DISCLAIMER: Spoilers ahead for Letterkenny episode “American Buck and Doe.” If you still need to watch the episode, well … get at’er!
Letterkenny is back and now the world makes sense again. The Season Nine premiere, “American Buck and Doe,” is a solid outing for the series. Laden with callbacks aplenty, signature fast-paced dialogue and fresh jabs, this episode feels like reuniting with an old friend. Like teaming up with the Hicks, Jocks and Skids to lay the smackdown on some no-good scum hellbent on ruffling feathers. My only gripe — Glen’s presence was sorely lacking. I miss his thinly veiled flirting with Wayne. I’m sure we’ll get some of that this season.
Time to quit dillydallying. Let’s jump right into “American Buck and Doe.”
The plot!
One of the highlights of Letterkenny is the plot is easy to follow. While some sitcoms rely on convoluted plot points, Letterkenny lays out its running gags and jokes like an opulent Christmas day spread. The story feels like an afterthought, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The episode opens with Katy (Michelle Mylett) spitting rhymes and doling out nasty takedowns aimed at her cheating ex-boyfriend Dierks. We see images of the entire Letterkenny crew standing in front of Wayne (Jared Keeso) and Katy’s barn. Katy is clearly ready to move on, and who can blame her?
Next, we rewind a few weeks back to right after the gang beats up Dierks for his infidelity. They’re in America. The crew makes a pitstop at a diner because putting a jerk in his place really gets the appetite going. However, Dierks’ cousin appears with his lackeys in tow. Time for payback! But Wayne and co. stall them long enough for Katy’s “cousint” to show up with his own brothers-in-arms. Now, it’s a fair fight. We see the guys, along with the newcomers, get into a bout of fisticuffs with Dierks’ cousin and his crew. As per Letterkenny‘s usual, the fight sequence is accompanied by music.
Later, everyone stops by a “Buck and Doe” gathering. For those not in the know, a Buck and Doe party is a fundraising event for a bride and groom. Some of the men go shirtless while the women sit off to the side, musing over who they should choose for a night of fun. Gail (Lisa Codrington), Rosie (Clark Backo), Mrs. McMurray (Melanie Scrofano) and Bonnie McMurray (Kamilla Kowal) all wonder aloud whether Katy has adopted a “Scorched-earth” policy when it comes to dating. Really, she just wants to screw all the shirtless men around her.
Meanwhile, the menfolk discuss the detailed process of female operatives obtaining dental records from targets via “nipple cameras.” Yes, this is a real discussion. The conversation is led by Katy’s cousint, who’s in the American military. The Jocks, Reilly (Dylan Playfair) and Jonesy (Andrew Herr), are struggling to wrap their collective mind around such a concept. Stewart (Tyler Johnston), Letterkenny‘s Skid extraordinaire, feigns a “macho man” persona to fit in with the military bros.
Next, the women call “dibs” on their men of choice for a roll in the hay. Music plays, and everyone congregates on the dance floor. Wayne and Rosie unite for a dance and it’s adorable. Another Letterkenny staple: dance parties in a bar. However, the party is cut short when Stewart and Roald (Evan Stern), who as Skids are well-versed in the art of deejaying, change up the tunes. Everyone is irked, including our crew. We see a few men menacingly approach the Skids. Our gang stomps toward them and it looks as if another fight may take bloom, but the shot moves to Katy. She places her hands on the chest of her conquest for the night. Cut to black!
Joke highlights!
I really dug the scene in the diner. Everyone gives their impression of how to pronounce Ki Jong-un‘s name via orgasmic noises. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s hysterical and one of the strangest things I’ve seen on TV. “To be fair,” followed by a chorus of the repeated phrase, is one of Letterkenny‘s most memorable running gags. The gang stalling Dierks’ cousin felt like watching an Aaron Sorkin property, as the jokes and lines of dialogue whizzed by with incalculable speed. But it all flowed like honey, as is Letterkenny‘s modus operandi.
This was a subtle callback to a previous storyline, but I’m always tickled with how Stewart talks about “the dark web.” As if it’s a scintillating secret only he knows about. Additionally, his “macho man” persona had me in stitches. Of course, Reilly and Jonesy’s “jock talk” never gets old. Ferda! Let’s get those big-city slams, boys!
That’s a Texas-sized 10-4, good buddy!
“American Buck and Doe” wasn’t the show’s best episode of all time, but it’s a consistently funny installment and a great entry for the season. I’m excited to see “Scorched-earth” Katy return to Letterkenny. Be sure to stick around as I continue to recap Letterkenny here on Geek Girl Authority.
Letterkenny Season Nine 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.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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