Sexi Moose Adventure
Episode 1 of The great North begins in the frozen Alaskan wilderness as single Dad Beef gathers the family in preparation for daughter Judy celebrating her 16 year old birthday. Before heading downstairs, Judy scurries out onto the rooftop and speaks to an apparition in the sky about her woes. It turns out she’s been accepted for a new job at the mall. Given she hasn’t told her Father, Judy braces herself to drop this bombshell but is immediately distracted by a large moose breaking in. Unfortunately the “sixteen” balloons in the lounge are all caught up in its antlers, spelling out “Sexin”. Well, the moose takes off… and snatches up their Mother’s fur bikini too which happens to be the last memorabilia they hold for her. Kathleen left a long time ago but Beef has told the family she was mauled by a bear. Anyway, to celebrate Judy’s birthday the family head off for a drive… which immediately takes them into the mall where Judy is due to start working. As fate would have it, Judy’s new boss Alyson and Beef immediately hit it off and constantly repeat the word “69”. All seems to be going to plan…until Alyson outright admits that Judy’s working there. Uh oh! As a dizzy Beef leaves the printing shop, he immediately has trouble adjusting to this news. With tensions in the air and a botched cake-lighting moment, the family eventually head back to the wilderness. There, they split up in search of this mischievous moose. Unfortunately Beef breaks his foot (An Alaskan break to be precise) to accompany the broken heart he’s sporting on account of Judy’s new job. Thankfully, Judy shows up and encourages her Father. As the rest of the family show up too, the Sexin Moose shows up after all and stalks them all as they back up in the chasm. That is, until Moon saves them all, grabbing the fur bikini from its antlers before it runs off. This is enough for Beef to overcome his fears and read the goodbye note left behind by Kathleen, which he’s been neglecting all this time. Touchingly, it reads “Smell Ya Later.” Beef eventually decides to let Judy work at the mall after all as the episode comes to a close.
The Episode Review
From the creators of Bob’s Burgers and Central Park, The Great North channels that same style of humour up to the snowy retreat of Alaska. The “line up in order of bravery” gag is probably one of the funnier segments here alongside the “Sexin” moose but on the whole, this pilot episode introduces all the big characters nicely while leaving lots of material to work with going forward. 2021 is undoubtedly going to be a year where animation reigns supreme. With many people stuck at home amidst the obvious situation outside and scripted dramas outside of Asia stop-starting production, the spotlight will likely turn to animated efforts to keep the momentum going on the small screen. I’d imagine it’s also one of the easier jobs in the industry to do working from home. In The Great North, the different family members are quirky and although briefly showcased in this pilot, have their own desires and ideas that could easily lend themselves to further episodes down the line. Given this one has already been renewed for a second season, The Great North looks to be a promising animated prospect going forward.
