Reviews WesternAnimation / Freds Head

A unique gem among cartoons

Fred's Head is often praised (by the few who have ever heard of the show at all) for its mature themes compared to other Western animated series not explicitly targeted at adults. While that is very much true, this series has a lot more to offer - and not just about teenage problems, though there are plenty of those.

The show's excellent dialogue stands out from the very first episode by providing genuine quasi-philosophical insights on various aspects of life without ever venturing into "moral lessons" territory (even when Fred delivers a message directly to the audience at the end of every episode - see next point). The world of bizarre characters with biting, edgy humour, tinged with irony that once again doesn't try too hard to get its point across, only reinforces this.

But that's just the beginning. Later, the show picks up more and more continuity, allowing it to juggle multiple recurring story arcs. Most prominent of these is Fred's romantic choice, which goes through a number of false starts before getting predictably but awesomely resolved in the finale. Despite being just a single season long, the series even throws in a clip show episode - one that not only has its own plot but also uses the characters in interesting ways to deliver its summary.