THE AD: In Raisin Bran’s first Super Bowl spot in 15 years, actor William Shatner finally lands the role he was born to play: “Will Shat,” a Star Trek knockoff with a penchant for poop jokes.

The ad opens with Will Shat seated in the command chair of a spaceship, before he teleports to Earth to help its citizens combat the scourge of inadequate fiber intake. He flies from scene to scene—a bar, a living room, a football tailgate—dispensing both Raisin Bran and digestive double entendres in the process. 

MY HOT TAKE: I appreciate that Raisin Bran, a cereal more often associated with nursing homes than halftime shows, decided to lean into the natural levity of digestive health. Unlike Jamie Lee Curtis and her Activia, the ‘Will Shat’ character takes a winking approach to the benefits of being regular, and it works.

Still, the spot relies heavily on allusions to William Shatner’s most famous role, Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, which will surely go over the heads of almost everyone under 40. And for an ad premised on word play, ‘Will Shat’ is almost unusably contorted, a combination of the future and past tense that is nearly impossible to deploy in real life. Sure it plays off William Shatner, but was there not a catchier or more grammatically correct combination to be had? 

Ultimately, the best advertisement for the health benefits of Raisin Bran is William Shatner himself, who at 94 years old hardly looks a day over 70. Shatner has never shied away from making fun of himself for a laugh, and his winning charisma continues to charm, even as he approaches a century.

Watch Raisin Bran’s Super Bowl 60 ad, “Will Shat,” below.