DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Letterkenny episode “Okoya” contains spoilers. Figure it out, bud, and proceed at your peril.
How’re ya now? Good, ‘n you? Letterkenny Season 11 chugs along with “Okoya,” a delightfully wacky outing that leans into a few new storytelling devices for the series: the use of flashbacks (complete with a black and white color palette) and music. The cinematic string music undoubtedly heightens the drama of the church bake sale theft. It’s a refreshing departure from the norm (not that there’s anything wrong with it).
Once again, Glen, Stewart (STRT) and Tanis steal my heart. I love how overly dramatic STRT is in this episode. He thinks he’s a regular Hercule Poirot. Tyler Johnston really excels here. You can tell he’s having a blast with the material.
Ready to delve into “Okoya”? Let’s get to it.
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We begin with a great cold open featuring Wayne (Jared Keeso), Katy (Michelle Mylett), Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrely Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). Katy vents about her least favorite movie trope, so the boys set out to perform some tropes, including cheesy “badass” catchphrases, physical quirks and incessant whispering to convey anger. We learn Katy’s pet peeve is when an actor takes a deep breath for dramatic effect. Thus, the guys pester her with their best “deep breaths,” resulting in each of them getting hiccups. God, Jesus and all their Idrises Elba, I love this show.
Later, Katy receives a call regarding Glen’s emergency meeting. Gail (Lisa Codrington) and Coach (Mark Forward) depart MoD3an’s to attend, along with Rosie (Clark Backo), who leaves Wayne in the dust. Thankfully, she promises to make him boar chops that evening. The quartet arrives at the church to find Glen (Jacob Tierney) and Tanis (Kaniehtiio Horn) sitting behind the pulpit. Glen declares Tanis is his bestie because she arrived there first. I can get behind this new friendship pairing. On a similar note, Horn’s reactions as Tanis to Tierney’s Glen are golden.
The gang talks about how the youth group is chock full of sexual deviants. They discuss new sex positions, as one does in the House of the Lord’s Idrises Elba. After complimenting Tanis, Katy and Rosie’s contributions to the church bake sale, Glen reveals the reason he summoned them — there’s been a theft. Someone absconded with the money from the said bake sale!
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When no one fesses up, Glen asks for guidance, and the Lordeth sendeth him two helpers in the form of Stewart (Johnston) and Roald (Evan Stern). STRT saunters toward the pulpit while donning a long coat and black gloves with his usual skid getup. He also has a cane. STRT is an expert detective. He can detect with the best of ’em. So, he believes he can solve the not-murder mystery of the missing monies.
Meanwhile, Wayne and Squirrely Dan wait for the furniture Katy ordered from Okoya to arrive. It’s like a knockoff of IKEA. When two workers finally enter the scene with Katy’s end tables, Wayne and Squirrely D give them a piece of their minds for being late. I love the camera angle for this scene — we only see the top half of Wayne’s and Dan’s faces because of the porch railing. It’s reminiscent of Wilson from Home Improvement. The guys continue giving the Okoya workers sh*t, even though the latter endeavors to assemble Katy’s furniture.
Next, Roald and Stewart paint a picture of the bake sale thieves, setting the stage for the scene of the crime. Roald plays his boom box while the flashback scene rolls on in black and white. This is a departure for Letterkenny, storytelling-wise. I love it. We see Katy, Tanis, Rosie and ole Gailer cheerfully selling their baked goods to the eager masses. Upon returning to the present, STRT concludes all four women pocketed the sales. Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Then, Stewart wonders whether Coach is behind the theft. We see another flashback with Coach squirreling away the bake sale funds in his pockets. He laughs maniacally. However, Coach is innocent. He just misses Barb so damn much. Did you know Barb loved fruit cake? Later, the Okoya employees assemble Katy’s end tables. Wayne and Squirrely Dan give them monetary and life tips: don’t be late.
Meanwhile, Roald and Katy get into a brief spat. Well, more like Roald calls her a b*tch à la the movie tropes we saw in the cold open. Katy responds by punching Roald in the gut and doling out a badass one-liner. I love that this episode references the cold open. That doesn’t often happen on this show. STRT finally discloses the truth about the culprit behind the bake sale robbery.
It is he! Stewart was irritated because Glen refused to accept his “baked” baked brownies. So, he ran off with the bake sale money in retaliation. STRT hands the funds back to Glen. It’s hilarious he lived out his detective fantasies, concocting these theories about who’s the thief, only to confess to the crime in the end nonchalantly. Naturally, Glen bans the under creatures from his sanctuary, even though all they stole was 30 whole dollars.
Later, Rosie arrives home to find Wayne slightly tipsy and cooking boar chops. He beat her to the boar chop punch! She vows to make it up to him in other ways. Tee-hee.
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“Okoya” is just plain fun, y’all. So far, this season is on a roll. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, although, admittedly, I prefer the Glen A-plot to the Wayne B-plot. I hope we get more episodes that experiment with new things, whether using narrative devices or jokes, this season. I also hope we’re blessed with more Glen/Tanis bestie moments. It’s the pairing I never knew I needed.
Pitter-patter. There’s still more Letterkenny to watch, so let’s get at’er!
Letterkenny Season 11 is now streaming on Hulu.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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