The Muppets Episode 3 - Bear Left Then Bear Write

[RealWonderman]

Tonight's episode was one of the greatest non movie/special Muppety things Ive seen in the last two decades. And I thought last weeks episode was something special. We have the most special bond between Kermit and Fozzie I personally havent seen since the Muppet movie...and the scene with Fozzie awkwardly mapquesting his way on the open road to me had the same magic as the 1979 Muppet Movie. We have Yolanda now pretty much one of the main main characters, who knew an obscure character from the short run Jim Henson Hour would also become one of the main characters?

We're seeing so many different emotional sides of Kermit(I was crackin up so hard when Kermit was annoying staring at Scooter near the beginning) Rowlf finally made his debut! And again, all the non naked Muppets continually are wearing different clothes! One question tho: Did Jim Henson Company have a hand in making the human "Debbie" Muppet, AKA Gonzo's date? She totally looked right out of Stuffed and Unstrung. No longer worried about the fate of this series...this is seriously funny, magical stuff operating on all sorts of levels. Yes, it's essentially the Office more than any other show, but it works so well

Btw, the people who were upset by Electric Mayhem's pot usage, surely must also take issue with Rowlf's Tavern and the fact the Muppets drink?(since drinking is a thousand times more dangerous than marijuana)

HEAR HEAR!!! THIS WAS GREAT TV!!!!!!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Except they didn't.

Give them time. What they have done is give the distinct impression they can't tell the difference.

But if you want a Muppet sketch where a character gets drunk and passes out

Not within the context of that kind of Kermit and Piggy scene.

 

[jobi71]

Another good episode. I am glad we were able to see Kermit with Fozzie. Hopefully we'll get to see Kermit have some more screen time with the other major players. He definitely needs an episode focused on Gonzo. But some screen time with Rowlf and Pepe would be nice. Rizzo too, but since they're both Steve's characters may not be doable.

Someone mentioned Miss Piggy was jealous of Christina Applegate. I think she was just upset that Christina embarrassed her in front of her adoring fans. I think Piggy's reaction was justified. I also think that Christina's motives were to show a funny clip not to humiliate Piggy.

I mentioned in a comment after episode 1 that Kermit and Piggy were at the extreme ends of their personalities. And that hopefully the season will bring them closer together and more in line with the characters we know and love. Now if the show has a second season? Maybe this transition will be slower, or maybe it happens this season and the potential second season has them explore other aspects and/or characters.

I am not a fan of the puppet for Chip. I know it is based on Bill Prady so we'll be seeing a lot of it. But not a fan.

Yolanda is the Lucy Moran (Twin Peaks) of The Muppets.

Minor Muppet Appearance: Foo Foo

Muppet Magic: Sweetums on a bike.

Muppet fanatic complaints: I am OK with Gonzo dating, but what did happen to Camilla? Maybe we find out in another episode, but it's not OK to not address it.

Speaking of Camilla where are all the chickens and pigs and penguins and frackles and whatnots? They certainly do not need lines or be in every scene, but none of these randoms have appeared. Someone suggested the studio audience have a mix of humans and Muppets. That would solve the problem.

 

[Drtooth]

Give them time. What they have done is give the distinct impression they can't tell the difference.

I'll say this again for the billionth time.

If there's a subtle nuance that this show hasn't managed to capture, it's something that's been gone for years. I wouldn't doubt that hypothetical scene you mentioned could fit into MT or VMX with no problem. The humor could be way harsher and was in certain newer projects. Yet, you look at LTS, and there's so much darn treacle. I'd rather see some rough humor here and there than full on syrup. We can't go around saying we want an edgier Muppet project and then freak the beak out when it is. Still, this seems a matter of taste more than anything else.

Maybe I watch way too many adult cartoons for the sake of giving everything a chance, but when it comes to things like Family Guy, Robot Chicken, and that painfully unfunny piece of garbage Mr. Pickles, those are writers that tend to push the unfunnier, louder, and easier jokes as much as possible (so much so in Mr. Pickles it destroys an otherwise good concept) that anything even slightly less than that feels like refreshing nuance. That's why I like shows like Bob's Burgers and Rick and Morty better. They have their share of rough jokes from time to time, but it's tempered with delicate details and (in Rick and Morty's case) deep plotlines. I can take a couple off jokes in this series because instead of fawning over celebrities (which gets painfully awkward when the celebrities don't want to be there or just suck overall), they're building character. Maybe slowly with one character at a time. I would have loved to have seen a Fozzie and Kermit plot this character driven in a previous Muppet installment.

I think it's that comparative context again. Are we comparing this new series to a 3-4 decades old series or are we comparing it to its contemporaries? I don't even bother comparing any new Muppet project to the older ones. But, as a current sitcom, it's one of the better shows out there. I really like ABC's Tuesday and Wednesday sitcoms. They're much better than the poorly written "family" drivel they had a decade ago. CBS sitcoms are a very mixed bag, and even the better ones there are showing signs of "should have been cancelled" (seriously. **&^% them for getting rid of The Millers because their pwescious Scorpion show wasn't getting potential ratings and double *&^%$ for putting Sean Hayes in there when you had a perfectly good J.B. Smoov!). NBC...that's a joke. There's no NBC sitcoms.

 

[CensoredAlso]

We can't go around saying we want an edgier Muppet project and then freak the beak out when it is.

We've been freaking the beak out because it isn't.

If there's a subtle nuance that this show hasn't managed to capture, it's something that's been gone for years

I know you always say this and I agree, I'm just not sure how that's supposed to make it better.

 

[Mo Frackle]

Uh oh...

http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/rat...miere-muppets-scream-queens-fade-1201612341/#

At ABC, “The Muppets” (1.6/6 in 18-49, 4.8 million viewers overall) was down another 20% (0.4) in 18-49, after losing about 30% from its premiere (2.9) to week two (2.0). It still easily bested Fox’s competing comedy “Grandfathered” (1.1/4 in 18-49, 3.8 million viewers overall), which was down 27% (0.4) from its premiere, though it is close to rounding up to a 1.2.
The 8:30 p.m. comedy battle saw ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat” (1.8/6 in 18-49, 4.9 million viewers overall) pull well ahead of Fox’s “The Grinder” (1.0/3 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall), which slid 33% (0.5) from its debut. “Boat” impressively was up a tick despite the declines for “The Muppets.”

 

[Oscarfan]

Eh. I'm not worried.

 

[DARTH MUPPET]

It's also about 12 times more legal. I think many of the same people would be upset if they showed them drunk rather than just having some beers.

I wasn't a huge fan of the drug jokes in the last episode, but mostly because they were just too obvious. This week's reference was much more subtle. Drug jokes can work in a family show as long as they're subtle enough for plausible deniability.

The funniest part of this one for me was Chip. If they don't overplay it, his character could be a breakout. I had read about a hilarious exchange between Chip and Gonzo that I assumed would be in this episode, but it appears it was cut.

actually Pot is legal in a few states and in others you have to either be high while driving or have massive amounts of it on you to get arrested, it is only a matter of time before pot is Federally legalized it is definitely trending that way. It is a fact that Alcohol is way more of a gateway drug then pot.

 

[terrimonster]

actually Pot is legal in a few states and in others you have to either be high while driving or have massive amounts of it on you to get arrested, it is only a matter of time before pot is Federally legalized it is definitely trending that way. It is a fact that Alcohol is way more of a gateway drug then pot.

Look, we know you advocate for pot and for drug jokes in the show. Let's not get into it again. I know it's legal in a few states; my (very cursory) research said 4 states (plus DC), which is about 1/12 as many states as alcohol. 4 x 12 = 48, add in DC and you're about at 50. Ergo, alcohol is about 12 times as legal. But it wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. All I was saying was that the legality is one reason (of many) why some people get more upset over pot references than alcohol references. I don't think it's hypocritical for people to have different opinions about very different intoxicants.

It's on-topic to talk about how we feel about drug references in the show. It's not particularly on-topic to get into discussions about how we feel about drugs in general.

 

[DARTH MUPPET]

Look, we know you advocate for pot and for drug jokes in the show. Let's not get into it again. I know it's legal in a few states; my (very cursory) research said 4 states (plus DC), which is about 1/12 as many states as alcohol. 4 x 12 = 48, add in DC and you're about at 50. Ergo, alcohol is about 12 times as legal. But it wasn't meant to be taken too seriously. All I was saying was that the legality is one reason (of many) why some people get more upset over pot references than alcohol references. I don't think it's hypocritical for people to have different opinions about very different intoxicants.

It's on-topic to talk about how we feel about drug references in the show. It's not particularly on-topic to get into discussions about how we feel about drugs in general.

the state I used to live in Maryland, practically legalized it If you are high while driving you can get arrested, but to get arrested for pot In Maryland you have to have massive amounts of it on you, and the state I live in now Florida there are certain counties that have similar laws like in Miami Dade County I am not sure of the other counties. like I said it is trending kind of like Same Sex Marriage it is only a matter of time when both same sex marriage and marijuana are legal in all 50 states and rightfully so, did I mention I love Pope Francis !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and how I feel about drug use and it's legalize is on topic because it is being written into the show like it or not. the Muppets on ABC is an adult show you should not have your little kids staying up past 8 PM my nephew who lives with me his whole life he is 7 years old he goes to bed at 7:30 pm every night and my sister is not strict at all but 7:30 pm is a proper bed time for a little kid who has to wake up for school the next day, and quite frankly my nephew does not care for the Muppets anyway he watches Cartoon Network shows, Pokemon, and Disney XD Shows like Star Wars Rebels most kids don't even get into the muppets anymore they are making the show/movies for the adults who grew up with the muppets in the 1970's and 1980's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!