Monsters of Television

“Just because you say you’re retiring doesn’t mean you’re retiring. You could be like Jay-Z and come back like a couple of months later.”

Is this the end? The season three finale of The Boondocks could very well be the last episode of the show. Going into it with that in mind, there are many reasons why this not only felt like a series finale, but was a very appropriate one at that. Agent Jack Bauer Flowers is after Huey in connection with an impending terrorist attack in Woodcrest. What follows is an action movie inspired, 24 spoof episode utilizing characters and elements all related to our favorite ten-year-old terrorist: Huey Freeman.

The White Shadow (John C. McGinley) makes a much appreciated reappearance to warn Huey that his paranoia is finally merited. Men with guns are coming for him despite the fact that he has retired from the anti-establishment game. Huey’s planning and paranoia were a subject touched on a few episodes ago in “Fried Chicken Flu” but this put it in arenas more suited for Huey’s know-how. Instead of a zombie invasion like scenario he was finally placed right in the middle of a large conspiracy. Ed and Rummy are planning on blowing up Wuncler Plaza in connection with a new scheme by Ed Sr. and Huey is set up to take the fall for it.

While Robert and Riley were absent through the majority of the episode, a number of other players had a role in the story. Ruckus, Huey’s sometimes friend (“It’s a black President, Huey Freeman”) and sometimes foe (“…Or Die Trying”) filled both roles in this episode. Initially an adversary who wanted Huey rightfully caught and detained, the two had to end up working together to save a security guard when Wuncler Plaza starts to go up in smoke. Their changing relationship within the episode existed as a comment on their relationship throughout the shows run. Again, dunno if the show is over now but a lot of things can be read a certain way thinking it is so.

Such as the use of Ed Sr., Ed, and Rummy as the villains. Ed Sr. is the personification of “The Man” on The Boondocks. The old rich white man who doesn’t care about people and wants to be even more ridiculously rich than he already is. He’s an all too obvious villain and is typically how the show looks at the greedy and evil upper class. Ed and Rummy personify two different aspects of the gangsta mentality. While Rummy is more business minded, Ed is all violence and chaos.

Ed Sr. recruits Rummy and his grandson to blow up Wuncler Plaza and kill the security guard, Dan the Security Man, inside. Dan is a very popular Obama hater who frequently calls in to a local radio talk show. By killing him, Ed Sr. plans on making a fortune selling shirts, books, bumper stickers, action figures and the like all with Dan’s face on them. Sounds a bit like the death and subsequent memorabilia explosion of a certain King of Pop. Conspiracy theory? Of course.

When word of this attack gets out, super agent Jack Flowers is sent to apprehend Huey and get info out of him by utilizing his special interrogation technique: kicking dudes in the nuts. Yes, Jack is really good at kicking guys in the testicles. Sure he yells a lot and is good with a gun like his obvious CTU counterpart Jack Bauer, but when worse comes to worst he opts for a boot to the balls. Jack pursues Huey for the majority of the episode but upon learning that Ed Wuncler is behind the attack and that Wuncler is apparently above the law and shall not be apprehended, he decides to go rogue and teams up with Huey and Ruckus to save the day.

All of these elements make for your typical action movie recipe. Big business conspiracy, hero with a shifty past framed, hunted down, eventually has to help stop the real bad guy, etc. So in a season where the show has enjoyed playing in different genres (Asian, revenge, zombie) the finale gives us a great The Boondocks take on action.

Grouped with the character work and genre play is a slightly humorous attack on the iphone. Now iphone (or Apple in general) bashing is nothing new (see: Futurama – “Attack of the Killer App” from earlier this summer season) and The Boondocks certainly takes its turn. Ed uses his new iphone, which is apparently bulletproof and will still work after being inserted in a woman’s butt, for planning their entire caper. He uses the GPS, bought the C4 using his Amazon app. It can do everything! Except make phone calls as Rummy points out. Ha ha. We get it, the iphone has shitty service. While this shtick wasn’t anything new, Ed’s idiocy and excitement kept it from being completely blah.

In the end, Huey and company save the day and stop Wuncler’s evil plan. Well…kind of. Just as jack is about to take him into custody he gets a call from Obama himself pardoning Ed Sr. of his crimes. Well shit. But that’s not the important part. As Robert notes as he and Riley pick Huey up: Huey was finally right. “Imagine all the problems we could avoid if we ever start listening to you. Oh well!” A lesson learned but easily dismissed. A great way to justify continued disbelief in Huey’s theories should the show continue past this episode.

So if this is the end of The Boondocks, I’m mostly satisfied. Huey is the main character so an episode built around his paranoia coming to life is a reasonable ending. As far as wrapping his character stuff up though, I would have liked some Jazmine. And as a fan of ensemble casts, I would have liked to see some everyone else as well. But I won’t get picky, this isn’t LOST. Maybe there will be an epilogue on the DVD that answers some of my lingering questions.

Final Thoughts:

• The use of Thugnificent and Sgt. Gutta songs as background music is a nice finale feeling nod to the music of the show.
• Bio nuclear anthrax sounds really dangerous.