{"id":375449,"date":"2021-12-02T16:16:03","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T13:16:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/remember-when-the-flight-of-the-conchords-got-mugged\/"},"modified":"2021-12-02T16:16:03","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T13:16:03","slug":"remember-when-the-flight-of-the-conchords-got-mugged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/remember-when-the-flight-of-the-conchords-got-mugged\/","title":{"rendered":"#Remember When the Flight of the Conchords Got “Mugged”?"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Remember When the Flight of the Conchords Got “Mugged”?<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

     <span class=\"mx-1\">HBO\u2019s short-lived musical series<\/a> was at its best when the protagonists wandered naively into strange situations, like in this Season 1 episode.<\/span>\n<\/p><div id=\"\">\n\n\n\n                <figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-media<\/a> \">\n            <img width=\"800\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged.jpg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Flight Of The Conchords Mugged\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged-768x429.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/>                                    <p>\n                    <span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\">HBO<\/span>\n\n                        <\/figure>\n\n    <!-- START BYLINE -->\n    <div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\">\n        By\u00a0Valerie Ettenhofer\u00a0\u00b7 Published on December 2nd, 2021 \n        <\/div>\n    <!-- END BYLINE -->\n\n    <em>This essay is part of\u00a0\u00a0Episodes, a monthly column in which senior contributor\u00a0Valerie Ettenhofer digs into the singular chapters of television that make the medium great. This entry revisits one of the funniest and most surreal episodes of Flight of the Conchords: \u201cMugged.\u201d<\/em>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n
In 2007, Juke flip phones were all the rage, \u201cSoulja Boy\u201d was on every radio station, and all the cool kids were obsessed with a two-man comedy band from New Zealand. Not every trend that year was built to last, but Flight of the Conchords<\/em><\/strong> sure was.<\/p>\n
The HBO series, which follows the fictional exploits of the real band of the same name, only ran for two short seasons. Its stars and co-creators, Bret McKenzie <\/strong>and Jemaine Clement<\/strong>, left a third-season deal on the table, deciding to focus on less exhaustive projects<\/a> instead. The 22 resulting episodes are about as beloved as a cult classic can get. Flight of the Conchords<\/em> arrived in an era of indie comedy dominance but forged its own path with its silly, self-effacing sense of humor and fish-out-of-water protagonists.<\/p>\n
One of the joys of the series is that, despite its relatively small back-catalog, every fan seems to have a different favorite episode. I\u2019ve always been partial to its good-natured nods to the ever-turning wheel of fortune and episodes that position the guys as fools wandering into surreal situations. In \u201cThe New Cup,\u201d for example, Bret buys a $2.79 cup that makes the guys\u2019 finances spiral out of control, ultimately leading Jemaine to an unsuccessful career as a sex worker. And in \u201cNew Zealand Town,\u201d the guys become popular after getting addicted to hair gel, then lose their audience when they run out of the stuff.<\/p>\n
The earliest and most wonderfully bizarre twist of fate episode of Flight of the Conchords<\/em>, though, might be the series\u2019 best: \u201cMugged<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n
It opens with Bret on a phone call. He\u2019s talking to his mom, insisting he doesn\u2019t need a gun because America isn\u2019t as dangerous as she thinks it is. We only hear his side of the conversation, but in typical\u00a0Flight of the<\/em> Conchords<\/em> fashion, every understated line is hilarious. \u201cThat\u2019s Bruce Willis, though,\u201d he corrects her as she presumably continues campaigning for him to arm himself. \u201cHe\u2019s acting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jemaine pesters Bret from his spot on the living room couch. He\u2019s off-topic, insisting Bret tell his mom about all the TV stations in America. How many are there? \u201cA lot,\u201d Bret says. \u201cMore than four.\u201d<\/p>\n
The show\u2019s fictionalized versions of Bret and Jemaine are endlessly loveable, in part because of their small-town naivety. They were rural shepherds before coming to America, and they don\u2019t seem like they\u2019ll ever get used to the big city. When they face strife, they frequently under-react, keeping things low-key even in the strangest circumstances.<\/p>\n
The theme<\/a> of ever-present danger continues through their band meeting with manager Murray (Rhys Darby<\/strong>). The guys want to do gigs at night, but Murray insists it\u2019s too dangerous. He says they could be run over, get pickpocketed, fall down a manhole, get murdered, or even just be ridiculed. Another reason to love Flight of the<\/em>\u00a0Conchords\u2019<\/em> protagonists? They\u2019re a couple of complete and total sweeties, the kind of guys who are just as scared of being made fun of as being murdered.<\/p>\n
Murray gives the duo some safety gear to make navigating New York feel less perilous. He gifts them NYC hats and t-shirts, so they\u2019ll fit in, and oversized maps, too. \u201cKeep them open every time you stop,\u201d he says, giving the exact opposite of good safety advice. Dressed like a couple of tourists, Bret and Jemaine ride their bikes into a graffiti-covered alley. Murray, after all, says it\u2019s better to take abandoned side streets to avoid crowds.<\/p>\n
Then comes the titular mugging. Bret and Jemaine run into a pair of low-lives named John (Lenny Venito<\/strong>) and Mickey (Luther Creek<\/strong>). The strangers ask for a cigarette, and when the guys say they don\u2019t smoke, things escalate. \u201cHe\u2019s a psycho killer, qu\u2019est-ce que c\u2019est<\/em>,\u201d John says, making The Talking Heads sound ominous. Bret says the pair only has $15, but when the guys ask for it, he tells them it\u2019s actually in the bank. This sounds like an ill-planned lie, but it\u2019s not: our heroes really are broke as hell.<\/p>\n
That makes them terrible robbery targets. Their only other possession is a \u201ccamera-phone,\u201d a flip phone with a camera glued to it. When the muggers call the pair \u201cEnglish f****ts,\u201d they finally snap. Except, naturally, snapping in the world of Flight of the Conchords<\/em> means slipping into musical reality to perform a goofy rap.<\/p>\n
The guys perform \u201cHiphopopotamus Vs Rhymenoceros,\u201d a Conchords song that existed before the HBO show. Like most of their raps, it veers between ridiculousness and genius. \u201cMy rhymes are bottomless,\u201d Jemaine insists, before taking several beats of silence to think of another line. Bret questions claims that his rhymes are \u201csissy,\u201d then says \u201cThere ain\u2019t no party like my Nana\u2019s tea party,\u201d with an adorable cutaway clip to match.<\/p>\n
The scene is shot like a rap music video, with all low angles and tough poses, except when it cuts to Bret and Jemaine doing a geeky little dance routine. When they come back to earth, Mickey asks if they just started \u201cdancin\u2019 a little bit\u201d in the middle of the robbery.<\/p>\n
Flight of the Conchords<\/em> can be uproariously funny, but its most important quality might be its imagination. Characters, mostly aggressive Americans, often question facets of Bret and Jemaines\u2019 masculinity. In response, they escape from the restrictions of reality into songs that are often about their innermost feelings. They sing about crises of confidence, male friendship, and wanting to be David Bowie. It\u2019s the antithesis of toxic masculinity, and it\u2019s the part of the show that\u2019s gotten even better with age. The bandmates have a very simple, open-hearted perspective, and the greed and grime of New York City never manage to change them.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s only natural, then, that these guys have a hard time grasping the concept of a robbery. When John and Mickey chase them down with a knife, they finally realize this isn\u2019t just a conversation. Jemaine\u2019s corduroy jacket gets caught on a fence, and Bret makes a run for it, leaving his buddy behind. \u201cI\u2019m too scared, man!\u201d he says plainly.<\/p>\n
Two days later, Bret returns to the alleyway with Murray and their epically American friend Dave (Arj Barker<\/strong>) in tow. Dave is wearing camouflage and carrying what looks like a paintball machine gun. Jemaine hasn\u2019t been home in two days. \u201cHe may be dead,\u201d Murray says in his New Zealand accent. \u201cHe maybe did what?\u201d Dave asks. This exchange goes on for a while \u2014 long enough for it to start to seem stupid, then circle back around to hysterical.<\/p>\n
The guys reminisce about Jemaine. He was always so helpful, Murray says. For example, he helped Bret when his head got stuck in a chair and<\/em> when his hand got caught in a jar. \u201cWhat a f\u2014king asshole,\u201d Dave says ruefully as if it\u2019s a compliment. This scene is basically the opposite of a Saturday Night Live<\/em> sketch. Instead of everyone beating one joke to death together, each actor is on a completely different comedic and tonal wavelength. The result is disorientingly hilarious. Like the best bits of Flight of the <\/em>Conchords<\/em>, it\u2019s overlaid with super-quick jokes and throwaway lines you might not catch until your second or third viewing.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Jemaine is stuck in jail with John. The pair bond over the fact that their besties both left them behind. John talks about shooting a guy and then learning his friend had called off the hit. Jemaine compares it to a time Bret stood him up at the movies. They form an uneasy bond. When Jemaine gets out, he\u2019s annoyed with Bret for leaving him to die, but no one is very sympathetic. \u201cOld news<\/a>!\u201d Murray half-shouts at their next band meeting. \u201cNo one likes a moaner!\u201d<\/p>\n
Jemaine goes out with John and his girlfriend. They shit-talk Bret, only for the camera to cut to a wider shot, revealing Bret\u2019s been sitting with them the whole time. This is neither the first nor the last shot in the episode that comically reveals the presence of a previously unseen character. Somehow, it gets funnier each time it happens.<\/p>\n
Bret goes into overdrive trying to make it up to Jemaine. In a montage, we see he\u2019s written an apology on a sheet, made his pal a cup of hot tea, and baked him a pizza with his face on it. Jemaine\u2019s simply not having it. He lets Bret scald himself with the tea and says he\u2019s not hungry for pizza. These guys may have a childlike sense of innocence, but sometimes they\u2019re also just childish.<\/p>\n
As will become the norm in the series, the duo eventually makes up via song. They break out into an obvious \u201cWhere Is The Love\u201d parody called \u201cThink About It.\u201d They wax poetic on issues they know nothing about, like global health, fast fashion, and gangs of roving youths who stab people with cutlery. The song, like the rest of the episode, pokes gentle fun at the very American panic around street violence. By the time they get to the song\u2019s end, they seem like a united front once more. That\u2019s good because just then, they run into Mickey and John again.<\/p>\n
This time, the two pairs meet on good terms. Mickey gives them their camera-phone back and even gets the photos on it developed. They\u2019re all of Bret and Jemaine hanging out \u2014 awww. Unfortunately, Mickey and John\u2019s friendship didn\u2019t fare as well as the Conchords\u2019. The criminals had big dreams to kidnap a rich kid, but now John\u2019s stealing an old woman\u2019s purse, and Mickey\u2019s too depressed to join in.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a tale of two friendships, but the illusion of common ground is shattered when Mickey invites the guys to a white supremacist meeting. It\u2019s a jarring moment that puts a sudden end to this surreal episode. We never hear from John or Mickey again. Our naive heroes, forever unfazed by life in the big city, decide to go for pizza instead.<\/p>\n
    Related Topics: Episodes\n    <!-- AUTHOR BOX -->\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
\n
\n
\n            \n        <\/div>\n
\n            Valerie Ettenhofer is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer, TV-lover, and mac and cheese enthusiast. As a Senior Contributor at Film School Rejects, she covers television through regular reviews and her recurring column, Episodes. She is also a voting member of the Critics Choice Association’s television and documentary branches. Twitter: @aandeandval<\/a> (She\/her)        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
    <!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 -->\n                                <section class=\"recommended py-5\">\n            <h3>Recommended Reading<\/h3>\n\n\n        <\/section>\n            <!-- END RECOMMENDED READING -->\n\n\n\n\n<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/code><\/pre>\n
If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n
For forums sites go to Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n
If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“#Remember When the Flight of the Conchords Got “Mugged”?” <span class=”mx-1″>HBO\u2019s short-lived musical series was at its best when the protagonists wandered naively into strange situations, like in this Season 1 episode.<\/span> <\/p><div id=””> <figure class=”sf-entry-featured-media “> <img width=”800″ height=”447″ src=”https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged.jpg” class=”articlethumb wp-post-image” alt=”Flight Of The Conchords Mugged” loading=”lazy” srcset=”https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged-768×429.jpg 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 800px)…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":375450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Flight-of-the-Conchords-Mugged.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-375449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}