Posted in: Fox, Review, TV | Tagged: fox, Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, nick offerman, Review, season 3, the great north, Wendy Molyneux

The Great North Season 3 Ep. 18 Review: Beef's Birthday Hopes

Toilet musical numbers are a small part of what makes Beef Tobin's birthday so special in the latest episode of FOX TV's The Great North.

FOX's The Great North brought us on a hysterical and thought-provoking journey through birthday chaos in the recent episode, "Pa-shank Redemption Adventure" in season three. In this episode, Beef (Nick Offerman) goes to great lengths to avoid celebrating his birthday. Some minor spoilers may be ahead, so consider this your fair warning before reading any further…

The Great North starting this episode off in the Tobin family's panic room/cupboard was a fantastic choice. Loads of detail can be found in this beginning scene when it comes to the family and their dynamic. It's simple, but showing all these unique tabletop game titles is a great reminder of the values and personality of the Tobin family. Offerman continues to have some hilarious connections between his character in this series and ones from his past. The dread felt when the topic of his birthday arrives is reminiscent of Ron Swanson in many ways. Unlike Swanson, Beef wants to tread very carefully when the potential to hurt his kids' feelings becomes a potential.

The worry over Beef makes me love Judy (Jenny Slate), Ham (Paul Rust), Moon (Aparna Nancherla), Wolf (Will Forte), and Honeybee (Dulcé Sloan) even more than before. The shared concern over Beef's random visions of a nightmarish birthday party remains one of my favorite parts of this episode. The inclusion of the eagle with Roy (Mark Proksch) was the added level of absurdity I cherished in those scenes. Honestly, give me more of that weird man and his best friend/eagle any day. That is something that continues to beautifully set The Great North apart from other animated shows. There is an acceptance of the odd and absurd as something to be loved and worthy of comedic recognition.

The Great North struck a cord within my soul in this episode. Hearing Beef discuss his belief about his inner monologue regarding celebrations and what's deserved was heartbreaking but necessary. In the midst of the hilarious bank robbery and jail cell moments, Beef became vulnerable to the lies his inner monologue was spewing. The fear over whether or not celebration is deserved can be such a universal barrier for a lot of us. Thinking that never getting your hopes up will help them never get crushed is tough to convey in a comedy, but this episode did it. Beef's character continues to be not only a shining light when it comes to fatherhood, but I'd like to think he helps a lot of adults (like myself) acknowledge the lies we tell ourselves.

The Great North Episode Boat Name & Wolf's Shirt:

"Only Cod Can Judge Me"

"Breaking Wind"

The Great North Season 3 Episode 18 "Pa-shank Redemption Adventure"

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Review by Brittney Bender

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10/10

FOX's The Great North S03E18, “Pa-shank Redemption Adventure” was a terrific exploration of Beef's character and how incredible the development has been for the Tobin family in this series. This episode reflects on some relatable and difficult emotions regarding the inner child while maintaining an incredible structure for comedy.

Credits

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Network

FOX

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