FOX
It was a good thing Bordertown didn’t open its season with the episode aired this past Sunday, “Borderwall.”
The premiere January 3rd (“The Engagement“) was the correct story to introduce the series. Hands down, it surpassed just about everything the second chapter had to offer the fledgling animated comedy. The opener had the better story, the gags were funnier, the introductions were seamless and, overall, the pacing flowed effortlessly.
Good thing, as far as I’m concerned. “Borderwall” was the episode introduced by writers/consultants Gustavo Arellano and Lalo Alcaraz at the screening I attended at California State University Long Beach back in November last year. Both men were conducting a whirlwind, cross-county tour with the episode in tow to promote Bordertown. While prefacing all then following up with a question and answer session, I was encouraged and looked forward to Bordertown’s debut. The screening, however, was somewhat underwhelming. More so than anything, it supported itself on out-of-left-field sight gags and scandalous quips (“God, how humiliating. I’ve gone from one Mexican boss to another. When am I going to be on top?” “Well, in my experience, you just tell a Mexican man when you want to be on top …” *ouch* “Janice? do you hear Spanish whispering?” “You mean now? Or when you’re out at bowling night?” *double ouch*). Watch the haters come out in droves on the weight of those couple quotations alone …
But I know better than to judge a book by its cover, however. One episode does not a series make. I was curious if, after having seen it a second time, last Sunday’s installment would improve with familiarity.
It did not. In fact it pointed out its inadequacies more than anything else.
This isn’t to say it wasn’t without its high points. There’s a terrific nod to Breaking Bad (actually, the entire sequence was aped from the AMC series, right down to its utilization of Tommy James & The Shondells’ “Crystal Blue Persuasion”), there’s a guffaw-worthy gag when drug lord Pablo Barracuda honors those “he’s lost” during his monthly criminal syndicate meeting (Spoiler! #1 customer Philip Seymour Hoffman!: “He is a big loss …”) and I’m absolutely in love with Barracuda’s lumbering, oafish, child-like henchman. I certainly hope we see more of him, the big lovable lug.
Two episodes in, Bordertown is just getting a foothold in the television arena. Granted, it’s got a long way to go to establish itself. But with its first two episodes covering illegal immigration and the U.S./Mexican border (you couldn’t schedule better timeliness given the current political stage and upcoming presidential race — talk about good fortune! How did they manage that … ??!??), I’m along for the ride. Because, even with its flaws and foibles, the show holds promise.
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