Suit up.
By Matt Fowler
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
ABC’s new Muppets may never fully ascend/rebound into anything truly great, but “Got Silk?” was a good example of how letting sweetness guide the story rather than full-fledged strife is the best course for the series. Honestly, not all of this one landed, but the final five minutes involving Deadly trying to tell Piggy that he was her true friend – and then Piggy’s delayed realization (during a duet with Ingrid Michaelson) that Deadly was her true friend – was great. As was the entire crew showing up for Deadly’s small theater Clueless stage show! Very inspired.
So that whole payoff was satisfying. The ride, though? With Piggy insta-searching for a “normal” friend? It wasn’t the best. Though, as I think I’ve mentioned in my past few reviews, I do love the show’s midseason love affair with Deadly as one of the main characters. He was great tonight. Especially his fake emergency phone call from the show during the aerial aerobics class. From a “Jeremy Rosenstein.” Demanding “fisticuffs.” A true friend. I mean, he does constantly prevent Piggy from “looking too deeply into the abyss of her own loneliness.”
I enjoy the fact that Pache’s now become a recurring “network” enemy for the series. Meta-representing the modern era trying to force The Muppets to be something that they’re not. Though his storyline with the writers, and briefly RuPaul, felt lacking. Mainly, I suppose, because it was an easy fix overall. All Kermit had to do was talk the writers out of doing a “branded content” Pinkberry sketch when they all returned with fancy suits on. And then Pache was all surprised somehow when his plan got foiled.
Pulling out some prime pieces however…Pepe was great. His Al Capone impression? “Ayyyy. Ohhhh. Chicago!” Amazing. Also, him launching into a series of Gonzo punches while screaming “Why you have to say so many crazy things?” got a few laughs out of me. And that end tag? Where he just acted like people in suits? “Buy! Sell! I have a second family!” Wonderful.
“Got Silk?” started to come around right at the end but the journey getting there felt off. Piggy looking for a friend was a bit too much that Ed Helms episode where Piggy wanted to be liked by the crew. And the branded content sketch idea, overall, was a good way of perhaps sneaking a bit of branded content onto the show while trying to criticize branded content.
