Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Now is an excellent time to be an animation fan. While Cartoon Network is creating brilliantly inclusive shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time, adult animation is at an all-time high, led by depressive laugh-out-loud comedies like BoJack Horseman and Rick and Morty as well as sweet family watches like Bob’s Burgers. If you love brightly colored stories about love, friendship, and the inner complexities of people, there’s another show you need to add to your watchlist — Danger & Eggs.
Created by Mike Owens (Yo Gabba Gabba) and Shadi Petosky (MAD), Danger & Eggs is an acid trip of adventure in the best possible way. The series has a fairly simple if not weird premise. Danger & Eggs follows the teal-haired and adventure-loving D.D. Danger (Aidy Bryant) and her best friend Phillip (Eric Knobel), a giant risk-averse and rule-loving egg. They’re complete opposites, but the drama of the series never stems from fighting about their differences. Instead, they accept the other’s oddities and support them despite their conflicting views of the world. You know, like friends do. Honestly, this Amazon kid’s show portrays a more mature and accurate version of friendship than most primetime sitcoms.
However, what makes Danger & Eggs great is how its rapid-fire pace intersects with its surprisingly deep message. From the show’s first episode, which premiered as part of Amazon’s 2015 pilot season, the series has always unapologetically been itself. It’s filled with bright neon colors, characters that swing between being caricatures of adulthood and smart parody — a balance that works well with the show’s kid-focused lens — and it never lets up on its mile-a-minute jokes. It’s one of those series you can watch more than once and still be entertained. But at the same time, Danger & Eggs continues the heart-warming trend of thoughtful and inclusive children’s shows. In the episode “Satellite Gardens,” D.D. and Phillip cheerfully assure a confused computer system that it’s OK it doesn’t know who it is. Identity takes time. “Ren Faire,” the episode that precedes the space garden odyssey, inverts the stereotypical knight’s tale to instead feature a princess who saves herself. Danger & Eggs’ lessons are smart and well thought out, but they never feel heavy-handed.
When Decider first reviewed Danger & Eggs, contributor Angela Arsenault criticized the series for being annoying and for only being entertainment for entertainment’s sake. With respect to Arsenault’s take on the series, I disagree. After watching the show’s first season, I found Danger & Eggs to be a whip-smart and fun addition to the embarrassment of riches that is animation in 2017. Yes, it is unmistakably a weird show, but Danger & Eggs balances its oddities with heart and a down-to-earth environment, not completely unlike Bob’s Burgers. Danger & Eggs manages to be silly and delightful as it parses through complex topics such as male privilege, complex identity politics, queerness, and inclusiveness. That last element extends to the show’s behind-the-scenes creative choices. Co-creator Petosky is an out trans woman, and its voice-acting cast is packed with talented LGBT performers, including comedian and Take My Wife creator Cameron Esposito.
As someone who doesn’t have children, I can’t tell you with certainty whether or not this quirky watch is right for your kids. However, as an adult who spends too much time analyzing cartoons, I can say that Danger & Eggs is a delightful watch that really is something special.
