Plot: The adventures of the newly paroled, white, gay, rapper Chozen’s (voiced by SNL’s Bobby Moynihan) as he quests to rise atop the hip-hop game.
Chozen, the latest adult-themed FX animated series, is about a brash, outlandish, gay, white rapper named Chozen. Wait, didn’t we just mention that in the plot description? Repeat, what? That Chozen is about a brash, outlandish, gay white rapper named Chozen? Oh yeah, the lead character is totally white, gay rapper who’s outlandish and brash.
That was really annoying, right?
Well, that’s exactly how the premiere episode of FX’s new series plays out.
Every five minutes, the show obnoxiously and unfunnily reminds you of the fact that themain character is indeed: white, gay, brash, outlandish and a rapper. It’s almost as if the show is screaming, “THIS IS FUNNY, LAUGH AT THIS!” as it punches you repeatedly in the face with the same exact jokes. What makes matters worse is that the jokes only get louder and more in-your-face as the episode continues without getting any funnier. It’s an unnerving experience and one that will undoubtedly turn first-time viewers into last time viewers.
Chozen has a lot of potential to be an enjoyable series. First, it’s beautifully animated. It’s very similar to the style of Archer, but a little smoother and more fluid. Second, the cast is full of legit stars — Moynihan, Nick Swardson, Danny McBride, Michael Pena, Method Man, Hannibal Burress and Kathryn Hahn. Oh and the music, not half bad. If the show would stop telling us how original the concept of the series is every chance it gets, one could actual appreciate the fact this show’s premise is pretty outside the box.
However, it’s the constant barrage of unfunny reminders of the central character’s crude behavior, his homosexuality and his penchant for being a raging douchebag that inhibits one from truly enjoying all the positives of Chozen. Even as talented as the cast is, they’re pretty much all directed to deliver all their lines so over-the-top that it’s almost excruciating to listen to at time. Only McBride’s character, a low-life Peeping Tom who will become Chozen’s manager, is the only understated character. And because of this, he’s also the most enjoyable and funniest character on the show.
Sadly, despite all it’s pedigree and promise, Chozen’s premiere was a massive turn-off. It tried way too hard to impress the audience with all its originality, instead of letting the talent and content speak for itself. Hopefully the show will improve with time, but this reviewer isn’t sticking around to see if it will.
Related Articles
Review: Archer, Season 4 Premiere (Joel Wosk)
Review: The Venture Brothers, Season 5 Premiere (Justin Matchick)
Review: South Park, The Hobbit – 2013 Season Finale (Jason Stives)
A very fair assessment, but bear in mind, this was a pilot episode. Every pilot has a lot of exposition and most are redundant. Give another episode or two before you abandon this show. Like you wrote, this show has potential.