“The value of identity is that so often with it comes purpose.”
- Richard R. Grant
When I previewed this episode last week, I stood up and cheered at the initial revelation:
“Remember the night before we met? The pills you took?” — Wilfred
“Yes …” — Ryan
“They worked, mate …” — Wilfred
“So … none of this is really happening … ?!?” — Ryan
But as anyone who’s been watching Wilfred knows, things aren’t quite that simple.
All season long, I’ve been waiting for Ryan to show some sort of clarity in his down-trodden life … to come to a realization … to grow a pair, even … anything. Anything to give us a clue about what was going on with him and his (seeming) delusions — if delusions are what he has been experiencing.
Throughout the episode, I got that. Finally. I saw Ryan resolutely stand on his own two feet without crutches or support and be somebody for a change. I saw him be himself, I saw him take charge.
We saw Ryan severe the tie he has with Wilfred. It seemed he’d had a breakthrough.
But then, at the last, that firm resolve popped out of existence just as easily as Wilfred popped bubbles during the episode … and with no more of a simple conclusion than a dribbling, bouncing ball come out of the closet.
I pose what I’ve queried over the last couple posts: Is Ryan dead? More clues, more symbolism:
The Bubbles: They were clear as a bell one moment, *popping* out of existence the next. See that photo above of Ryan? Each soapy globe represents a possible outcome for him. Just as interestingly, Wilfred voids them out of existence by slapping them down, counting all along the way. Talk about your symbolism …
The Closet: An identifiable marker of Ryan’s mind breaking free, despite the closet’s contents. That is … until …
The Ball: … which throws a wrench in the machine of his mind and gives you pause, asking: Is Wilfred really real?
Super cliffhanging ending to season one.
Notes:
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Sep 08, 2011 @ 22:30 EST5EDT
Plus! Ryan’s sister’s last words on the phone were “You’re dead to me.”
Dead as in Lost would be just as unsatisfying for me. I doubt Ryan getting together with the girl next door too. Like with “Louie”, the protagonist suffering is key to the show. A heaven solution would ruin that.
The problem I have with it is that people tend to hate life and put all their hopes into an afterlife, without the clarity of there being one.
Ironically I would be fine if Ryan was in a coma and dying with the belief that everything will be fine and that he’s going to heaven.
We’ll see. Until then you can continue focusing on your Easter egg hunt that like on Lost will most likely turn out to be worthless. I’ll focus on the comedy.
*POST AUTHOR*
. . . . .
Who said anything about “a heaven solution” … ?!?
Anybody else going as Wilfred for Halloween?
Elijah Wood has said that Wilfred is just a manifestation of Ryan’s mind, when he was doing all that vindictive stuff at the BBQ he needed to silence/distract his conscience. Ryan tried to overdose and Wilfred is a “black dog”. Way I see it is it’s all about him balancing his life by creating a role model for the traits he lacks.
Did anyone notice that the closet was actualy where his basement should be so the anytime he was down there with wilfred that wasnt actualy hapening.