The Muppets - S1E5 - Walk the Swine

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Anton Balane in Featured, The Muppets - S1 // 0 Comments

Previously on The Muppets, ‘Pig Out’

“It’s always been Witherspoon. Always.”

If there’s one thing that The Muppets has executed flawlessly it’s the depiction of Miss Piggy. They have the character’s voice down so well it’s almost criminal (“I will outwork you every day of the week. Except Tuesday because I have Hot Yoga”). In a world saturated with petty Real Housewives-style celebrity feuding, she would absolutely pick a fight with other actresses like Elizabeth Banks and Christina Applegate. This week’s episode charmingly entitled “Walk the Swine” has the audience sitting front row and center to her Shakespearean-level vendetta against Reese Witherspoon. Unlike her previous feuds which have been born out of a perceived slight against Piggy’s very fragile and overblown ego, her vendetta against Witherspoon is a bit more substantial. Well, relatively speaking. This is Miss Piggy we’re talking about after all. She’s been nursing a venomous grudge against Witherspoon for getting the role of June Carter in “Walk the Line,” which would later win the Former-Mrs. Ryan Phillippe an Academy Award.

Miss Piggy’s vain, albeit misguided attempt to outdo Reese Witherspoon at a Habitat For Humanity build site goes horribly awry leading to much public outrage towards both women. The predictable resolution would be for Miss Piggy to hold onto her pride and insist that Reese Witherspoon is a malicious and vindictive harpy. But after a sobering conversation with Kermit, the episode takes a decidedly surprising turn when Piggy decides to apologize to Witherspoon on national television. Again. this is Miss Piggy—she’s not the most humble or the most modest pig in the world. In a manner that stays true to her desire to stick it to her rival as well as her flair for the dramatic, she turns “I’m sorry” into a full-blown theatrical performance. She did apologize however. And she meant it. She just did it her way.

“How could something like taking revenge on a person take such a dark turn?”

Quote of the Week: “People underestimate me because I’m so glamorous. What they don’t understand is that I am a strong women. And that strength comes from my values, my courage, and my dogged pursuit of vengeance.”- Miss Piggy

And her other quote: “I grew up on a farm. I built cows and milked fences,” being a very close second.

Side Notes

*So did Miss Piggy try to poison Reese Witherspoon with those “homemade cupcakes?”

*The mere thought of Miss Piggy struggling to get out of her Spanks is terrifying.

*You stop insulting Pepe and Boyz II Men this instant, Becky!

*It’s true. Having an Associate’s Degree means that you don’t have to shake off all the water on your body after a bath. You can use a towel now.

The Muppets S1E5

9/10

Plot - 9/10
8/10

Laughs - 8/10
10/10

Miss Piggy Dropping the Mic - 10/10

9/10

Summary

In spite of the strength of the main plot of “Walk the Swine” the subplots of the show are still mediocre. There was a subplot involving Scooter and Rizzo that didn’t have a clear resolution. And while Fozzie’s story involving his girlfriend Becky (Riki Lindhome) was much better than his involvement in previous episodes, the premise felt all too familiar when writing TV couples. This was still a relatively solid episode but the show needs to apply the good work it’s done with Miss Piggy’s character to the rest of the cast. There’s so much potential with Kermit and his new girlfriend Denise (who we haven’t seen since the pilot) for example. The Swedish Chef recently dropped hints that he’s transgender. Previous episodes have proven that the members of Electric Mayhem are a diverse source for laughs. If ABC’s The Muppets wants to set itself apart from the competition, it needs to actively use the many tools at its disposal instead of simply relying on brand recognition.

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