Sealab 2021: Season 3 (DVD)
Created by: Adam Reed and Matt Thompson
Starring (the voices of): Harry Goz, Erik Estrada, Kate Miller, Brett Butler, Bill Lobley, MC Chris

Of all the many quirky shows found on the Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim block, Sealab 2021 could very well be the most “out there”. And with the Adult Swim line-up being what it is, that’s really saying something.

The show is based on footage from the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Sealab 2020, re-cut with additional animation and new dialogue from a star-studded voice cast that includes Erik Estrada of C.H.I.P.s fame. It depicts the off-beat adventures of a misfit crew on an underwater research station, although once Williams Street Studios has their way with it, most of what happens usually has very little to do with underwater research. The resulting 10 minute episodes are often hilarious, sometimes incomprehensible, and always irreverent.

Season 3, however, sees Sealab 2021 slowly beginning to unravel amidst its own chaos. If you thought the second season was an overload of creative energy and wacky juice, well this season goes way beyond the limits of reason. While there are still some sparks of brilliance, it’s evident that the Sealab crew have seen better days.

“I, Robot, Really” takes the inane discussion from the show’s very first episode “I, Robot” and makes it a horrendous reality when Captain Murphy blackmails Dr. Quinn using some incriminating photos. In “Meet Beck Bristow”, a hotshot Hollywood actor joins the Sealab crew in order to research a role for a movie and treats everyone like dirt. The episode “Red Dawn” is also a definite highlight; a hilarious send up of Soviet communism and the inspiration for Season 3’s sweet DVD packaging.

It’s interesting how the turning point in the series is so easy to pinpoint. Halfway through Season 3, Harry Goz, voice of the stoic Captain Murphy, lost his battle with cancer and passed away. In order to replace Murphy, the writers introduced “Tornado Shanks”, a former football coach and gym teacher, as the new captain. While he might have been an amusing character to be featured in one or two episodes, there’s no way he can replace the comedy gold that resulted from Harry Goz saying… just about anything. His Southern accent and redneck antics grow tiresome rather quickly.

In true Sealab fashion, the audio commentary tracks for selected episodes on this set are all extended gags of some sort, and on the episode entitled “Tornado Shanks” a so-called animation critic simply tears it apart. The funny thing is, almost everything he says is exactly true. Included among the other special features are some “lost episodes”, one of which is a re-cut version of “Dearly Beloved Seed” that is actually funnier and more coherent than the one that actually aired.

Sealab 2021 Season 3 is a real mixed bag overall. If you’re already a Sealab fan, you’ll probably still get your money’s worth in laughter. Just be prepared to sit through a few episodes with a blank expression on your face. With the nose dive that the show takes in the latter half of the season, however, I don’t think I’ll be picking up the 4th season of the show when it eventually gets released. They should have quit while they were ahead. — Sean

SCORE:

Recommended If You Like: Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Harvey Birdman Attorney-At-Law, South Park

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