Summary
While it doesn’t have the same magic as the movie, Ted is an enjoyable comedy series filled with raunchy jokes.
In 2012, Seth MacFarlane gave us the groundbreaking, hilarious R-rated comedy Ted, about a teddy bear coming to life. Fast forward over a decade, and the film has been turned into a seven-episode series on Peacock titled, well… Ted. The movie was a hit because MacFarlane leaned heavily into the over-the-top raunchy jokes, which were funnier because they came from this bear, and Season 1 of the show retains the same gimmick, though admittedly with less of the magic.
Ted is set in 1993, serving as a prequel to the 2012 movie. The series will follow the early life of Ted living in the modern world as he lives with the Bennett family in Massachusetts.
The downfall of Ted has led to him living life watching daily game shows, being lazy, and inviting ladies over to the house. How he lives is taking a toll on the Bennett household, and after yet another wild incident, Matty and Susan force Ted to go to school. Ted hates school, so he does everything in his power to get kicked out, but nothing works, forcing him to remain there.
From here, the series explores John and Ted’s journey through school; John as a teenager, and Ted as a teddy bear in the real world. The episodes develop stories that connect, especially with John’s cousin Blaire being a helping hand while John’s parents, Matty and Susan, are always lingering around to add some perspective.
The best thing about Ted (2012) was that it was a breath of fresh air in the raunchy R-rated comedy world that pushed the boundaries. But what made it good was that it never felt forced, which is the complete opposite of the series. I’m not saying I didn’t laugh at some of the jokes because I did, but the biggest problem was trying to be edgy for the sake of being edgy.
Outside of my issue with the edginess, some of the jokes work more than others because you have a two-foot teddy bear deliver the lines. With MacFarlane within this teddy bear, you can explore the finer lines of raunchiness that might not land as well with a person telling the joke. I still found myself laughing quite a bit throughout the series.
The chemistry between Max Burkholder as John and Seth MacFarlane as Ted captures the same essence of the friendship we saw in the movie between Wahlberg and MacFarlane. The duo has strong back-and-forth banter that delivers stellar and comedic lines. Although I loved these two, my series MVP is Giorgia Whigham as Blaire.
Again, not to continue to compare to the movie, but Ted and John’s relationship in the two Ted movies was balanced out by Lor (Mila Kunis) and Samantha (Amanda Seyfried). Whigham, in a slightly different manner, as she is the cousin instead of the girlfriend, helps balance things out. She’s funny, charming, and holds her own in this comedic space.
If you were a fan of the movies, then I would say the series would be worth checking out as long as you temper your expectations. The jokes don’t always land, but when they do, they are funny. Despite my issues with the attempt to be too edgy, MacFarlane and company deliver a variation of Ted that is equal parts funny and enjoyable.
What did you think of Ted Season 1? Comment below.
RELATED:
