Paradise PD is an animated Netflix original created and written by Roger Black and Waco O’Guin, who are the Sajid-Farhad of the West, only way crasser. Now, I agree with the fact that comedy is subjective, but for something at least to be seen subjectively, there needs to be content. The creators of this show had also created the awful Brickleberry, which was very much a rip off from seasons 6-10 of Family Guy. Paradise PD sadly ripped off the worst seasons (season 12 onwards) of an otherwise mediocre show and tried to sell it as funny. Now I have forever been a fan of Adult animation. In the 90’s Tv shows such as South Park, The Simpsons, Duckman, Ren, and Stimpy, Bevis and Butthead pushed the whole concept of adult cartoon genre. In the early 2000s, it was Futurama, King of the Hill and even to some extent, Family Guy (the earlier seasons). In the 2010s, we saw Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman take a completely different turn on adult animation. If you noticed, all these shows had pushed the animation genre to different extents. Paradise PD is a lazy version of Family Guy, with a few talented actors.
Story (or lack thereof)
Remember when people used to be excited about Netflix Originals?
Shows like these, make Riverdale look like The Breakfast Club and the jokes make Sajid Khan look like Mel Brooks.
The plot is weird. A commissioner starts regretting his son’s existence after he accidentally shoots him on the balls while he is having intercourse with his wife. The son joins the same department to prove to his Father that he can make him proud. Meanwhile, there is a town that is supplying Argyle Meth to the entire town and it is up to the Paradise PD, to find the killer.
Now, you might be asking how and why any of this is related? It’s not. Things just happen in this show for the sake of it. Unlike the South park strategy ( moving the story and narrative forward with but, therefore, so, that leads to) it takes the easier and lazy approach to go with narrative (using and then to move the story forward) which another reason why Family Guy isn’t considered funny anymore.
The dialogues of the show are just used to crack jokes. They don’t move the plot forward. Regardless of whatever your view might be of comedy, no one will ever talk like this in the wildest situation possible. The dialogues sound like acid being spewed at each other. They are just crass jokes for the sake of it. Even when I am with my friends and in the most comfortable environment, I won’t talk like this.
The whole plot is completely screwed and doesn’t connect in any way. Oh, and the easiest plot point they could use, make the black guy or the guy who is the most decent villain in the end.
Characters
Now, we can never talk about stories without layered characters. However, that’s not the case over here. It’s a known fact that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but we still couldn’t follow, who they wanted to flatter.
Paradise PD has taken some of the best voice actors they could. Tom Kenny ( known for giving small voice roles in shows like Rick and Morty and Rocko’s Modern life and also for playing SpongeBob SquarePants) and Sarah Chalke (known for her role in How I Met Your Mother and for playing Beth Smith in Rick and Morty) are the most known voices in this show. However, even their Talent couldn’t save this shows lazy writing and dialogue delivery.
Let’s start naming the characters, shall we?
Chief Randall Crawford is like Carter Pewterscmidt, only more sexually frustrated and has a certain addiction to Testosterone Patches and Heroin.
Gina Jabowski is like Glenn Quagmire, but she is a female and more violent and has a thing for Overweight men.
Dusty Marlow is Like Peter Griffin, only less sexual and way more stupid.
Bullet is like Brian Griffin, but way more of an addict.
Kevin Crawford is like Chris Griffin. Period.
Gerald Fitzgerald is like Cleveland Brown, but eviler.
These character descriptions are lazy, but so is the show. Besides, these are all that the characters have to offer.
Animation
When people used to experiment with animation back in the ’90s and early 2000’s they had solid reasons for it. South Park animation was to show the absurdity and initially, the creators didn’t have a lot of budgets. Simpsons used to make them more noticeable. But all the animations show a certain level of creativity and surrealism. This is a blatant copy that has no depth. I don’t even think this animation has any dimensions to it. It’s exactly like Brickleberry.
Now, some could argue that they probably didn’t have the budget, but that’s hardly the case. South Park didn’t have any budget but today their animation has become iconic. King of the Hill used low budgeted animation but made it at least look like its two dimensional.
Also, Paradise PD had the backing of Netflix.
Conclusion
Season 2 is going to come out on March 6th and is promising a Brickleberry Crossover (yay.)
Now reading through a lot of comments, people have said that they watch this show whenever they get intoxicated and that’s why they find it funny. I completely get that people have an interest in this and it’s a completely different genre. Paradise PD was marketed as a show that just has offensive material. But that doesn’t mean it’s well done. Even such a form of art has its appreciation and even a few classic movies. But there will forever be a difference between The Big Lebowski and Pineapple Express. They are both good, people will always know which work of art is superior. Being edgy doesn’t mean you are right.
I would like to end this with a very famous quote from Jason Alexander from the show Duckman.
“Comedy should provoke! It should blast through prejudices, challenge preconceptions! Comedy should always leave you different than when it found you. Sure, humour can hurt, even alienate, but the risk is better than the alternative: a steady diet of innocuous, child-proof, flavourless mush! Demand to be challenged, to be offended, to be treated like thinking, reasoning adults. And raise your children to be the same. Don’t let a comedian, a network, a Congressional committee, or an evil genius take away your freedom to laugh at whatever you want.”
Paradise PD, however, is not that.
