It probably should be required by law to immediately inform readers of a Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! review that it is definitely not a show everyone will enjoy. To say the show is “bizarre” is a profound understatement, but that designation will have to suffice. At once insanely juvenile and borderline genius, Tim and Eric is something that needs to be witnessed to be fully appreciated (or despised).
So what is Tim and Eric? Well, it’s a lot of things. The weekly 12-minute Adult Swim program is fundamentally a sketch comedy that deals with fake products, shows, commercials and songs with a loose storyline that may or may not be related to the aforementioned things. The show is hosted by the fearless and shameless Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, who are responsible for the previous Adult Swim cult-favorite Tom Goes to the Mayor.
Unlike Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tim and Eric is predominantly live action, though there is plenty of frantic editing that will make you question what exactly live action is. While Tim and Eric play many of the show’s unique and recurring characters, there are fantastic (and sometimes surprising) guest stars like John C. Reilly, Zach Galifianakis, Rainn Wilson, Will Forte and Bill Hader.
So far, three episodes of season four have premiered, and all have been excellent entries in the show’s oddball canon. The first episode, “Snow,” plays out like an overly cheesy sitcom from the 1980s. In the second episode, “Balls,” Eric informs Tim about how his recently implanted third testicle is helping to raise his “pizzazz” levels. “Universe” finds Tim and Eric discussing the wonders and vastness of the universe.
But the story doesn’t matter because what is happening onscreen can barely be comprehended if it is evaluated as a plot with a beginning, middle and end. Tim and Eric is more of a 12-minute blitz on your eyes and ears. Visuals will be manipulated to be deliberately over the top, and sounds will be augmented at random times for random reasons.
Yet it is not as threatening as it sounds, and actually works extremely well. It makes for something refreshingly different, and it is surprisingly amiable and approachable given how ridiculous it tries to be.
As I stated before, this show just isn’t going to pan out for everyone. There are plenty of reasons to dislike the show, and those are the exact same reasons I love it. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for something very different.