TVSquad

(S05E08) "Listen, when we dock, I'm gettin' a tattoo of an anaconda that's coming outta my groin region!" - Shake

Every episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force should be this good. Hands down, the best and funniest installment of the current season. This is definitely not a show that I would ever expect to have even the slightest bit of relevant social commentary, but what do I know?

With the Iraq war still a hot news item for what feels like forever, I suppose it only makes sense that by now the topic should have saturated just about everything... including ATHF.

It all started with a commercial. Warrior Gum (a.k.a. the last gum you'll ever need) ended up being a hoax. It was really meant to lure people down to the local marine recruitment office. Meatwad... well, he really likes gum and now he likes America too. I have to say, I'd be fine with him wearing that tan uniform all season. It's hilarious.

The big problem? Meatwad didn't just sign himself up. He put in papers for all three of 'em. Frylock immediately fled for Canada where he was abducted by Jigsaw (from the Saw movies). Shake made an attempt to kill himself, but he still ended up on an aircraft carrier with Meatwad -- peeling potatoes and cleaning urinals. I can only imagine what happened when their sergeant (corporal? major? captain?) found that they had stuffed all the potatoes into the urinals. "Clean enough to eat out of" is a bit of an iffy phrase if you ask me.

The whole Saw spoof was a great subplot. I can't stand any of those movies and as far as I'm concerned, they've already made three sequels too many. Watching Frylock match wits with Jigsaw (and win) was hilarious. Even funnier was the depiction of Canada. Just a red barn in the woods. Once Shake and Meatwad arrived (they deserted like Frylock), I was hoping for some more fun with Jigsaw. Seeing Shake in one of those torture contraptions would have been great.

I think the thing I liked most about this episode was how it incorporated so many different animation elements. First there was that CGI gum commercial with the guy killing a dragon. Then there was the pseudo-live action shots (might have been claymation?) of Jigsaw. Then it ended with the commercial for ATHF products -- DVDs and the video game. It was just a lot of unique elements that you don't see too often on this show and it all worked well.

Overall, really solid episode. I'd love to see a few more situations that get the Aqua Teen's out of their house and into some new locations. They could join more than just the Marines. Imagine the three of them getting gym memberships.