The Muppets is really coming into its own and becoming one of my favorite shows on television. As I’ve mentioned before, the 30 minute format is the perfect amount of time to spend with the gang each week. This week’s episode, “Pig Out,” was paced quickly and didn’t dawdle on much character development that we don’t already know as Muppet fans. Also, this happened:
https://twitter.com/TheMuppetsABC/status/654088296478437376
Standard A, B, minor C plots this week as they’ve done in the first three episodes. I believe this is the key to keeping the show fresh because as viewers we already know the characters so well, bouncing between these plot points doesn’t allow us time to settle in or get bored.
Piggy & The Crew
The main storyline of this week’s episode revolved around Piggy feeling left out of after-work festivities and manipulates Kermit into getting her invited. He’s reluctant to do so, as he knows he and Piggy aren’t invited because it’s the time the crew gets to vent about the stresses of the job. Having the boss around in those situations only makes things awkward. Kudos to the show for bringing in a relatable scenario like this because we all know how good it feels to get to vent about our bosses every now and then.
At first, Piggy’s presence is entirely unwelcome as the crew has to listen to her whine about her substantially more affluent life. As the drinks keep flowing and guest star Ed Helms joins the fun, the gang loosens up to the point of drunken karaoke. That’s right. We witness drunk singing Muppets and it’s about as awesome as it sounds.
Friendship never ends! #TheMuppets is all-new tonight at 8|7c. @edhelms https://t.co/HWQ6c1dhCS
— The Muppets on ABC (@TheMuppetsABC) October 13, 2015
The karaoke sequence is by far the best part of this episode. “Wannabe,” “Love Shack” (with a heavy-eyed drunk Pepe), The Swedish Chef’s “Rapper’s Delight,” Janice’s rendition of “I Miss You,” Bunson and Beaker singing “I Got You Babe,” Sam The Eagle’s monotone “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (because what other song would he sing?), and the entire bar belting out the ol’ karaoke pillar “Don’t Stop Believing.” The night goes on and (on and on) the entire crew parties a bit too hard — Piggy gives them the go-ahead to come in late the next day. This does not go over well with Kermit who has no choice but to manipulate Piggy into thinking she should no longer hang out with the crew.
Fozzie Almost Kills Statler
At least he got the t-shirt! #TheMuppets pic.twitter.com/RdbuDkjluv
— The Muppets on ABC (@TheMuppetsABC) October 14, 2015
Some might call it an accident but I truly believe Fozzie was just lashing out after decades of abuse. The show’s resident hecklers Statler and Waldorf are relentless with Fozzie’s warm-up act. In a moment of karmic justice Statler gets a high-powered t-shirt shot to the face right after hoping it would go off in Fozzie’s. This sends him to the hospital and Fozzie into a guilt trip where he clamors to make it up to him by running errands. This, of course, serves as yet another chance to ridicule Fozzie and call him a sucker.
Sam The Eagle Loves Janice
In the very minor C plot this week we learn a bit too much about Sam The Eagle. He’s in love with Janice and is a bit of creep about it. Not mustering up the courage to ever really talk to her, he instead watches from a distance and shoots dirty looks if she’s given any attention from other men (Ed Helms). His lovelorn rendition of “Wind Beneath My Wings” doesn’t come across as funny as it could have been because we see him talk-singing it at an unaware Janice. We then learn he followed her home that night. Kinda creepy dude.
“Pig Out” seemed to serve it’s main purpose of what I can imagine started in a writer’s room of “Drunk Muppet Karaoke.” That’s not knocking it at all because this may have been the most entertaining episode of the series. The show keeps getting better and I really think it’s thanks to two factors: the fast paced plots that don’t hang too long on any one storyline and the real-life scenarios it puts the characters in. So far the series has been relatively grounded and it seems to be paying off.
Muppet Musings
- Drunk Pepe is my new favorite thing ever. The show is set in reality: let’s see him drink more and then we can have a “very special episode” where it’s addressed.
- Statler had it coming. Jerk.
- Sam the Eagle needs to forget about Janice. Get yourself on OK Cupid and quit being a creep.
- The showrunners are really getting their money’s worth from the Fozzie car rig. Every episode has shown him driving.
- Scooter saying “Good Grief” as a curse word makes him the Ned Flanders of this world.
- Bunson and Beaker totally hooked up, right? They’re scientists. Scientists experiment. Enough said.
What did you think of “Pig Out”? Let us know in the comments below!
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Images: ABC
