Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Kill the Naughty Boy

"Rhettypoo is being a very naughty boy." "I didn't call him 'Rhettypoo.'" "Don't call the naughty boy Rhettypoo."

(Timing constraints didn't work out too well for me posting these, so if you want to read the last two reviews before diving into this one of "Soul Seachin'" and "Another We," CLICK HERE. It helps support my self-esteem greatly.)

I'm gonna be honest: in deciding to discuss Buddy System, aside from being a way for me to take a breather from more intense shows and support Rhett and Link as a fellow North Carolinian, part of the reason was that I watched the series six months ago, but for some reason failed to watch the finale. With Season 2 returning, I thought this would thus be a nice way to get myself back into the mindset and finally knock it off of the list, and y'know what? It was a delightful idea, iffy reception notwithstanding.

First of all, "Kill the Naughty Boy" shows how well-developed Aimee's character is. We haven't seen her as much more than a comic villain throughout the series, and while she never emerges as particularly sympathetic, we finally get to see her with backbone, and we get to see how her mind is really working. She's not simply heinous so much as she's wildly misguided and infatuated with the fantasy of that thrupple/threeple with Rhett and Link, even being willing to kill off Rhett nonchalantly for refusing to abide. In addition, having her repeatedly find means to show off her products and otherwise discuss them, with the other characters repeatedly praising them (and her excitedly accepting that praise), added a nice wrinkle to keep proceedings from becoming too intense.

The episode was also particularly triumphant in deploying Rhett. Link gets under the influence of Aimee's Persuasa-hat™ and rendered practically comatose, and there's a lot of fun in watching his brain acting wildly dysfunctional, but Rhett, who otherwise has quietly existed as a sort of moral compass for Link, has that ability put to the test in the most extreme way possible. It doesn't matter how many supporting characters barge in to try to save the day and woefully fail. Rhett doesn't need their help. He's not the foil anymore; he's the hero, and he does a knock-out job.

Most importantly, though, "Naughty Boy" manages to somehow avoid being a complete cheese-fest. Even with all of its cliched plot points, namely the power of friendship swooping in to save the day, Buddy System possesses an awareness as to how predictable some of its beats are, and it makes up for them by focusing more on its plot's specialization. If you can't make the plot innovative, that doesn't mean you can't make it your own, and Rhett and Link do.

Take, for instance, how when Maxwell's assistant goes off to get the help of Dylan, she merely drags him in with too much confidence and not enough of a plan to compensate, and in bringing him back in with his gang merely skating/blading around Aimee only finds himself captured; having used this cliche several times throughout the episode for delightful anticlimaxes, bringing Dylan back after so much build-up to serve such an inconsequential purpose was inspired. Likewise, having Rhett repeatedly compliment the strength of Aimee's ideas, all while begging for his life, kept the show from ever giving in to inherent laziness by preserving his character throughout. It's touches like those that make the episode work so well, against all odds.

If there's one hiccup, it's that the resolution falls a bit short. Killing off Aimee was inspired, mind you, and there's no problems there, but resolving everything with a dance sequence never works because it undervalues that which previously happened; it banks on being feel-good but doesn't really fit in. It's a reaffirmation that Rhett and Link are as close as ever, but the episode already proved that so strongly before. There's not an issue with the reprise of "BFFs," mind you - it's a smart way to tie everything back together - but extending it through the credits killed a lot of momentum and practically existed to fill time.

However, the true ending to it all more than makes up for that, finding Rhett and Link back in the GMM studio with one final bit of dialogue:

"I lost my phone this weekend."

"Let's talk about that."

On one level, it works to bookend the entirety of Buddy System; we start with GMM in "Tucked Up," and we end with GMM as the last shot of the season. But in doing so, it also casts the events of the entire series as just another weekend, wisely closing off any potential questions we could have in terms of how this may have affected them as characters; it's just finished business, and Rhett and Link casually wipe the dust off their hands and allowing for a promising Season 2 of equally zany adventures.

Long story short and words exhaustively-waxed, "Kill the Naughty Boy" is about as close to perfection as you can get.

Quotes and Notes:
-"Hey, have you seen anybody?" "No, not really. But I heard Trent's a gynecologist." "I heard that too." "Makes sense." "Wait, why does it make sense to you?" "Because it's a family business." "Right."
-"You've done it again." "Thanks!" "Please don't kill me with it."
-Considering how expensive that prom sequence from "You Ding, I Ding" must've been, I'd jokingly consider the motif's return as Rhett and Link taking advantage of their budget as resourcefully as possible.
-Aimee declaring that Rhett and Link returning to her as fate was doubly hilarious considering that the entire series, and arguably her whole business plan, was bent on manipulating them. Her repeated assertions in reaching her "solution," too - achieving a "healthy relationship" by literally imprisoning the two in a warehouse - goes the extra mile in proving her insanity.
-The infinitely-too-long scene of Maxwell pulling a scarf out of his jacket was one of those jokes that's hilarious, becomes tiring, and loops back around, and I loved every agonizing second of it.
-Link mindlessly taking prom photos with Aimee was perfect physical comedy, putting Aimee's gleaming smile and excitement against the most dead expression Link's ever been able to muster.

Final Grade: A. "Kill the Naughty Boy," above all else, and above everything I've already said, is just enjoyably charming. As a culmination of the first season, it manages to raise the bar without compromising the spirit of the show, and in doing so, it resolves the whole series amazingly while leaving the audience grasping for more. That's what Rhett and Link have always been able to do as content creators, and Buddy System is the much-deserved culmination.

One final thought, this time regarding Season 2: while I started out the first review by saying I was cautiously optimistic, watching the entire first season has made me drop that word "cautiously" entirely. Sure, the trailer was a bit sloppy and slapstick - I can attribute that to some of the crew's more campy stylistic choices as of late - but Rhett and Link have to be some of the most inspired people out there, and of all the YouTubers I can think of, they're the ones that I have the most faith in getting lightning to strike twice.

At the very least, their songs sound stellar for the most part. While I feel like they lean on being more circumstantial, whereas Season 1 was an even mix (compare "My Exercise Bike" to "Tough Decisions," for instance), songs like "Naked" and "Pour Some Coffee on Me" are already winners in audio form, and I can't wait to see the context.

See you tomorrow.