‘Farzar’ Review – A Wacky, Gory, Hilarious Series That Parodies ’80s Sci-Fi Films & Comments On Social Issues

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Waco O’Guin and Roger Black’s “Paradise PD” premiered on Netflix on August 31, 2018. But it wasn’t until 2020 that I became aware of it and proceeded to binge the hell out of the show. To put it simply, the animated series features the most inept police squad of all time, handling a town that’s home to the weirdest humans (and non-humans) imaginable, and getting into all sorts of trouble. The duo followed it up with two more seasons of pure depravity and insanity, and a fourth and final season is on its way too. However, before that arrives, Waco and Roger have gone into full sci-fi mode to make “Farzar.” And while the verdict of the Netflix populace is still out on whether they’ve topped their previous work, in terms of comedy, gore, and creativity, I will go ahead and say that they have.

Farzar is the name of the planet that was liberated by the egotistical human warrior Renzo (Lance Reddick) from the evil alien Bazarack (Dana Snyder). He then established a human settlement under a huge dome and married Queen Flammy (Grey DeLisle), thereby becoming the Czar of Farzar. But his reign faces troublesome days when his well-meaning and not-so-bright son, Prince Fichael (also voiced by Dana Snyder), goes beyond the protective dome to seek Bazarack’s head. He is assisted by his special crew, “S.H.A.T.” (Special Hostile Assault Team), which consists of a human-soldier-turned-cyborg called Scootie (Jerry Minor), clashing conjoined twins, Val and Mal (both voiced by Kari Wahlgren), an unhinged scientist, Barry (David Kaye), a highly incapable mutant, Billy (also voiced by Dana Snyder), and a chaos-loving alien called Zobo (Carlos Alazraqui). And by “troublesome days,” I mean, Fichael fails to kill Bazarack and reignites his plans to take Farzar back from Renzo.

With “Paradise PD,” Waco and Roger have shown us that nothing is out of bounds for them. Not just in terms of the variety of jokes, but also in terms of how every element that’s available on-screen can be turned into one. Farzar is science fiction, and that automatically broadens the horizons of the comedic factor of the show. For example, a simple poop gag (which there are a lot of) isn’t limited to a poop gag. It evolves into an alien made of feces, which then proceeds to explode. Then you find out that that piece of poop has a father who is looking for his poop son, who also proceeds to explode because of a stray grenade. There are levels to a joke. In addition to that, Waco, Roger, and their talented team of writers also hilariously parody sci-fi films and shows from the ’70s and ’80s such as “Star Wars,” “Flash Gordon,” “Masters of the Universe,” “Scooby Doo, Where Are You!”, “Alien,” and even the rock band, Kiss.

That said, there’s more to “Farzar” than so-called “low-brow” jokes about characters being horny, having the weirdest fetishes, and being the victim of someone or something suffering from diarrhea. Waco, Roger, and the rest of the team touch upon colonialism, revisionist history, government propaganda, class warfare, capitalism, and the commodification of the most dangerous things in the galaxy. Without going into spoiler territory, none of the characters are who they appear to be. By giving them the look of He-Man or Skeletor or C3PO or Flash Gordon, the showrunners comment on who these pop-culture icons actually represent and that their allegiances and motivations have been diluted to make them palatable for the general audience. The robot uprising can seem frivolous because the protestors are sex-bots, sentient dildos, sentient commodes, and whatever the “Slag Slam” robot does. But the whole movement is funnily reminiscent of Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov’s works. The title sequence has a classic “Akira” bike slide, which is something that never gets old!

The animation style is undoubtedly reminiscent of “Paradise PD.” Renzo and Fichael do look like variations of Gerald Fitzgerald (Cedric Yarbrough) and Kevin Crawford (David Herman), respectively. But apart from these similarities, “Farzar” is completely different. As mentioned before, the sci-fi aspect of the show really opens up the boundaries of what can be realized, and the creators and the animators make the most of this opportunity. However, it’s the unhinged voice-acting that brings it all together. Dana Snyder is seriously a force to reckon with. The dude is literally three different characters (and who knows how many more?), and there’s not even a sliver of familiarity between the three voices. Lance Reddick is famous for his straight-faced, no-nonsense style of dialogue delivery. And he puts it to great use while voicing Renzo. Jerry Minor brings the house down multiple times as Scootie. Kari Wahlgren switches so effortlessly between Mal and Val. Grey DeLisle will make you weak with laughter as Queen Flammy. Additionally, David Kaye, Carlos Alazraqui, and every other voice actor in the cast are amazing.

In conclusion, “Farzar” is a hoot. It is the perfect, chaotic amalgamation of zany sci-fi elements, awkward humor, adult jokes, poop jokes, and commentaries on the various social issues that plague humanity at this very moment. It’s definitely for those who loved Waco O’Guin and Roger Black’s previous works, i.e., “Paradise PD” and “Brickleberry.” If you like “Flash Gordon,” “Masters of the Universe,” “Alien,” and other ’70s and ’80s science-fiction and adventure films, you should give “Farzar” a chance. If you like “Farzar,” you should try “Paradise PD” and “Brickleberry.” But if you didn’t vibe with “Paradise PD” and/or “Brickleberry,” there’s a fat chance that you won’t be able to digest “Farzar.” With that said, fan or not a fan, I’ll urge you to give this Netflix show a try. Maybe in distressing times like these, you need to watch a bunch of goofy characters spew the most creative insults and kill aliens in the most disgusting ways possible.



“Farzar” is a 2022 Animated Series created by Roger Black and Waco O’Guin.

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Pramit Chatterjee
Pramit Chatterjee
Pramit loves to write about movies, television shows, short films, and basically anything that emerges from the world of entertainment. He occasionally talks to people, and judges them on the basis of their love for Edgar Wright, Ryan Gosling, Keanu Reeves, and the best television series ever made, Dark.

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