Channel Surfing: Out There - "Ace's Wild"

Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.

IFC is a peculiar channel right now. After establishing themselves as a film channel, they have slowly begun creating an empire of comedy that, as their tagline suggests, is "Always on, slightly off." The channel isn't striving for the same level of Comedy Central's choice to give a comic of the month their own show, but strives to appeal to the alternative comedy scene demographic that came to see reruns of Arrested Development and Mr. Show. One of their premiere shows, Portlandia, has been a huge success and paved the way for Comedy Bang! Bang! and future TV recap subject: Maron. 

But there was one show that didn't quite look as flashy as the other counterparts. Out There is a series created by Ryan Quincy that dealt with high school life. The twists include that they are played by bizarre looking animated creatures and it almost feels like a hybrid between the Wonder Years and very lenient behavior that calls for cursing and some very perverse notions. Of course, what keeps it grounded is that it is more earnest and aware that these characters have heart. It may at times keep the show feeling too subdued, but within the first 10 episodes, it is a nice warm hug of a show that just happened to deal with arson, bullying, drugs and the Oedipus Complex. Out There may be too mellow to become a runaway hit, but with guest voices by the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Nick Offerman, and Ellen Page, the show is definitely building its own community nicely.

In the season finale, "Ace's Wild," we follow protagonist Chad (Quincy) as he tries to stop being invisible. While his best friend Chris (Justin Roiland) becomes the bad boy scoring girls left and right, he begins to contemplate life. Then, yearbook girls (voiced by Sarah Silverman and Page) befriend him and they quickly bond over each other's enjoyment of botching people's legacies by making fun of them in the yearbook. Chad's artistic skills help to get him on the inside track as he draws diapers and insulting things all over pictures.

There is more to it, but what makes this episode and the series in general fascinating is that it never feels uncomfortable, even when it's doing something wrong. The pinnacle of the series' darkness came in "Joanie Loves Terry" in which Chris manages to get his mom's boyfriend Terry (Fred Armisen) in a noose that almost kills him. While the intent was to just trap him, it turns into a series of guilt trips that open up to Chris and Terry having a more reasonable discussion over how they perceive each other. It isn't exactly solved, but it plays out not with over dramatics, but with sincerity, which is a nice change of pace.

In "Ace's Wild," similar things happen, but it involves Chris becoming the wild man. This is meant to make him look foolish in the yearbook. Through a string of events, he fakes his death to become more sympathized in the yearbook only to trick the yearbook girls into being insulted. At very least, this show provides even handed reactions and lessons in a way that almost feels like the alternative comics who star on the show would have acted in high school, or if they just restaged the entirety of the Wonder Years. Thus lies the brilliance.

At the core of Out There, it is a show about the relationships in our lives and how they form over the course of the high school years. While Chris and Terry are a more extreme example, Chad's relationship with his father (John DiMaggio) and mother (Megan Mullally) are not based in a world of rebellion, but misunderstanding, including episodes built around the typical tropes of parents thinking that their kids are on drugs, having sex, or just not respecting them. At the end, everything works out and it may at times feel a little debilitating, but with the humble approach to rude comedy, it provides something unique and leaves the more awkward situations feeling more complacent and normal.

I really hope that this show comes back because I feel like it is just starting to understand why it is great. While the show definitely had some gems, the characters weren't entirely there just yet. Season one was heavily about back story and how Chad found his place in the world by getting a job and standing up to bullies. True, the people who surround him were at times ridiculously off the wall, but his humdrum personality helped to ground it. In many ways, it feels like the animated equivalence to Freaks and Geeks (Linda Cardellini has appeared on both) if the show was allowed to be more risque with language. It isn't as immediately cemented with iconic characters, but there is still potential.

Of all of the characters on the show, I did enjoy the family dynamic the most. John DiMaggio as the father was especially interesting, if just because his voice seems comical in an uptight father figure because of his history of playing Bender (Futurama) and Jake (Adventure Time). He is probably one of my more favorite animated fathers of the past few seasons of TV, if just because he has managed to be that responsible parent while also being the understanding one. My highlight for him? When looking for drugs in Chad's room, he realizes that he is being too hard on him and instead decides to get high without punishing anyone.
However, if there was real discussion on who my favorite was from the entire show, it is probably the least developed. He hasn't been provided enough of a back story nor has he really been crucial to a central plot: Jay (Kate Micucci), Chad's younger brother. What makes him so endearing, besides his simplicity, is that he is such a free spirit. While Chad is growing up and having trouble, Jay is the one who is curious and consistently wants to tag along. He doesn't exactly know what's going on, but his enthusiasm seems so awkward.

Jay is one of those great characters that just happens to be a sidekick at this point. He doesn't so much get in trouble as he just happens to be in his own world. What makes Out There great is that this fantastical little world almost works as a subplot in every episode and also serves as comedic relief for when Chad is dealing with heavier issues. There isn't anything too insulting about him on the show. He is just a young kid who wants to belong.
I know this may seem like more of a recap than a column on "Ace's Wild," but I assure you that the series came to an end on a high note. With a monologue by Chad that basically says: "Visibility is overrated. The people you give a shit about will always see you clearly." That is a running theme in the first batch of episodes that started with Chad's awkward romance with Sharla (Cardellini) and continued into a formed bond with Chris that has become the show's main ingredient. Out There may not be pushing boundaries, but it is reminding us to care about others in a fresh and exciting way.: