The Muppets Episode 7 - Pig's in a Blackout

[Phillip]

Tonight make plans to watch "The Muppets" new episode "Pig's in a Blackout" at 8|7c on ABC. Then join the discussion immediately afterwards in the Muppet Central Forum.

Episode 7 - Pig's in a Blackout

Work pressure gets to Kermit, so he's sent for some R & R at a private yoga retreat, where he runs into Jason Bateman, who's also dealing with stress-related issues. Meanwhile, Scooter tries to run the show in Kermit's absence, but his best is, unfortunately, not nearly good enough.

If you saw "Pig's in a Blackout" please like this post and share your thoughts below.

 

[JimAndFrank]

THIS IS WHAT THE SHOW WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE! RIGHT FROM THE VERY START! I am in love with this episode, okay? This episode has set the bar to which I will compare future and past episodes!

To put it simply- You could have written this episode for The Muppet Show and it would have worked flawlessly!

The Highlights:

· All the mayhem in the beginning of the episode. From butter on the brakes to Jeggings being what Piggy needs right now, it was a great set-up!
· Sweetums calling Kermit ‘Caroline’!
· “I feel awful!”- Falafel!
· The Samnice love-story continues! So weird to see Sam trying to play it smooth-yet so fun!
· SO MANY FEELS when Scooter Freudian-slipped the word ‘father’ when talking about Kermit. It was so freakin’ adorable!
· Two words: Frozen Beaker!
· Denise and Piggy were fun to watch together. Neither takes the other seriously! You have to admit, they were (almost) pretty in-sync with each other!
· Uncle Deadly once again steals both my heart and the best delivered line, “LOOK, at me Piggy! They are gone!”
· Statler and Waldorf are all about that bass, bout that bass. No treble!
· Chip: “They were messing with me? I have friends!!!”

This week’s MVP (Most Valuable Puppeteer) award goes to both Steve Whitmire and Mike Quinn. Steve proved yet again that he can out-act the best actors in the world using only his arms and voice, while Mike blew me away with the finger-plucking on Kermit’s banjo. Bravo, gentlemen!

The B-Story:

This is a perfect Muppet scenario- Kermit puts another Muppet in charge (Scooter), that Muppet tries to change one little detail (the thermostat) and then suddenly everything collapses into utter chaos….Well, more than usual anyway.

Scooter was willing and determined to make his father proud-……Oops! I-I m-mean MENTOR! MEN-TOR!

Muppet chaos is always at its best when there is an actual build up. You have the mandatory Beaker-suffering moment when he gets smacked in the face with icy air, Piggy gets her winter wear ruined and then the set lights completely explode! BEAUTIFUL! Don’t even get me started on the butter! The writers are finally getting the comedy right on this show. We have been missing the physical, slapstick stuff the Muppets are notorious for. If the writers can balance the adult verbal humour with the slapstick, then I will be one happy Muppet fan!

Gonzo was this week’s Most Valuable Muppet. At first he was annoyed that Kermit didn’t choose him to run the show, but after seeing Scooter trying so hard to get things back under control, Gonzo choose friendship over jealousy. What a wonderful way to resolve the storyline! Gonzo put his pride aside and didn’t let his friend give up, even inspiring Scooter to come up with the energy conservation edition of Up Late. Again, this is the kind of scenario that would have Jim grinning from ear to ear!

The A-Story:

The only issue I had with this episode was Jason Bateman. I like Bateman and he did a good job, however he was only ever there to get Kermit kicked out of the spa retreat. I think this could have gone in a completely different direction. Instead of being a backstabber, why couldn’t Jason have just unintentionally helped Kermit realise that the spa was a waste of time and that he should go to Rowlf for more advice?

For what it was though, the plotline was still brilliant. I was expecting Kermit to resort to a full-blown tantrum and instead he simply fainted from the stress. Can you blame him? It’s like the events over the past six episodes finally got to him and he couldn’t take it anymore. I think Kermit was forgetting who he really was and why he loved doing what he does.

That being said, going to Rowlf to commiserate was the only way for Kermit to give his soul a little refresher. What a wonderful scene that was! A dog and a frog contemplating life around a piano. All it took was Rowlf’s idea of a good life: to do what you love simply because that is who you are, for Kermit to remember who he is.

I really loved the juxtaposition of the opening and closing scenes: Kermit began looking at his ‘Executive Producer’ sign for comfort and self-recognition. The sign is a symbol of the materialistic satisfaction we all try to obtain, with which Kermit is not capable of functioning as the world-centric frog he was born to be. Singing ‘Rainbow Connection’ in a swamp the he built in his own backyard- that is who Kermit is: a simple, kind and sage frog who just wants to make millions of people happy!

 

[antsamthompson9]

This episode was pretty funny. I liked getting to see Sam's crush on Janice explored more. I liked how Gonzo helped Scooter feel better. Uncle Deadly trying to comfort Piggy was funny. Piggy trying to say the same things as Denise was pretty funny. Also we got to see Rowlf again.

 

[MuppetsRule]

One word . . . . WOW!!!

Finally got to see the Muppet magic. From the Muppet chaos to the actual love and friendship the Muppets have for each other.

 

[ryhoyarbie]

The two major things that stick out from this episode are:

1.) Gonzo comforts Scooter in his time of need and says the show must go on.

2.) Rowlf comforts Kermit in his time of need and says just be you because that's what makes you unique and to find that special something that makes you happy. Thus Kermit builds himself a little swamp to remind him of his home.


Others are as followed: Sam trying to hit on Janice though Janice doesn't seem to notice anything. You might want to be careful Sam. We found out last week that Janice isn't anyone's lady.

Scooter thinks of Kermit as a father figure.....cute.

Piggy actually being decent in the episode. She was still trying to comfort Kermit and so was Denise.

Uncle Deadly telling Piggy her wardrobe is all gone......

Zoot making a joke and telling Kermit that he looks a little green.

Beaker getting his face frozen only to have it burnt by hot coffee. Poor Beaker.



Negatives: Didn't like Rowlf swearing.......I think and I could be wrong that someone else said a curse word earlier.

Jason Bateman didn't really do anything. The writers looked like they didn't know what to do with him, so they threw him in there to annoy Kermit.

All in all, solid episode.

 

[LaRanaRene]

I loved Kermit's conversation with Rowlf. Reminds me of their Muppet Movie conversation.

 

[SpookyMania]

So far, this has been the most Muppet-y episode to come from this show and I loved it. I was quite fond of the first couple episodes to air, some of the recent ones were pretty middle-of-the-road to me, but this actually felt like the Muppets. I loved it.
And I didn't really mind Rowlf swearing. It's not too different from him calling Arsenio Hall a SOB but, of course... then again that does mean something different to dogs...

 

[The Count]

Got to see the new episode, thoughts as always.

1 Muppety chaos? We're in for a good episode tonight.
2 riding around on a giant slab of butter crashing into Kermit... Which led to that butter being used by to sculpt a likeness of or some other celebrity.
3 Love Uncle Deadly adding to Kermit's drama needing Piggy's approval for her wardrobe, only to relay that the diva's stuck in the elevator.
Hey Uncle D, pick me up a couple egg rolls if you're going to that Chinese place.
4 Bobo as a circus mechanic? For some reason that backstory works.
5 Glad to see Denise at Kermit's bedside after he fainted due to all the stress.
6 Gonzo got some of the secondary limelight when was promoted to take Kermit's place during his absence. Nice that referenced his old life as a stuntman going over Niagara Falls.
7 *Laughs at Scooter trying to buy coffee to make the rest of the staff's day get off to a gratifying start.
8 *Laughs more at Big Mean Carl's reply of "I don't drink coffee, it agitates me!"
9 "He also eats crickets for breakfast, that doesn't mean we all have to."
10 Broken AC, yeah, I know what that's like.
11 Frozen Beaker. Which leads to saying how his research in cryogenics led to his being granted a university chair. (Which is why Bunsen works so much more as Mr. Freeze in that long-ago Palisades Muppets/Batman series of custom figures)
If you know what I'm talking about then you win a box of oatmeal raisin cookies.
And then got the hot coffee dumped into him to thaw him out. Nothing's hotter than the hot face look.
12 Scooter giving Big Mean Carl his mom's credit card to help get points for a trip to Rome. Heh, I'm working on that meself, either to the Deathly Hallows celebration on September 1 2017 at Universal Studios in Orlando or NYCC 2017/18.
13 Apparently is still pursuing his crush on
16 "So, do you snorkel?"
"Ew no, that's a violation of fish privacy!"
"Which is why I yell "are you decent!" before I go in."
17 Also... "I'm a bird of pray, when I see something I want I swoop!"
18 Electricity short created by broken AC = fireworks! Yay!
Where's during this?
19 Meanwhile, at the relaxing center... Jason the Baitman? He's more like Jason the Rat-man after he kept wheedling Kermit for help with his own production and then basically just helped kicking out the frog when they got caught with their phones.
:Man, what a rat."
20 :Hey, the elevator's not working"
Me: Yeah Fozzie, take the stairs instead!
21 Rowlf! And he gets a major little scene with Kermit at the tavern towards the end.
22 Loved the line of how those relaxing centers want you to stay outside and then a bunch of squirrels won't leave you alone.
My personal solution, or one my dad used to have was much easier... A simple little sign like those No Parking logos but with the word "STRESS" inside behind the No-sign's slashbar.
23 Loved that gave Kermit a bit of his own home life that kind of mirrored their first meeting at the Terrace Restaurant in TMM.
24 Didn't know Rowlf was such a connoisseur of fine footware for snacking on.
25 "I'm not the captain, I'm the guy who dressed up like a lady and snuck into the lifeboat, ashamed but alive!"
26 "You gotta learn French, in case the wind blows you past the Canada side."
27 "Pepe, Rizzo, stop messing with Chip."
28 "They're messing with me? I have friends!"
29 The best part of this episode was the ending... realizes he had his own dirty old sneaker all along... His trusty banjo.
30 Rainbow Connection!
Bill: "Learn a new song!"
Kermit: "Shut up Bill!"
Me: "Yeah Bill! What do you know anyway, whichever Bill you happen to be!"

Not only did the episode leave me happy, but the fact it closed with Rainbow Connection is a great way to end today.

 

[jobi71]

Tonight I am responding to this episode without reading previous comments. So I apologize in advance if I steal your thunder or comments.

This was an episode where its creators hit it correctly. I want to focus on the positive first:

Kermit is stressed. He hasn't been himself. The breakup and the talk show have pushed him. More than before? Maybe. But it allows a place for some of his less than characteristic actions be a part of this. He needs to chill.

Piggy and Denise both care for Kermit. I think an amazing scene. Neither has superiority and both care deeply for their frog. Well done.

Fozzie falls down an elevator shaft. But he is OK. He announces something is wrong with the elevator. Good use. I will assume they will shape up his character in some future episodes.

They have Scooter all set. Not much more need be said. Additionally....

They have Yolanda, Carl and Uncle Deadly set. They would really need to work hard to wreck these characters.

Zoot is neither druggy nor confused or he is both or neither. Pitch perfect gag.

The Muppets help one another to put on a show. (99% of this is off stage, but the show happens with no power. They worked together).

The scene with Rowlf and Kermit. I cannot say much else.

My favorite episode, but I am not sure other episodes could have happened without prior set-ups etc.

The Swedish Chef was a bit maniacal about some doings in the kitchen. Just as an FYI.

 

[Mad Monty fan]

The blackout scene reminded me of the blackout scene from The Muppets (2011). Too bad Gary and Mary weren't around this time to restore the power to the Muppet theater. I also loved the part at the beginning where Bobo acted like he knew what he was doing, when he didn't and he hotwired the elevator to make it go up and down and just out of control in general and Fozzie getting ready to get on the elevator and falling down to the basement floor level below.