Netflix’s new animated series, “Strip Law,” premiered Friday, offering a distinctly Adult Swim-inspired brand of crude, surreal and often violent comedy. The demonstrate, created by Cullen Crawford (“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks”), centers on a struggling Las Vegas law firm and its unconventional approach to legal representation.
The series stars Adam Scott as Lincoln Gumb, the firm’s beleaguered head, alongside Janelle James as Sheila Flambé, a magician and past beauty pageant winner brought on as “co-counsel in charge of spectacle.” Keith David plays Stevie Nichols, a successful attorney and the former partner of Lincoln’s deceased mother, a figure to whom Lincoln remains fixated. Shannon Gisela portrays Irene, a teenage investigator who wears a blindfold labeled “Underage” when entering bars, and Stephen Root embodies Glem Blorchman, Lincoln’s disbarred and frequently re-disbarred uncle.
Early reviews suggest a divisive reception. The Los Angeles Times described the show as “rude, lewd, surreal in a banal sort of way,” while The Hollywood Reporter criticized it for prioritizing references over a cohesive narrative. However, Variety praised the series as a “joke-dense love letter to Las Vegas lunacy,” and Slant Magazine characterized it as a “postmodern adult cartoon that thinks bigger is better.”
Crawford’s series leans heavily into meta-humor and pop culture references. The show features self-aware gags about cartoon writing and the re-use of outdated phrases, as well as numerous nods to “The Simpsons,” including visual cues like “frosty chocolate milkshakes” and the Gracie Films logo. One episode parodies faith-based films with a live-action trailer starring Tim Heidecker as an atheistic version of Lincoln. Another features a virtual reality HR seminar hosted by a computerized amalgamation of the Rat Pack.
The show’s supporting characters contribute to its offbeat tone. George Wallace appears as the mayor of Las Vegas, and a recurring character known as Lunch Meat appears in various roles. The series likewise includes a Halloween Christmas episode parodying “Miracle on 34th Street” and a storyline involving the “Nevada-grown” Hot Dates, a sexualized take on the California Raisins. A redesign of the Hot Dates sparks riots among fans, with Lincoln lamenting the abandonment of “years of established canon.”
According to reviews, the series’ quality fluctuates, but it gains momentum as it progresses. The comedy relies on both broad, outlandish gags and subtle throwaway jokes. A recurring theme is the contrast between Lincoln’s team and more conventional legal practices, with one firm’s lawyers dismissing Lincoln’s approach as “dark and strange, and crass.” The show’s characters, despite their eccentricities, develop enough depth to create narrative stakes, echoing the appeal of outsider groups found in other successful television series.
The series’ creators explicitly state that It’s “proudly made by real, non-computer human beings,” a detail noted in the end credits. The animation style is described as standard for contemporary adult television, with a slight influence from comic artist Daniel Clowes. The show’s use of animation allows for unreal scenarios and visual gags, fulfilling the medium’s potential for imaginative storytelling.
