanwhile, Ryan's obtrusive sister, Kristen (Dorian Brown) is pregnant and is still driving her brother insane with her demands and controlling issues. And Ryan is still trying to come to terms with the fact that Jenna is still involved with her dim-witted boyfriend, Drew (Chris Klein). And the only person Ryan really looks to for help is Wilfred, who usually does more harm than good.
This season has definitely found its flow, as it now mixes comedy and the more dramatic affairs flawlessly. You can immediately see why this show was not made for prime-time basic cable and why it is on the more risque FX. There are some very awkward situations Ryan and Wilfred get themselves into that would make anyone blush. Most of the humor is dark, but in every episode there are a lot of comedic moments directed at dog owners and the funny things dogs do, as we see a human in a dog suit perform and discuss his routines.
Elijah Wood is simply brilliant in this role, and his chemistry with Gann is incredible. They tackle their obstacles together and riff of one another like two old pros. The bizarre and raunchy situations are handled very well and never go over-the-top with any gag. The entire story and characters draw you in for the long haul, leaving you want more each episode. The rest of the cast delivers amazing performances. Yes, even Chris Klein does a good job as he plays an idiot perfectly. Look out for cameos from Robin Williams and Mary Steenburgen in here too. Season 2 of 'Wilfred' adds to season one on every level and is definitely worth watching.
'Wilfred: Season 2' comes with a great 1080p HD transfer presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The detail is surprisingly great for this low-budget comedy series.
Closeups of faces reveal blemishes and wrinkles and the messy hair on Wilfred's dog suit is very crisp as you can make out each individual displaced hair. The color pop off screen (but this doesn't offer a lot of bright vibrant hues). This is more of an earthy tone show, with lots of browns, grays, and greens. The blues in the office interior tends to pop though.Flesh tones are natural and smooth here as well with black levels running deep and inky, especially Wilfred's nose.
There was no banding, aliasing, or dirt on this transfer, leaving a clear and pristine image with no motion blur or any other compression issues.
This release has a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix which sounds very good. The dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to understand as this is a dialogue driven show. There was no hissing or cracks noticed throughout the second season. Ambient noises of other animals and people talking came out the surrounds nicely when they were used.
The soundtrack score adds a lot of suspense and comedy to each scene and sounds incredible through the speakers. It never drowns out the dialogue or the sound effects. There isn't a ton of dynamic range here and the bass is rarely used if ever. But this dialogue driven track delivers a striking audio presentation for what it is.
'Wilfred' is an amazing show. It may not be for everyone as it might cross some of your lines at times, but its comedy and dramatic elements really drive this small show over home plate. The acting is amazing from everyone and you'll be sure to laugh through each episode. The video and audio presentations are great, and while the extras run short, there is some decent stuff. If you're a fan of the show, you'll definitely want to pick this up, and if you're new to the world of 'Wilfred' take a chance on this genius show.
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