A flamboyant flatmate and his stuffed turtle roommate, try to survive their sophomoric year at Bates College in the comedy series Turtletastic directed by Ronan Guilfoyle and created by Guilfoyle and Craig Selbrede.
Turtletastic is brought to us from the prolific team of Guilfoyle and Selbrede, the minds behind a similar short-form series for the TikTok generation called ‘Hurt’, a project we reviewed positively. ‘Hurt’ told the story of the same character Stone Scriven as he made plans for his own death at least until he met Fin Snell, another young man struggling with the weight of the world. During the course of ‘Hurt’, these two characters would help each other learn how to live.
Turtletastic gives us another look at the life of Stone Scriven again as he struggles to fit in but this time Stone’s shoulder to cry on is a stuffed turtle named Timothy. Episode one is titled ‘It’s Going to Be Okay’ and plunges us immediately into the quirky world of Stone and Timothy. The stark visual of Stone in his pink briefs against the Maine winter backdrop creates an intriguing, if slightly bizarre, opening. The naturalistic filming style and raw audio lend a student film authenticity, highlighting the improvisational nature of the dialogue. The back-and-forth between the anxious Stone and the surprisingly opinionated Timothy, particularly in their debates on life and their feelings and Stone’s likeability, is genuinely funny, with Guilfoyle’s deadpan delivery as the turtle providing a perfect foil to Selbrede’s more flamboyant Stone. The rugby scenes, while brief, add a physical comedy element, culminating in the dramatic, if slightly absurd, knockout.
Episode two is named ‘Constant Opposition’ and builds upon the established dynamic, this time focusing on Timothy’s surprising political leanings. The episode’s core lies in the comedic clash between Stone’s presumably more conventional views and his stuffed roommate’s staunch communism. While the narrative remains simple, the charm lies in the witty and often absurd exchanges between the two. Selbrede continues to embody Stone with an engaging campiness, avoiding caricature, while Guilfoyle’s vocal performance as Timothy injects a consistent stream of dry humour. The episode successfully mines comedy from the unexpected political stance of a stuffed turtle, further cementing the series’ unique and slightly surreal tone.
Episode three’s ‘The Date’ focuses on Stone’s personal life, showcasing the potential for awkward and disastrous romantic encounters. The episode maintains the series’ signature low-fi aesthetic and improvisational feel. However, the technical shortcomings, particularly the poor sound quality, become significantly more distracting in this installment, unfortunately hindering the comedic timing and making it difficult to engage with the dialogue fully. Despite this technical flaw, the episode still manages to elicit some laughs from the inherent awkwardness of a bad date, with Selbrede’s portrayal of Stone’s discomfort being relatable. Guilfoyle’s Timothy offers his usual sardonic commentary, providing some of the episode’s brighter moments.
Turtletastic is undeniably a rough-around-the-edges production, feeling very much like a passion project born from improvisation and a distinct comedic sensibility. The central dynamic between the anxious gay student and his politically opinionated stuffed turtle roommate is genuinely funny, largely thanks to the contrasting performances of Craig Selbrede and Ronan Guilfoyle. While the technical limitations, particularly the inconsistent audio in the 3rd episode, lack of lighting changes, and limited camera shots are significant drawbacks, the sheer silliness and the often sharp, jokey dialogue carry the series. In the same way that Monty Python’s films particularly ‘Holy Grail’ had a sort of ‘put together this afternoon’ aesthetic, ‘Turtletastic’ shares this anarchy and therefore doesn’t have to look good as long as it makes you laugh. The unique premise and the chemistry between its creators offer enough charm and smiles to suggest there is potential here if some of the production problems can be overcome.
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