The Muppets Episode 5 - Walk the Swine

[antsamthompson9]

BTW, this was the first episode to not recycle a joke from the pilot. So that was nice.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

The puppetry in the ‘I’m Sorry’ number was brilliant. I know that it really was just a matter of digitally removing a green-clad Eric from the screen, but it was pulled off wonderfully. The Electric Mayhem were also performed with much enthusiasm and you can tell the performers were just having fun with it!

That's interesting information. I was wondering how they did that full-body Piggy scene in the musical number.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

I really don't like Miss Piggy in this show. She is completely and utterly selfish, I don't like it. I mean sure she has always had a bit of a big head but she at least cared about the people around her especially the other Muppets. Miss Piggy was a character who always did what she did to stay on top but rarely at the expense of the other Muppets but when she did their were often consequences. While Miss Piggy always loved Kermit more than anything she still had a relationship with the other characters and deeply cared about them. On the Muppet Show and the Muppet movies she was a part of the family, and I really miss that about her.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Yeah, I see what you mean and it wasn't just on this show, it was on "Good Luck Charlie," in interviews. (Piggy recently stated on a talk show that the other Muppets were Kermit's friends, not hers.) I agree that she has been flanderized over the past few years. It's no wonder Kermit broke up with her.

I would like to see an episode where Piggy and Kermit hook up again and start dating, there are so many ways they could write that...

That's possible too. After all, we haven't seen Denise in so long it makes me wonder if Kermit is still dating her.

 

[minor muppetz]

So far this is one of my least-favorite episodes, along with Bear Left Then Bear Right (I guess there's something about episodes where most of the action focuses on single characters away from the show). After seeing the promos I wasn't expecting this one to be great. But not every episode of a great show can be great.

There were a lot of things that I liked, though. I liked the Scooter and Rizzo subplot. And Miss Piggy's "I'm Sorry" number was amazing. Was this an original song?

On Muppet Wiki it was pointed out that this is the first episode to have "Additional Muppet Performers" credits. I've also noticed that this is the first episode where Juliane Bruscher doesn't perform any speaking roles.

In fact, I've noticed quite a few main characters don't appear in this one. Statler and Waldorf don't appear at all (I'm surprised they weren't heckling Fozzie at either of his performances). Beaker's not in it, either (although it's not really rare to see either of them without the other, when was the last time we saw Bunsen appear in something that Beaker didn't appear in?). Before the show aired, I thought it might be good if they didn't have every major character appear in every episode (after all, The Muppet Show had plenty of episodes without certain main characters, with Kermit and Waldorf being the only ones to actually appear in every episode), so I guess we're starting to get that.

I felt like Fozzie's jokes about Becky weren't funny at all. In fact, I laughed more at his jokes that didn't get any laughs from the audience. I wonder if the standard plotline of "comedian hurts somebody's feelings by putting jokes about them into their act" has had a version where nobody in the audience laughs (or, in a reversal, where they make a joke about somebody, and that person is the only one who finds it funny).

One thing I've been meaning to bring up: Does the documentary camera crew follow the characters around all the time? Because some of the outside-the-studio scenes feel like they don't (even when they cut to one-on-one interviews). For example, here it feels like the camera crew isn't at Habitat for Humanity. Seems like this is also the first episode to have a celebrity guest appear in one of these interview cuts.

 

[muppetlover123]

This was a decent episode

 

[jobi71]

Overall a good episode. I still think the writing can be tighter. Someone on another board commented that the Fozzie/Becky story did not have a proper beginning and the Rizzo/Scooter story did not have a proper ending. I agree. The poster suggested that Fozzie had gone to Gonzo, Rizzo and Pepe for new material and they - or at least Rizzo and Gonzo - suggested that Fozzie try more personal humor. This could have been a talking head of Fozzie ending with him saying "I think it's a great idea!" And then a quick one of Pepe "I think it's a horrible idea." You could then start his standup scene with him launching into the Becky jokes and go from there. It's not that I don't think Fozzie would try insult humor. I think he'll try anything for a laugh. But I think he would need to be lead in that direction a bit. Also in the final talking head with him and Becky and he started in on her feet, I think it would have been much more in character for him to make one joke - the ski lift one was the funniest I think - and then look at her, realize, and then apologize. I know he wants desperately to make people laugh, but I think he knows (or now does) where the line is.

And for a button for the Rizzo/Scooter plot? To me it is quite obvious. In the final scene rather than have Scooter say he was going to have his insurance company take care of it he could inform Rizzo that his uncle, J.P. Grosse, was taking care of it, and he had visited Rizzo's relatives and what do you know? His car was getting fixed for free. They found 1000 dollars in the glove box and there will be fireworks on his next birthday. Now I know they mentioned his uncle was deceased on one of the holiday specials, but the continuity of the Muppets is a bit fluid especially, I think, for a side character like J.P. Plus it would be a nice reference for die hard fans.

The Miss Piggy/Reese story I think was really well done. The writing. Piggy's character with a bit of honesty and emotion toward the end. Eric's performance. The puppetry. Reese being game to have some fun with the Muppets and a big song to finish. The only thing dragging it down? It's a different version of the same story with Applegate and Banks and Bowen and Davis (in the promos). As I said I liked this version, so I am glad they did it, but I really want to see a different dynamic with Piggy and the female guest stars. Yes, she was jealous at times on The Muppet Show, but she ended up singing a duet with Raquel Welch, planning Kermit's birthday with Linda Lavin and actually being moved by Kermit and Linda Ronstadt's final song. The writers are clearly talented and funny, but I think their best work is with the supporting characters who are a bit easier to play around with character wise. For example Uncle Deadly or Yolanda.

Some good notes as well. The puppetry was top notch. Uncle Deadly continues to hit it out of the park. Sean Penn/champagne enough said. Bunsen's parasol was a nice touch. And any scene that has Beautiful Day Monster lurking in the background is a good scene.

 

[Ladywarrior]

I didn't get to see this episode yet because my father was home from work and he was hogging the TV!

 

[Oscarfan]

The puppetry on Piggy during the musical was freakin' amazing. They're doing movie quality effects on a weekly basis; I love it.

 

[Big Bird Fan]

First real meh episode for me. Didn't care for the Fozzie stuff and the Scooter/Rizzo plot was just okay.

Piggy's feuds are getting a bit repetitive, but I loved the musical number they did and Piggy had some pretty funny lines all throughout.