The Muppets Episode 6 - The Ex-Factor

[JimAndFrank]

Wow, what a great episode! I wouldn’t call it necessarily ‘funny’, but it was certainly entertaining! We saw new dynamics, old dynamics and more Uncle Deadly, so who can complain?

Sorry guys, I’m gonna ramble on a bit here!

Denise:

Boy, oh, boy do I like this pig! She is not at all flawless and doesn’t try to be. She’s quirky, but not an absolute airhead. She is a huge nerd, always a bonus. It’s really odd for me, because seeing a geeky, red-headed pig with glasses reminds me way too much of myself! I can’t wait to see how she develops as the series goes on!

Denise and Kermit:

Kermit trying to be a decent boyfriend in a relationship that wasn’t forced upon on him is a very interesting angle to explore for his character. He and Denise are obviously very sweet on each other which is just adorable, but there were a couple of times there, mainly in the cold opening where Kermit seemed to be a little embarrassed by Denise’s behaviour. That’s okay though! Every relationship comes with its quirks and besides I’m sure there are things that Kermit does that irks Denise!

The whole ‘she didn’t ask for a birthday present so I won’t get her one’ thing is a typical sitcom ploy that TV writers tend to overuse, but it actually works here. Kermit clearly isn’t used to being in a normal relationship, so some of his actions will be pretty clumsy and foolish. I can see plenty more episodes in the future where this will be played with. The talking-head spot where Kermit is showing off the salad plate depicting their first date is a good indication of how much he cares about her.

Miss Piggy:

Finally, a Piggy I can get on board with! She played the part of the ‘ex-girlfriend’ perfectly, coming through with her promise to maintain a friendship with Kermit by getting the present, but still teaching him a lesson in her own sneaky way! That friendship is very bittersweet, but still very caring. I like that a lot! Her character development is coming along nicely!

Can we talk about Piggy’s reaction to Kermit’s little outburst about what he knows about Denise? Piggy seemed quite stumped at the passion with which Kermit spoke. It’s like she underestimated the depth of Kermit and Denise’s relationship and thought it was just a rebound or a fling. What does Piggy do to react? She simply laughs it off with, “Oh, how cute!”, but you can tell it put her off.

The Electric Mayhem:

Well, that was new! Chenoweth definitely opened a can of worms there, didn’t she? Floyd had a problem with Dr Teeth claiming to be the frontrunner, Animal had a problem with Zoot being a big baby around snakes, and Janice is nobody’s woman. It was all there! Lips was the only one to seem to not have a huge problem. Perhaps certain topics should never be touched upon with this group!

Yeah, it was a little bit cruel to leave Chenoweth in the middle of a desert, but I’m sure she’ll get over it! She’s in show-biz, what did she expect?

Highlights:

· Piggy and Chenoweth: they clearly see each other as equals. Refreshing to see Piggy get along with another woman. Great musical number!
· Zoot getting it completely wrong.
· Also, Piggy poking fun at Denise’s age was golden: ‘I’m great with kids!’
· Scooter continuing to be a Mumma’s boy and his grudge against Ken-PUT ON A ROBE KEN!
· Ugh- men have absolutely no clue on what to get a woman for her birthday!
· Kermit holding a plate he painted while wearing an apron is the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen.
· LIPS SPOKE AGAIN! This poor neglected Muppet deserves a line every episode! I think the writers are just teasing us on purpose!
· Dr Teeth? With Janice? Well, I suppose it makes more sense than Sam and Janice.
· Kermit’s Squishy Face is what I live for.
· I take it back! Lips’ hair being whipped around in the wind is the most adorable thing I have ever seen! He is such a beautifully designed Muppet!

Plus, the way Denise fan-girled over Kristin Chenoweth is a pretty fair depiction of how I will react if I ever meet Steve Whitmire!

 

[MuppetsRule]

We already have, in episodes 3 and 4

Not really. One liners don't really count. Will he be involved significantly in one of the upcoming episodes? I would think they have to soon. Surprised he hasn't been more involved so far. As one of the main characters from the original show ( ) he has been the only one we haven't seen too much of.

 

[MuppetsRule]

Wow, what a great episode! I wouldn’t call it necessarily ‘funny’, but it was certainly entertaining! We saw new dynamics, old dynamics and more Uncle Deadly, so who can complain?

Sorry guys, I’m gonna ramble on a bit here!

Denise:

Boy, oh, boy do I like this pig! She is not at all flawless and doesn’t try to be. She’s quirky, but not an absolute airhead. She is a huge nerd, always a bonus. It’s really odd for me, because seeing a geeky, red-headed pig with glasses reminds me way too much of myself! I can’t wait to see how she develops as the series goes on!

Denise and Kermit:

Kermit trying to be a decent boyfriend in a relationship that wasn’t forced upon on him is a very interesting angle to explore for his character. He and Denise are obviously very sweet on each other which is just adorable, but there were a couple of times there, mainly in the cold opening where Kermit seemed to be a little embarrassed by Denise’s behaviour. That’s okay though! Every relationship comes with its quirks and besides I’m sure there are things that Kermit does that irks Denise!

The whole ‘she didn’t ask for a birthday present so I won’t get her one’ thing is a typical sitcom ploy that TV writers tend to overuse, but it actually works here. Kermit clearly isn’t used to being in a normal relationship, so some of his actions will be pretty clumsy and foolish. I can see plenty more episodes in the future where this will be played with. The talking-head spot where Kermit is showing off the salad plate depicting their first date is a good indication of how much he cares about her.

Miss Piggy:

Finally, a Piggy I can get on board with! She played the part of the ‘ex-girlfriend’ perfectly, coming through with her promise to maintain a friendship with Kermit by getting the present, but still teaching him a lesson in her own sneaky way! That friendship is very bittersweet, but still very caring. I like that a lot! Her character development is coming along nicely!

Can we talk about Piggy’s reaction to Kermit’s little outburst about what he knows about Denise? Piggy seemed quite stumped at the passion with which Kermit spoke. It’s like she underestimated the depth of Kermit and Denise’s relationship and thought it was just a rebound or a fling. What does Piggy do to react? She simply laughs it off with, “Oh, how cute!”, but you can tell it put her off.

The Electric Mayhem:

Well, that was new! Chenoweth definitely opened a can of worms there, didn’t she? Floyd had a problem with Dr Teeth claiming to be the frontrunner, Animal had a problem with Zoot being a big baby around snakes, and Janice is nobody’s woman. It was all there! Lips was the only one to seem to not have a huge problem. Perhaps certain topics should never be touched upon with this group!

Yeah, it was a little bit cruel to leave Chenoweth in the middle of a desert, but I’m sure she’ll get over it! She’s in show-biz, what did she expect?

Highlights:

· Piggy and Chenoweth: they clearly see each other as equals. Refreshing to see Piggy get along with another woman. Great musical number!
· Zoot getting it completely wrong.
· Also, Piggy poking fun at Denise’s age was golden: ‘I’m great with kids!’
· Scooter continuing to be a Mumma’s boy and his grudge against Ken-PUT ON A ROBE KEN!
· Ugh- men have absolutely no clue on what to get a woman for her birthday!
· Kermit holding a plate he painted while wearing an apron is the cutest thing I think I’ve ever seen.
· LIPS SPOKE AGAIN! This poor neglected Muppet deserves a line every episode! I think the writers are just teasing us on purpose!
· Dr Teeth? With Janice? Well, I suppose it makes more sense than Sam and Janice.
· Kermit’s Squishy Face is what I live for.
· I take it back! Lips’ hair being whipped around in the wind is the most adorable thing I have ever seen! He is such a beautifully designed Muppet!

Plus, the way Denise fan-girled over Kristin Chenoweth is a pretty fair depiction of how I will react if I ever meet Steve Whitmire!

Perfect summary. This episode has been the best by far.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

Plus, the way Denise fan-girled over Kristin Chenoweth is a pretty fair depiction of how I will react if I ever meet Steve Whitmire!

Oh man I wanna meet him sooo bad,that is, him and Caroll Spinney.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm really loving the way they're handling the Kermit/Piggy/Denise dynamic. This should be pretty fun to follow.

I'm glad they're starting to play with that instead of just keeping moderate levels of hints and excuses. I've been waiting for some passive aggressiveness coming directly from Piggy to Denise. It didn't end up in a fistfight or karate. Piggy carried herself much better in this episode than previous ones, especially at the end where she turned the gift into a snarky little statement instead of going full blown "HIIIIYAAAAHH!" We're getting a more subdued Piggy in this one. Showing that she still cares for Kermit, and Kermit still wants to be friends, but adding just a little "don't screw with me" in there. Hopefully they keep that up.

That said, loved her being nicey nicey with Kristen. If she did the whole "I'm so much better than you" or jealousy schtick, it would have worn thin considering last week's premise. We need more mutually loved guests on the show and less existential crisis for Piggy, because if they kept that up long enough, it would be redundant and repetitive and it wouldn't have the same punch.

I really think the gamble of the Mayhem finally getting into a fight really paid off. I liked the idea of Floyd thinking he has an actual relationship with Janice, but Janice being too much of a free spirit to be tied down. And ...uh... wasn't Jancie briefly paired up with Dr. Teeth early in the series, or it was implied she had relationships with all the members (save Animal)? Something like that? I really liked that she was that assertive about the relationship, and having that unintentionally hurt Floyd. While I'd sort of be concerned about them fighting, as Rick and Morty taught us, no relationship based on all pure happy memories is a real relationship. Kristen was the one who was the band's discord, and they were strictly on an ignorance is bliss relationship with each other. Nice to see the characters played out and nice to see them in a major B plot.

And that's another reason this episode was the best so far. An A plot and a B plot, both fleshed out (could use a few more scenes) without a competing C plot. They actually made a huge improvement with pacing, and that was my main issue.

So to put it in perspective:

Showing more of the Piggy Show in a Just a taste way like 30 Rock

Two Strongish plot lines instead of 1 sort of strong, and two truncated and busy.

A B story not featuring Fozzie Bear

Better characterization of Piggy and Kermit

Continuity with Kermit's relationship with Denise

No awkward jokes (which I didn't mind, but others did)

signs of improvement abound. They're very close to the AHAH! Moment that will turn the show around and become something special. This was the best episode of the bunch.

 

[Muppet Master]

Overall, I liked this episode, better than the last one. The whole Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Denise plot was really well done, and I like how Miss Piggy did not just give Kermit a really bad gift, I expected that was how it would play out, but happy they went a different path. The Electric Mayhem story was hilarious, love how they actually get to do something. Also, leaving Kristin out in the road feels so muppety, like how in TMM Kermit and the rest made the secretary nearly die of allergies, so they could get inside, a sort of dark muppet comedy that doesn't come off very often. Ya, and people will complain that Statler and Waldorf's line was too "adult" even though Statler woke him up in GMC because the bikins were coming, but no one had a problem with that. Pretty good episode, my only complaint would be no Fozzie, but he'll probably be in the next episode. Also, come on give Rowlf a storyline, he's only had a recycled gag from the pilot, we have a good puppeteer for him, why not take advantage of that, and give him a good story or maybe just some lines here and there. Also Dr. Teeth and Janice were an item on TMS in At the Dance.

Don't show it to Floyd. Overall, great episode, hoping for good ratings, and more good episodes of the show.

 

[muppetlover123]

Such a good episode

 

[Stephanie Evjen]

I really enjoyed the episode, especially the Electric Mayhem side story. It was really worth the wait for the show to make an Electric Mayhem-based episode or sub-plot. Kristin Chenowith made a pretty good impression, even though she accidently caused tension in the band, which I felt really threatened their friendship. I think this is the first time I saw the band fight for different reasons: For instance, I had no idea Janice had no interest in being Floyd's girlfriend, even when all the time they spent together and I thought they make a great couple, and I kind of can recall Janice dancing with Zoot and Dr. Teeth at one point (I thought her phrase "oh wow, I really like being in your arms." and Teeth saying "yeah. me too." while being literally being wrapped in Teeth's arms meant that she loved Dr. Teeth as a friend, and didn't know until now that he and Janice used to be an item). I felt pretty bad for Floyd after what happened because I saw how much he really loves Janice, and I feel she and Floyd are truly meant to be. Plus, I feel it was pretty selfish of Dr. Teeth to say that the Electric Mayhem is his band, and Janice made a pretty cool comeback that the band belongs to the "universe", and that he threatened to cut her paycheck, which the other members didn't know about, especially Animal. The climax where Dr. Teeth almost dragged Floyd by his mustache to get him back on the bus really freaked me out until Kristen intervened and helped the band start fresh after everything is out in the open. To be honest, I felt it was pretty stupid for the band to let those silly little problems destroy such a groovy friendship. Also, I thought it was pretty harsh for them to leave Kristen behind, as they felt she was responsible for causing the rift in the first place.

In my opinion, it was bad enough that Kermit and Piggy broke up. I didn't want the same thing to happen to Electric Mayhem too. It would really break my heart. </3 I'm glad they got to be friends again at the end of the episode . I feel there won't be a thing that would tear them apart. I do hope they'll be able to fix their problems in the future. If there's anything I learn about the muppets, it's that there love and friendships for each is too strong to break, no matter the obstacles they faced over the course of their career. Guess that goes for the Electric Mayhem too. Without each other, there would be no harmony with melody for them. Even if they went their separate ways, they'll still be alone. I still have a lot to learn about the band, but I do know if they don't work out even the smallest problems right from the start, the magic of their music could turn into something else. For me, it would be the music of friendship, which I felt is what kept the Muppets' friendship and love for each other from falling apart.

Once again, I'm really happy the Electric Mayhem restored their friendship before it even broke into something worse. I can't wait for the future episodes of the Muppets and more of the band as well!

Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem forever!

 

[jobi71]

A strong episode. We get a more in depth portrait of Denise. A more balanced Piggy. An Electric Mayhem subplot. Dramatic Problem Reading. And a lot of rules for a no rules salad plate. I think over all it is one of the stronger episodes.

 

[The Count]

Denise is a redhead? Why was I thinking of her as a brunette.

Also, people are saying how well Kristen Chenoweth interacted with the Muppet cast in her appearance in this episode. Er, am I one of the few who remembers she was Ms. Noodle, the first of Mr. Noodle's two sisters appearing in various inserts in Elmo's World?

Sounds like this was one of the better-balanced episodes, shame I missed it.