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(More customer reviews)I'm going to say this right now and get it out of the way: The third season of Penn and Teller: Bulls***! is definitely the weakest. It seems that they had hit a bit of a dry spell, and some of the topics weren't as interesting as they seemed, while some seemed to be rehashes of earlier episodes (Ghostbusting being the prime example). The good news is that despite the somewhat weaker episodes, the show is still highly entertaining (Penn and Teller are as hilarious as ever), and things pick up again in the fourth season.
For the uninitiated, Bulls***! is a show where Penn Jillette and his partner Teller research concepts, many of which are taken for granted to be true in society, and thorougly discredit and mock them. Using humor, sarcasm, and most of all, well-researched facts, the duo attempts to show people that not everything is as it seems. Some of the better episodes this year (many of which were at the level of quality that has been established in previous seasons) deal with Signs from Heaven, The Best, Hair, Conspiracy Theories. For example, in the episode about Hair, Penn and Teller discuss why having hair shouldn't be as important as Americans make it out to be. Furthermore, they question why haircuts can cost so much when they interview a stylist who is known to cut the hair of celebrities, and charges exorbitant amounts of money for the service. Hair-care products are attacked, and we also are treated to a bit on the comb-over, wherein it is both mocked and praised when a colleague displays his own comb-over, which truly deserves praise as the world's greatest. In the episode called The Best, Penn and Teller talk about why people's pursuit of having "the best" can often lead to bad results, especially an insatiable obsession. One man they interview is nuts about palm pilots and buys pretty much every new model so that he can have the "latest and greatest". Seeing as how new models come out very often, he is throwing away a lot of money to upgrade to a new model when the improvements are almost non-existent. Sometimes in the show, Penn and Teller show their disgust for what certain people are saying or doing. In previous years, they've accused mediums (people who claim that they can talk to the dead) of conning grieving family members. This year, they attack conspiracy theorists who say that 9/11 is a hoax and a religious couple who are actually profiting off of their comatose daughter by selling merchandise claiming to be a miracle. At these times, Penn and Teller drop the humor and implore the audience and their subjects to see the error of their ways.
After two nearly perfect seasons, a drop in quality was inevitable, and it occurred this season. The episode about College was a little hard to follow at times and didn't make sense (though maybe I'm just a little biased because I am currently a college student). The Life-Coaching and Circumcision episodes were also a little out there. There were other episodes that may have been good overall, but displayed a few segments that didn't seem to fit. However, a bad season of Penn and Teller is still very enjoyable and is better than a lot of other stuff on television these days. Fans of Penn and Teller will enjoy these episodes very much, if not as much as earlier (and subsequent) seasons, but people who have never viewed the show should try to see it on TV before buying (assuming you have Showtime). The show is full of profanity and even nudity (usually gratuitous) and may be offensive to some people. Also, some people may find some of the subjects to be offensive. While I enjoyed the episode about Family Values and the "traditional family", I can definitely see how certain people would find it offensive and even horrifying. As for the Signs from Heaven episode, let's just say that not everyone gets Showtime. Still, if you don't mind a little cursing and nakedness, you should definitely check out Penn and Teller: Bulls***!
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The third season of this award-winning series featuring master showmen Penn & Teller, delivers viewers an aggressive, humorous exposé of taboo topics, using the duo's trademark humor, knowledge of carnival tricks as well as hidden cameras and blatant confrontation. Winner of the prestigious 2004 and 2005 Writer's Guild Award for Best Comedy/Variety Series and nominated the last three years for the Emmy® for Outstanding Reality Program and Outstanding Writing for Non Fiction Programming, Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t! Continues its controversial muckraking throughout season three by confronting many of the institutions society holds dear.
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