Animal Control

I genuinely enjoy these workplace comedies. And I love like 70% of anything that Joel McHale is in. I think it has enough potential to give it a chance to last 2-3 seasons in order to find its footing. Too many networks throw dozens of shows out there and see what sticks and abandon them before the reach their full potential (The Mick). I can only imagine if they'd cancel The Office or Parks and Rec in their infancy. The cast is diverse and they all seem like good enough comedy actors. I didn't recognize any of the writers which could bode well. I guess my gist is give the show time to breathe before dropping it.

Season 1: 7 stars (2 viewings, 1/26/2024, 8/30/2024)

There was a point in time when I was watching 10-15 different active sitcoms at once. But the ones I liked all concluded, except for GOAT It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. And I haven't found any good new ones.

After trying 20+ newer sitcoms, I finally came across one I really like in Animal Control. It reminds me of many of the traditional sitcoms from the golden age. And it fulfils the number one most important attribute of a sitcom: likeable/funny characters.

I was already familiar with Joel McHale from Community. He plays basically the same character, and he's just as entertaining as in Community. The guy that plays Shred is surprisingly charming. And I like the rest of the cast, especially Victoria.

Now I'm hoping it still gets better, especially with the laugh count. There are definitely a bunch of laugh-out-loud moments, but a lot of the runtime maxes out at amusing. We've seen similar things with other hits, where the first season is a little weaker comedically (ie. The Office, Parks & Rec). Also I think they may have sped through some romance drama a little too fast.

I had a good time with this season and am looking forward to more. I think most people will enjoy it.

Season 2: 6 stars (1 viewing, 9/2/2024)

Unfortunately, I did not feel the typical season 2 bump-up in comedy or number of laughs per episode. I wasn't really feeling the first half of the season, only laughing a few times per episode. But it finishes strong with some really good episodes. I'll watch season 3, but it needs to get better now or I don't think it will last long.

Season 3: 4 stars (1 viewing, 7/15/2025)

I just wasn't laughing. Maybe a few chuckles over the entire season. And it feels fairly cartoony. It's unfortunate, but I won't be continuing with this show.

Joel McHale struck gold with this sitcom. I actually enjoyed the premise about animal control officers in Seattle, Washington. The unit is headed by a charming attractive woman, Emily. McHale is paired up with younger Shred who was an athlete and idealistic. There is another pair of officers with a female officer from New Zealand and an Asian Indian character Patel. The four of them get into all types of trouble like attacking rabbits, snakes, peacocks, raccoons, possums, squirrels etc. I think it's a fine sitcom model and I have a preference for the standard multi camera model. Unlike a studio sitcom, Animal Control works best outside the standard norms. I still look forward to it every week.

I like the premise of Animal Control. And there have been a few genuinely funny moments (albeit very silly ones).

I'm finding the interaction between Joel McHale and Michael Rowland to be really fun. Michael Rowland is a break-out star in this series, in my opinion. He plays his character with such a sincerity that you can't help but like him. And it makes Joel McHale tormenting him all the more funny.

The reason I'm giving this a 6 instead of something higher is because of some of the weak points:

1) The show lacks some energy. It's almost there, but not quite. I think as the characters become more three-dimensional that will improve, though.

2) Grace Palmer's character needs to be dialed back a couple of notches on the sex talk. It's just not funny. Her character is just sex and drugs with an interesting Kiwi accent. However, Grace Palmer's character isn't very likeable, even though I can see that her comedic timing could be good.

3) Ravi Patel's character is B-O-R-I-N-G.

I'll continue to watch for now. I'm hoping most of my complaints above will be resolved as the show gets its legs under it. Time will tell.

I have been watching Joel McHale since Almost Live! In the late '90s. He was funny then and he is funny now.

I have watched 3 episodes and I think it has gotten better each episode. I like all of the actors, with particular kudos to Vella Lovell. She is pretty funny.

People should stop complaining about how unrealistic it is. It is TV. It is a sitcom. It's not a documentary.

Just sit back, enjoy it for what it is. Don't take it seriously, don't be offended. No animals were harmed during the making of the show.

I hope to see more episodes and that the show and characters continue to grow on me.