With the final episode of the 2nd season airing, I thought I would post an article on Xavier: Renegade Angel. Xavier is one of my favorite shows and a shining example of marvelous writing with mind bending humor.
Forged from 2/4ths of the minds behind the art collective, PFFR, (who were also responsible for Wonder Showzen; the show about kids, for anyone, but kids), Vernon Chatman and John Lee bring us, Xavier: Renegade Angel. A CGI animated show about a philosophical “being” named Xavier who goes around interjecting himself into people’s lives, problems, minds, etc. It seems that wherever Xavier shouldn’t be, he’s there.
Few shows boast such intellectually dense episodes (clocking at 11 minutes each) that can often be supplemented with the most crass, lowbrow comedy you could think of. It’s not odd to sit through an episode and not be able to come out the end with something tangible. It’s become almost a requirement to watch an episode a few times to really understand what’s going on. Even at a certain point it feels like you’re being fucked with, which is part of what Chatman and Lee wants to do (I think). (Side note: Read this recent interview with The AV Club about their show to see more on that point.)
An example of that would from their previous show, Wonder Showzen, where on the final episode of the first season, (called “Patience”) the last 15 minutes of the show was the first 15 minutes, in reverse. Not surprisingly (to them or the viewers) the show was canceled in its second season. Xavier carries much of the same mentality as that example, but plays with the audience so well, that it can often leave you laughing and frustrated.
When you have 11 minutes to do a show, you really have to get the story out, but Xavier can be on two different spectrums. It can be so dense with jokes and story, that it’s to fast to follow, requiring subsequent viewings, or so mundane in its forward action that it can become essentially a talking head. Like in the episode “Shakashuri Blowdown”, Xavier “battles” himself with words that leads to more than half the episode of back and forth dialogue that absolutely goes no where.
The first episode of the first season Xavier postulates the existential question “What doth life?” and it seems to be the running theme of the show. A philosophical question that is virtually unanswerable and through the distractions and absurdities that Xavier takes us through, the question almost seems to be useless and hollow to begin with. Xavier is the type of character to ask those questions, but would be totally uninterested in finding the answer. It’s not surprising then that the writers of the show will often go out of it’s way to make a joke or to shit on something deep and meaningful, to express how consuming those questions can be. They’re able to take this daft character and dismantle institutions like religion, consumerism, violence, sex, the things that we all are aware of, but futile to stop it. (The episode “Signs from Godrilla” not only tackle all of those in 11 minutes, but does it hilariously.) It’s through this meandering, clueless character that embodies what our culture has become. Xavier himself talks like a surfer, looks nothing like a human, but has all of the stereotypical tropes a human character would have. He’s picked on because he looks different, by ignorant people, but soon learns their ignorance and picks on other people. His God is not Jesus or Allah, but himself; self-righteous and sure he can solve anyone’s problems. Xavier is more than a mirror to society, he is society, self aware, but uninterested in changing and above all, looking to be entertained.
That’s if you look that deep into the show. The show is made for you to laugh and if you learn something, that might be the opposite effect of what Chatman and Lee want. Or is it? Needless to say, there are few artistic things that challenge the viewer in its complacency and Xavier not only does it, but also makes fun of the fact that they have to do it.
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