Fox's stay in Duncanville has come to an end. The summer animated comedy has been canceled by Fox after three low-rated seasons. Co-created by and starring Amy Poehler, the series ran for 33 episodes over its run on Fox. A further six episodes were produced as part of its Fox order. Instead of burning those episodes off on Fox, they will be exclusive to Hulu, a streamer whose parent network has an ownership stake in Duncanville. Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Joy Osmanski, Wiz Khalifa, Rashida Jones, Yasir Lester, Zach Cherry and Betsy Sodaro make up the remainder of the series' principal cast. This is a correct prediction for The TV Ratings Guide.
While they generally show disdain and disgust for each other, Duncan and Kimberly don't often get into heated physical fights that cause pain and property damage. They may frequently hurl insults at each other, but it rarely goes far beyond that. All that is thrown out the window in 'Sibling Revelry', an episode that ramps up the dysfunctional aspect of the brother-sister duo and places their unhinged fighting on full display. Although their brawls may come off as exaggerated and over-the-top, those scenes help push a plotline that puts the two in a riveting, new environment with legitimate danger in sight.
After the brawls between Kimberly and Duncan become out of control, Annie and Jack decide to send them off to Trust Falls therapy camp so they can work their problems out. As they become acquainted with their new setting, viewers are met with the fact that the Harris siblings can be smart when they decide to be. Instead of continuing to put up a fight like the other kids, Duncan and Kimberly pretend to be kind to each other and work together in order to decrease the amount of time they have to stay at camp. Unfortunately, that minor stroke of genius is canceled out by their stupidity when they reveal to the counselors that they've been putting on an act and then plummet off a zipline into the forest beneath them.
The installment really shines during this portion, with the action and suspense working overtime to create some genuinely exciting moments. Ultimately, it was a stellar move to cut the camp scenes short to make room for some engaging, Survivor-esque scenarios. In particular, seeing the two being chased onto a decaying bridge by a raging moose definitely raised the stakes to a higher level than usual. On top of that, the way this story rapidly escalates makes 'Sibling Revelry' all the more entertaining. Only a series like Duncanville could transition from the kids fighting to them being shipped to therapy camp to the two fending for themselves in the wild. All this culminates with the Harris siblings finally coming closer together and Annie getting the most from her $2,000 investment. Considering the breakneck pacing that the episode embodies, it does feel a bit refreshing to see 'Sibling Revelry' end on a calmer note.
As Duncan and Kimberly duke it out in the wilderness, Jing is able to absorb the undivided attention of her parents for the first time. But, she soon realizes that she does not enjoy their constant presence as much as she thought she did. Given the fact that most subplots are unrelated to the main story, it's satisfying that the B-story is a direct result of the central plotline. Jing works best as a comic relief, so it is somewhat awkward to have her character do most of the heavy-lifting in the dialogue department. Still, her "wise beyond her years" shtick remains fairly charming, especially as Annie and Jack morph into child-like figures who need Jing's assistance. If nothing else, this functions as an amusing role reversal that may not make viewers laugh out loud but will likely elicit a chuckle or two.
'Sibling Revelry' is another strong episode in a second season that feels more ambitious than the first. The writers of the sitcom feel determined to switch up the scenery and character dynamics for each installment, resulting in every outing having its own, distinct atmosphere to it. Duncanville continues to be fun, airy viewing that can catch you off-guard with unexpected sight gags and occasionally tug at your heartstrings.
Stray Thoughts
It doesn't appear that the pandemic exists in the Duncanville universe so it was odd to hear Jack say he got a stimulus check.
Another minor character from season 1, Bradley, makes a reappearance.
"If You Give a Moose a Muffin"
While it would be nice to see more of Mr. Mitch, the summer setting probably makes that unlikely.
After an episode that delved deeper into Duncan's relationship with his father Jack, it only makes sense that mother Annie gets her chance to form a tighter bond with the titular character. 'Who's Vroomin' Who?' fully embraces the racecourse backdrop that happens to be the main setting of the installment. As a result, the episode showcases some unbridled chaos in the form of violent car crashes and fiery turmoil. That wild energy ultimately makes up for a story that mostly plays it safe, resulting in an exhilarating twenty-two minutes.
Following her failed attempt at trying to reconnect with Duncan through bowling, Annie is able to build a closer connection with her son through their shared interest of stock car racing. What really drives this simplistic storyline to solid status is the addition of explosive racing sequences that are peppered throughout the half-hour. A great deal of excitement comes from seeing Duncan and Annie zoom past other cars while sabotaging unexpecting drivers, thus leading them to a fiery crash. This type of lawless cartoon violence fits perfectly in Duncanville's wheelhouse, with the series knowing not to steer into outright gory territory like the average Seth MacFarlane toon.
Even as Duncan achieves success on the racetrack, he becomes embarrassed with the fact that his fans fondly refer to him as "Momma's Boy". This detail only seems to come up for the sake of adding some conflict in the second-act, and it gets resolved rather quickly when it turns out that Duncan is an awful driver without Annie's assistance. Nonetheless, this detour leads to the storyline closing out in a pleasant manner. Duncan realizes he may need his mom more than he thinks and Annie decides to give her son more space to hang with his friends and be a teenager. These development will likely be erased by the time the next episode rolls around, but it still works as a satisfying way to cap things off. The eccentric comedic elements coupled with a dash of heart results in an enjoyable ride, even if the emotional beats are rather predictable.
The side-plot of this installment once again focuses on the pairing of Kimberly and Jing. As Jack attempts to renovate Jing's room, the youngest Harris sibling moves in with Kimberly and ends up growing much closer to her. Considering the two were having a great time just an episode earlier in 'Duncan's New Word', it feels a bit off-putting that they initially have a difficult time connecting with one another. But, it's commonplace for sitcoms with low stakes to reset relationship dynamics at the start of a new outing, and the comedy more than makes up for the inconsistency in continuity. Jing has been the breakout character since the show's debut and her easygoing, happy-go-lucky attitude bounces off the stressed, agitated Kimberly rather well, even getting the latter to soften up as a result of her cheerful attitude. In the midst, Jack works on Jing's room and ends up having a meltdown over what role model he wants his daughter to see on her walls. Since he has always been the most well-meaning character in the series, it makes perfect sense that Jack would become so frustrated with this task. Despite that, it would be nice if some of that confidence from the confrontation with his father spilled into his current demeanor.
'Who's Vrooming Who?' may not appear as ambitious as 'Duncan's New Word' in the storytelling department, but it definitely packs in more action than the previous two installments. On top of supplying a nice amount of amusing pop culture references and callbacks, Duncanville plays around with its format just enough to continuously keep its episodes fresh. 'Who's Vrooming Who?' confirms that the series is still firing on all cylinders and further reaffirms that the Amy Poehler cartoon remains worthy of weekly viewing.
Stray Thoughts
Annie doing a perfect Duncan impression is a great reference to the fact that Amy Poehler voices both characters.
The Stay at Gnome dads from season 1's "Red Head Redemption" could be seen in the bleachers.
The driver crashing his car after Annie flashed him with a "Hillary 2024" shirt caught me completely off-guard. Might be the best joke of the night.
In its 11-episode first season, Duncanville felt much like a hybrid between two other Fox animation staples. The series took the grounded, sunny atmosphere of classic Simpsons and fused it with a tamer version of the outlandish shock humor prevalent in modern Family Guy. The result was a clever comedy that never took itself too seriously but still made room for the occasional touching moment. While the first-half of the season two premiere doesn't mess with the established tone of the Amy Poehler toon, it does give the characters a new setting to work off of. Vacation episodes are a staple of family-based cartoons and sitcoms as a whole, with 'Das Banana Boot' not straying too far away from the standard setup that these installments follow.
The story begins with Duncan being informed by his teacher Mr. Mitch (Wiz Khalifia) that he does not have to go to summer school this year. For the first time in his academic career, Duncan is free to enjoy his summer break once he completes the Presidential Fitness Test. After a humorous first act involving Duncan's attempt at passing said exam, the entire family heads off to their getaway. The main plot centers on Annie (Amy Poehler) and Jack (Ty Burrell) getting away from the kids and finding a young couple to hang out with (Nick & Nina). Annie, being her typical, no-nonsense self, disapproves of the two while Jack, always desperate to please others, becomes infatuated with Nick. Although the concept of a wife and husband attempting to recapture their youth has been done to death, and already tackled in Season 1's 'Sister, Wife', the Duncanville writers throw in a twist that makes the story a lot more engaging. Chaos ensues after Jack & Annie decide to cut ties with their new friends, with Nick & Nina taking away their banana boat in retaliation. The fight that occurs as the family tries to take back the boat is equal parts thrilling and amusing. After that comes the shocking reveal that the new couple has died, resulting in the family frantically trying to cover up their deaths. That's topped immediately after with the revelation that the two deliberately faked their deaths in order to avoid paying for their hotel room. Although Nick and Nina, voiced by Adam Scott and Aubrey Plaza, do drive the story and raise the stakes, they mostly feel pointless in the grand scheme of things. There's nothing particularly interesting about either character, outside of the fact that their get-together with Poehler serves as a mini-Parks & Recreation reunion.
Even though they receive less screen time than the adults, the sub-plots featuring the Harris children are more engaging as a whole. Duncan spends his vacation heartbroken after seeing his crush Mia talking to another boy. Duncan consults Kimberly for help and hilarity ensues as she throws Duncan at two college girls to snap a photo for his Instagram feed, all to make Mia feel jealous. Kimberly herself undergoes a complete makeover to impress the boys at school but ends up finding a boy that feels like just as much of a social outcast as she does. Meanwhile, Jing, the youngest of the three, spends her stay trying to make a drawing worthy of being hung up on the fridge. All the subplots are driven by the insecurities that the three face, resulting in scenes that feel rather relatable at their core. On top of that, each scenario is mined for just enough comedic gold needed to satisfy viewers. None of the plots overstay their welcome and everyone ultimately gets the happy ending that they longed for.
'Das Banana Boot' is an endearing and exciting return that delivers a sufficient amount of comedy and action to shake off the formulaic nature of vacation episodes. It's quite entertaining to see the Harris clan in a new environment, and the episode manages to throw out enough bombshells to keep viewers on edge. In addition, the fact that Annie, Jack, and the kids were willing to cover up the death of Nick & Nina gives the events of the episode a bit of a sinister edge, even after it's revealed that the pair is still alive. But, that element only further establishes that Duncanville remains in a class of its own and does enough to differentiate itself from the pack.
Stray Thoughts
The King of Queens references were unexpected but definitely appreciated.
The president in the series looks a little too much like Kamala Harris.
The use of Alice Cooper's School's Out was very fitting, especially since Cooper voiced himself in the second episode of season one.
Grade: B+
Season 2, Episode 2: Duncan's New Word
Photo Credit: Fox
Up until this point, the relationship between Duncan and Jack has mainly been played for laughs. Duncan has never had much respect for his dad nor taken him very seriously. It has also been clear that Jack wants to remain in the Phil Dunphy-esque role of being the fun dad who rarely ever raises his voice or makes his kids mad. His reasons for being such a friendly father are explained in a harrowing fashion in 'Duncan's New Word'. As Duncan learns to feel some empathy and Jack taps into his inner-rage, the father and son duo finds some new-found respect and love for each other.
The episode starts with Duncan being his normal, apathetic self, refusing to properly do his chores and opting to stay out past his curfew with his friends. After Annie tells Jack to stop being such a pushover, he reluctantly goes into the diner to confront his son and is completely emasculated when Duncan drops an F-bomb to his face. As Duncan basks in the glory of being labeled a rebellious hero at his school, Mr. Mitch gives a heartfelt chat that helps him unlock a sense of empathy for his father. The character of Mr. Mitch works well as a comic relief, but it's definitely a welcome surprise when he exposes his more sincere side. Later on, Jack tells Duncan that he respects Duncan for swearing at him, because he himself never had the guts to do it to his father. Even if their purpose is to make the audience laugh, the flashbacks that feature a young Jack being abused by his father are absolutely gutting to watch. This makes Jack's decision to go confront his bitter father in the retirement home all the more satisfying.
After initially appearing like a nicer guy than before, it turns out that Jack's dad is only kind when he's taken his pills. Despite praising him a few minutes earlier, he reverts to the cruel man he was and begins to belittle Jack for not having the courage to tell him off. It isn't until Jack's father has the nerve to throw a ball at Duncan that Jack taps into his inner-rage and utters the most cathartic line of the entire episode. Words cannot describe how refreshing it was to see Jack berate his abusive father with a simple "F**k you", especially after seeing the trauma he faced at his hands throughout the years. What makes the confrontation even better is that Duncan now has some respect for his father that he didn't before. Jack does not have to verbally-abuse or demean Duncan to be a good dad, but he was also able to channel enough anger to chastise his bully of a father.
Over in the B-plot, Kimberly and Jing use the window of time where their parents are too focused on Duncan's outburst to do whatever they want. If nothing else, it's pleasant that the two are able to get along despite their age difference. Many animated sitcoms feature brothers and sisters that are far too dysfunctional to have a proper connection while Duncanville generally showcases that the siblings in the series have a fairly tight bond. The two are eventually caught in the act by Annie after they try to ride her old horse/police partner, effectively ending their streak of disobedience. While the main story easily overshadows this more mellow one, it's still a worthy addition to the installment.
'Duncan's New Word' might very well be the best episode of the series thus far, with the masterfully-constructed storyline making viewers legitimately furious with the way Jack was treated by his father in the past. Considering that his character is simply too nice for his own good, it was incredible that he was finally able to assert himself and stand up to his resentful father. The brilliant payoff scene finally gives Jack a much-needed win and redeems himself in the eyes of Duncan. This outing proves that Duncanville has more to offer than laughs alone and gives their characters more depth than they had before.
Stray Thoughts
"Peacock & Chill" and "HBO Max & Wax" were two of the best lines.
Mr. Mitch is currently my favorite character.
It's nice that Duncan didn't give Jack's dad the pills. It was better for Jack to see that his dad was the same bitter man that he remembered.
From Post Malone to AOC, there were so many hilarious pop-culture references in this one.
