Ep 3. Velvet Messiah

Boasting of a wild satire of Southern culture and tackling political issues, Squidbillies Season 6 Episode 3 revolves around the life of a dysfunctional family of anthropomorphic hillbilly squids living in rural Georgia.

The Velvet Messiah is an episode that circles around the life of the main character of the show, Early Cuyler, voiced by Unknown Hinson. Early is a squid living in the American South, who wakes up after being in a coma for a long period of time. Upon awakening, he finds himself in the company of a televangelist named Velvet Messiah, and his followers. These followers view him as a savior, after he miraculously wakes from his coma. Early is taken aback by the whole situation and soon discovers that he cannot trust the televangelist's message.

The episode brings with it a host of new characters, including Velvet Messiah, voiced by musician Henry Rollins, and his devoted believers, and also introduces new subplots that would keep the viewers hooked and entertained throughout the episode.

Early is quick to understand the televangelist's ploy and warns his sister, Lil, voiced by Dana Snyder, of the impostor's real identity. However, the swindler still manages to gather a significant following in the town, and even Early is not immune to his charm. Early is lured into Velvet Messiah's cult-like following and finds himself advocating for their beliefs, which include the end of "hell's hell", a notion that there is a place worse than hell.

The episode also touches upon social themes, as is typical of the show, with the concept of televangelism criticized for being a modern-day practice of exploiting gullible people. Velvet Messiah runs his show on a cable access station and advertises it to viewers, urging them to call him and send money for prayers.

The episode manages to mix drama, humor, and meaningful commentary on contemporary political issues, making it one of the most engaging plots in the show's repertoire. It also allows the audience to learn what happens to Early when he is placed in a volatile situation.

As the episode progresses, Early begins to see through the mesmerizing tactics of the televangelist who started in his life as a squanderer and ends up owning a mansion and going out of his way to impersonate Early. This merely reinforces Early's reservations about trusting the "Velvet Messiah" and leads to a dramatic confrontation.

The Velvet Messiah is an episode that not only keeps the viewers at the edge of their seats but also underscores the importance of not succumbing to demagogues that prey on people's emotions. It explores how people in the south take religion too seriously and how charismatic figures use that to manipulate them to do whatever they want.

Overall, the Velvet Messiah is a well-written episode, with clever humor, catchy tunes, and biting social commentary. It is a must-watch for contemporary satire lovers and for anyone who has had a course or two focusing on televangelism in liberal societies.