The Muppets, since their revamp, has a pretty impressive streak going. I was just as unimpressed with the first half of the season as everyone else, but 2016’s episodes have been an absolute delight so far. They’ve got higher emotional stakes, and frankly, the comedy just feels smarter and tighter, and honestly, it’s funnier. I laughed at this episode more than any previous episode of The Muppets. “Little Green Lie” may have been the best episode yet.
This week on The Muppets: Kermit’s nephew Robin is visiting, and to protect his innocence, Kermit and Piggy pretend that they’re still together. When charged with keeping up the charade, the rest of the Muppets struggle mightily, especially Scooter. With Gonzo and Camilla back together, Rizzo and Pepe attempt to find another wing man, but the pickings are slim.
I don’t know what it was, but everything about this episode just worked for me. It clicked. It was rolling on all cylinders. The emotional stories hit every note perfectly, and the funny moments were especially riotous. Exploring the Kermit and Piggy relationship was just natural, and aside from everything else, made Miss Piggy the most vulnerable that she’s ever been. I’ve had a theory all along that’s proved to be true: When Miss Piggy is tolerable or likable, the show is infinitely better.
I was worried that I wouldn’t like this episode because I often revile the television trope of lying to protect the feelings of a character. Sure, I felt bad for Robin, but the lying for drama’s sake can bother me. “Little Green Lie” made it work, though. It wasn’t overplayed or overdone, it just happened. Robin was such a genuine presence that they didn’t need to lay it on too thick, and that made everything flow really nicely. Sidenote: I know that it sounds like I’m talking about human actors and characters, and I think that’s just a genius attribution to the turnaround that this show has exhibited. In trying to be more Muppet-like, they’ve reached the adult audience they were originally hoping to reach.
Sometimes I do feel like the creators read my criticism, because more Rizzo, Pepe and Gonzo were exactly what this show needed comically. They have the best one liners, and building more substantive stories around them just makes it better. Their story this week may have been my favorite the show has done so far. Hilarious.
As always, here are some of my favorite quotes/moments from the episode:
- “I tried to leave last night, but this sign said ‘Fire Door’. I didn’t want to risk it.”- Zoot
- “Nothing fixes a broken home like a chair!”- Zoot
- “Monday fun times!” – Scooter is the best at swearing
- “It’s the couples yoga. A beautiful thing between a man and a woman, but pretty weird between your blue roommate and a chicken”- Pepe
- The eggs separated into “breakfast” and “possible offspring” was wonderful.
- “Okay, I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse…STOP IT”- Pepe
- Friendly Feud was another great little sketch
- “I don’t have a nose. I smell through a hole in my knee”- Pepe
- “It’s going to drive so much traffic to my Pinterest page on miniature horses”- Scooter
- “Is he chewing on ice? You know he always gets the brain freeze.”- Pepe
- “You made me the first person in the world to lie on Twitter!”- Scooter’s naivety is charming, no?
- “I found out I got worms. This is just where I am right now.”- Rolf
As you can see, there was a lot that made this episode leap from good to great. Best episode of the entire season so far. It was funny, and really had some great emotional content. And they didn’t even need a guest star bigger than Good Morning America‘s Lara Spencer. How about that?
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.
Follow Us
Visitor Rating: 5 Stars