Sherman’s Showcase blesses us with Wes Anderson’s Civil War in this exclusive clip

Ever wonder what the Civil War would look like if Wes Anderson had directed it? Neither did we. Something about Anderson’s tweed upholstery, penchant for pedantic and introverted characters, and overwhelming pastel-hued twee vibe doesn’t lend itself to such levels of severity. And yet, Sherman’s Showcase makes the idea sublime.

In ‌this exclusive clip from Sherman’s Showcase, the show’s parody of Anderson’s style by way of an exploration of the horrors of American slavery and the failure of reconstruction is too on-point to ignore. Pulling the narrative layering from Grand Budapest Hotel, the New York literary intelligencia from Royal Tenenbaums, and the diorama aesthetic of Rushmore and Moonrise Kingdom, Sherman’s Showcase makes good on the first rule of parody: Understand your target. Showcase creators Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin have Anderson’s number.

Sherman’s Showcase has been the darling of American comedy for the last two years. Season one brought home an Emmy for costuming. It might’ve been the show’s only nomination, but some would say it has since achieved even greater heights: receiving an A- from The A.V. Club. In their rave of the show, Todd Lazarski wrote:

This latest iteration is pitched as a kind of offbeat parody on Soul Train, American Bandstand, Solid Gold, and some other ’70s show you’ve likely heard Questlove reminisce about. But it actually feels more in common with the work of Christopher Guest, I Think You Should Leave, and some freaky fever dream of a sativa-baked In Living Color writer’s room where the editor has gone on vacation.

Season two is a continuation of the team’s well-honed brand of quick-hitting, time-hopping narration, giving a 360-degree view of a beloved musical variety show.

Season two premieres on IFC on October 26 (hey, that’s tonight!) at 10:30 EST with two episodes. The rest of the six-episode season airs weekly on Wednesday after that.