Vice Principals: “The Principal” Review

‘Vice Principals’ takes two grown men and devolves them down two bickering man-childs.

Image via HBO

“Shut Your Mouth You Sassy-Ass Motherf**cker.”

Note: The following review goes into detail about the episode. SPOILER ALERT!

Vice Principals brings Danny McBride back to HBO, and he’s still Danny McBride. If the thought of Danny McBride being Danny McBride repulses you, he’d probably tell you to go [expletive] a [stick or stick like object].

Image via HBO

The hook of Vice Principals is having two grown men in positions of competence and importance behave like prepubescent siblings fighting over who’s taking up more room on the couch. McBride’s Vice Principal of Discipline Neal Gamby and Walton Goggins’s Vice Principal of Curriculum Lee Russell play these roles well. Gamby is a crude-talking, entitled guy who speaks before he thinks. On the contrary, Russell takes a weasel-like approach and says the right thing to the right people at the right time. Both have impeccable delivery no matter the circumstance.

Gamby and Russell bash heads for the majority of “The Principal,” which is when the most laughs are had. In competition with one another, the destination gets captured from under them by one Dr. Belinda Brown, played by Kimberly Hebert Gregory. Her introduction as North Jackson’s new principal gave way to the “the enemy of my enemy” alliance between Gamby and Russell by episode’s end. In this case, everyone is against everyone, so this type of conflict will surely develop into some fun times.

Another character introduced is Sheaun McKinney’s Dayshawn, a cafeteria worker at the school who brings a grounded vibe that Gamby’s outrageous persona can mesh well with comedically. Georgia King as new teacher Amanda Snodgrass was another fun presence, with her rejections of Gamby’s policies and advances being worth some laughs, too.

THE BREAKDOWN

VP Gamby and Russell exude a laughable amount of immaturity, and that’s why Vice Principals had a good start. The characters introduced in Dr. Brown, Deyshawn and Ms. Snodgrass all brought a different form of comedy to the table. We got a little glimpse of other staff in short, hilarious bits, and I hope we get to know them more. Taking archetypal characters in “the secretary,” “the P.E. teacher” and “the music instructor” and layering the crass humor allowed here could make for a few gut busters by the end of this season.

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