[madscientist]

Well, this episode had the fewest number of songs and was my least favorite. I did like the Mermaid song, though, especially the beginning when they're moving down the hotel corridor. Also, the girls using their bar tab was pretty funny. Still, I didn't like it nearly as much as past shows. I hope they get back to what they do best.

I definitely hope HBO picks it up for another season, though.

 

[stiffi]

Well, seeing how they just canceled John from Cincinnati, which had more viewers, I would doubt Flight of the Conchords get renewed.

I sure hope it does, though, because this is hands down my favorite show of the year (including all fall shows).

 

[writdenied]

The tone of this one was off, particularly with Murray. He's supposed to be incurably optimistic, and in this episode, he was just mean and deceitful. It was actually kind of painful to watch.

I didn't care much for the mermaid song, except the last line ("or are you an optical illusion of a woman sitting on a rock holding a fish?") which made the anticipation of something funny worthwhile.

I did laugh at one bit near the end:

Murray: (to Brett) You're trying to act like a rock star by smashing the t.v. At least Jermaine's stunt with the nuts was original.
Jermaine: (quietly) Thanks.

 

[NatasNJ]

Well, seeing how they just canceled John from Cincinnati, which had more viewers, I would doubt Flight of the Conchords get renewed.

I sure hope it does, though, because this is hands down my favorite show of the year (including all fall shows).

I would think the budgets between the two are NO WHERE comparable so viewership alone might not be the deciding factor.

 

[Chibbie]

The tone of this one was off, particularly with Murray. He's supposed to be incurably optimistic, and in this episode, he was just mean and deceitful. It was actually kind of painful to watch.

I agree it was kinda painful to watch, only because I felt bad for Murray. He was dipping into his own money to pay for the band's "tour". Plus, it looked like he was paying people to let them play as well.

I loved Mel pretending to be asleep in the back seat of the car.

 

[writdenied]

Plus, it looked like he was paying people to let them play as well.

My spousal equivalent thought that, too. Actually, he was paying off the venue owner because Jermaine accidentially stuck his guitar through an amp on stage, and then Brett yanked on a guitar cord and caused something else to fall on the floor -- i.e. Murray was paying for stuff the guys broke (just like the rest of the episode).

 

[anom]

I was looking forward to seeing them go on tour, but surprisingly, taking the show's quirky vision of New York out of the mix actually robbed it of a lot of its charm.

Still, Brett and Jermaine immediately blowing their per diems on leather suits was pretty funny, as was their insistence on continuing to wear them as they shrunk smaller and smaller.

 

[TiVoStephen]

Loved loved loved LOVED the "Mermaids" song -- still in my head three days later.

 

[dmdeane]

The tone of this one was off, particularly with Murray. He's supposed to be incurably optimistic, and in this episode, he was just mean and deceitful. It was actually kind of painful to watch.

Actually I thought he's always been a bit mean and deceitful...and his incurable optimism is part of the deceit. Both of others and of himself. He's always been portrayed as a very self-centered person, just too incompetent to be much of a villain. Since this particular episode was a bit more about him, we got more of his bad side than usual.

 

[Bananfish]

I would think the budgets between the two [Flight of the Conchords and John From Cincinnati] are NO WHERE comparable so viewership alone might not be the deciding factor.

True. Then again, I wouldn't say that Flight of the Conchords is super-low budget. There's quite a bit of special effects, camera effects and editing required (heck even choreography) to produce the show (and especially the songs, which are really mini-videos).

Especially compared to, say, Lucky Louie, which had to be the lowest budget show to produce in HBO history (if not television history!), by a long shot.

If they renew FotC, it will be because the artistic panache of the show reflects well on HBO.

 

[writdenied]

Actually I thought he's always been a bit mean and deceitful...and his incurable optimism is part of the deceit. Both of others and of himself. He's always been portrayed as a very self-centered person, just too incompetent to be much of a villain. Since this particular episode was a bit more about him, we got more of his bad side than usual.

I suppose he's always been deceitful -- yanking the cord out of the computer so the hot tech support woman would come back; sticking his picture in with the pile of band photos for Mel to look at, etc. -- but it's always been a very innocent and childlike (albeit selfish) kind of deceit. In this episode, he's into full-blown "lie to your girlfriend about what you're doing" kind of deceit that is far less charming and far more harmful.

As for mean, I've never really found him to be such. When the guys were snubbing his tour of rotundas and gazebos (or was it bandshells and gazebos?) he blasted them, but in sort of a weak, feeble way. Imagine if he had ripped into them then with the same anger that he did on tour -- would it have been so amusing then?

I just like the meek, feeble, "I work in a closet in the New Zealand consulate"-Murray. The charm of the show is that all three major characters are feckless and childlike in a cruel, uncaring city. Angry Murray just doesn't have the same fuzzy feeling about him.

 

[dmdeane]

I suppose he's always been deceitful -- yanking the cord out of the computer so the hot tech support woman would come back; sticking his picture in with the pile of band photos for Mel to look at, etc. -- but it's always been a very innocent and childlike (albeit selfish) kind of deceit. In this episode, he's into full-blown "lie to your girlfriend about what you're doing" kind of deceit that is far less charming and far more harmful.

So we're seeing a bit more of the real Murray. This is what selfish people are like.

As for mean, I've never really found him to be such. When the guys were snubbing his tour of rotundas and gazebos (or was it bandshells and gazebos?) he blasted them, but in sort of a weak, feeble way. Imagine if he had ripped into them then with the same anger that he did on tour -- would it have been so amusing then?

He's having a bad day. I mean, come on, if he didn't blow his stack after losing all his money and his car, he wouldn't be a very believable character, now would he? Everyone has their breaking point - if they don't, then they are just a very silly and one-dimensional stereotype. It's called building a character story arc; that's what's going on here, IMO.

I just like the meek, feeble, "I work in a closet in the New Zealand consulate"-Murray. The charm of the show is that all three major characters are feckless and childlike in a cruel, uncaring city. Angry Murray just doesn't have the same fuzzy feeling about him.

Well, he wasn't really that angry, and his anger didn't last very long. And characters develop, if you want to have an interesting story arc. Otherwise, if characters don't develop, you run out of ideas very fast and end up doing the same episode over and over.

 

[anom]

True. Then again, I wouldn't say that Flight of the Conchords is super-low budget. There's quite a bit of special effects, camera effects and editing required (heck even choreography) to produce the show (and especially the songs, which are really mini-videos).

Especially compared to, say, Lucky Louie, which had to be the lowest budget show to produce in HBO history (if not television history!), by a long shot.

If they renew FotC, it will be because the artistic panache of the show reflects well on HBO.

It has been renewed, along with Entourage.

 

[mattpol]

If they renew FotC, it will be because the artistic panache of the show reflects well on HBO.

Just FYI, "artistic panache" is read "hipster appeal."

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[mattpol]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i26f0065c630ae55df010bb0ee7f07743?imw=Y

 

[Anubys]

Still, Brett and Jermaine immediately blowing their per diems on leather suits was pretty funny, as was their insistence on continuing to wear them as they shrunk smaller and smaller.

To be fair, they shrunk too much that they could not take them off

 

[cwoody222]

worst episode this season. yuck

give us more songs!