The Muppets 1.12 “A Tail of Two Piggies” & 1.13 “Got Silk?”

The Muppets seems to be getting better and better with each episode!  In the last two episodes, they take on issues relevant to today’s media in order to continue to prove that they are not an outdated act from the 1970s.  As characters that never age and can continually update their clothing and styles, the Muppets are easily transformed to fit in aesthetically to the current decade, but lately, the writing and issues they have tackled prove that they are still a viable franchise and not just a retro, nostalgic classic.

“In a Tail of Two Piggies,” when Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Uncle Deadly attend a red carpet event, promoting Disney’s Zootopia, Miss Piggy experiences a wardrobe malfunction that creates a media scandal when her tail springs out of her dress!  This is the only time that I can remember, Miss Piggy’s tail being exposed.  The media hype leads to Miss Piggy choosing to “Unveil the Tail” and embracing her pig side while the network attempts to silence her and force her to cover her tail.

The title of the episode alludes to the classic Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities while the episode also pokes fun at the infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction during Super Bowl XXXVIII and at society’s double standard between genders as it is pointed out that Kermit the Frog walks around nude at all times and embracing the fact that he is a frog.  Although it can spur as many sociological debates as the original “nip slip,” the “tail fail” reminds us that no star, not even one as beloved as Miss Piggy is immune to public opinion.

During the same episode, Gonzo nurses a broken heart after Camilla dumps him.  Pepe and Rizzo urge him to find a new bachelor pad.  They think that a fresh place without so many memories will help Gonzo move on.  Pepe, Rizzo, and Gonzo fall in love with Beverly Hills 90210 and Sharknado star Ian Ziering’s former home.  Once the move in and throw an epic party, Ziering crashes the party and Camilla returns!  This marks Camilla’s first appearance on this series.  It will be interesting to see if Gonzo and Camilla can work things out or if we will be subjected to more awkward “Muppets Take Match.com” episodes.

Joan Jett appears on Up Late with Miss Piggy to defiantly declare that still does not “…give a damn about her bad reputation!” and proudly don a fake piggy tail to show solidarity and sisterhood as Miss Piggy “Unveils the Tail.”  This is one of the easiest transitions from The Muppets to the show within a show.  Sometimes, the Up Late with Miss Piggy scenes seem forced or contrived.  Sometimes it seems that writers are pressured to include the show which makes for some awkward and confusing moments that do not mesh well with the plot line.  Careful, ABC, too many special guest stars per episode helped sink Muppets Tonight!

[youtube https://youtu.be/RmLAfYqqdBg]

The next episode, “Got Silk?” plays on the infamous “Got Milk?” advertising campaign that began in 1993.  This is another Miss Piggy-centric episode.  I must say, the best episodes of this series so far have been the episodes focusing on Miss Piggy or Kermit.  In this episode, Miss Piggy is upset because she realizes that she does not have any real friends.  She attends an aerial silks class in hopes that she will bond with a new friend.  She struggles throughout the episode, but she realizes that Uncle Deadly is a true friend that is always there for her and wants her to shine.  At the end of the episode, she has a chance to be a true friend to Uncle Deadly when she buys tickets for his off off off off off Broadway play of Clueless and takes the crew of Up Late with Miss Piggy! to support him.  Even if the episode had been a train wreck, it would have been worth watching to see Uncle Deadly portrayal of Silverstone’s iconic character Cher!

I do take issue with Miss Piggy’s friendship struggle, however.  Although it is a classic characteristic of Miss Piggy to be short sighted and feel as though she has no friends, the entire Muppet gang have supported her for decades, including Kermit.  True, he finally did break up with her, but, as her producer, Kermit’s career focuses on Miss Piggy and her success.

Meanwhile, annoying character extraordinaire, Pache returns. I did enjoy the episode in which he first appeared and the network tried to update the show, but I hope Pache is not going to become a staple of the show.  His character is only good for a few laughs and adding a foil to the show, but he will become old very quickly.

In this episode, Pache tries to bribe the writers, Gonzo, Pepe, and Rizzo with expensive suits and meals in order to gain control of them.  He wants them to write a sketch for the show that would be a sneaky commercial within the show. I think maybe Pache worked for NBC’s The Biggest Loser at one point and was responsible for the segments in which trainers would just so happen to stroll in and recommend a Jenny O product.

While Pache and the writers visit a tailor, they just so happen to run into RuPaul who is always a delight!  Of course, Kermit learns of the scheme and manages a way for the show to pay for the suits out of an expense budget because they gave the writers a much needed confidence boost.  RuPaul appears on Late Night with Miss Piggy! in a fashion segment that could have been pulled from any real late night television talk show, but did not properly showcase RuPaul’s energy and humor.  It was a nice try, but a definite miss by the writers.  We also are treated to a few bars of Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” as another guest star.  Although I enjoy the appearances, I think their talents could be utilized more creatively than just being stuck into episodes here and there.