Some people may think that a courtroom show where Gary Busey (Point Break) serves as a judge presiding over pet related disputes is too good to be true. It’s not a myth though, this show has six glorious episodes available on Amazon Prime and the real crime is that more people are not yet aware of its existence.
Gary Busey: Pet Judge, which is written by Justin Wright Neufeld and Galloway Allbright seems to provide a general narrative for Busey to worth with, but it very much lets him be himself, complete with nonsensical tangents and the poetic “Buseyisms” he’s known for. So, while the court cases are clearly scripted as far as everyone else is concerned, complete with plaintiffs and defendants comprised of actors and comedians, as well as a bailiff (Mike E. Winfield, The Office) to help encourage but also reel Busey in when necessary, nobody really knows how a particular case is going to play out. In fact, sometimes even after a ruling, nobody really knows what the hell just happened.
For two cases per episode, you get to watch Busey deal out what he aggressively refers to as “Pet Justice” through gritted teeth as he bangs his gavel. Determining if you are going to appreciate all of this can be accomplished within the first episode, which features Bill Wise (Waves) as a husband who wants a Viking funeral for his cat against his wife Jaclyn Stevens (A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale) wishes, followed by Anna Dresdon who is trying to get her dog added to her health coverage because she believes it to be the reincarnation of her dead husband. They are both done so well, with several subtle jokes mixed among the proceedings, that you’ll want to re-watch them immediately if you are loving the tone of the show. The cases that follow range from the mundane, with a dog using the neighbor’s yard as its bathroom, to the brilliantly creative, with a man (Hal Lublin, The Venture Bros.) claiming his turtle was discriminated against by a dog walker (Annie Savage, Conan) for its slower walking time.
Everything is put together perfectly, with the pacing, random callouts to Busey filmography, and the look and feel of the show resembling what you expect from similar court programs, but with the added bonus of a taxidermy dog positioned behind the plaintiff for some reason. It comes complete with narration by Shadoe Stevens (Kentucky Fried Movie) to facetiously introduce the cases, and an interview of sorts conducted afterward by Ian Abramson (Adam Ruins Everything), who has perfected the art of the awkward interaction. As interesting as the cases are, and as fun as it is to absorb the absurdities spliced with truth coming from Busey, the interviews by Abramson are something you look forward to each time with baited breath. If you didn’t know that all parties involved were in on the joke, it would be too painful to watch this man shove a microphone in people’s faces and stumble through speaking with them as they leave the courtroom.
The editing done by Hanne Anderson is phenomenal, and a good bit of what makes the comedy so effective, as it knows exactly when to focus in on the bewildered, mouth agape Busey, while the actors tell their strange stories and answer the odd questions he poses. Although mostly stoic in their delivery, you sometimes catch a glimpse of one of them starting to break, genuinely stunned by something Busey says, which only adds to the humor.
You almost have to view Pet Judge as you would professional wrestling. While you know the storylines are made up, and the outcome is supposed to be predetermined, it’s impossible to fully safeguard against someone going off-script, and the restrained violence that is Gary Busey. These actors have to adapt and react to anything that he throws their way, which is impressive, and there is an equally undeniable brilliance to him and his antics that shines through more often than not. Ultimately, this show is clever and funny and we should be thankful that Gary Busey is going to “Get Us Two” rulings of pet justice each viewing.
