Warning: SPOILERS forGrimsburgseason 2, episode 12, “How to Lose an Ankle Monitor in 10 Days.”
Alan Tudyk’s Rufis Pentos stands out inGrimsburgas a character even the show’s harshest critics can enjoy, but season 2 failed to pay off what was nearly his best storyline to date. Just asRick and Morty’s best episodesdeliver quality sci-fi in addition to comedy,Grimsburghas the potential to do the same with its darkest crime stories.
It might not be quickly rising to the ranks of themost influential network sitcoms ever, butGrimsburgis the only current animated sitcom on Fox with such a darkly chaotic premise. And, while not everyone agrees on whether Marvin Flute is one ofJon Hamm’s best roles, Alan Tudyk’s Pentos just needs one storyline to completely steal Flute’s thunder.
Grimsburg Season 2, Episode 12 Fails To Pay Off Pentos As A Fully Unleashed Villain
They Gave Pentos’ Most Exciting Potential Storyline To Flute
Wendi McLendon-Covey’sGrimsburgvillainwas central to the first season, but Pentos theoretically has far more nefarious potential. Unfortunately,none of Pentos’ actual criminal storylines have allowed Alan Tudyk’s character to go full villain. Even when season 1’s “The Funaways” hinted at his mastermind prowess with its kidnapping plot, it was only a taste of what the character could accomplish.
Season 2 frustratingly moved even further in the wrong direction. “CrimeCon” promises an episode in which Pentos teaches his students how to become villainous masterminds themselves, butRufis merely robs a couple of vaults before abandoning the project because it puts Stan in danger. He blows up a car full of his fans afterward, but it’s a meager consolation prize.
However, Pentos gets another shot at damnation in season 2, episode 12, when he and Flute team up as scabs to end a criminals’ strike.Pentos learns from Karen he was kicked out of the criminals’ union for working too closely with the police, and his crime spree with Flute presents the perfect opportunity to see him fully unleashed.
Instead, Flute winds up going fully evil while Pentos has to talk him down. Not only that, butthe only crimes Pentos participates in prior to his role reversal with Flute are petty crimes such as mailbox theft. Despite being characterized as practically a supervillain, Pentos keeps missing his chance to showcase what his full villain persona truly looks like.
Grimsburg Season 2 Already Set Up An Opportunity To See Pentos Unleashed In Season 3
Pentos’ Best Story Is Almost Guaranteed By An Earlier Throwaway Joke
If the series pays off a quick remark by Kang inGrimsburg’s “Evidence Locker” episode(just one episode prior to the criminals’ union strike), there’s a chance thatGrimsburgcan show Pentos’ full villain potential by revisiting his backstory in a later anthology episode. Better yet, that episode could air as soon asGrimsburgseason 3.
The notion of using anthology episodes to flesh out character backstories is extremely appealing in a series with characters this far off the wall, and Kang suggests doing them once per season moving forward.Grimsburghas a lot of possible stories to tell with that framework, but it hopefully won’t be long before evil Pentos becomes a chief priority.
Grimsburg
Cast
Grimsburg follows Marvin Flute, a detective renowned for solving bizarre cases, as he returns to his enigmatic hometown. Amidst secrets and intrigues, Flute seeks redemption with his ex-wife and attempts to connect with the son he barely knows, all while navigating the town’s mysteries.
