All pictures are from the Drawn Together Wiki.
Episode Number: 13th in season 2, 20th overall
Original Airdate: March 1, 2006
Focus: Xandir
Thank you, Random Number Goddess, for allowing me to review this episode next.
Here we have one of Drawn Together’s strongest episodes. If I had to choose an episode to get a friend into the series, this would be one of the top contenders. There’s so much that this episode does right and so few things it does wrong that this review is going to be more gushing about it that a review. Let’s get started.
Plot Summary
The episode starts with Xandir in distress. He’ll be visiting his parents soon, and he hasn’t told them that he’s gay yet. The gang tries to help Xandir through roleplaying, though it quickly spirals out of control into a story of abandonment, prostitution, and infidelity. Each member of the house adopts a new persona (except for Xandir, who’s playing a slightly more naive version of himself), and runs with them for the entirety of the exercise until all but Captain Hero (who’s playing Xandir’s mom) and Xandir are dead. The “cast” includes:
- Xandir- Himself
- Captain Hero- Xandir’s father originally, then Xandir’s mother
- Toot- Xandir’s mother originally, then Xandir’s father
- Clara- Mary Lou Slutzky, Xandir’s old girlfriend, who sleeps with Xandir’s father (when the part was played by Toot)
- Wooldoor- a Catholic priest who tries to get the already roleplaying gang to do some roleplaying
- Spanky- a cultured pimp named “Daddy”
- Foxxy- a prostitute named Chocolondra Love, who is basically Foxxy with a slightly different outfit
- Ling-Ling- a wealthy Japanese businessman named Mr Nagasaki
The roleplaying antics finally get Xandir comfortable enough to confront his parent. When they hear he’s gay, they respond with “uh, DUUUUH!”
I’m skipping a lot of the plot here, but mostly because I think the episode needs to be seen. Also, the plot has a lot going on.
Best Moment
Wooldoor, while playing a priest, suggests they do some roleplaying to gain some perspective. This exchange follows:
Wooldoor: (to Xandir) Now, you be the gay’s dad.
Xandir: Oh, okay! I love football. (smacks Toot)
Wooldoor: (to Captain Hero) And you be the gay.
Hero: I ain’t gonna be no homo.
Wooldoor: Fine, you be Xandir’s mom.
Hero: (in a feminine voice) Fine! I’m asking for this! (smacks himself)
Toot: Then who am I?!
Wooldoor: You’re the homo.
Toot: Can I be the dad?
Wooldoor: Okay, you be Stan.
Xandir: Then who the hell am I?
Toot: The queer! (punches Hero)
Wooldoor: I wanted to be the queer!
Worst Moment
After the disastrous meeting, Wooldoor says farewell, saying he has a “nooner”. He turns to a grade school boy, saying “I hear you want to be an altar boy.” When the boy protests, saying that Wooldoor took him from the playground, Wooldoor responds, “GOD took you from the playground!” Then he precedes to do his signature cheer.
The Good
This episode shows how creative and clever Drawn Together can be at the best of times. The gang’s roleplaying experience devolving into a “Lifetime original movie” sort of tale is very clever, and the jokes almost always hit. Yes, a lot of it is very exaggerated, but that what makes it funny. The roleplaying goes to place that no sane person would go, and it goes there in a over-the-top fashion that will make you keep watching. The episode also showcases some of the best humor Drawn Together has to offer. For example, Spanky’s character Daddy went to see an opera. When he returns, he tells Xandir he missed something, and starts singing to himself “kill da wabbit.” This episode is a delightful blend of an absurd premise, great humor, and overall cleverness that tends to pop up in Drawn Together every now and then.
The Bad
Still, there are some less savory aspects of this episode. There are several jokes about gay sex and sex in general that push it. Toot’s character and Clara’s character end up in bed together, which is more weird than funny, though it is balanced out with Captain hero in skimpy lingerie. There are also some shots at the Japanese, but they aren’t anything we haven’t seen before.
Ratings
Hilarity Meter ™ - 4/5 (Very Funny): A few misfires, but most jokes hit home.
Offense-o-Meter ™ - 2.5/5 (Pushing it): Gay jokes, jokes about what Japanese businessmen like, and pedophilia are all offenders here, but nothing terribly extreme.
Overall Verdict- 4/5 (Great): In my opinion, this is a contender for one of the best episodes of Drawn Together.
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