The Muppets, for better or for worse, have spent much of their first season exploring the late night television landscape. This week, they conquered what many late night hosts have moved into: social issues and movements. Now the over and undertones I will stay out of, as that can often make a political statement that I’m not ready for. However, what The Muppets tackled via Up Late was not a particular issue, but how issues are handled in the public eye. Criticizing the media? I can get on board with that!
This week on The Muppets: At a red carpet event, Miss Piggy has a wardrobe malfunction (okay, her tail pops out) which incites a media frenzy. The next day, Kermit and the gang try to do damage control on Up Late without compromising their values. Gonzo reaches the anniversary of when his ex-girlfriend dumped him, so Rizzo and Pepe try to distract him with a party at their new house.
I feel much more connected to the world of this show in the new format. It’s a little hard to explain, but the characters all feel a little more grounded and yet they are still doing increasingly ridiculous things. Since they’re Muppets, I actually believe that the two are related. Because the characters are embracing who they are as Muppets, Let’s use Miss Piggy as an example. As a character, I’ve never cared for her. I’ve found her generally insufferable. But in this episode she was a victim. She was still ridiculous and Piggy-esque, but she was in a different light. I found impressive the way she owned who she was and created something positive out of a bad situation, rather than bumping Elizabeth Banks or outdoing Reese Witherspoon. In the ridiculous (outrage over a tail) came the grounding of a character. It was just an excellent story.
I really liked all the stuff they were doing with Gonzo, too. Clumsy, ridiculous Gonzo is exactly what this show needed. Rizzo and Pepe have long been the strongest comedic players of this show, so adding them together with Gonzo was smart. Gonzo and Rizzo have a rapport from previous Muppet outings, and that really helped things along. The three of them renting Ian Ziering’s house and throwing a party was maybe my favorite story of the season so far.
As always, here are some of my favorite quotes/moments from the episode:
- “When asked what you’re wearing, it’s ‘Uncle by Deadly’.”- Guess who?
- “Turn. Peek. Pop.”- Uncle Deadly’s red carpet advice
- “The View is talking about it. Howard Stern is talking about it. So we don’t need to talk about it.”- Kermit laying down a rule I wish more people would follow
- “He pressed her for a bigger commitment, but she was chicken.”- Rizzo, re: Camilla
- “Was that snort on the record?”
- “At least it wasn’t an oink!”
- “It’s the house that 90210 built, and Sharknado did not redecorate.”- Pepe
- Kardashian or Piggy is a wonderful game.
- “The ladies love the tails, and our party needs ladies.” “I think we just became activists.”- Pepe and Rizzo for the win
All in all, this was a good episode. Piggy isn’t my favorite character to put at the forefront, but she was well grounded and the comedic bits around her were fantastic. If they can make Piggy likable, it REALLY feels like a new show, and they managed it. Color me impressed.
What did you guys think? Did you enjoy the episode? Let us know in the comments!
The Muppets airs Tuesdays at 8:30/7:30c on ABC
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