Gross-out humor in ‘American Vandal’s’ mind-boggling new mystery

Griffin Gluck (left) and Tyler Alvarez

The Peabody-winning web series “American Vandal” returns to Netflix on Sept. 14 with a hilariously irreverent but insightful second season, featuring a cackle-and-gag-inducing mystery that isn’t for the fainthearted.

After finding the perpetrator behind the costly high school prank that left 27 faculty cars vandalized with red spray-painted phallic images in Season 1, Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck) bring their investigative skills to a Catholic school.

Travis Tope

New heights

This time, the catfishing whodunit involves an elusive Turd Burglar, who has been taking his poop-related pranks to new heights.

The “messy horror” began after many students are seen making a mad rush for the loo shortly after ingesting laxative-laced lemonade during recess.

The “crimes” are instigated by an anonymous digital entity with an ax to grind against the school’s “hypocritical social order” and its self-entitled denizens, waging his poop-garnished battle in four installments, called The Dump, The S**t Launcher, The Poop Piñata and The Brownout—each as repulsive and gooey as the next.

Peter and Sam’s  suspects include star cager DeMarcus Tillman (Melvin Gregg), lesbian beauty Jenna Hawthorne, Tech Ed teacher Matthew Gesualdi (Isaac Lamb) and kooky musician Kevin McClain (Travis Tope), who has “grudgingly” admitted to the crime.

Tope is St. Bernardine’s “fruit ninja” with loopy boy-next-door looks.

Dastardly deed

Kevin came out after Tanner Bassett, his best friend since kindergarten, accused him of the dastardly deed.

But, while the campus’ so-called “fruit ninja” with a loopy boy-next-door charm may have been bullied once (“A valid motive,” as Peter puts it), Kevin seems like he has since learned to deal with his psychic scars.

But, why doesn’t Kevin sound convincing? Could he be merely covering up for something—or someone?

As with its initial salvo, “American Vandal” has its tongue firmly in cheek, which has set it apart from other shows with a similarly offbeat sensibility.

Season 2 ups the viewer-hooking ante by throwing in attention-calling red herrings that could further confuse viewers—or inadvertently lead them to the cyberlair of the shadowy, “brown” humor-loving culprit!