Review: Corner Gas Animated “Band Aid”

 

 

Overview:

A new crowdfunding campaign has Lacey questioning Brent’s morals. To prove that he cares he helps launch a fundraiser, including reuniting his high school band, Thunderface.

During band rehearsal, Brent’s book of lyrics reveals that he wrote a ballad for a girl he had a crush on. While he argues with the band over whether or not to play the love song, Lacey attempts to uncover who the crush was. Though, she is naïve to when the ballad was actually written.

Meanwhile, Oscar decides to launch his own crowdfunding campaign in hopes of cashing in. However, it quickly backfires after he exploits the local seniors’ centre.

 

Our Take:

As we approach the final few episodes of Corner Gas Animated season three, the series delivers an unexpected episode.

The long-running romantic chemistry between Brent and Lacey has been an engrained theme in Corner Gas since its inception. However, through the live-action series, and the resulting feature-length film, the relationship has never come to full fruition. A bright move on the writer’s part, as them coming together would ultimately change the dynamic of the show.

That is not to say that the two starring characters have not become closer over the years. In fact, where Brent and Lacey’s relationship stood was a heavy indicator of where the animated series landed canonically within the franchise. 

And by placing the new series in the earlier years of the show, it avoided putting any aspect of their relationship in at all.

Thus far in Corner Gas Animated, there has hardly been any indication of a blossoming relationship between Lacey and Brent. Besides one episode in the first season involving the two sharing an awkward romantic picnic, the plot is most often ignored.  

This episode brings the romantic theme back to the forefront while widely avoiding any actual connection. And in doing so, brings in one of the few things that have been missing from this spin-off. Love and romance may be a cliché theme, but it does add arch and depth to characters. Lacey and Brent’s inevitable bond was essential to the show’s success for a reason. It is great to see the series returning to those roots.

As wonderful as it is to see the two main characters approach a romance again, it was just one part of what made this episode enjoyable. The real fun part of “Band Aid” is the return of Brent’s high school band, Thunderface. 

Including Hank, Wanda, and newcomer Karen as members, Thunderface is Dog River’s own rock sensation. The band hits an identity crisis having not performed in over a decade, exploring new sounds like punk, and electronica. The results are brilliant costumes, and music like we have never heard on Corner Gas… or anywhere else for that matter. But seeing Wanda dressed up in punk attire and Karen as DJ Popo will be one of the more memorable moments of this entire series.

This was a longer episode of Corner Gas Animated, hitting a running time of over 22-minutes. It was a good choice for an episode to expand the extra minute or so. Despite not featuring a cameo by some great Canadian celebrity as the show loves to do, this was one of the best episodes of the entire three-season animated series. Perhaps a significant part of that is the rediscovery of Brent and Lacey’s forgotten flirtation. Though most of the credit belongs to the episode being well-plotted, exploring fun themes, and delivering something deeper than the cartoon has been doing.