Vice Principals Season 1 Review

Vice Principals (2016)
Season 1 - 10 Episodes (2016-)

Created by:  Jody Hill, Danny McBride
Starring:  Danny McBride, Walton Goggins, Sheaun McKinney

Plot:
This HBO series features two vice principals, Gamby (Danny McBride) and Lee (Walton Goggins), warring over the principal job.

Verdict:
The first episode was certainly crude, but hilarious. Seeing two adult men act more immature than the teenagers they govern is great. McBride does such a good job, but Goggins steals the show which is disappointing when he isn't on screen.
The show maintains the same style of humor, that fades slightly over a full season. It's clear what season two will be, and I'll definitely watch it. This show succeeds due to McBride and Goggins.
Watch it.

Review:
This series is limited to two seasons. I like a show with a definite end that isn't trying to stretch the premise. I was interested to see Goggins in a comedy. He was great in The Shield (2002-2008), and he does a great job in this, though after the first episode Gamby is obviously the protagonist.

Bill Murray cameos in the first episode. Vice Principals proves that it isn't just the students that are immature. Lee and Gamby are both vice principals that want to take over the now vacant principal position. They take every opportunity to insult each other, and while their insults are crude, both actors manage to deliver their lines for maximum hilarity. They are grown children.
Gamby is the outcast rule enforcer that's disliked by everyone because he's so rigid, while Lee is the smooth talking suck up.
When the school board hires an outside principal, Lee and Gamby decide to team up and oust the new principal.
This succeeds in part because it subverts the sweet, caring teacher trope, and also because Goggins and McBride are absolutely fantastic. This is definitely lowest common denominator humor, but it's enjoyable because this perfects the style.

In episode two, Gamby and Lee are working together. This isn't the way I envisioned the show unfolding. I assumed they would be enemies. Even with them working together, their dislike for each other remains strong. The new principal, Dr. Brown, is being portrayed as the villain, and not without good cause. I am disappointeded by the lack of Walton Goggins. This very much is McBride's show as we get a much better look at his life.
They break into Dr. Brown's house and end up smashing everything in the house. The show is so over the top it's hilarious. It's the things many adults wish they could do but can't due to societal constraints. In this show, Gamby and Lee have no restraints. Lee is the sociopath and Gamby follows his lead.

With episode three,  Gamby works himself onto a field trip with young teacher Amanda Snodgrass. Lee provides him with background information, and Gamby is just as awkward as you'd imagine. Amanda realizes what's going on and that Gamby likes her. She isn't impressed. She breaks it down and tells him he's a jerk. It's fitting as he is.
I wish Goggins was in this episode. This episode highlights how much the show needs him and how depressing Gamby's life is. It's still adults behaving badly, but it isn't as funny without Lee.

With episode four, it's school spirit week. Gamby is trying to hide his relationship with Ms. Abbott.
This episode gets into Dr. Brown's relationship with her kids. She thinks they may have burned the house down, but I don't care about her family, though it does reveal that they wish they hadn't come to this town. This is supposed to be the Gamby-Lee show.
Dr. Brown comes back from the brink in a rousing homecoming speech, surprising Lee because she actually bothered to learn students' names. Lee hatches a plan to sabotage the game to prevent Dr. Brown from becoming a hero.
Lee's plan is to spike the team's water with LSD. It backfires of course, but now Dr. Brown is the hero that led them to an unlikely victory.

In episode five,  Russell is dealing with unruly neighbors. It's strange to see Russell vulnerable. He's usually the one plotting the take downs.
Dr. Brown thinks that Gamby goes too far with discipline and needs to talk it out with students. As he says, some kids have darkness in their hearts and will never learn. Dr. Brown disagrees.
Gamby is hurt that Lee has moved on and found a new friend in the school. By the end of the episode they reconcile, while at the same time dealing with Lee's neighbor.

In episode six Gamby and Lee are stealing books and implicating a popular teacher in hopes that she can bring Dr. Brown down. It works, before Lee makes a revealing mistake.

Mrs. Snodgrass is newly single and attempting to teach Gamby how to ride a dirt bike. Gamby's plan is to weasel into his daughter's life by becoming her step-father Ray. Snodgrass decides to settle for Gamby, and ends up watching him fail spectacularly.

Episode seven is teacher work day. Lee is trying to suck up and get back into Dr. Brown's good graces after his mistake at the end of episode six. I don't think that's going to happen. Now Gamby is in Brown's good graces and Lee is out.
Amanda Snodgrass is into Gamby and I can't figure out why. I imagine it has something to do with the fact that McBride writes the episodes.
Lee schools Gamby on how to insult people in a hilarious exchange.

Episode eight has Lee scrambling to make it back into Dr. Brown's good graces. Gamby questions his relationship with Amanda after realizing she may be using him to get back at her ex.
Dr. Brown offers Gamby the sole role of vice principal. Gamby resolves to stick with Lee and bring Brown down.
He seems poised to do so, though he's a completely unwilling participant as Lee eggs her on to create a viral video that will end her career.

It's episode nine, the season one finale, and Lee is ready for the final stage of his plan. When he accidentally reveals that he and Gamby burned Dr. Brown's house down it's an epic three way fight.
Lee is triumphant, but while Gamby got in some good punches, he has second thoughts.

Lee and Gamby get to be triumphant together. Gamby uses his newfound power to win over Snodgrass through bribery.

Is that right? Is the setup for season two going to be Dr. Brown enacting her revenge on Lee and Gamby? With that last scene, I don't even know what this is.