‘Animal Control’ Is a Too-Snarky Showcase for Joel McHale: TV Review
variety.comDaniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic Before entering an ostrich enclosure, Frank, an animal control officer, sneaks something into his partner’s back pocket.
It’s a stick of jerky, and within moments, Frank is openly guffawing as the flightless birds are chasing his hapless colleague.
That’s the general vibe of “Animal Control,” a new sitcom on Fox. Here, “Community” alumnus Joel McHale plays Frank, a former cop who got fired after trying to root out corruption. (This is a neat trick in sidestepping the ongoing national conversation about policing — our complicated protagonist got removed from the force for being too virtuous.) His partner, a Fred who goes by Shred (Michael Rowland), arrived on this particular force through an unconventional path as well; he’s a former pro snowboarder whose laid-back affect suggests that, inside, he never really left the slopes.
It’s their relationship that is the backbone of “Animal Control,” but that backbone could use some chiropractic help to straighten itself out.
Read more on variety.com