Farzar – Season 1 Episode 1 “Welcome to Farzar” Recap & Review

Farzar on Netflix is an adult animated show that is set on the titular planet somewhere in space. Chief characters are Renzo, the planet’s hunky Czar, his son, Fichael, and the supposed antagonist, Bazarack. Creators Roger Black and Waco O’Guin are the showrunners for season one.

If the first episode is any indication, it seems like a “keep your brains in a box” kind of show without cultural or moral depth. The subsequent episodes might spring a surprise. But we will only know when we watch more. Catch our recap for episode one and all the episodes here to keep updated with the developments in the plot!

‘Welcome to Farzar’ Recap

Renzo is the czar of Farzar, an oceanic planet infested by evil aliens. He saves the human city and constructs an energy dome around it. To sit on the throne, he marries a flaccid, much older Queen Flammy, with whom he has a “failson”, Fichael. His god-like strength, rockstar hair, and chiseled chocolate pecks come in handy to keep out Bazarack, the evil incarnate leader of the aliens.

Fichael feels it is time for him to fulfil his destiny: rid the planet of evil. Renzo announces his wish to hold Bazarack’s head and the prince accepts his offer after being insulted by his father.

He creates a faux team for Fichael – called the “S.H.A.T. Squad”. Scootie, a cyborg, Val/Mal Skullcrunchers, two adjoined sisters with diametrically opposite personalities, Barry Barris, a suicidal and perverted genius scientist, and Billy, an ugly-looking creation of Barry’s, comprise his team.

The price overcomes his fear of “fatal allergies”, instilled in him by Flammy to keep him from ever leaving the city, to embark on his adventure. Scootie refuses to join them as he has lost a human part every time he has stepped out to meet the aliens. Ultimately, though, they need his help as the savage lands beyond the city overwhelm them. Scootie also brings a map to Bazarck’s hidden base for the group to follow and complete the mission.

First, they go through the nether regions, where they have to come up against Intellectoids. Although going through them seems difficult at first and they are angered when they discover that the group is “not” fellow Intellectoids, Fichael inadvertently puts them away as he drops the sui-slide whistle, a weapon given to him by Barry that kills you when you blow it.

SHAT make it through the “very, very, very bad forest” only to find that they have returned to the human city. Scootie was paid by Renzo to do so in order to protect Fchael and his throne. Suddenly, a “cocktapus” attacks them and eats the 0thers while Scootie gets high on “snarts”. Fichael drops the pill in his stomach and saves them.

At his base, Bazarack asks his assistant Clitaris “how intimidating he looks on a scale of 1-10”. He uses makeup to improve his score on the scale. He uses eyebrow pluckers, bronzers, and prosthetics to enhance his look. He also redecorates the base to make it “scarier” for Fichael. A bone throne, fake blood, spider webs, and a fog machine are accessories he uses to do that.

Bazarack sends his goons to kidnap Fichael as he gets bored waiting for them to come. Then, we learn the truth. Renzo is actually the bad guy in this equation as he invaded the planet and captured Bazarack’s lands. He tortures his people and ravages their resources. In the form of a catchy song, Bazarack exposes Renzo’s truth.

Fichael joins forces with Bazarack and prepares for war with Renzo. But, when the watch (given by Barry) is repaired by Bazarack’s scientists, Fichael sees Renzo worrying about him through a wormhole and choosing him over his throne. He instead decapitates Bazarack and takes the head to Renzo. Val gives all soldiers a poisoned Gatorade. They all die.

Fichael brings back the head to Renzo. Flammy discovers he let Fichael leave the city and bans “sunset sloppies” (codeword for making love) for an entire month. Renzo takes Bazarack’s head and plays beach volleyball with it. But Bazarack’s race can grow their heads back. The story is not over, yet!

The Episode Review

Farzar is creative buffoonery at its best – and worst. We have seen plenty of experiments in the animation world in the last few years. Many unheard and hidden voices have surprised us on a positive side. They have wielded the medium to tell oddball stories in even stranger worlds. Farzar tries to do all that but with zero substance.

There is no structure, form, or serious-mindedness in the plot or story. Jokes left and right come at you at the speed of light in episode one. Even when establishing their universe, O’Guin and Black stay true to the identity of the show, which is a mixed bag.

Fazrar is completely nonsensical and facetiously confident about itself. It trudges along the lines of ‘Family Guy’ in terms of the brand of comedy but is not nearly as funny. The laughs that it does manage to evoke are bought extremely cheap  and specifically from a part that is non-political and uncommitted to respect anything civil. To me, most felt dated and only a few spruced things up. Hopeful for a gradual adjustment in tone going forward.