The fourth episode of The Muppets embodied everything that fans have been missing from the Muppets troupe since the passing of Jim Henson. The writing was spot on and there was never a dull moment.
While Fozzie is warming up the audience before a taping of Up Late with Miss Piggy, he accidentally shoots Statler with a T-shirt gun! Statler fared better off than Maude Flanders, he only ended up in the hospital, but is able to get the final laugh when he sends Fozzie out on a wild goose chase of a laundry list of gifts that will make him forgive him. Meanwhile, Miss Piggy overhears the crew talking about going out after the show for drinks and karaoke. She begs Kermit to convince them to invite her out by promising she would decline the invitation. Instead, she joins the crew and they run into guest star Ed Helms and everyone sings and drinks the night away.
The Muppets singing karaoke was wonderful! Highlights include Swedish Chef rapping, Beaker and Bunsen singing a duet a la Sonny and Cher, and the entire ensemble joining together in a chorus of “Don’t Stop Believin’.” The karaoke scenes are among my favorite Muppet moments of all time! It is just fun and makes you wish you could go have shots with Janice. The following day, Kermit has one of his infamous Kermit flip outs when the entire crew comes in late and hungover from the night before.
Character wise, the writers are making some interesting choices that leave me scratching my head. I believe that they just do not know what to do with some of the characters. Pepe and Rizzo are interchangeable and their one-liners and pop culture references add funny, but forgetful moments. Scooter is being utilized much more than he has since the death of his main performer Richard Hunt in 1992. The writers maintain him has innocent to a fault, perhaps a wink and light hearted jab at the Muppets’ own reputation of innocence and family friendly humor over the years. One of the oddest moves on the writers’ part is making Sam the Eagle fall for Janice who is oblivious to his feelings. It is a pairing reminiscent of Dharma and Greg (1997) and will be interesting if it is explored further or just forgotten in later episodes.
This episode also hints at a possible relationship between Bunsen and Beaker. The two characters have been inseparable since their debut in the second season of The Muppet Show (1976). Although often ambiguous as to whether they share a romance or just a bromance, in this episode, the two sing “I Got You Babe” and are seen hungover the next morning, wearing each other’s clothes. When questioned by Kermit, Bunsen remarks, “If it happens outside of work, we don’t owe him an explanation.” Throughout the years, the two have been seen dancing together and Bunsen refers to Beaker as “Beakie.” Personally, I think it would be a much better coupling than Bert and Ernie, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Hopefully, The Muppets is gaining a following and winning over skeptical viewers (like myself!), but if you only watch one episode of this entire season, this is the episode you cannot miss! Had this episode been the pilot for the show, the entire tone would have been different. This episode gets 5 out of 5 rubber chickens!