ABC’s decision to air two episodes of The Goode Family back-to-back proved to be a masterstroke, allowing the show to truly find its comedic footing. Following a reasonably well-received pilot, questions lingered about whether The Goode Family could move beyond simplistic jokes centered on political correctness and develop characters that viewers could genuinely connect with. The challenge was to add depth and nuance, avoiding self-righteousness that might alienate the audience. This two-episode showcase, “Pleatherheads” and “Goodes Gone Wild,” effectively addressed these concerns, demonstrating the show’s potential.
“Pleatherheads”: Ubuntu’s Gridiron Dreams and Helen’s Football Frenzy
“Pleatherheads” opens with Ubuntu, ever the entrepreneur, facing another setback, this time in pottery. His latest venture, like many before, ends in frustration. He and Gerald are shown collaborating on projects aimed at saving narwhals – creatures humorously depicted as a whale-unicorn hybrid. Their neighbor, Ray, suggests a different path for Ubuntu, pointing out his size, strength, and perceived monosyllabic communication style (a playful jab at football stereotypes) as ideal for football. Gerald and Helen initially resist the idea of their son participating in such a physically demanding sport, but in their commitment to supportive parenting, they agree to let him try out. Surprisingly, Ubuntu excels, quickly demonstrating a natural talent for the game. As the episode suggests, if saving narwhals isn’t his calling, protecting a quarterback might be.
Helen’s reluctance towards football stems from a deeper, personal history. She recounts growing up in an intensely football-obsessed family, recalling memories of burning effigies of rival team dolls. She’s determined to prevent the “pigskin demon” from consuming her life again. However, after attending a few games, Helen finds herself irresistibly drawn into the fervor. She transforms into an overzealous football mom, confronting boosters for insufficient team spirit and even making confrontational calls to the opposing coach’s wife. Her transformation culminates in a Braveheart-inspired face-painting display before Homecoming, showcasing her full embrace of football mania.
Meanwhile, Gerald navigates the unfamiliar social landscape of high-fives and celebratory butt slaps as he bonds with the other football dads. He even agrees to a father-son camping trip, recognizing its importance to Ubuntu. This camping trip takes a dark comedic turn when Gerald discovers one of Greenville High’s homecoming traditions: kidnapping and sacrificing the opposing team’s mascot, a pig. Gerald, unable to condone the pig’s ritualistic demise, steps in to defend it, joined by Ubuntu, who puts his newfound blocking skills to use. In a chaotic turn of events, the rescued pig turns on Gerald, leading to porcine-induced mayhem before Gerald and Ubuntu manage to escape with the pig in their hybrid car.
Helen, fully immersed in her football frenzy, initially demands the pig’s demise upon seeing it. However, she eventually regains her composure, and she and Gerald gently explain to Ubuntu that they simply aren’t a “football family.” A compromise is reached: Ubuntu will play football as long as the pig is spared and becomes the team’s mascot, a humorous resolution that aligns with the show’s satirical tone.
Bliss’s storyline in “Pleatherheads” revolves around her college aspirations and desperate attempts to avoid community college. She feels victimized by political correctness when her school advisor suggests her race hinders her chances at top universities if she isn’t at the very top of her class. Seeking alternatives, Bliss devises a scheme to enroll in PS146, a struggling inner-city school, believing she could easily become valedictorian there. However, the administration sees through her plan and demands a bribe she can’t afford. Left with limited options, Bliss resigns herself to Greenville Community College. Overwhelmed by the prospect, she panics, setting off the fire alarm and fleeing her class. The college, in a moment of leniency, agrees not to press charges on the condition that Bliss never returns to campus, granting her wish in an ironically undesirable way. She is left to grapple with the daunting challenge of college admissions.
“Goodes Gone Wild”: Gutterball and Charlie’s Unlikely Pet
“Goodes Gone Wild” kicks off with Gerald delivering a memorable line, possibly the show’s best to date: “Look who’s coming up the drive with a big sack of poison.” This sets the stage for the arrival of Charlie, Helen’s conservative father, who intends to exterminate a raccoon just as Helen is heading to an animal rescue adoption event. Charlie’s consistent disapproval of his “hippy-dippy” daughter’s lifestyle is a recurring theme. Despite Helen’s attempts to appear unaffected, the episode reveals the deep impact her father’s judgment has on her.
Helen sets up her animal adoption booth outside “One Earth,” a Whole Foods-esque store depicted as the liberal hub of their town. She encounters her pretentious friend Margo, who dismisses animal rescue adoptions as insignificant compared to her planned massive protest in Chicago. Adding to the comedic chaos, “Animals or Else,” a militant animal rights group, arrives to criticize Helen’s “minstrel show,” arguing that all animals belong in the wild, even clearly domesticated ones like “Buttons,” a small, vulnerable animal likely to become “gator bait” if released. Margo is impressed by the group’s radical stance, while Helen desperately tries to prove her alignment with their extreme views.
The situation escalates with the arrival of a bizarre, repulsive creature resembling an obese, nearly hairless, and constantly drooling cat. The only identifying mark on this animal is a collar bearing the name “Gutterball.” Charlie reappears, subtly donating to Helen’s cause and expressing a sudden interest in adopting a pet for companionship. He develops an odd fondness for Gutterball and wants to take him in. However, Charlie’s condo prohibits pets, necessitating Gutterball to stay with The Goode Family. Helen, overriding Gerald’s objections, agrees, seeing this as a rare instance of her father finding value in her actions and wanting to maintain that positive connection.
Predictably, Gutterball unleashes a series of chaotic incidents. Yet, Charlie revels in Gutterball’s disruptive presence, carrying the creature around in a baby harness and sharing beers with it. When Gutterball’s health becomes concerning, they take him to a vet who reveals the creature is neither cat nor raccoon, but a Sri Lankan marsupial so repulsive that its mating ritual involves noxious gas and “date rape,” adding another layer of dark humor to The Goode Family‘s satire.
The Goodes, finally reaching their limit, plot to have “Animals or Else” take Gutterball away. However, Helen has a last-minute change of heart. They resort to a substitution, trapping a raccoon in their backyard and presenting it as Gutterball. The deception works, and Gutterball is sent to live in a retirement home, where the residents mistakenly believe he is a newborn baby, a darkly comedic resolution that fits the show’s absurd humor.
While the episode effectively utilizes Gutterball for comedic purposes, the reviewer expresses a personal hope that the character doesn’t become a recurring element, finding the creature visually and conceptually unsettling.
These two episodes of The Goode Family showcase the show’s strengths: sharp satire, relatable family dynamics pushed to comedic extremes, and a willingness to tackle sensitive topics with irreverence. “Pleatherheads” and “Goodes Gone Wild” solidify The Goode Family as a unique and humorous animated series.
