"Neighbors from Hell" – Episode 3 “Gay Vampire Mexican” Review

Neighbors from Hell – Episode 3 “Gay Vampire Mexican”

Television Review

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz

What is this show supposed to be about? You might find yourself asking this question if you were one of the two people who watched this episode of "Neighbors from Hell." Then again, the episode’s title, “Gay Vampire Mexican,” really says everything you could hope for from a show like "Neighbors from Hell." Relying on a mash-up of pathetic pop-culture references, a self-ascribed sense of sophistication and fart jokes, "Neighbors from Hell" continues to annoy and bore, rather than shock and subvert like the writers think. No, once again, the show is consistently unfunny, and even the lack of screen time given to Marjoe – whom I would refer to as Satan, if he wasn’t already an unimportant part of the show – could save this dead-in-the-water episode.

As usual, the episode begins with a nice exposition of just what the hell these demons are doing on Earth (stop the drill, save hell), followed by this episode’s slight change (Balthazor’s daughter, Mandy, is dating Killbride’s son, Wayne). After realizing Wayne also is terrible – strange that a family with a horrifying husband, wife and last name would have such a nightmarish son – Mandy dumps him. It's also strange that these demons from hell are so judgmental toward the low morals of Earth people. Obviously, her leaving Killbride’s son puts Balthazor’s possible promotion in danger, so Balthazor dresses Wayne up like a “Gay Vampire Mexican,” aka Mandy’s dream date, to get these kids back together.

I’m shocked at the levels this show sinks to offend or please or annoy its audience. My initial inclination is that the writers stick to their ridiculous instincts by placing their painfully obvious and unnecessary pop culture references in such close proximity to a fart joke, so that the show’s audience will undoubtedly be powerless against its brevity and wit.

Unfortunately, it’s the writers’ inability to control these jokes that make them so ineffective. For example, in between mocking Dane Cook – I’m no Cook fan, but what makes this show think it’s any better than he – Wayne farts in the face of a blind man, calls him Daredevil, and says, “Blind superhero reference much?” How is explaining that joke in any way funny? It isn’t. In fact, it treats the audience like morons and points out a deep insecurity within the writing, as if the writers were uncertain anyone would get a Daredevil reference. These constant blunders keep the show from ever rising above one-dimensional insults. But regardless, it’s clear that the writers don’t understand what they are making fun of anyway, so why are they even bothering?