Hello, fellow citizens of the Twin Empires of Meximericanada!
A funny thing happened on the way to writing this week's recap of Mr. Show With Bob And David: I actually had to watch the shows first.
Now, before you jump on me: I always watch the shows before finishing the recaps. But usually, I'm able to make a lot of my notes before actually putting in the DVD: I've seen most of these episodes at least a dozen times, and my opinions on them are pretty well-formed, so it's easy for me to make some general observations and start some thematic discussions before I actually re-watch them again. When I do, I'm always reminded of something I'd forgotten, and go back and revise my notes to make sure I got my facts straight (well, most of the time, anyway—goddamn you, Shannyn Sossamon) and to reflect any changes in my opinion from re-watching the shows, but up until now, I remembered everything with such clarity, right down to the order and the titles of the sketches, that doing so was really more of a formality than anything. I don't say this to brag; quite the opposite. It's pretty pathetic that I can cite episodes of a 12-year-old sketch comedy show chapter and verse but I can't remember to pay my gas bill on time.
But beginning with the middle of season 3—specifically with "Goin' On A Holiday"—I had to start watching the episodes first before I could even make general notes. I'm not sure if it was the memory loss caused by huge amounts of drug and alcohol abuse since the shows first aired, or the fact that in October of 1997, I had just started a relationship with a new girlfriend whereas now, I just sit around my empty house recapping old television programs, but I can't remember the details of some of these shows the way I used to. The names of sketches, the details, and a few of the specifics elude me and demand a close rewatching, though most of the themes, content and general details are still fresh. Hopefully this will make for an improved recap; if nothing else, some of you will finally get your wish that I be more specific about the premise of particular scenes, because now I'm going to have to write them down for my own memory's sake.
With "Please Don't Kill Me" and "Goin' On A Holiday", we get, I think, a couple of episodes that do the opposite of "Flat-Top Tony And The Purple Canoes". While that episode, good as it was, got bogged down by a few slow sketches where the performance wasn't able to surmount the material, here, we get the usual inspiringly great stuff, but on a few bits that aren't quite as good, the cast is able to push them over the top out of sheer dedication and enthusiasm. Other bits are transformed by that special Mr. Show genius of turning a clever idea into something way beyond clever; there's also a few straight-up classics here, some effective satire, and one sketch that's so good it almost single-handedly justifies the whole series. Let's get right to 'em!
EPISODE 3: "Please Don't Kill Me"
What Worked: I've never been one of those people who thinks cursing is a crutch in comedy. Skillfully done—or even clumsily, if enthusiastically, done—cussing can be one of the funniest things in the world, with precious little embellishment. Proof: the opening of this show, with Bob Odenkirk & David Cross' riff on the concept of the 'swear jar' segueing into the hilarious "Swear To God", where Bob's Rev. Winton Dupree portrays a televangelist with a gift for profanity. I've also always loved comedy based on commercials that sell products pandering to our laziest, basest instincts (and so does David, based on his stand-up), so the whole "Mustardayonnaise" bit works like a charm on me just based on the premise; the way they dress it up in phony action heroics and corporate rebellion with Jay Johnston's murderous Lincolnesque figure liberating us from the tyranny of condiments pushes it way over the top. And if I were teaching a class on sketch comedy and had to pick only a half-dozen bits from the history of TV humor to show students how it's done, "Hunger Strike"—where David brilliantly portrays an activist whose hunger strike has rendered him incapable of doing anything but think about food—would be my Exhibit A. It's a simple but effective gag, and he sells it so well with an incredible piece of acting that it belongs in a textbook.
What Didn't: There are a few weak bits here, but generally, they're overcome by enthusiastic performances or a solid premise. "Landlords", featuring David and Paul F. Tompkins as two emotional and hot-headed apartment managers, is a pretty silly idea, but the way they commit themselves to their ridiculous behavior makes it worth a lot of stupid giggles. "The Dr. X Annual Save The Earth Telethon", about a supervillain who raises money to prevent himself from destroying the planet, is a clever idea that goes on too long but is saved by Bob's absurd performance in the lead role and some funny throwaway characters added in. And "The Fad 3", while it too borrows some old jokes (David's "still scared" bit is a less-funny echo of Eric Idle's "shocked and stunned" riff in The Rutles), is much better than last week's Beatles goof, because even when it slows down, you're in awe of its high concept.
The Cast: David so completely dominates this episode with his performance in "Hunger Strike" that it's easy to ignore how many other good acting jobs there are: Bob gets to indulge his angry side as Rev. Winton Dupree and his goofy side as Dr. X (and the little shrug he gives to his daughter in "Mustmayostardayonnaise" to indicate that he's too busy making a sandwich to pay any attention to her life is terrific). Paul F. Tompkins has a nice bit as one of the landlords, trying valiantly to keep up with a manic David. And Jay gets two outstanding bits in this one, as the Singing Duke of Beepers and the hero of "Mustardayonnaise".