Shelby is the ninth episode of the first season of Pork and Konjac, written by Elliot Strange, Sajeet Convoy and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Strange. The episode serves as a conclusion to Strange's 2000 TV series The Halloween Kids, of which Pork and Konjac takes place 24 years after the events of that series. Butts County is set to prepare for the county's first recorded asexual marriage between aroace author Jody Mahoney and an asexual activist. The only thing standing in their way is Jody's mother who awakens from a 24 year coma and is not prepared for the glut of changes in the world.
Plot[]
A flashback occurs to the year 2000, playing a scene from the final episode of The Halloween Kids. While driving during a stormy night, Dakota winds up in a head-on collision, putting her in a coma that would last for 23 years. Dakota would reawaken and be greeted by Alex, who would inform her of the time-gap and all that had changed. Though Dakota demonstrates her prejudice by making a derogatory comment toward Alex, she tries to let it pass given the amount of time between her coma and re-awakening. Dakota requests to be brought back home, where on the way she would witness the byproducts of a changed era.
Upon arriving home she is shocked to learn that the house had been bought out by someone else. Alex is able to prevent an argument by pointing out Dakota had just woke up from a coma, while Dakota looks around the neighborhood to see how much else had changed. She would meet her old neighbor Martha, now divorced and in a happier state. Through her Dakota would learn the fates of other neighbors, one of which being Enid who is now the mayor of Butts County. Dakota watches a campaign by Enid where she is set to capture the county's first recorded asexual marriage, but to her horror discovers her son Jody is the groom to be.
Looking into Jody, she would learn he had come out as aroace and became an accomplished activist and author. Recalling an incident where he had openly rejected a traditional relationship, she considers this an act of defiance and attempts to sabotage the relationship. She would track Jody to a book-signing, and using her familial connections is able to make it to the front of the line to confront him. Jody attempts to maintain his demeanor in spite of Dakota's persistence, but after she makes a deragatory comment toward asexuals is forced out of the store. Dakota attempts to fight against the marriage through a write-in campaign, but this backfires due to the old fashioned method and people's immediate opposition to the idea. Dakota would persist, and would soon become a laughing stock as her shenanigans would be ridiculed over the internet, especially by her youngest daughter Judy, comparing her to Anita Bryant. As Dakota was unaware of Bryant's legacy she would honor the comparison to the amusement of her detractors.
Dakota would learn of Jody's future spouse, Violet Bazaar, and attempt to sabotage their relationship for a lack of other options. However, due to Violet's naivety she is unable to get her to fall for her lies. Dakota would trick Jody into a one-night stand with a prostitute, drugging him to stave protests, but he would soon panic upon awakening and finding himself in a compromising position. Jody is able to play off the incident as an ace-phobic hate crime perpetuated by Dakota, which allows him to save face in the public. As a final plot, Dakota would force Jody out of a dinner date with Violet and her family under the guise of a family dinner. Upset at Dakota, tensions would mount over dinner as Dakota learns that the patriarch Leland had died in prison from a knife fight perpetuated by an anti-Italian bigot. While Jody and his sisters Judy and Adelaide would be grateful over this due to Leland's abusive behavior, Dakota would chastise them over it. She would try to gaslight the others to justify the dinner, but it just makes them more flustered and leads them to leave.
In a final effort to sabotage the wedding, Dakota contacts Alison to try and guilt him into calling it off. Alison would hide out in Jody's car as he drives it, soon revealing herself and both have a talk. While Jody regrets not taking things further with Alison, she admits she would've preferred Jody to find someone else due to her having left the state for Wisconsin time before. Though she is perplexed by who he would be marrying, she would let him go through with it on the condition she serve as a best girl. Due to the plan not working, Dakota organizes a protest at a church the wedding is said to be occurring at, unaware it would wind up ruining a traditional marriage going on, the incident ruining Dakota's reputation further and leading her to leave town.
It would be revealed that the marriage is taking place in the backyard to Dakota's old home and is already in progress. Along with the neighborhood and Jody's old classmates, Alex would invite her friends and Alyson's group to attend. Jody and Violet would be wed, the marriage being made official by the mayor and the press, and the group would travel to Stinky's Roadhouse to celebrate. After dinner, Jody and Violet would contemplate whether or not the marriage was worth it, whether it was just to make history or if it was genuine. Jody would talk about the complexity of asexuality, comparing it to their own relationship. Both bond over their own romantic limitations, which would give them the confidence to continue on for the longterm.
During the credits, pictures are shown of everyone at the party.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Julie Rei Goldstein: Alex
- Stephanie Hsu: Mace
- Julia Wolov: Colleen
- Wyatt Cenac: Anthony
- Olivia Thirlby: Alyson
- Charlie Day: Drew
Special Guest Stars[]
- Will Estes: Jody
- Kirsten Storms: Judy
- Rhea Perlman: Dakota
- Park Overall: Enid
- Nancy Travis: Martha
- Kathy Kinney: Muriel
- Mo Collins: Violet
Also Starring[]
- Joy Osmanski: Kate
- Olivia d'Abo: Rhonda
- Beverly Mitchell: Ferris
- Barry Watson: Larry
- Jerry O'Connell: Oscar
- Kirsten Schaal: Fiona
- Melissa Disney: Adelaide
- Sarah Silverman: Alison
- Scott Drier: Donovan
- Elizabeth Gilles: Donna
- Brian Poeshn: Josh
- Mike Henry: Simeon
- Dana Min Goodman: Mina
- Aubrey Plaza: Ruth
- Kathleen Wilhoite: Mercury
- Justin Shenkarow: Tommy
- Josh Weinstein: Burt
- Jim Turner: Robert
- Kevin McDonald: Remus
- Sally Struthers: Pomona
- Max Gail: Walter
- Charles Rocket: Leland (archive footage, uncredited)
Production[]
The Halloween Kids was produced for CBS in the year 2000, where it was subject to internal conflicts over the show's subject matter and executive demands. The series would only air two episodes before it was pulled from the network entirely, but the series would perform better overseas. Sony owned the show's copyright and certain international sales rights. Both Sony and Elliot Strange via his Runnymede Pictures label would acquire domestic rights back from CBS in 2004, enabling him control of the property while Sony would hold onto the copyright.
Strange had sought to revisit the series due to its growing popularity over the years, but felt the original series would not fit in by today's standards. He would develop a spin-off set in The Halloween Kids' continuity taking place years after the events of the series, doing so alongside that show's former co-creator Wallace Wolodarsky due to his contributions and to expand upon certain concepts. Strange intended to conclude The Halloween Kids with one episode of the series, but set a stipulation that such an episode would not be a finale, fearing it would pigeonhole Pork and Konjac as just a continuation.
Strange was able to get actors Will Estes, Kirsten Storms and Rhea Perlman to reprise their roles as Jody, Judy and Dakota respectively, Melissa Disney had already returned as Adelaide in Obey the Shirt. Dedications would be made to actors that appeared on the show that would pass away long after its production.
Reception[]
Shelby has received positive reviews from critics and fans of The Halloween Kids series. The episode was praised for successfully concluding The Halloween Kids and depiction of asexuality, but felt the episode's story was rushed.
Trivia[]
- You Are by Pearl Jam is heard during the end credits, serving as a parallel to The Halloween Kids using a Pearl Jam Song, Rival, for its opening sequence.
- Dakota compares her situation to "an episode of V.I.P.", referencing the plot to the episode Sunshine Girls where Valarie and Tasha fell victim to a plot that led them to believe they fell into a coma and woke up forty years into the future.
- On Jody's sexuality, Strange had claimed that Jody was always asexual, with Dirty Deeds, Done Dirt Simple being the biggest clue to it. He would consider this episode the point where he would be more outward about it.
- Regarding why Jody would marry another girl, Strange would claim that Jody was not intended to be brought back for more than one episode, and due to Alison becoming a recurring character in Pork and Konjac, felt it was better to pair him with another one-off character.
- Robert was recast with Jim Turner due to his previous actor, Jeffrey Jones' legal controversies.
Connections to The Halloween Kids[]
- Alison was said to have moved out of Michigan to Wisconsin during her teen years, returning to Crocker after finishing college.
- Adelaide and Donovan would marry sometime between the events of The Halloween Kids and Pork and Konjac.
- Remus is implied to be in his late-80s or 90s during Pork and Konjac. It has been implied that he and his family are noted for their longevity.
- Lionel and Tina had passed away after the events of The Halloween Kids.
- Martha alluded to having an older son during The Halloween Kids, with this episode having her meet him and his partner for the first time.
Dedications[]
- Charles Rocket
- Larry Linville
- Justin Pierce
- David Dukes
- Tom Lester
- Glenn Shadix
- Howard Morris
- Warren Frost
- Jean Stapleton