One of the best comedies in years. I wouldn't even call it a sitcom because that would put it in a category so many lame shows with an annoying laugh track after every third line. Every episode has at least 3 or 4 screamer funny moments. I loved the Australian version and I didn't think it this could ever measure up but I was pleasantly surprised. Had they replaced Jason Gann as Wilfred it would have never worked. There is such a chemistry with Elijah Wood as Wilfred dupes him over and over. Even when he catches him in his constant tricks and lies Wilfred just won't give it up and spins even bigger lies to cover it up. The humor is often outrageously wicked, vulgar and dark. Not recommended for younger audiences. I would say 16 years or older. I was sorry to see it end but it really went out on top.

http://pastebin.com/drpLxSFC The above link contains a multi-paragraph review of the pilot as a showcase for some problems/merits of the series, and my full thoughts on the series. It is my writing, as well, and only exists because of the word limit on this website.Wilfred, after I read about on here with the other user reviews, did not live up to the hype. The series seemed to drag on, not knowing what direction it wanted to take and talking down to its audience whenever it could. It tries to outwit the audience at some points, but fails at its own twists. It tries to be witty with a unique gimmick (man in a dog suit), but ignores this for a character who isn't deserving of our affection (Ryan, played by Wood) and for Wilfred to give advice to said character, working around this roadblock and making the series about an insane man trying to figure his life out....Because we can't just have silly comedy with animals. We have to make it as "deep" as we can, and add in as many unnecessary drug references as possible.Wilfred tries to pander to a young adult audience, yet it fails to ask if the audience needs pandering to in the first place.

***Spoiler Alert*** I hate to give this show a low rating. It has credible actors like Elijah Wood, Dorian Brown, James Remar, Dwight Yoakum and Rutger Hauer. The show even manages to be occasionally amusing. My biggest gripe is that scary, creepy dog Wilfred. I mean what is he?!? A manifestation of Ryan's psychosis or something far worse? For me, Wilfred gives off a darkly sinister vibe, if not outright SATANIC. The way he acts, behaves and takes over Ryan's life is the way the DEVIL would trick his way onto a helpless victim. He turns Ryan into a drug addict, a jobless bum and worse, an antisocial deviant obsessed with a married woman. He encourages incest in Ryan towards his sister. Wilfred states he's happy that his brothers and sisters died inside a bag thrown in the ocean and the memory arouses him, I mean that's just diabolical! He makes Ryan engage in criminal and sordid behaviors like theft, armed robbery, assault & battery, vandalism, adultery and defecating in public. And when Ryan comes to his senses and tries to get his life back in order, that Demonic Dog Wilfred reels him back into a life of sin using "Wilfred-Lies" and "Wilfred-Manipulation". Throughout the whole season you have the characters involved in public urination, talking about feces and rubbing their private parts all over everything. Wilfred engages in atrocities like murder, attempted poisoning and copulating stuffed animals, he even causes the death of Ryan's father. The Wilfred/Devil makes tea using his owner's panties and tricks a single mom into acts beastiality and depravity. He joyfully admits to killing his owner's husband's dog and keeping the corpse. Ruby the Nurse hints to the fact that Wilfred is a hell spawn when she says, "he makes my bones rattle" and "that dog need to go back where he come from, the gates of hell!" In the next scene Ruby's conveniently killed. Its actually quite horrifying to watch this show when you understand what's really going on underneath the cute exterior. Most texts on this topic describe SATANISM as involving talking animals, engaging in putrid behavior with them and other atrocities as portrayed in this show. Remember, sin is desirable and attractive. Wilfred/Devil uses Ryan's weakness to manipulate him into a life of utter deviance. I expect the very last episode to have Wilfred/Devil taking off his doggy costume and revealing that he's actually LUCIFER and laughing at Ryan. And then while burning in Hades, Ryan would scream, "WHY?" And Wilfred/Devil would say, "you chose to commit those evil acts, I didn't make you do them, now pay the consequences, burn Ryan, HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

I certainly don't hate this show, and, believe me, I do "get it." But I find it difficult to understand why so many dog owners love it so very much and see Wilfred as being similar to their own pet(s). I've owned both dogs and cats for over 30 years and I have to say that I've never owned (or known) a dog with a personality like Wilfred's. I get along great with virtually all dogs and they seem consistently delighted to have someone around. Wilfred's a bit too moody and independent for me to believe he has the traits and personality of a dog.Now, my CATS are a lot like Wilfred. Dismissive, smart-ass. demanding, and unpredictable.Other than that, it's sort of amusing, but not laugh-out-loud funny. The ideas are a bit too cutesy and get old pretty quickly.Worth watching, but be prepared to move on to something else after a few episodes.