Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Missing Link

"My entire life's work for naught. My friends left, my family abandoned me. Why? All I ever did was spend every moment of my entire life trying to make myself happy." "I know what you mean. My friend left me just because I said he wasn't my friend." "People."

All good things come to an end, but thank all that is holy that Buddy System went out in a blaze of glory. We've seen Rhett and Link's relationship blossom over the course of the series, but "Missing Link" is the final episode that allows us to see just how important it is to them, and more importantly, the consequences of its collapse.

The first act is the show at its most narratively-elaborate; Link, without the partnership of Rhett, finds himself briefly dragged into the sign-spinning business under Maxwell, making his triumphant return as what I can only describe as a sign pimp, and after Rhett accidentally runs over him, he starts hanging out with Roberto. Meanwhile, Rhett goes to a Kenneth Kenneth discussion group at the community center only to meet the man himself. Up until the midpoint of the episode, both characters use these interactions to distract themselves from their true feelings regarding their split-up, and it plays out like tragicomedy. The two try to fill the emptiness that they didn't know they even had by re-inventing their lives, but painfully enough, it's clear that their new friends are nothing if not hollow substitutes (especially Roberto. Because he's Roberto).

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Silent Fight

[Rhett!] [Bagel!] 

"Silent Fight" is interesting because it's a considerably less full-fledged experience, but that's kind of the point. It lacks the outright quirkiness of episodes like "Spa Trip" or "A Frontier Story" because it has to do a very specific job at laying out the foundation of "Missing Link." It can't go for broke if it wants to communicate its message, so it doesn't, and that's why it works.

The basic premise is that Rhett and Link get into a spat and decide to never speak to each other, or anyone else, ever again, and it's a silly idea that slowly drops the harshest reassessment of the duo's friendship yet. To it's credit, though, it's a very meticulously-done episode. It doesn't feel rushed, which is especially surprising coming hot off of a string of light episodes, and it's necessary for it to buckle down on some more essential plot points instead of go full-on crazy. Even when doing so, though, it works surprisingly well.

This is largely in how much it pulls from its supporting characters, all of which shine. Dylan, a vastly underrated character this season, finally gets his due with a large role in the episode's proceedings as the manager in his repackaging of Rhett and Link's nonverbal communication as an avant-garde performance and as Rhett's defendant in the trial, both being golden opportunities for the character (and actor Tobias Jelinek) to shine through - dude was on fire. Ignatius, likewise, was put to better use than ever; upon discovering via news of their new double act that Link was taking residence with Rhett, he takes the two to his own version of court to rule over who's the rightful tenant of the house.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: A Frontier Story

"I think we passed that tree before." "Nope, new tree. Trees tend to imitate each other, it's a common tree tactic to confuse explorers."

It's always in the middle of a season that shows get their most experimental and play around with novel ideas the most. Sure, that may prompt a misstep here or there, but it's when shows don't have any mandatory exposition to work through and get to experiment that we get to see things at their most ambitious and potentially-rewarding.

Among one of the most popular ideas is that of flashing back to the olden times, and it's also an idea that yields the most iffy results; more often than not, there's just nothing fun about it, and it becomes an episode of the show that just feels deprived. So it was a pleasant surprise that "A Frontier Story" not only pulled through, but executed the idea flawlessly.

Expectedly but still enjoyably, our frontiersmen protagonists Fairweather Linkis and Billiam Rhark are, in fact, stuck in the same character dynamic as Rhett and Link are. They're two explorers bound together by circumstance, in this case Zachary Taylor sending them off to expand downwards, believing the world to be hollow and contain more land to manifest destiny the crap out of. They repeatedly try to outdo each other only for it to be made hilariously clear that they're both equally inept, and it eventually drives them to team up, however briefly.

This finds them on a strangely quixotic adventure to, again, find the center of the earth, filled with three-eyed Natives and bounties to exploit, but it quickly detours into a hilariously microchastic nougat feud almost immediately. Leading up to that point, though, is equally fun.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Virtual Rhettality

"It's almost a certainty that we're already living in a simulation." "How can you know that?" "Well, you know when you tickle yourself it doesn't tickle? That's proof." "But it does tickle!" "Well that's because the technology's getting better all the time."

Well, it seems like, with "Virtual Rhettality," we've officially gotten Buddy System Season 2's first miss. Let me try to defend my position a bit.

As this episode's song, "Family Man," hammers in, Rhett and Link both desire the domesticity of family life, so Link runs off to make amends with Vanessa (and hilariously shove Roberto out of the picture, though it's not like he has feelings anyway) while Rhett doubles down on his new Occular Thrift playing BarnTown as Beth, a virtual farm-lady. Issues arise, however, when Vanessa inevitably becomes tangled with both Link in real-life and Rhett in virtual reality.

For what it's worth, the ultimate reveal was a surprisingly well-executed twist. Sure, there's a few holes in how Rhett and Link somehow never caught on to the coincidence up until Link virtually jams his hand up Rhett's... hmm... but the slow burn is hilarious as our heroes react in horror at the realization. On one level, Link's virtually violating Rhett, but on the other, Rhett's destroyed Link's deep, deep like for Vanessa. And amazingly, in hurts both in equal parts, if not out of their universe's peculiarities wherein both Rhett and Link make equally insane progress with Vanessa within a matter of two days.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Spa Trip

"Did you know that Dayton has the fewest surprises per capita of any American city?" "I'm not surprised."

Please, please, please make sure you watch "Spa Trip" before reading this review. As an episode, it's a gift that just keeps on giving, slowly but fantastically evolving as it spirals out of control into surrealism. Through it all, it's one of the most captivating episodes of media I've seen all year.

At its initial core, it's about personalities clashing. Rhett is a man of luxury, and as such, he imposes on Link for every minor, self-proclaimed transgression, be it the way he sleeps or the way he cuts his toast. On top of that, too, he's self-serving - note the two tickets to Spa Chula he gets himself, only relinquishing the second and advancing the plot to Link once he feels marginally guilty.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Taste Test

"Actually, this daily food delivery's for me! I keep forgetting that I took your job from you!" 

There's one moment from "Taste Test" that especially stands out. During the taste-training montage, right at the moment where Link breaks his tongue, the two glam rock singers break the fourth wall and flinch in horror. It's a prototypical example of Buddy System's keen eye for capturing the comedy of even the slightest moments, whether or not their presence as a joke is made entirely obvious or not. It's signs like this that show how much thought was put into every slight moment of the show, and going off of that, it's in this amazing hyper-specificity that "Taste Test" is a triumph.

Of course, it's worth noting that, of the past two episodes, "Taste Test" is by far the least elaborate: Link accidentally burns Rhett's tongue, making him unable to perform his job, so at Rhett's insistence, he carries out his duties only to find himself a tasting professional. Likewise, the episode is very linear; every event very obviously affects the other, and there's no real detours within the narrative, but there's nothing wrong with that. Instead, it allows Buddy System proves how great it is at working within the confines it sets for itself.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Sanctuary

"Hello? Uh, I think my roommate's a serial killer?... Yes, I can hold... Sí, I can hold in Spanish."

Whereas "To Kill a Robot" worked fantastically in blazing its own trail and creating a wild yet continuous narrative, "Sanctuary" works incredibly differently - in knowing the predictability of its reveal, it instead exerts all of its effort on all of the beats of the episode. The destination, for the most part, is obvious: the road that we take to get there, graciously, is not.

The plot is simple - Rhett reveals that there is, in fact, a third roommate, a mysterious figure named Glenn that keeps to himself. Link, however, decides to break the lack of communication and meet the fellow, but when the pair stumble into his room, Link finds... a few warning signs. While Rhett, acting naively in the face of Link's concern, suspects nothing of the jars full of insects, the well in the middle of the room - "Maybe he's filling in a well," - or a cryptic ransom note on someone (or, as it turns out, something) named Timmy, Link pieces together that they're sharing rent with a murderer. Obviously, we can presume that Glenn isn't actually a serial killer, but at the same time, I don't think anyone could easily reach the conclusion that he was a turtle-whispering clown, and that's where the episode gets to be the most fun.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: To Kill a Robot

"People with exceptional talents like me will be the confidants of our robot overlords. More average people like yourself will spend their days in hamster wheels helping to power the cybertronic society we all helped create."

Season 2 of Buddy System has to be the most promising second season I've seen in a while. Instead of picking up after the events of its incredible first season, knowing that their little story arc has met its graceful conclusion, Rhett and Link have decided to create an almost completely different product, now finding them in an alternate universe where they were never friends in the first place. Whereas the first season was built on testing their friendship, this season has shifted gears entirely. Now, it's about building one up.

In spite of that massive shake-up, though, one of the most interesting things about their new set-up is that, in spite of missing that crucial bond, Rhett and Link's characters are otherwise unchanged. Even down to their mannerisms, like Rhett snapping his finger at Link while shutting his front door (shown before in "Super Special Secret Bike") are delicately preserved, alongside the broader jokes like Link being obsessed with tedious, mind-numbing occupations (a jab considering the creativity of their oeuvre); the combination of both the obvious and the sly paints a nicely-complete portrait of our protagonists.

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.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Soul Searchin' / Another We

"I belonged to Rhett's grandfather. He rode me like the wind, until he died, right there in front of Rhett." What?" "That's right, I killed him. OKAY, LET'S GO, LINK!"

"Soul Searchin'" is an interesting episode to discuss considering it's the most hated installment in the show's first season, and I can see why - it's Buddy System at its most detached, and nothing that happens in it matters at all or really ties into anything. (That which it does manage to introduce, for the record, is immediately thrown out/murdered in "Another We," at least.) But I think that's why it works - it's just eleven goofy minutes of Rhett and Link and nobody else.

You can tell it's the sort of episode that the duo would be most excited about doing - "Soul Searchin'" is full-length, but doesn't utilize anybody in the supporting cast, or even anybody else at all. It's just them messing around and trying on new characters, and as a result, it feels almost like a return to their comedic sketch roots.

First of all, though, it should go without saying that "Tough Decisions" is easily the most on-point song from the entire season; if anything, the episode might've simply been created to accommodate for the song. The entire premise borders on the nihilistic - regardless of whatever decisions you make in a life, a whale is gonna die (as well as any odd variety of endangered wildlife or yourself), and assisting in the song's message is its presentation - here, Rhett and Link act as teachers in a dingy classroom using a projector, shot through sped-up footage. For such a simple premise, its execution is shockingly elaborate and a spectacle to watch, let alone that the song is as catchy as they come.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Rolling On Turds / The Magic is Real

"Why don't you go smack a ball into someone's net with your little stick?" "And why don't you go skate uphill 'cuz, it's, hard..."

Buddy System is interesting in that, in spite of having an overarching narrative, it never feels like it does. There's only a few episodes that really buckle down on telling the show's story, and even then, it's always second to some zany adventure; the story thus forms a nice undercurrent to connect the duo's adventures together while allowing them to inhibit their own little space.

Basically, Rhett and Link know their strengths, and they know better; that's why episodes like "Rolling On Turds" work so well.

In fact, it's very vaguely rooted in the show's narrative at all. What it boils down to is a display of the direct results of Link's phone being missing and the sheer damage it can cause, in this case with the two being torn apart into separate rollerskating and rollerblading cults and forced against one another through any wide variety of turd analogies.

It's hilariously extreme and absurd, which the episode immediately points out by jump-cutting from Rhett's initial reluctance to him pledging his undying allegiance to the art of rollerskating, getting branded, and drinking the blood of the fallen. Link, meanwhile, can barely stumble through an area code, and the leader of his group gives up on the rest of the ceremony - another fun character dichotomy, mind you.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Super Special Secret Bike / You Ding, I Ding

"Wait, did you have your phone in there?" "Yeah, I took some pictures of your bike." "Ah, send me those. I have a scrapbook... for the bike."

For the record, since Buddy System is coming back incredibly soon, I'll try to double up on reviews leading up to Season 2's release date before covering the final episode in a standalone article. It's not an ideal system, but it'll have to do. Now, at the expense of a segue because it's 2:30 AM and I'm tired:

"Super Special Secret Bike" is incredibly simple but incredibly hilarious. The episode finds Rhett and Link reenacting Link's day to try to figure out the exact moment that Link lost his phone - it's a minimal set-up that finds our two protagonists weeding through a characteristically bizarre day, all while providing commentary throughout on each individual event in recreating every event as quixotically and accurately as the duo can manage.

What makes it so enjoyable is that it's sort of a look at Link's character's day-to-day existence - we get a look at his confused psyche that, among other things, welcomes robed strangers with promises of holistic benefits and shares photos of child actors who look like the national parks they currently work at. In other words, it's an opportunity for Rhett and Link to cram in as many conversational non sequitors as possible with a nice bit of cohesion; all that the episode requires is that each segment offers slightly more insight, and the result is incredibly smooth and simultaneously all over the place in the best way possible.

Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Tucked Up

Alright, so... why am I talking about Buddy System?

Well, the obvious reason is that Season 2 is just around the corner, and while I'm cautiously optimistic, I'm optimistic nonetheless. Plain and simple, there's no better time to be looking back. I think the main reason, though, is the fact that nobody else has really taken it upon themselves to meaningfully discuss it. That's not to say that it's a particularly deep show with complexities that need to be called out or anything, but it at least warrants some level of appraisal as opposed to silence.

Also, to Buddy System's credit, it's a pretty decent show. It's always scary to see Youtubers trying to create something larger (which is why every attempt at making a movie has been a complete, almost insulting failure to the industry), but Rhett and Link are the kind of people who are fully aware of their strongsuits and limitations. The show is basically just them being themselves, however exaggerated, and while that does lead to some issues, it's at least something distinctive and fresh.

If anything, Buddy System feels almost like an extended version of their more respectable, non-GMM content. They're inventive people, which is something I feel is wasted so frequently on GMM in favor of streamlined content - Buddy System is at least an optimistic little glimmer that shows that they've still got it. Youtube's a monster as the most successful begin to play it safe in favor of making more money, but Buddy System was never too glaring as to show that. It felt more like a passion project which, in a sense, it was. This is essentially the culmination of the duo's work on Youtube, and it works.

That being said, the show's not all perfect, and we will get to some of the problematic areas soon enough. "Tucked Up," on the other hand, is a well-crafted little narrative, however light, with a lot of delightful quirks.