In FX's 'Little Demon' Aubrey Plaza and Danny Devito Shine

Entertainment Opinion by Josh Blatt

Dan Harmon is back at it again with another NSFW animated comedy.

    In the premiere of the FX adult animated comedy Little Demon, we start with the literal birth of the anti-christ. From there we get to meet Chrissy Feinberg (voiced by Lucy Devito) daughter of the Devil (voiced by real life father Danny Devito) who has had to jump around from school to school for the first 13 years of her life. The reason being that her mother Laura (voiced by Aubrey Plaza) has been trying to avoid Satan for as long as possible. There is one event that leads to Satan discovering their location, however I believe that is better off left unsaid. Chrissy is once again starting fresh at a new school and for the second time in her seventh grade year, where the show starts to reveal its own identity. One thing that pleased me in the first episode was letting Lucy Devito be the star of the show. As somebody who personally had not been aware of Lucy's career, I for one am extremely satisfied with her performance through the two episode premiere. Viewers can tell that she has the chops to play alongside two of the most distinct voices in Hollywood.

    Aubrey Plaza's character Laura subverts all expectation within a span of ten minutes. Laura is a complete badass, which in the nicest way possible, typically isn't something Dan Harmon's shows possess.  Now I know this isn't a series that was created by him, but being the highest billed producer that did not create it, and by viewing the first episodes, his influence is clear. I am more than sure you're familiar with Harmon's projects, namely Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites, and Community (one of my personal favorite shows ever) with only the latter being live action. He writes with a whimsical attitude that, at times, can be extremely intoxicating. The main pitfall in Harmon's work is that his stories and characters take time to develop, which isn't always the most valid criticism as most pieces of media need that time to shake off the rust. One thing FX and creators: Darcy Fowler, Seth Kirschner, and Kieran Valla could do to try and supplement the process of building the world is montage. Now I am fully aware montages can be corny, but they can also be hilarious and help speed up that world-building process such as a show like a South Park.

    I may be restating the obvious here, but Danny Devito is a national treasure. After only a handful of voice acting outings one thing is clear, Devito just has a voice that works for anything. His comedic prowess is on display as well as Aubrey Plaza's and the way that they bounce back and forth with dialogue is both witty and comedic, something that both actors are accustomed to accomplishing. I was aware that Plaza was a funny individual, but I was skeptical when I first discovered the casting for Little Demon. She was probably my favorite character through two episodes. I was uncertain about the flow of how the show would work given the batshit crazy premise. This show has some dark comedic roots that keep it grounded, and supernatural elements that help make themes that we have seen before feel fresh. The show has a long way to go before becoming something more than just another animated adult comedy, but the potential is there.