After 10 years of Letterkenny, creator, writer, and star of the Canadian comedy hit, Jared Keeso, is moving on… sort of. In reality, an 11th season of that show is on the way and, in the meantime, a spin-off series called Shoresy recently debuted up north. Following that, the show is set to make its U.S. debut on May 27th as it hits Hulu.
I actually had the chance to watch the first two episodes of Shoresy not through screeners but because I happen to be visiting a friend in Toronto. Over the course of these first two installments — after an intro to Shoresy, his style of play, and his intensity for the game of hockey — you’ll be dropped into the Sudbury Bulldogs hockey organization as they attempt to rebuild the team and take on the league.
The look of Shoresy is a bit more polished than Letterkenny (at least the episodes that I’ve seen). It also has a more discernible, driving plot. Yet, the humor is just about the same — read: vulgar and often immature. This approach works best in some of the surprising and hilarious insults that get hurled throughout the show but some of the literal toilet humor falls short for me. Luckily, while it hits early in the first episode, it falls by the wayside for the remainder of the two installments I screened.
Of those two episodes, I personally preferred the second. In particular, the quick back-and-forth dialogue in a conversation about something as mundane as cheese reminded me how great Letterkenny can be at times and brought me on board for Shoresy. That said, like the series on which it's spun-off from, I do find that Shoresy takes its foot off the gas at times with mixed results. While it’s occasionally nice to have a break from the rapid-fire lines (a good percentage of which include a “f*** you” or two), sometimes these dialogue-less scenes go on a bit too long and don’t offer much payoff to make it worth it. Nevertheless, the first episode of the show managed to fly by while the second felt about its length.
Going forward, I’m most looking forward to seeing what else some of the ensemble cast bring to the table. As it is, despite his character consistently being told to shut up, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat shined as Sanguinet. Meanwhile, the all-female front office for the Bulldogs (Tasya Teles, Blair Lamora, and Keilani Rose) brought a unique dynamic. Additionally, the characters of Dolo (Jonathan-Ismael Diaby), JJ Frankie JJ (Max Bouffard), and others that arrive to fill out the team also help fill out the show nicely.
Overall, if you enjoy Letterkenny, I see no reason why you won’t like Shoresy. Meanwhile, those who haven’t seen that show or who found it a bit difficult to follow may find this offering a bit more approachable. Still, I think Shorsey falls into that “divisive” category, with results varying greatly based on your sense of humor. For me, the show definitely scores a few goals although it’s too early to say whether it’ll make the playoffs. In any case, though, it’s at least worth tuning in to see how the season shakes out.
Shoresy will debut on Hulu starting May 27th.