The Muppets: “A Tail of Two Piggies” Review

Tailspin.

As The Muppets refocuses on positivity, and topical allegory (almost akin to ABC’s old TGIF series, Dinosaurs), “A Tail of Two Piggies” wove a sweet story about being confident in one’s own skin. With an uptick in humor and a decrease in depression spirals.

Now, not everything about Piggy’s “wardrobe malfunction” story lined up. I mean, she’s a pig…but a talking one…in a world where somehow her pig-ness isn’t accepted? And where, of course, people still eat pigs? It’s a weird line here. One that The Muppets have always sort of straddled just being talking animals. But this was the first time – even after all the human/Muppet mating that went on in the first half of the season – that we got the idea that attributes of their “animal” side were somehow unsavory. Specifically here, Piggy’s short, curly tail.

Was the world somehow deluding itself into thinking that Piggy wasn’t a pig? If so, what about Fozzie’s bear qualities? And Kermit’s froggy attributes? And so on. And does this mean that the “human” Muppets are actually just…human?

All that fuzziness aside though, there were quite a few funny moments here. And yes, the messaging did all break down into a positive one about being comfortable with your own body. And it allowed for Piggy be both conceited and caring. A selfish savior. And it also allowed for a small bit of commentary about the self-fulfilling prophesy of outrage culture with Sam seeing the three protestors outside as a massive groundswell movement with numbers closing in on a million.

Plus, I love Deadly. And Big Mean Carl. You know this. And I know they can’t be central players (especially Carl), but the more the show gives them, the better. This week, Deadly found himself a wreck after his dress was the center of controversy (his passive-aggressive line about regretting not making it out of the “steel mesh that keeps boulders from rolling onto the highway” was great) and Carl (after trying to eat Scooter) introduced Gonzo to his real estate agent sister, Carla. Who helped the writers’ room trio rent Ian Ziering’s house (before hurling cookies at them and then eating the plate). Anyhow, it’s a small note but I love those two side characters.

Also funny was Animal occasionally screaming “Kardashian!” out of turn, forever locked inside a “Who Tweeted It? Piggy or Kim Kardashian?” game. Plus, the band still thinking Ziering was a teenager was awesome. Despite him being 51 with two kids. “Babies having babies, man.”