It seemed, for a moment, that “The League” had gone off the rails with its unusual sixth season. Fringe characters like Rafi (Jason Mantzoukas) and Dirty Randy (Seth Rogen) were given too much spotlight. Ted (Adam Brody) died, which was too morbid, and the episode in which Pete’s (Mark Duplass) girlfriend had an epileptic seizure during intercourse was inappropriate. The show seems to have let its own eccentricity get the better of it.
Thankfully, the first episode of season seven provides a welcome return to the dependable rhythms of the show’s earlier seasons. Similar to FX’s other gem, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the humor of “The League” has always stemmed from the narcissistic characters’ misguided attempts to humiliate and manipulate each other.
This is very much the theme of the season seven’s premiere episode. Taco (Jonathan Lajoie) puts a port-a-potty in Kevin’s (Stephen Rannazzisi) living room, Andre (Paul Scheer) starts dating Kevin’s ex-wife and Ruxin (Nick Kroll) talks about “a tandem bicycle with dicks for handles.” That is the humor of “The League” at its finest.
The series is now entering its final season, and it shows its age gracefully. There are a few throwback jokes — the Mr. McGibblets costume makes an appearance — but the motif is not overdone. At one point Ruxin makes one of his trademark cracks about Pete and Kevin’s fictional sexual relationship and is rebuffed, leaving him to bitterly quip, “No one understands what I do for this group.” That kind of self-aware humor is only possible when the audience has reached a certain familiarity with a group of characters, and “The League” takes advantage of that familiarity well.
“The League” has a long history of including NFL players in the show, and the season premiere has the best cameo of any active player yet, with Marshawn Lynch starring in a scathing, self-effacing bit about the most recent Super Bowl.
The episode also opens some intriguing doors for the rest of the season. Pete and Andre start feuding as a result of Andre’s relationship with Pete’s ex-wife — an extended Pete versus Andre storyline has wonderful comic potential.
Perhaps the most reassuring aspect of the episode is the way Rafi’s character appears. He shows up in one very funny scene, and that’s it. In season six, an entire psychedelic, disorganized episode was centered around Rafi, and failed to bring any humor. Rafi is a hilarious, memorable character but best when incorporated sparingly, as with this episode.
In reality, the show hardly needs Rafi to support its humor. The best parts of “The League” come when the characters simply sit at a bar or in a living room slinging foul insults and manic wit back and forth. This season promises plenty of that, and fortunately, a little less craziness. The projections are in: “The League” is back.
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