TV Retrospective: "Baskets" - Season 1

Scene from Baskets
In 2009, The Hangover premiered with as a raucous comedy hit that featured plenty of wild antics. Among them was the curious oddball named Zach Galifianakis, whose performance as emotionally unstable brother made him into an instant star. The issue is that in the films (both in the franchise and otherwise) to follow, Galifianakis proved to not be suited for comedy superstardom. His humor was too dry yet surreal, as if he took his lessons from [adult swim] comedy. With Baskets, he finds the perfect vehicle for himself to do whatever he wants in the most absurd and affecting comedy of 2016 so far. With a cast that features Louie Anderson as his Costco-loving mother, the tale of Chip Baskets' fall from grace as a French clown that settles for a gig at a Bakersfield, California rodeo; he makes the 10 episodes into one of the most wonderfully dark shows that is too weird to last. It's highbrow art with lowbrow jokes. In a sense, it's sort of perfect.
Much like Galifianakis' career, it is best to not get the joke. The tone of the show is deathly serious despite one episode featuring a Juggalo who ends the episode by working at an Arby's. The journey is one of melancholy as Chip sees  his dreams fail and the life around him makes less and less sense. His twin brother (also Galifianakis) lives the perfect life that only eats away at Chip's soul. Of course, Chip is in some ways aimless and unable to find a silver lining in a season that ends with the tragic death of his mother and the revelation that his father committed suicide. For a show that lays on the uncomfortable humor really thick, there's a certain emotional core that connects the show and makes it an interesting companion piece to recent failed artist stories such as Rick Alverson's Entertainment.
The obvious question is: Who is this show for? In all honesty, it is likely to isolate audiences looking for Galifianakis to pull some old The Hangover gags out. What this more embodies is his early stand-up days as seen on Live at the Purple Onion. In this special, he would mix in routines that were absurdist, such as a baby with a beard; with some scripted scenes that featured the introduction of his quaint brother (who in that cased loved The Fugees). It isn't entirely clear how Galifianakis upgraded from playing venues the size of The Purple Onion. He's just as confusing and possibly isolating in ways that go against the norm of traditional TV. Maybe the series isn't as surreal as producer Louis C.K.'s own FX series Louie, but it makes up for it in the prolonged beats and casual misunderstandings that erupt in the simpleminded characters. At times it is more of a drama. At others, it's more of a comedy. Most of the time it's both, but you're unsure what the right reaction is. 
It seems like a miracle that Baskets got picked up for a second season. Much like The Last Man on Earth's premise, the idea is too strange and confusing to really market. The best that can be done is to watch Galifianakis get hit by a bull while in a clown costume. In a sense, this is the perfect clash of tones, creating television that is above its competition by suggesting the complexities of the real world while trying to mine comedy from small nuances. It is Galifianakis at his best. In fact, it is possibly the greatest thing that Anderson has ever done (and trust me, the man-as-woman gag doesn't distract too much). The show is earnest yet scathing in ways that will confuse you, and that's not a bad thing.
Still, the show has yet to deliver a moment as powerful as its opening sequence in which Chip sits in a French clown class without subtitles. In the scene, he is out of place despite following a quasi-Sabrina dream. It is a test to the audience as well. Even in English in Bakersfield, Chip makes no sense to us. Over the 10 episodes, we come to understand a lot about his failed dreams, including many flashbacks to Paris. However, the idea feels like we'll never fully understand why he's bitter or depressed. He has romances that he left behind for clueless assistants. He has nothing, really. Yet he's a clown. We're supposed to laugh. He is the depressed Pagliachi/doctor joke played out over five hours. Thankfully it never tires for those who give into the weird tone.
Baskets is a show that perfectly embodies the Galifianakis aesthetic and sets a high bar for new comedies this year. With a premise that is already a little disarming, it is hard to see this show lasting for very long. Still, it will go down as a weird, inventive series that pushed the boundaries of what comedy could do as well as play with the dramatic devices that are often used in a saccharine manner. Here we see an artist at play, and it's not always the most lively thing to witness. Still, as a depiction of failure and depression, it manages to be one of the most fascinating shows of the kind. In a perfect world, this show will last just as long as Louie and make Galifianakis into a comedy auteur in a way that The Hangover failed him. Here's hoping that whatever happens next, it's just as weird, funny, surreal, and depressing as what we've seen so far.


Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Comments