Review: Son of Zorn “Return of the Drinking Buddy”

Let’s drink to this.

If You Want to Avoid Spoilers While Reading This Review, Just Chant “Butt! Butt! Butt! Butt!”

Zorn’s old buddy Headbutt Man (Rob Riggle) – one of many Zephyrians we have hitherto seen only via flashback or telecommunication – is coming to visit, and of course, Zorn waited until the last minute to tell Edie and Craig that he would be staying at the house. “Return of the Drinking Buddy” opens with bubble wrap being placed around the house because, Headbutt Man, true to his name, is known for violently smashing his cranium into everything. Also, Craig straps on a bike helmet.

Big surprise, though, as a much more sober Headbutt Man enters. It appears that the influence of new girlfriend Elizabeth (Alex Borstein), a nurse, has sobered him up quite a bit. He actually appears to be more interested in sampling Edie and Craig’s Cheeses of the Month than in getting wasted. Perhaps most shocking, Elizabeth’s nickname for him is “Head” instead of the hitherto more popular “Butt.”

Zorn convinces his buddy to go out and get back in touch with his penchant for debauchery. They meet up with Zorn’s co-workers at a bar, and everything is going swimmingly until Butt lets slip to Zorn that he is likely only one headbutt away from death. Zorn starts backtracking, but it is almost too late, thanks to the influence of Linda, who is in full-on “Slayer Linda” mode. This continued indulgence from Artemas Pebdani is very welcome, although in this situation it is a little nerve-wracking.

Up to this point, Son of Zorn has seemingly implied that Zephyrians can withstand the imbibing of just about every substance known to non-animated humans without getting any worse for wear. Headbutt Man’s plight, however, brings to light how vulnerable this race actually can be. It is a little dispiriting to know that their superhumanness is not so total, though it does raise the dramatic stakes.

Also in tow is Headbutt Man’s daughter, Headbutt Girl (Jillian Bell), who is basically a clone of her father, in terms of boorishness, bluntness, and amenability. She gets passed on to Alan as he heads to a party, which cramps his style a bit since he is hoping to move things forward with Layla. This storyline could very easily fall into cliché traps of misunderstanding and misplaced responsibility, but thankfully it mostly avoids all that. Alan simply explains to his classmates that Headbutt Girl – or “Dorothy Clementina,” as she prefers, under penalty of headbutt – is a family friend, and his time with Layla is not interrupted by any undue shenanigans.

The purpose of Headbutt Girl’s presence ends up being the opportunity for Alan to speak out in defense of freaks, which most of his peers do not especially care about since they all just stereotypically want to have sex instead of learning lessons. But we care. I still think the writers need to add some depth to Alan’s characterization, but this is a step in the right direction.

Memorable Lines and Other Stones of Insight:

–Son of Zorn may not be the best show on TV, but it is the only one with lines like “Yes, I remember committing elf-cide.”

-“He’s got his mother’s eye, but his father’s penises.”

-“Oh my God. You’re familiar with the Nina Simone of goat’s milk?”

-It sounds like Butt is just as confused as Zorn regarding Linda’s gender.

-Usually when someone says, “I’m gonna go have sex in my little sister’s room,” that should not be followed up with, “Me, too.” These crazy orgy-having kids!