Fairfax Review

Fairfax review – Prime Video’s new adult animated series capture the true weirdness and inherent heart of moving to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is the home of movies and television. It is one of the cultural forefronts of the world, with a unique set of values that has to be lived to be experienced. It is a strange thing to witness from afar, and stranger still to witness it first hand. But despite the initial fear factor and oddities, it is as welcoming and exclusive as any other culture. Dale (Skyler Gisondo) lives this experience as an Oregon transplant into the heart of Los Angele’s hypebeast culture, Fairfax Avenue, where the chase for clout is never-ending.

Fairfax is a hilarious parody and homage to Los Angeles and social media clout culture. Chasing clout is universal, but there is a special niche of pretentiousness to it in Los Angeles. The extremes of chasing clout in the series, though slightly enhanced by the limitless nature of animation, really do not feel exaggerated at all. People do some wild things to get those likes and subscribes, and Fairfax understands it entirely. It does tend to make fun of and highlight the absurdity of chasing clout, but it doesn’t seem like it is condemning people who do. People who hate clout chasing will enjoy the ridiculous adventures of Benny (Peter S. Kim), Dale, Dercia (Kiersey Clemons), and Truman (Jaboukie Young-White), while clout chasers might become inspired. Either way, Fairfax is an animated comedy that should not be slept on.

*If the negative opinion of clout culture irks the reader or comes off as hypocritical in this Fairfax review… COMMENT, LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE.

The genuine earnestness of Fairfax is what will capture audiences. Clout chasing is objectively a bit shallow as a concept, those thumbs-ups probably should not be the validating factors in the lives of so many. However, it is not as simple a concept as it is often portrayed. The meaning it has to individuals and the opportunities that spring from having clout are very real and should garner some respect. Fairfax plays both sides of the coin and cleverly plays draws out the comedy in the conflicting ideologies. Audiences will be able to laugh at the kid who is being horrible to his father for clout, and also be able to admire the father for supporting his kid’s endeavor. It’s weird and off the wall, but for some reason, it works really well.

Part of the reason it works so well is the characters. Benny is an American Korean who wants to carve out his own identity outside of his family and heritage. Dale is a naive Oregonian who moves to Los Angeles and finds himself on Fairfax Avenue attempting to get clout but remain who he is. Dercia is an empowered activist who does not have time for people’s shit. Then there’s Truman, the visual artist who just wants to be a creative behind the camera. Each character has their own wants and goals, and chasing clout is simply a means to an end. They reveal the depth behind the shallow endeavor and enable both sides to be admonished and admired.

On top of being a hilarious homage to clout culture, Fairfax is a prime example of real diversity. The characters come from multiple cultures, races, backgrounds, but they are not morphed into a single mold. Their differences are noted and highlighted, but not used to define or separate them. It is a truly refreshing display of what equality is. Cultural differences are acknowledged, joked about, and respected. It embraces how people see and believe things differently, without saying one is better or correct and without belittling or dismissing either. In this sense, it ideal way to be diverse and represent equality.

This genuine diversity and portrayal of clout culture are brought to life by perfect casting. Clemons, Gisondo, Kim, and Young-White deliver a perfect mix of youth, snark, and angst that bring these middle school characters to life. The jokes and emotions always land, making it impossible not to laugh and care. All of the secondary characters also flawlessly deliver. There are too many to cover in this Fairfax review, but J.B. Smoove and John Leguizamo as the commentating pigeons, Quattro and Glenn, have most of the best lines of the show. The best line comes from Yvennte Nicole Brown’s Trini, who makes a biting comment on race that is delivered with effortless matter-of-fact-ness it will cause audiences to spit-take whatever is in their mouth. Outside of the main cast and secondary characters, there are a number of featured roles as well. Without giving anything away in the story, Billy Porter absolutely steals the show.

Fairfax is a brilliant animated series that captures the strangeness of Los Angeles and clout culture. It embodies reality in a way to is so wildly out there, it came back around and did it realistically. The show makes full use of the limitless nature of animation and uses it to accurately reflect the unimagined potential of real life. Jokes are made about everyone and everything, but never at anyone’s expense. Prime Video has an animated series that is poised to be highly praised but might take a while to catch on. (Akin to the likes of Bojack Horseman). Fairfax is a rare show that is not only hilarious, but it is also uplifting for the world. For its hilarity, ideal inclusion, and overall enjoyment value, this Fairfax review gets a 4.5/5

The entire first season of Fairfax is now streaming on Prime Video.