Fans of the cult comedy series Letterkenny probably don't need me to remind them that the 12th and final season of the Canadian show landed on Hulu December 26. Before you could say, "Pitter, patter, let's get at 'er," I quickly zipped through the six-episode season, bidding the off-kilter residents Letterkenny a fond and laugh-filled farewell.
It's never easy saying goodbye to a favorite show. But the fact that all 12 seasons of Letterkenny are still there on Hulu to enjoy and rewatch. And one of the things I appreciates about Letterkenny — if I can use the local vernacular — is just how rewatchable that show is.
That also happens to be good news if you've never happened to watch Letterkenny in its previous dozen seasons and wonder what all the fuss is about. Letterkenny is one of those shows you can dive right into, and get up to speed right away.
What you need to know about Letterkenny
Letterkenny is set in a fictional town of the same name located somewhere in rural Canada. The citizens of Letterkenny fit into three groups — Hicks (farmers), Hockey Players (out-of-towners who play for Letterkenny's usually hapless hockey team) and Skids (ravers who enjoy the occasional — well, frequent — illicit substance). There's also the Degens — trouble-makers from upcountry — who are usually the only that can unite the three otherwise warring factions of Letterkenny and trigger one of the brawls that punctuate many of the episodes.
I don't want to give the impression that Letterkenny is tightly plotted. Oh, there's usually a loosely structured story to every episode that has a beginning, middle and an end. But really, Letterkenny soars thanks to its dialog — a symphony of one-liners, comebacks, insults and observation that each character delivers in their own particular patois. It's a great hang-out show, where you get to send 20 minutes or so, with a group of friends, sharing their oddball takes on life.
It's also worth pointing out here that Letterkenny earns that TV-MA rating. The language is so blue, it blends in with the sky. There is no bodily function so discrete that it escapes comment. And the less impressionable viewers know of the Skids' recreational drug use, the better. If any of that rubs you the wrong way, there are more accommodating shows you can stream.
Letterkenny was created by series star Jared Keeso, who also developed it with director Jacob Tierney. (Tierney makes semi-frequent appearances as Letterkenny's not terribly reverent preacher.) It got its start as a YouTube series before Canadian subscription service Crave picked it up. Hulu started carrying it a few years later and now has the complete archive of episodes, including Letterkenny's occasional holiday episodes. Hulu is also where you'll find Shoresy, the Letterkenny spinoff based on the exploits of one of the town's spectacularly foul-mouthed hockey players (also played by Keeso) after he moves on to another team.
Which Letterkenny episodes you should watch
There's nothing wrong with starting in Season 1, Episode 1 and working your way through all 81 episodes. But the nice thing about Letterkenny is you can dip into any episode from any season and still get a pretty good flavor of what the show's about.
Here are the nine episodes I'd start with, if I had to pick and choose.
"Super Soft Birthday" (Season 1, Episode 2): Dary (Nathan Dales) is the barn clothes-clad best friend of head Hick Wayne (Keeso), and Dary is always tweeted to "super soft" birthday parties, despite his objections. What's a "super soft" party? "One time they dressed up a horse as a unicorn, and he was never the same after that," Wayne observes.
"The Native Flu" (Season 2, Episode 4): There's a big hockey game and — what else — a town brawl. But the reason to watch "The Native Flu" is for my all-time favorite conversation in the entire 12-season run of Letterkenny — four men arguing over the best way to cook a steak. Oh yeah, me and Gordon Ramsay are both morons.
"Uncle Eddie's Trust" (Season 2, Episode 5): If you're a fan of the TV show Shark Tank, you'll enjoy the Letterkenny take on that, when Wayne and his sister Katy (Michelle Mylet) come into an inheritance and listen to pitches from assorted Letterkenny citizens on how they should spend the money.
"Puck Bunny" (Season 3, Episode 2): A puck bunny — think groupies, but for hockey players — is destroying the morale of Letterkenny's hockey team, and its up to affable morons Reilly (Dylan Playfair) and Jonesy (Adam Herr) to get things sorted. This episode illustrates some things Letterkenny does best, like giving even minor throwaway characters a chance to give us a glimpse of their fascinating interior lives.
"The Haunting of MoDean's II" (Season 3, Episode 7): This Halloween episode is the best of the seven standalone holiday specials — OK, "The Three Wise Men" from Season 5 is pretty great, too — as the local bar may or may not be haunted by a ghost. Also, Wayne illustrates why you should always hand out full-sized chocolate bars.
"A Fuss at the Golf Course" (Season 4, Episode 2): In which we learn that if you've got problem with Canada Gooses, you've got a problem with Wayne.
"We Don't Fight at Weddings" (Season 5, Episode 1): It will not surprise you to learn that the brawl-loving residents of Letterkenny do, in fact, fight at weddings. Or at least fight adjacent to weddings.
"Sleepover" (Season 9, Episode 5): Some of the later seasons of Letterkenny seemed impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, how can you make a great hang-out show when nobody can really hang out? I'm not sure if that applied to "Sleepover," but the episode did find a clever way to keep cast members in separate locations while still telling a complete story that also happens to have some of the sweeter moments in the show's run.
"Sun Darts" (Season 12, Episode 2): The best standalone episode of Letterkenny's final season cracks the formula on how to create a top-selling country-and-western song.
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