Few names command more attention and respect in the world of animated television than Matt Groening. With massive hit shows The Simpsons and Futurama under his belt, Groening has demonstrated his ability to innovate, and while doing so, combine slapstick and surreal comedy with heartfelt and thought-provoking messages.
Now that Futurama has been done for a while, Groening has returned with his newest project: Disenchantment. A foray into the fantasy realm, it’s a departure from Groening’s usual style in more ways than one.
When watching The Simpsons or Futurama, the jokes are lightning quick and witty without being over the heads of the viewer. The comedy is of the highest quality, with deeper points emerging throughout. With Disenchantment, the formula has shifted to a much more story-driven bent, focusing on character development, the flaws of the various players, and how things are not always as they seem.
Princess Tiabeanie, or “Bean” (voiced by Broad City’s Abbi Jacobson), is the alcoholic, thrill-seeking daughter of Dreamland’s King Zog (John DiMaggio). Suddenly thrust into her life are Elfo the elf (Nat Faxon), and Luci the demon (played hilariously by Eric Andre). It starts out with some rather typical fantasy fare: upset by her father’s political marriage to Queen Oona, and her potential to befall the same fate, Tiabeanie schemes with Elfo and Luci to divert the wedding and remain her own woman.
Without getting into spoilers, the series follows the misadventures of Bean, Elfo, and Luci as they continuously wind up in debauched, mysterious, and dangerous situations throughout the kingdom of Dreamland; on the run from various henchman and other assorted baddies, there are numerous twists and turns, with a nice surprising reveal towards the end of the season. The cliffhanger ending will have fans frothing for more as well.
With Disenchantment, Matt Groening has stretched his creative limbs again. As mentioned above, it may not possess the laugh-out-loud absurdity of some of the jokes in his other work, and it requires a bit more investment from the viewer, but the storytelling is wonderful, the world in which the adventures take place is beautifully rendered, and the voice acting is top notch (including the fabulous Matt Berry as Prince Merkimer). Through all of that, the show is proof that Groening still has some untold stories, and for that we should all be grateful.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Disenchantment is currently streaming on Netflix.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp_RnJcb8Ig
