Wellington Paranormal Season 4 Episode 3 Review: The Coolening
Wellington Paranormal Season 4 Episode 3, “The Coolening,” knocks an otherwise outlandish premise out of the park while bolstered by uproarious performances.
Certain narratives in a lesser show’s hands wouldn’t pan out. Wellington Paranormal is not one of those aforementioned shows. It thrives on its silliness and never takes itself too seriously, even when its leads might teeter precariously on the edge between life and death.
MINOGUE: I was so uncool, I was voted “Most Likely to Become a Police Officer.” When I say “voted,” I mean the other kids would shout it at me as I was walking to class.
This series pokes fun at itself, satirizes law enforcement, and presents itself, first and foremost, as a comedy. All the supernatural stuff is secondary, and “The Coolening” is evidence of that.
“The Coolening” might become one of the most quote-worthy outings of Wellington Paranormal. There are countless one-liners and witticisms that’ll yield multiple rewatches for fans. Definite highlights include when Minogue and O’Leary try to apprehend the other for getting too rambunctious and rebellious while donning the “cool” jacket.
The actors have a blast with the material (clothing and otherwise) and let loose by portraying the solar opposite of their characters’ usual personalities. “Cool” O’Leary had this reviewer in stitches, proving Karen O’Leary’s comedic versatility knows no bounds. She’s more than merely the straitlaced counterpart to Minogue’s bumbling, occasionally loose cannon.
O’LEARY: He’s now breakdancing on the police station awning. That’s a skill that he’s shown no proclivity to in the past whatsoever.
Other highlights include that deadly battle featuring Minogue versus the Hammer pants (with that brilliant “we can’t touch them” joke) and O’Leary squaring off against the jacket.
The physical comedy kicks into overdrive here, and it’s downright hysterical. If you described the premise of “The Coolening” to anyone outside the fandom, they might not believe it’s real.
We’re used to lighthearted bickering between O’Leary and Minogue, but we seldom see them being antagonistic toward each other as they are in this episode. It’s refreshing to observe another facet of their relationship, even if a paranormal article of clothing influenced it.
MAAKA: This jacket makes me feel like such a confident bad boy. So soft on my body — it’s like my body is sculpted in pavlova.
Overall, “The Coolening” is ridiculous, fun, and zany, with the show’s trademark wit in full force. This episode of Wellington Paranormal gets four “cool” jackets and maybe throw in a pair of MC Hammer pants for good measure. We’ll leave out the fight-to-the-death breakdance competition.
Stray Observations:
- “The Coolening” might boast some of the best comedic performances on Wellington Paranormal thus far. Watching how the “cool” jacket affects the physicality and demeanor of Maaka, Minogue, and O’Leary is such a serotonin boost. Who knew New Zealanders were too cool for school?
- Protect Parker at all costs. He and his “Bellbottom Beauties” group deserve all the affection and adoration in the world.
- Who says Chihuahuas and Shih Tzus can’t make good police dogs? Perhaps the New Zealand police force needs to broaden its perspective a bit. Be more open to other breeds.
- We need more content featuring Sergeant Maaka breakdancing. For science, obviously, and no other reason (it makes this reviewer giddy).
- Wellington Paranormal might have reached its ceiling of ludicrousness in the best way possible when Minogue and O’Leary battled articles of clothing. Now, the show must smash that ceiling in the coming episodes.
What did you think of this episode of Wellington Paranormal? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Wellington Paranormal airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on The CW, with next-day streaming on HBO Max.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.