Review: Bless the Harts “Easter’s 11”

 

Overview:

Jenny wants to help her local church which has been suffering since the arrival of a new mega-church across the street. However, when she and Betty attend the new ministry to investigate, they are easily swooned by all the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, that does not mean that their suspicions about the charismatic pastor were not wrong. And it is going to take the entire Hart family to help set things right.

 

Our Take:

Well, it finally happened. News dropped this week that Bless the Harts has been officially cancelled and will not return for a third season. Meaning the final few episodes expected this season will be the last of the show.

For anyone who has been paying attention to the happenings at FOX, the cancellation comes as no surprise. The network has been investing heavily into adult animated programs and is becoming saturated with shows that they can barely fit in around NASCAR. And while Bless the Harts was the first of the growing storm of sitcoms, it is not the strongest of the newcomers.

Bless the Harts has struggled to reach any substantial viewership numbers. Expectedly so, as the animated series treats its characters and world no different from an uninspired sitcom. It turns out that Maya Rudolph cannot carry an entire show on her back as a supporting character. Additionally, the half-hearted attempt to become the next King of the Hill backfired as there have been rumblings of the beloved series returning soon.

One of the biggest criticisms we have had for Bless the Harts is the misuse of the supporting character, Jesus. The talking painting of the messiah, voiced by the hilarious Kumail Nanjiani, has been suspiciously absent for the majority of the second season. Funny enough, the character finds himself temporarily resurrected for this Easter-themed episode. Though it does not help to breathe new life into the series.

Once again, this episode has the essence of a tacky primetime sitcom. Though this time it is because of the outdated notion that the majority of their viewers follow Christian beliefs. An entire plot dedicated to saving the local church does not resonate the way that it does for other shows. And it is damaging to characters like Violet who have openly spurned the religion throughout the series to have her attending the church like a good little Christian.

There was hope that this episode would be a turnaround from the last few episodes that have failed to impress. The title, “Easter’s 11” is promising of an epic heist, a genre that can be an exciting change if utilized correctly. Unfortunately, this show oversold the theme. The big scenes that make a heist story stand out were derivative and failed to trick anyone’s minds.

Thankfully, there were some quality scenes intermixed with the religion-fest of an episode. When Violet and David discover a Jesus statue, they use it in pranks that cause people to repent their sins. Though not all the jokes hit with this element, some standout moments helped to squeeze out a few laughs.

It is truly unfortunate that a series with so much star power behind it could not find itself before getting the axe. You would be hard-pressed to find an animated show with this many movie stars behind the voices. It goes to show, that talented voice-over can not make up for lazy writing and a flawed premise. Despite that, Bless the Harts may pull out a couple of solid episodes before the curtain draws to a close for good.