The Film Experience

by Christopher James

It’s the old guard versus the “new” wave of Netflix animation. I use “new” in quotes because there’s nothing “new” about Bojack Horseman or Big Mouth, except that the Emmys finally noticed them just last year. Can they win on their second try at the Emmys?

All three of their challengers have won before. Rick and Morty won its sole bid for Outstanding Animated Program in 2018. Meanwhile, Bob’s Burgers has consistently earned nominations for every year since its second season, winning in 2014 and 2017. And never count out the most senior show in a lineup. The Simpsons won this category last year, its first win since 2008. In total, the legendary comedy has been nominated twenty-seven times in this category, winning twelve of those competitions.

Since this is a tight race, it may come down to episode submission. Let’s take a look at the field:

Big Mouth (Netflix)
Episode: “Disclosure The Movie: The Musical”

Big Mouth knows how to blend bawdy creativity with genuinely positive sex education lessons. Season three’s episode submission perfectly illustrates this, complete with musical interludes. The drama teacher, Mr. Lizer (Rob Huebel), stages his original idea for a musical adaptation of the 1994 film Disclosure, starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. On a base level, it’s hilarious to hear the kids sing explicit songs, such as “Aggressive Woman” and “You’ve Got The Power Now.” The show smartly goes another layer deeper. It unearths this forgotten 90s erotic thriller to explain the bad gender politics in films of the past and how they’ve melted the minds of men like the lecherous Mr. Lizer. It’s all fun and games for a while, but the show’s able to pull back and address Lizer’s predatory behavior towards stage manager Lola (Nick Kroll) and homophobia towards Matthew (Andrew Rannels). Additionally, this episode features a fun B-plot where the Queer Eye Fab Five try and make over the hopeless Coach Steve (Nick Kroll).

Bob’s Burgers (FOX)
Episode: “Pig Trouble in Little Tina”

Few shows are as routinely positive and funny as Bob’s Burgers. Its big heart helped it stand out early on. Yet, nothing much has changed for the Belcher clan over the past decade, which has made the show grow stale. The Halloween themed episode submitted starts with Tina (Dan Mintz) dissecting a pig in science class to earn the respect of her classmates. Even though she earns an invite to the local hayride with the cool crew, Tina gets haunted by the ghost of the pig she dissected in class. This plays really well into Tina’s love for animals and knee-jerk ability to feel guilt. The Halloween nature of the episode also gives the animators plenty of opportunity for visual gags. To be fair, the episode almost got my vote solely for Gene’s costume, Fiona Applesauce. On the side, Linda (John Roberts) sets off on a quest to extract a large piece of earwax from Bob’s (H. Jon Benjamin) ear. It definitely tracks that Linda would be a secret fan of earwax extraction and their antics help break up the episode. While there are a few good laughs, this hardly ranks among the best Bob’s Burgers has to offer.

Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Episode: “The View From Halfway Down”

Bojack Horseman had the strongest final season of any show this past year. The macabre meditation on fame, addiction and happiness stuck its landing by pushing its characters to the brink. “The View From Halfway-Down” represents the show at its most ambitious and nihilistic. In the penultimate episode, Bojack (Will Arnett) confronts those who have died in the past over a charged dinner and talent show. As heavy as the episode is, the show maintains its humor throughout. "Oh a plant! Dirt for inside,” cracks Beatrice Horseman (Wendy Malick), the spectre of Bojack’s disapproving mother. Still, the centerpiece dinner argument over the meaning of life really wows. Horsin’ Around creator Herb Kazzaz (Stanley Tucci), former child star Sarah Lynne (Kristen Schaal) and suicidal actor Corduroy Jackson-Jackson (Brandon T. Jackson) all try and contextualize the worth of their time on Earth, only to confront whether their lives (or deaths) meant anything at all. Bojack conflates his absentee Father, Butterscotch, with Secretariat (Lin-Manuel Miranda), the role he thought would set him back up for success. He sums it up Bojack’s worst fears rather succinctly, our accomplishments mean nothing and we all go to the same place when we die. As Butterscotch/Secretariat recites the poem, “The View From Halfway Down,” he expresses panic as he gets sucked into the black abyss. Bojack’s self-destructive behavior has been pushing him towards his inevitable confrontation with death. Now that it’s here, Bojack realizes he’s not ready to face the nothingness that may lie ahead of him in the afterlife. The visuals of the final act are bold and haunting. Bojack Horseman is one-of-a-kind and the Emmys may reward it for its darkness over the more traditional options in the category.

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim)
Episode: “The Vat of Acid Episode”

The dudebro humor of Rick and Morty can be an acquired taste. In fact, on the right occasion, the frat boy humor comes to life when paired with an interesting high concept plot. This explains how it pulled off a surprise win in 2018 on its first nomination in this category. So does this year’s episode feature the right blend needed to win? Mostly no. After a failed escape plot involving a fake vat of acid, Morty questions Rick’s authority as an inventor. To prove himself, Rick creates a remote at Morty’s behest that allows him to jump back in time to any “save point” he determines. Mostly this leads to an uncomfortable series of crimes and bad judgments on Morty’s part. We don’t need another joke about horny men going into women’s locker rooms. However, a segment where Morty finds true love but is forced to erase it all under duress is quite hilarious. Despite some strong jokes, the episode’s final standoff just ends abruptly. While it may have been a fun ride, Rick and Morty halts to an unsatisfying jolt. It makes one wonder, what was the actual point?

The Simpsons (FOX)
Episode: “Thanksgiving of Horror”

As good as the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes can be, they are often a mixed bag at best. They represent the waning cultural footprint of The Simpsons multiplied by the somewhat low hit-to-miss ratio of Saturday Night Live. This year, the legendary animated sitcom doubled down on the beloved format, giving us a second horror themed sketch show. Its first “Thanksgiving of Horror,” generously, felt like reheated leftovers that had gone stale. Our first segment imagines the first Thanksgiving from the point of view of turkeys, characterized by the Simpson family. It’s forgettable at best; negligent at worst. The strongest segment involves Marge as a kitchen AI who fights back against the rest of the Simpson family. Sure, it’s a Black Mirror knock off, but it at least has some imagination behind the “technology will kill us all” trope. At least it’s a current knock-off. The final segment is a retread of the original Alien film, and feels as fresh as that idea sounds. The Simpsons is remarkable in its longevity, but it’s also been showing its age for quite some time.

Personal Ranking:

Bojack Horseman
Big Mouth
Bob's Burgers
Rick and Morty
The Simpsons

Predicted Winner: Bojack Horseman

Potential Spoiler: Bob's Burgers