Whimsy is a tricky thing, particularly for a comedy show. As many a mediocre improv scene has shown us, a premise that tips too far toward the fanciful runs the risk of floating off into space, unmoored by any rules or reality. While comedy requires heightening, it also requires honesty. If everyone is crazy and wild, anything is possible, so nothing matters. At its worst, overly whimsical comedy is boring, and at best, it’s merely cute—eliciting “aww”s rather than laughs.
Yet a well-considered dash of whimsy is often a key ingredient in the most potent comedy, as evinced by Good Cop Great Cop, an energetic and deftly filmed sketch series created by (and occasionally starring) Matt Porter and Charlie Hankin. At first blush, the world they’ve created is a zany one, populated by superheroes, hypnotists, and time travelers. Yet these familiar figures are imbued with a depth, and even a pathos, that pushes them beyond the realm of tropes. These stock-seeming characters experience real regret, real heartbreak, and real pain—and for that, they’re all the funnier.