TV Review: Comedy Central’s Raunchy, Ridiculous ‘Workaholics’ Returns For Third Season

Printer-friendly versionE-mail page to friendPDF version

CHICAGO – “Workaholics” has seriously grown on me. Oh, it’s still amazingly stupid TV but I have to admit that I was surpised at how much I welcomed the return of three man-children who Beavis and Butthead would probably fire. Only “Workaholics” could start their third season with an episode called “The Business Trip” and make it about a bad acid “trip.” Hallucinate with “Workaholics” and start your Summer right.

TV Rating: 3.5/5.0

The first two seasons of “Workaholics” were recently released on Blu-ray in one combo disc (and the second season on DVD) and I worked my way through them to find that the show had developed a much more confident rhthym in its sophomore season and that confidence is still there. Oh, these guys are still total, absolute morons, the kind that would never survive in the real world, but they’re more likably stupid than when the show began and the program has started to approach the societal satire level of works that inspired it like “Beavis and Butthead” and “Office Space.” We’re all idiots. These guys just have less desire to hide it.

Workaholics
Photo credit: Comedy Central

In the premiere, the three guys — Blake Anderson, Adam DeVine, and Anders Holm — plan an acid trip (bubble wrap in the house, black lights, perimeter shock collars so they don’t leave the “safety” of their house) only to have it fall apart when Ders has to go on an actual business trip. Refusing to give up on their family friend time, Blake and Adam follow Ders on his trip and try to get him to do acid in his hotel room between business meetings. Naturally, they get distracted by pay-per-view porn while Anders tries to woo an important client. And then way too many people get involved with the acid.

If you’re familiar with the world of “Workaholics” — one that plays not unlike those National Lampoon comedies about people who barely graduated from college and are TOTALLY not prepared for the work world — you would know that an acid trip at a hotel is a pretty standard plotline for this series. And that’s kind of what I like about it. “Workaholics” is DUMB comedy but it takes smart people to make comedy this stupid. While some may assume that these morons are just playing themselves, it’s just not the case. You can’t “dumb” into comic timing that’s often as tight as it is here.

And I appreciate the show’s willingness to “go there.” Unlike a lot of network sitcoms that think they’re being edgy with a few jokes about drinking and sleeping around (“Rules of Engagement” and “Two and a Half Men” come to mind), “Workaholics” is not messing around. With more bleeped curse words than a Lil Wayne video, blurred-out nudity, and comedy writing that’s very willing to go dark (one person’s acid trip goes badly enough that she threatens to melt her face off with an iron), “Workaholics” is unlike anything else on television.

“Workaholics: Season 1 & 2”

Blu-ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

If you don’t believe me, check out the excellent “Workaholics: Season 1 & 2: Combo Doggy,” hitting Blu-ray next week, June 5, 2012 (why they wouldn’t release it in ADVANCE of the season premiere is a mystery I can’t solve). With every episode from the first two seasons, you can zone out to behavior that’s (hopefully) more moronic than anything you’ve ever done before for over seven hours.

Workaholics
Photo credit: Comedy Central

Synopsis:
Workaholics, Comedy Central’s hit series that follows three friends fresh out of college who live and work together as telemarketers is now available on Blu-ray! The crew spends their days scheming together to avoid doing any real work and their nights looking for good times. Join Anders, Blake and Adam as the first two seasons unfold bringing all 20 hysterical episodes into one wild fully torqued experience.

Special Features:
o New Season One Behind the Scenes - Countdown to V-Town: Lead Up to the Series Premiere
o Inside the Writers’ Room for Season Two
o Cast Interviews
o Bloopers
o Deleted Scenes & Alternate Takes
o Live at Bonnaroo
o Drunkmentary on All Episodes
o And More

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com