Regular Show: The Lost Tapes Review: Same Old Absurdity With an Updated Visual Look
If there were any three shows I consider to be the pillars of 2010s Cartoon Network, it’d be Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Regular Show. Given how the first two shows got sequel series, it was only a matter of time when Regular Show would get one.
Yet, given how Regular Show also ended with a solid conclusion, it would be a bit difficult to follow up on that. However, Regular Show: The Lost Tapes seems to take a different approach as to how it wants to continue Mordecai and Rigby’s misadventures.
Fortunately, for fans of the original show, Regular Show: The Lost Tapes still keeps up the over-the-top insanity this show always had. Albeit, it’s got a small update regarding its visual looks, but that shouldn’t stand in the way of the surreal chaos.
The most surprising thing about reviewing Regular Show: The Lost Tapes was that there were only two episodes to watch. Both of them, under 20 minutes of runtime, surprisingly don’t really focus on Mordecai and Rigby at all. Instead, the focus is placed on Margaret and Eileen, the main duo’s friends.
The first episode, “Coffee Shop Wars”, sees the coffee shop that Margaret and Eileen work at competing with a new fusion food restaurant. Mordecai and Rigby play more of a background role here while Margaret and Eileen get into the action.
Even though we don’t follow the main bros, it’s pretty fun to see how Regular Show: The Lost Tapes pushes side characters to the front.
These two have just a bit more urgency than the “main bros” when it comes to confronting these little problems head on. The dialogue Margaret and Eileen exchange can bit a little straightforward, but their conversations are still quirky enough to be funny.
The general humor of Regular Show: The Lost Tapes is still as absurd as ever, blending its off-beat, surreal humor with the fast-paced energy. From people dying in cartoonishly unusual ways like getting incinerated or falling through the floor to the high-speed highway chases, the comedy still hits relatively the same.
This also includes some of the “random encounters” that these four come across whenever they’re trying to get to point B. The way that each episode escalates the stakes that these four come across is perfectly in tune with what the original Cartoon Network show presented.
Whether it’s mystical fusion food goddesses or dirty copping over a plant that reeks of death, fans can expect the stakes to get as weird as ever. However, it feels like this series still has so much to offer in regards to its side characters.
It really seems like J. G. Quintel wants to explore side characters, like Margaret, Eileen, and even Muscle Man, more because we’ve gotten so much from Mordecai and Rigby. The original Regular Show heavily focused on this procrastinating duo, which left little space to see where other characters go.
That said, it also seems like each episode can only do so much with the runtime each one has. Considering that each episode is under ten minutes, it’s hard to contain so much, from character interactions with plot beats, into a singular story. In fact, the short runtimes almost feel like a compromise.
As such, this means that most conversations and pieces of dialogue have to keep the plot consistently moving. Even though a few jokes and relative puns (thanks to Eileen and Margaret) are dropped here and there, these little moments are generally what fans will be getting from this series.
Since the focus of Regular Show: The Lost Tapes is placed on the side characters, the question that remains is how other characters will be used. Fans know that characters, like Skips, Benson, Muscle Man, and C.J. will be returning in this series. However, it’s how the show will further explore them is what seems to be interesting.
As of now, Regular Show: The Lost Tapes retains the absurdity of the original Cartoon Network show, but still has the potential to do something new. Although these first two episodes only hint at what’s to come, fans, including myself, hope the rest of the series hits it big.
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
—
Regular Show: The Lost Tapes premieres on Monday, May 11, at 4:00 PM EST/PT on Cartoon Network.
Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Chris Gallardo
Christopher Gallardo is an entertainment writer, critic, and member of New York Film Critics Online. While not running his own social channels, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV for multiple outlets. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! You can find him anywhere on social media at @chrisagwrites.