I once had emergency surgery on Halloween. (Never mind for what.) As they doped me up, a psychedelic clown ambled up to wheel me into the operation. And no, the sparkles and colors were not due to medication - it was just the festive spirit of Halloween.
So when "the other Mrs. Smalls" has to deal with doctors in costume in Sunday's Home Movies very special birth episode "Coffins & Cradles," it was easy to relate. Of course, this subversive yet sneakily realistic cornerstone of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim also takes it to wackier extremes. When eight-year-old Brendan tries to comfort his stepmother in labor, the two end up in a profanity laden shouting match while the obstetrician ponders the quality of the boy's latest script.
Because it's Adult Swim, that's just about the most normal moment in the evening Cartoon Network subtitled "We'll Kill You." Scheduled for broadcast Sunday night, October 26 from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., the channel has put together a suitably sick and twisted program block for those who like their humor dark and their moments awkward. But then, we expect nothing less.
That episode of Home Movies actually ends the evening - first come the wild flights of fancy that would fit nowhere else on the schedule. (Brendan Small's mock childhood remiscences always seem out of place, with a different sensibility than the other shows.) Kicking the whole thing off? America's favorite teenager (provided it's a post-apocalyptic America), Brak, who discovers that Zorak tastes just like green chicken.
Space Ghost doesn't seem to share that sentiment later on, as he suffers the Curse of Kintave. Placed by Futureman, the curse forces the heroic talk show host to feed on "humanoid" flesh. (Nice semantics.) Not even Moltar's protests that he'll burn the roof of the host's mouth can save him. However, you'll cheer when Emo Phillips gets devoured.
Oddly enough, the episode of Sealab 2021 comes off as the least horrific. With the station overrun by Bizarro versions of the crew ("they seemed so nice…"), the episode is the usual masterful exercise in exploring the beauty and the usefulness of the pause for comedic effect. Superman fans might get a little ticked, as these Bizarros aren't chalk white and don't have problems with their syntax - though definitely strange in appearance, it's their incessant use of "bizarre" as an adjective that really sets them apart.
And of course, there's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which usually defies description.
The whole evening is hosted by Brak's Dad, who, according to the Cartoon Network press release, "…will meet an untimely death over and over again, all for the enjoyment of viewers between the ages of 18 and 34." Unfortunately, the review tape didn't include these, but I'm pretty sure I would have enjoyed it.
So I guess I'll have to watch Sunday night.
What: Adult Swim "We'll Kill You"
When: Sunday, October 26
What Time: 11:30 p.m. ET, PT
Where: Cartoon Network
