The Muppets S01E05 “Walk The Swine” REVIEW

The Muppets S01E05 “Walk The Swine” REVIEW

0 comments 📅16 November 2015, 20:27

The Muppets S01E05 “Walk The Swine” REVIEW

Dance routine

stars 4.5

Airing in the UK on Sky One, Mondays, 8pm
Writers: Gregg Mettler, Nell Scovell (teleplay); Dave Caplan, Steve Rudnick (story)
Director: Randall Einhorn

Essential Plot Points:

  • Reese Witherspoon guests on the show, much to Kermit’s horror because Miss Piggy has a grudge against her. True to form, things turn nasty between the Hollywood stars the following day at a charity house-build.
  • To save her reputation, Miss Piggy has to (gasp!) apologise.
  • Rizzo crashes into Scooter’s car, but Scooter’s attempts to help him repair the damage aren’t the greatest.
  • Fozzie has worked his girlfriend into his stand-up routine. She is not amused.

Kermit's worried face

Review:

Every week we give The Muppets a high score. We’re not a soft touch, honest, it’s just that this really is a quite excellent little series; we’re still waiting for a duff episode. (Although not too eagerly, obviously.) Long may it continue to be this fine, despite the recently reported staffing changes going on behind the scenes over in the US. Fingers crossed!

The laugh-out-loud hit rate is definitely high this week, with some brilliant jokes delivered so casually you’d never think there were a team of writers behind them (such as Floyd ordering a coffee under the name John Q Public: “Never use your real name,” he tells Bobo, “they’ll have drones over your house by nightfall!”).

But the praise here really goes to Reese Witherspoon, who commits herself totally to playing the object of Miss Piggy’s hatred – while also giving a nice plug to charity Habitat For Humanity. You have to wonder how many other Hollywood superstars have ended up as rivals while working for a charity, actually…

And Miss Piggy’s grand finale dance routine is a stroke of genius. It’s odd, mind you, seeing her puppet continue to sing while being held aloft by the dancers…

 

The Guests:

  • Reese Witherspoon

Piggy and Reese

 

The Good:

  • Discovering that Miss Piggy’s grudge against Natalie Portman for getting a role in Black Swan was just “a decoy grudge… it’s always been Witherspoon!
  • Miss Piggy taking so long to get out of her Spanx is amusing. And hey, so many of us ladies have been there…
  • Reese Witherspoon, Oscar-winner, gets to deliver the line: “You’re banging on a Porta Potty with a pink bedazzled hammer!” Wow.

Miss Piggy's outfit

  • Miss Piggy’s outfit when she heads to the building site (in her streeeeeeeetch limo) includes a leopard print toolbelt and “ultra suede stiletto work booties”. Details are important.

Rizzo and Pepe

  • Pepe and Rizzo having a mini face-off about the pronounciation of “Sean Penn” and “champagne” is a joy!
  • For the very first time on the show, Miss Piggy gets to perform her trademark karate chop. “Hiyaaaaaaa!” Quintessential Piggy.

 

The Bad:

  • It’s hard to pinpoint anything that doesn’t work this week, except perhaps that you want to slap Scooter upside the head for being so gullible. Oh, and the scene with the crew singing “True Colours” to Fozzie might be a tad too long.

 

The Random:

  • In case you haven’t spotted it, the name of this episode – “Walk The Swine” – is a play on words on “Walk The Line”. This is the film Reese won an Oscar for, in a role Miss Piggy wanted for herself. Now picture her playing opposite Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny Cash and try not to laugh.
  • Best Quote: Kermit: “This thing with Reese is everywhere – it’s a PR nightmare!” Miss Piggy: “Not now, Kermit.” Kermit: “It’s the only video North Korea’s allowing its people to see!”

Reviewed by Jayne Nelson


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