Toward the end of 2001'sWet Hot American Summer, fans were granted a fleeting glimpse at its campers one decade later, and now, Netflix is finally cashing in on the tease. After rebooting the cult classic in 2015 for a prequel series, the streaming giant will finally make good on the long-promised 10-year reunion when Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later premieres Aug. 4. The newest chapter is packed with much of the original cast, but it also introduces a handful of fresh faces, including McKinley actor Michael Ian Black also playing a former president. The show's humor is built on goofy gags, but why exactly is George H.W. Bush in Wet Hot American Summer?
Though exact details about the character have remained under wraps, there are a few good guesses as to why (and how) he's involved. For starters, this season is set in 1991, when the first Bush was in the midst of his first and only term as president of the United States. Plus, the stupid-funny satire is always cooking up silly, nonsensical storylines, and the show's writers have toyed with political references in the past: series co-creator Michael Showalter, who co-penned the original movie's script, starred as fellow former president Ronald Reagan in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp. He'll reprise his role for 10 Years Later, which is a pretty solid indicator that his character will be somehow intwined with Bush.
In First Day Of Camp, Reagan was a key antagonist, launching a plot to nuke Camp Firewood and everything within ten square miles in an effort to cover up a government conspiracy. During a climactic face-off in the finale, however, Lindsay (Elizabeth Banks), an undercover journalist, threatened to expose his scheme, and Reagan conceded. Save for a few casualties, everyone was granted a neat, happy ending, bringing things right up to where the original film begins.
But with Reagan returning for 10 Years Later, it may mean he has unfinished business and is yet again targeting the camp. Since he's no longer in charge of the country, he may look to Bush as an ally in taking down Firewood once and for all, or perhaps Bush will side with the camp and help lead them to another victory. Whatever the case may be, Wet Hot American Summer's return is just around the corner, so prepare yourself for eight more episodes of wacky camp misadventures.
