As much as some of the audience would like it, Wilfred isn’t really a show concerned with answering the question of “what is Wilfred?” – at least, it’s been presented to us in this fashion thus far, and really never should. Thankfully, ‘Questions’ subverted some of the worries I had about its premise with a strong second half – though getting there was a little bit bumpy at times.
At first, Ryan’s trip within a trip at the end of the episode felt like a lot of build up for a really tiny emotional payoff – Ryan’s childhood isn’t really established outside of his parent’s failed relationship. Because of this, his emotional connections to the traumas aren’t really that clear. Like in tonight’s flashback – it’s important that Kristen telling him to stop crying triggers a panic attack, but we never really understand why. Is it because it brings up thoughts of his family breaking – and if that’s the case, where does Wilfred play into it?
On that kind of micro plot level, much of the resolution to ‘Questions’ feel shoehorned in, or that the episode ends without delving far enough into the issue of Ryan and why he hasn’t been able to cry for so long. There’s a strong argument to be made there – but it didn’t make the last three minutes of the episode any less endearing to see, definitely one of the more powerful sequences of the season. It took him nearly two seasons and a shitload of psychedelic tea to get there, but finally coming to terms with his own depression is a major step towards saving both his sanity, and his life.
Much of this episode is dedicated to the tripping experience, however, which is amusing, but takes a long time to get where it’s going, throwing in a completely unnecessary mislead about the truth of Wilfred. Nearly a third of the episode consists of Ryan and the intentionally stereotypical spirit guide wandering around the “woods”, just so Ryan can get inches away from answers about Wilfred. I’d rather the show just avoided the topic (including the teases) altogether, and stuck more faithfully to Ryan’s quest for self-redemption and inner peace.
There isn’t a whole lot to talk about when it comes to tonight’s events – many comedy shows have an episode centered around drugs and/or self-discoveries at some point. ‘Questions’ wasn’t a particularly impressive episode, but one where the resolution was more satisfying than the journey itself, giving it a bit of redemption by circling back around to the important emotional notes of the series. I think it would’ve been stronger if it focused more on Ryan’s trip than subverting our attention with softballed misleads about Wilfred’s existence in its middle section.
Grade: B
Other thoughts:
– I really enjoyed the crazy guy who embodied Ryan’s memory banks, trying to expose photos from his long-term memory in a darkroom. I’d like to think some grumpy old Christopher Lloyd-ish person is up in my head, keeping a photographic log. (Update: thanks to Robbie for pointing out this is none other than fellow Lord of the Rings alum Brad Dourif).
– Is someone going to fix Bear’s arm? That was probably the most traumatic moment of the episode.
– Unforunately, Kristen’s character is neither interesting or important enough to carry any of the emotional weight required of her in this episode. Why does her consoling affect Ryan so badly? What does it say about their relationship – and how did Kristen handle her parent’s divorce? What’s the true nature of her mental state? Things like this would be more engaging material than the Wilfred-centric pieces.
– “Maybe that’s why I’m such a stereotype.” – I’m not sure how I feel about that joke… does that still make it ok? I love Ryan’s flabbergasted reaction, but I was uncomfortable even after being “winked” at by the writers.
– Ryan’s not the only one who misses the witty, smiling Amanda. Who’s starting the Bring Mack Back campaign?
– even while he’s crying, Ryan’s still capable of smiling. A small moment, but a great one, the smallest sliver of hope in a season full of depressing moments.
What did you think of ‘Questions’? Feel free to leave your thoughts/comments below, or tweet me at @ProcessedMedia with your comments on the episode (or this review)!
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I never thought they would answer the question of what Wilfred is. Like your title states, Faster is not better and personally I don’t want to know what Wilfred is. If we found that out, what more is there to tell? Instead we got a little closer as to what may be bringing Wilfred around. I thought it was one of the best episodes of the season.
PS. That “crazy guy” was none other than Brad Dourif. A small Lord of the Rings reunion. 🙂
This was definitely my favorite episode of the season.
“Why does her consoling affect Ryan so badly?”
What I took away from the flashback was that Kristen was telling him to bottle his emotions up because if he didn’t, his parents would have cause to fight more. I don’t think she was consoling Ryan at all. I think she was telling him that it’s not okay to express his emotions. This stuck with Ryan, and he finally realized where his trouble with expressing emotions comes from.
As for the What is Wilfred teasers, I enjoy them. Even when there isn’t much of an answer given, hearing the questions always piques my interest, because they’re the same ones we’re all asking ourselves. It’s one of the funnest parts of the show, along with seeing dog traits being played out in human form.
As a side note, I’d rather see more Wilfred and less Kristen. The questions you pose about her are less interesting to me than the Ryan-Wilfred relationship. And I don’t think the stereotypical Indian ‘joke’ was in poor taste. If anything, it’s pointing out that it is an unfortunate stereotype, whereas most shows would just give you the stereotype and act like it’s normal.
Also, considering the version of Wilfred was Ryan’s projection of Wilfred and not necessarily the Wilfred we know, it tells us that Ryan probably does know What Wilfred is, but he won’t allow himself to comprehend or think about the answer. He’s trying to protect himself from the answer to that question, and until he decides he’s ready to face it, we’ll never know What Wilfred Is.
I agree with you – Kristen’s consoling does appear to be attempts to rein him in for the sake of keeping their parents from fighting. It does provide some context to Ryan’s emotional problems – although we already know at this point that the trauma of his parent’s divorce has affected him his entire adult life.
If this is the one time we’re going to flash back to his childhood – and its a scene with his sister, nonetheless, I would’ve liked a little more time with them together in that room, to breathe some life into their relationship. Like we both said, Kristen’s presence is more of a nuisance than anything, but I think if that scene could’ve given us a little bit more context into their relationships as children, it would not only make her character feel more important (instead of just randomly showing up for important episodes), but more connected to Ryan’s journey.
The answer is at the end – when Wilfred says: I need to go out though. Like, all the “not crying” needs to get out. That’s what Wilfred is – the suppressed emotions that need to go out.
Awesome observation – although wouldn’t the end of the episode have Ryan’s tears accompanied by Wilfred’s stream of piss?
I think you’re right, but I think they could’ve nailed it home if Wilfred started urinating the moment Ryan started crying (with Wilfred blaming it on the sight of Ryan’s tears, of course). I don’t know if I’d trade this ending for the one we’d got, but it would be an amusing alternative.