Animal Control

I went into this show not expecting much, I loved community and Joel Mchale. Wasn't sure if it would be just a comedy or not and pleasantly it's also a bit of drama. This show took a few episodes to get into the characters but now I'm hooked and always want one more episode. Once the character Rick gets introduced is when it really started to pick up. Maybe its a little predictable but I genuinely appreciate having a show to watch that gives me something to look forward to. If you enjoy Upload, Brooklyn Nine Nine, Community or The Office then I believe you'll like this one too. Can't wait for the second season to come out.

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.

Giving it a few episodes to see if it finds it's stride. I'm a big fan of Joe McHale. My only gripe at this point is the portal of an animal control department. Ive never seem a city with more than 1 Animal Control pickup working at the same time. Normally the employees are stoned and you can't get ahold of them for days. In this show. They actually patrol AND respond to calls. It's like the show writers never visited a real animal control office. Lol. Anyway. First episode wasn't terrible. I think it has potential and will definitely give it a few episodes to decide. The supporting cast is pretty good. Fingers crossed.

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.