The Dog Ate My Soul

Rarely does a television show's basic premise seem so far-fetched that you can't believe it made it to air. Wilfred on FX (and later FXX) fits that bill. The titular Wilfred is a dog, but not just any dog. In the mind and vision of protagonist Ryan Newman (played by Elijah Wood), Wilfred appears to be a talking man dressed in a dog costume (series co-creator Jason Gann). Ryan's also, unfortunately, the only person who can see Wilfred this way, which leads to a lot of awkward and unexplainable situations with his friends and family. No one ever really catches on, but there are a lot of close calls. The show begins with Ryan being depressed and suicidal after leaving his abusive father's law firm. With no clear direction or purpose in his life, Ryan and Wilfred strike up a friendship after Wilfred's owner Jenna moves in next door.


I definitely wouldn't characterize the anthropomorphized Wilfred as a "good dog." He cheats, lies, steals, and does anything necessary to get what he wants (as well as smokes weed and has sex with a giant teddy bear). Co-creator David Zuckerman perfectly describes Wilfred as “part Labrador retriever and part Russell Crowe on a bender.”

Despite all of this, Ryan's growth and recovery throughout the progression of the show are due in large part to Wilfred's antics. Each episode concentrates on one word or idea and explores that concept as it applies to Ryan's personality or relationships with his family and Jenna. Although Wilfred is incredibly self-involved, his deepest motivation is to help Ryan and make him a better person. Many of the show's sweetest and funniest moments are Wilfred and Ryan having fun in the basement where they often talk about Wilfred's obsession with Matt Damon and smoke an excessive amount of pot.

Wilfred really shines in its portrayal of mental illness, existential exploration, romantic relationships, and family strife. Although a lot of the life lessons and moral platitudes make the show repetitive and sometimes one-note, Ryan and Wilfred's likability and charm shine through and make it a program worth watching.

Wilfred is currently wrapping up its fourth and final season on FXX. The first three seasons can be streamed on Netflix.