Boys To Men

A couple months ago I posted on Trailer Park Boys, the TV series about trailer trash in Nova Scotia.  I was only halfway through at that point, but I had a pretty good idea of what the show had to offer.  And now I've done it--I've watched all twelve seasons.  There's still more to go, actually--some movies, special series where they go to Europe and the U.S., apparently an animated version--but I've seen all 105 regular episodes of the show.

The show may not be a classic, but no matter how much it hits on the same comic ideas--mostly jokes about getting high and committing crimes--the three main characters, Ricky, Julian and Bubbles, hold up.  They keep getting older, but not too old that they can't get into trouble.

The big change in the show, about halfway through, was the three lead actors bought the rights to the series and started producing it themselves.  The show mostly stayed the same, but the plots, already absurd, got even more outrageous.

The conceit of the show is that we're watching a documentary about the lives of people in a trailer park.  Indeed, the alleged documentary crew is often addressed directly. And this led, in later episodes, to visits from celebrities who love this show.

In fact, much of season 10 is taken up with a visit from Snoop Dogg and Tom Arnold, who come to enjoy the whole trailer park experience.  The lives of the trailer park boys are greatly affected by the stardom and money these two bring in.  It reminded me, actually, of the second book of Don Quixote, where powerful people, who have read the first book, indulge the Don and Sancho, making certain things possible.