There are two words I would use to describe the new Canadian TV show “Letterkenny:” hilarious and strange.
The show is set in the small town of Letterkenny, and each episode opens with the words, “There are 5,000 people in Letterkenny. These are their problems.” The main character is a man named Wayne, played by Jared Keeso, who is also the creator and one of the writers for the show. Wayne is a self-proclaimed hick and the toughest guy in Letterkenny. The show revolves around Wayne’s often bizarre conversations with his friends, and the antics of other Letterkenny residents that Wayne frequently has to clean up after.
“Letterkenny” aired its first season in 2016. It also aired its second season in 2016. The show aired two more in 2017, and two more after that in 2018. In just three years, the cast and crew of this excellent TV show put out six seasons with six episodes a piece, in addition to several holiday-themed specials throughout the series. I found the production schedule to be extremely rushed but was pleased to discover that it did not affect the quality of the show. Somehow creator, writer and star Keeso, along with director and recurring character Jacob Tierney and the rest of the crew, found a way to churn out seasons in just a few months’ time without sacrificing quality. That is something they should be praised for.
The show is very dialogue-focused, drawing most of its humor from a fast-paced, back-and-forth format between characters. It’s kind of hard to explain to someone who’s never seen the show, but the way the characters bounce off each other is both hilarious and impressive. The writers do an excellent job with most episodes, and the actors really bring the characters and their dialogue to life. “Letterkenny” is a show in which the visuals aren’t actually all that important. You could watch it turned away from your tv and still find it funny. It’s all about the character’s voices, the cadence of their speech and of course what they’re actually saying that allows the humor to succeed.
The acting is absolutely brilliant. I’m completely convinced that Keeso is the only person who could ever play Wayne. Just watch one episode and you’ll see what I mean. His face, his demeanor, his stature and of course his voice bring the character to life and make him hilariously funny. There’s a reason Keeso is the star of the show, but that’s not to diminish the contributions of “Letterkenny’s” many other central characters. Nathan Dales is brilliant as Wayne’s friend Daryl, as is K. Trevor Wilson as Squirrely Dan. Props to all these actors for doing a good job with their characters, and for being able to keep a straight face while saying some of the most ridiculous and funny lines I’ve ever heard.
“Letterkenny” is definitely an adult show. Every character curses very frequently, and sex jokes abound. But if you’re an adult who’s looking for a hilarious new show that will likely put out lots of new content relatively soon, get on Hulu and give “Letterkenny” a try. It’s worth it.
Keagan Miller is a psychology junior and Life & Arts writer for The Battalion.
