Reno 911! Defunded Trailer: Jamie Lee Curtis Joins The Crew In Short Shorts And An Eye Patch

The incompetent cops of the fictional version of the Reno Sheriff's Department are back in action, this time streaming on Roku. "Reno 911! Defunded" will bring us back to the faux-documentary hilarity of following the world's worst cops as they try to solve crimes, apprehend criminals, and occasionally stumble into international incidents. After a seventh season on the short-form (and short-lived) streamer Quibi, the "Reno 911!" gang reunited first for a movie on Paramount+, "Reno 911! The Hunt for Q Anon", and now are set to debut their eighth season on Roku's streaming service. The series will begin streaming for free later this month, and they've dropped a new trailer to get fans excited. 

There have been plenty of fun celebrity cameos over the course of the franchise, but it looks like season 8 has landed the most exciting one yet: Jamie Lee Curtis. The "Halloween" star appears in the trailer wearing short-shorts, some sort of police uniform, and an eye-patch that seems to change eyes from moment to moment. Check out the trailer after the break, but be warned: age and being defunded have not slowed these maniacs down one bit. 

Shows that glamorize law enforcement have come under intense scrutiny in the wake of an increased understanding of racially-motivated violence by police, and shows like "Cops" and "Live P.D." have either disappeared entirely or moved onto conservative streaming networks. "Reno 911!" has been unique in that it never glamorizes or condemns law enforcement specifically, because the officers it depicts are so incompetent that they're not representative of anything. It's pure farce, occasionally used to comment on bigger issues, but the series is not trying to make strong political statements. Everyone is a fair target for their jokes, because the main characters always end up being the punchlines in the end. 

After all these years, there's still something about watching these goofballs fail miserably at their jobs that makes me laugh. While their excursions into the outside world in both of their films were entertaining, a return to the Sheriff's Department and locals we've come to know and love sounds kind of nice. And even though they've been defunded, they're still getting up to all kinds of trouble. The trailer shows all of the series regulars back in their itchy-looking uniforms, including Thomas Lennon as Lieutenant Jim Dangle, Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel, Robert Ben Garant as Deputy Travis Junior, Cedric Yarbrough as Deputy Sven Jones, Carlos Alazraqui as Deputy James Oswaldo Garcia, Niecy Nash as Deputy Raineesha Williams, Mary Birdsong as Deputy Cherisha Kimball, and Ian Roberts as Sergeant Jack Declan. Curtis is likely not the only cameo this season, but she's the most recognizable in the trailer, and one that makes my excitement for the new season grow exponentially. 

"Reno 911! Defunded" premieres streaming for free on Roku on February 25, 2022.