Moral Orel, Vol. 1, The Unholy Edition
What exactly makes this double disc ofMoral Orel's first season just so "unholy"? Well, for starters, it's uncensored, but that label is really just an amusing ruse, because if anything, the original episodes, which ran as part of Adult Swim's programming, are more offensive than anything you're likely to see on network or cable television. The brainchild of TV writer Dino Stamatopolous (Mr. Show,The Ben Stiller Show), the animated seriesMoral Orelskewers both conservative viewpoints and children's shows likeDavey and Goliath, from which Orel borrows its animated style and naïve world view. The series follows the thoroughly misguided adventures of Orel, a very impressionable young resident of the small town of Moralton. The citizens of said burg live by a very strict interpretation of Christian beliefs, and this rigid interpretation tends to land Orel in very hot water when he attempts to apply them to the less-than-black-and-white world around him. Over the course of the first season's ten episodes (which are all included here, as well as five episodes from the second season), Orel accidentally unleashes a plague of zombies on his townsfolk ("The Lord's Greatest Gift"), develops a horrific crack addiction ("Charity"), gets pierced in an unmentionable place ("The Blessed Union"), and in the series' most jaw-dropping episode to date, "God's Chef," turns a wrong-headed interpretation of sex into a town-wide rash of unexpected pregnancies.If you're no longer shocked bySouth Park, chances are thatMoral Orelwill fill that void, but it's important to note that likeSouth Park, Orel isn't just about breaking taboos. There's a lot of very clever dialogue here, and the "lessons" taught to Orel by his dad, Clay, and the miserable Reverend Putty, do much to skewer the double-talk that permeates zealous types on both sides of the religious and social fences. Supplemental features onThe Unholy Editioninclude eight commentaries by Stamatopoulous and his production team (which includes fellowMr. Showalum Jay Johnston, who also provides many voices for the series), which cover the trials and tribulations involved in the show's productions, as well as the many headaches incurred by the network over content and thematic issues. Several featurettes are also included, and the most entertaining of these is "The Awkward Comic-Con Panel," in which a seemingly deranged Stamatopolous gets into an argument withVenture Bros.creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer; commentaries by both sides of the fracas are also included. The extras are rounded out by deleted scenes, network bumpers, and footage of Stamatopolous recording the voice of Reverend Putty (he was replaced by William Saylers).--Paul Gaita