"Aha! A damn liar! I ain't never met a nigga smart enough to use a personal computer. Not even a Macintosh!" -Uncle Ruckus
» Watch the season two premiere of The Boondocks
It's been a long, agonizing wait, but the return of Comedy Central's animated masterpiece, The Boondocks is finally upon us. Created by one of the most important black minds in contemporary America, the transition of Aaron McGruder's nationally syndicated comic strip to the small screen has been nothing short of delightful. With a top-notch soundtrack, unique animation and witty, intellectually-relevant storytelling, the series hit the ground running and never looked back.
After a two year hiatus, the season two premiere, Or Die Trying (a play on 50 Cent's, Get Rich or Die Tryin) employed a different tone from season one, scaling back the magnitude of the social commentary and providing a lighter, breezier form of comedy.
Since McGruder's stated that the Cartoon Network didn't censor or limit him in anyway, given his history, concerns that the season premiere lacked the edge are premature. Fact of the matter is, regardless of underlying themes, the show is damn funny.
Given the characters, even a trip to the movies can't escape the lash of McGruder's wit. Uncle Ruckus is back in all his self-loathing glory. Robert Freeman (Grandpa) and Riley are just as wildly un-PC as when we left them. Huey suffering continues, the lone voice of reason amongst a sea of lunatics.
My only complaint over the episode was Jasmine's crying. It was painful. Already the weakest link in a strong chain, last night was Jasmine at her absolute worst, nothing more than a weight dragging everyone down.
Regardless, the episode works beautifully a refreshing reminder as to why we've missed the show so much. Now all that's left is to get ready for what's sure to be 15 of the best episodes you can find on television -- animated or otherwise.
email nadum at nadum_tv@comcast.com
