“Agent Elvis:” Episodes 1-4 Review
In perhaps the wildest crossover in television history, the creative minds of Priscilla Presley and John Eddie have given us “Agent Elvis,” a ten-episode, R-rated animated show on Netflix.
Episode 1: “Full Tilt”
Matthew McConaughey voices the King, who is the singer by day and a vigilante by night.
In the first episode, the audience is introduced to the rest of the cast: Priscilla (played by herself), CeCe (Kaitlin Olson), Bobby Ray (Johnny Knoxville), Scatter (Tom Kenny), Bertie (Niecy Nash) and the Commander (Don Cheadle).
Elvis escapes a near-death experience from no other than Charles Manson, and is saved by CeCe, who will play a major role in the King’s spy ring.
With the f-bombs and R-rated content heavily present, this first episode is the perfect way to kick off the series.
Episode 2: “F*** You, Vegas”
This is what an intellect would call the Winter Soldier-ification of Elvis Presley.
Elvis and CeCe attempt to bring down a nuclear plane hijacked by Howard Hughes, while Bertie deals with Scatter’s reckless behavior in a Vegas casino.
The random cameos in these episodes are so weird, especially since these figures have virtually nothing to do with Elvis or his legacy, but set the scene for the insanity that was 1960s America.
However, the audience gets some character development (if you can call it that), as Elvis gets flashbacks from missions and is referred to as a “killing machine.”
Episode 3: “Cocaine Tuesdays”
With the moon landing on the horizon, Elvis feels like he’s not doing enough in society and decides to stop a random drug deal from happening.
At the episode’s conclusion, the Commander and Elvis formally meet for the first time, and Elvis joins the TCB spy ring.
Elvis’s higher call was a good allusion to his real life, especially in his performance of “If I Can Dream” from his ‘68 Comeback Special.
Episode 4: “Total Mind F***”
With “Agent Elvis” staying true to its 60’s references, the gang goes to the Altamont Free Concert to stop the Hell’s Angels from releasing a sonic weapon meant to wreak havoc on the crowd.
This also formally introduces the audience to the TCB, thanks to a weird propaganda video courtesy of the Commander.
There were some really awesome cameos in this episode, including the Grateful Dead, Captain Kirk and George Lucas, and the quick pacing made it the most enjoyable episode of the season thus far.
The first four episodes of this series were enjoyable and quick to watch. While they could be considered “background noise,” there’s a lot more to “Agent Elvis” than what meets the eye.
Rating: 4.5/5
Adrianna Gallucci is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email amg7989@psu.edu.
