Jess ScheulerFlight of the Conchords Emmy Noms!
July 16th 2009 20:48
Category: Flight of The Conchords, News
Flight of the Conchords Nominated for Emmy's
In honor of the Flight of the Conchords’s Emmy nomination for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy, Jermaine Clement, I bring you my top 5 favorite FOTC episodes ever. Compiling the list was very tough, considering I could have put almost every episode from the first season on this list and called it a day, and most of the episodes with the exception of one, are from the first season anyway. I fell in love with FOTC before there was even a show, when I caught their performance on HBO’s One Night Stand. I’m glad they are stopping with a second season for now, as they used most of their good material in the first season. I can’t wait to see what they’ll do separately or together in the future, maybe Bret the Figwit will do the new Hobbit movie now that he’s gotten more famous. My Lady! Jermaine Clement has real superstar potential as well as my undying love, if you don’t believe me, he made my list for Eagle vs. Shark. Rent it!
Top 5 Flight of the Conchords Episodes
5. Bowie
Clement’s dead on impersonation of David Bowie (I’m David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth) is impressive and just watching him with caked on glitter and makeup alone put this episode on the list. Bowie shows of Clement's comedic chops and shows he can do far more then play the dead-pan, straight man. Bret has self esteem issues that lead him to have dreams of an advice giving David Bowie (Wear the funky, funky eye-patch). The "Bowie" song is impressive and probably one of their better done “videos” but the real gem is "Bret you’ve got it Going on". Nothing is sweeter then Jemaine awkwardly (and in a non-gay sort of way) trying to raise his friend’s self esteem with a list of compliments and amazing lyrics like: Don’t let anyone tell ya that your not hump-able, because your bump-able, I hope this doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable.
4. What goes on Tour
The reason this episode makes the list isn’t because of their clever songs. I liked this episode because it really underlines Murray’s need to be part of a group. Murray takes the guys on a “tour” to other cities to help them warm up for an upcoming “gig” in central park. While Murray is stealing money from he and his wife’s bank account to finance the trip and paying for the guys “accidents” (throwing a tv out of their hotel window), the guys are getting into trouble with a women’s water polo team and buying leather suits to look like rock stars. Better than any song in this episode is Murray’s hilarious tirade at the guys after Bret has driven his car into the hotel pool. But the episode has a sweet moment when the guys apologize with him with a present, his own leather suit.
3. Girlfriends
Bret and Jermaine double date two girls they meet at the local Croissant shop. The problem is that Bret’s date Lisa really wants a more and he wants to take is slow (about three years) while Jermaine’s date is not into him in any way and all he wants to do is get laid. What was brilliant about this episode was the switching of traditional gender roles with Bret and Lisa. Bret doesn’t want to have sex with her too soon and fears showing too much arm might make him look “cheap”, while Lisa plays the role of a guy, who is just out to get laid and has Bret in her sights. Her lies in order to get Brett into bed are awesome:
Don’t you know if a woman doesn’t climax, she can damage herself? I might not be able to have babies. ….
On being a Delta Force Sniper shipping out to Iraq and a pastry chef-
I’m going to have to take one for my country; the least I can do is take one from you.
Highlights of the song include the French tribute “Foux Du Fafa". But the real gem is “A Kiss is not a Contract”. A deeply apologetic song from the boys about being unable to sleep with all their fans because, they just wouldn’t get anything done.
They call it a fly, because it takes you up to heaven.
2. A New Cup
The boys have been so poor that when Bret goes on what Jermaine refers to as two dollars seventy nine shopping spree by buying a teacup, they overdraw their bank account and the power gets cut off. This is the only second season episode I’ve included on the list, because it has everything. An awesome story line, Jermaine and Bret trying to prostitute themselves for extra money, even more awesome songs like “Suga Lumps” and “You don’t have to be a Prostitute” and the best one liners- 20-40-60, he’ll go all the way, and he’s clean. Also features Mel, living her dream, (besides the Bret and Jermaine, she’s my favorite) who buys their massage services and tries to offer them something more. This episode was probably the reason that Jermaine Clement was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series, he dominates “Suga Lumps” with his amazing dance skills. Look so good that’s why I keep them in the front. Bret does an admirable job singing the “Roxanne” channeling “You don’t have to be a Prostitute” but Jermaine steals the video by wearing in a see-through white mesh t-shirt and leather vest with hot pants while working a stripper pole. Awesome.
1. Mugged
When I recommend the Flight of the Conchords to anyone, I let them borrow my first season copy of FOTC. But I urge them not to start at the beginning but with the third episode, Mugged. Sure, Sally and Bret Gives up the Dream have great songs like “Most Beautiful Girl in the Room”, “I’m not Crying” and “Boom!”, but the series didn’t really hit its stride until Mugged and it tends to instantly endear people to the Conchords. The reason is the great story line of Bret and Jermaine being mugged by a “gang of two, technically the smallest gang you can have”. Jermaine is left behind by a cowardly Bret during the mugging and winds up in jail with one of the men who tried to mug him. The mugger himself is also left behind by his fellow friend and mugger. Jermaine blames Brett for abandoning him and Brett consequently spends the rest of the episode trying to make it up to him. But it also really introduces the wonderful cast of supporting characters like stalker Mel- I know if I was a convict and a pretty boy like you were my cellmate, after lights out, I'd cover your mouth----. Then there is Dave from the Pawn Shop trying to comprehend their Kiwi accents.
This episode was one of the times that the show version of the song “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" was better than their live version. This didn’t happen very frequently, songs like Business Time and Albie the Racist Dragon were much better live. But in the live show, they couldn’t really incorporate what was so good about this gangsta rap parody: the dancing. “Think about it” also in this episode, is better live, but it’s still entertaining- can someone please remove these cutleries from my knees? All around, this came in at number one for me because it was the first episode this show really pulled it together and started to deliver great story lines and the perfect songs to highlight them.
Anyone disagree with my choices? Did I miss any of your favorites?
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