Review: Wilfred ‘Stagnation’ – The Fog of Love

In last week’s review of Wilfred, I bemoaned the lack of momentum in this season of the show, which has taken the normal loop of  fixations with the show’s mythology (the painting, Ryan’s mother, his family, Bruce, repeat) and largely walked in circles with it. In a way, it makes ‘Stagnation’ feel like a meta-commentary on the show, as if the writers reached out to the audience to say “Yes, we know – the status quo has go to go.” And although it incorporates an odd Kristen subplot, ‘Stagnation’ works well in fitting with the show’s theme of slow, continuous growth: growth is only growth when it’s reaching for something, not when it’s sitting still.

‘Stagnation’ shows us how Ryan’s been wasting his time: playing pretend wife with Kristen, and allowing Ann’s rent money to keep him from making any serious life decisions: with those two women occupying lots of his time (and covering his bills), there’s no reason for Ryan to try and grow: like many of us do in life, we get comfortable with something, and then cling onto that comfort as if it’s the only thing tethering us to reality.

Then again, that’s what Ryan has repeatedly done throughout the series; whether it’s his girlfriend last season, his obsession with Jenna WAY back in season one, or his insistence on understanding the painting. Ryan’s moved from safety net to safety net, allowing his deepest fears, thoughts, and regrets manifest themselves in the form of an anthropomorphic dog. Without Wilfred, Ryan may be lost – but what is he with Wilfred? As Wilfred points out, Ryan’s only kept Ann around to avoid moving on with his life: so why is he keeping Wilfred around?

This isn’t something explicitly mentioned in the episode, but I’d look for it to play some role in the final two episodes of the season: we know Ryan isn’t healed because he still sees Wilfred, but does that mean he’s still standing at square one (the opening scene of the pilot)? Underlying Ryan’s concerns with finding a job and “moving on” is the question of Wilfred’s presence; is it something Ryan needs to separate himself from? Should he tell Jenna he doesn’t want to see Wilfred anymore, then move on with his life?

Ryan’s obvious answer to that would be “hell no”; but I’m hoping Wilfred pushes Ryan in that direction in the final episodes of the season. So far, both seasons have revolved around various conflicts, leading to a confounding revelation and final image that begs more questions than answers: will they stick to this in season three, or will the show yank Wilfred out of the equation to see how quickly Ryan unravels? There’s no doubting the effect Wilfred’s had on Ryan: but is it time for Ryan to move on?

Grade: B+

Other thoughts/observations:

– as I noted with my review of The Bridge earlier today, I will be traveling next week, and there’s a good chance I won’t be reviewing ‘Heroism’ with the season finale (‘Regrets’) in two weeks. Follow me on Twitter to stay updated.

– I like how they give Kristen a character, but I wish it was pushed a little farther in this episode. She’s projecting her loneliness onto Ryan, and seemingly isn’t weirded out by it at all. I would’ve loved it had she pointed out what her and Ryan were doing, but I understand why it’s Ryan who gets the “big speech”: it’s his mental health and growth we’re focused on, and the revelation coming from him shows that glimmer of promise.

– wait… so Wilfred inseminated Ann with Drew’s sperm? Uh oh.

– Ann: “If I didn’t have a boyfriend, I’d totally suck your nuts right now.”

– finally, a Wilfred dog joke I liked this season! Wilfred’s ballad is a hilarious way to manifest a dog’s instantaneous feelings of sexual attraction to a female dog in heat. There have been a lot of misses this season, but they nail that one (though I could’ve done without the glory hole stuff).

– The vampire dick sucker looks like the head of a baby Alien, doesn’t it?

– Wilfred: “LEGOS are not for adults.”