Because… Love is the final episode of season one of The Muppets. It picks up right after the events of the previous episode, Generally Inhospitable, and is every bit as good as the previous, if not more so!
Recap
We open the episode three days after the events of the previous. Kermit is sitting with Rowlf in his tavern, having a heart to heart about his relationship with Miss Piggy. He really wants to get back together with her, but they can have such a tumultuous relationship, he doesn’t know if he should. He tells Rowlf that he feels like he has to choose between what his heart says, and what his head says. Rowlf tells him that all he needs is a sign. He has his “Trusty, rusty, buffalo nickel” with him, he’ll flip it; heads they get back together, tails, they stay broken up. It’s heads! He tells Rowlf that that night after the show, he’s going to do something really big.
At the hospital, Uncle Deadly is helping Piggy get ready to go back home. She tells him to look at a text that she just got from Kermit, it contains a kissy face emoji, and she wonders what it might mean. He tells her that while she was on the pain meds, she declared her love for Kermit, and he returned the sentiment twice. Piggy did not remember any of this, but she is ecstatic to find this out. Deadly questions if she should be so excited. Does she really want to get back together with Kermit after he hurt her so badly? She concedes that he is right, but says that she’ll leave it up to Kermit to prove that he’s really still in love with her. If he makes a big, grand gesture before the end of the day, she’ll take him back.
At work, Kermit enters the writers’ room and is happy to hear it full of excited chatter. It’s the last show before they go on vacation, and he thinks they’re working hard on the episode. That is not the case though, as the other Muppets reveal that they all saw what Kermit said to Miss Piggy the other night at the hospital, and they are engaging in a spirited debate on whether or not it is a good idea for them to get back together. They’ve even split into two factions, Team Love, led by Pepé and Team Friendship, led by Yolanda; and they have filled the writers’ room whiteboard with a long list of pros and cons.
Dr. Honeydew has drawn up a scientific chart of what will inevitably happen to them all if Kermit and Piggy are to get back together, and it doesn’t look good. According to science, the show will be cancelled should they rekindle any romance between them. As if to prove his point, Scooter tells Kermit that Bruno Mars would no longer be on the show that night. Apparently Bruno had wanted to woo Miss Piggy but when his manager got wind of the “I love yous” that had been exchanged, Bruno’s yacht had run aground. This did not bode well for Kermit and Piggy.
Fozzie tells Kermit that he should just ignore everyone. He thinks Kermit is very brave to try again, especially since it’s obvious that they were not exactly made for each other. But he knows Kermit too well, he’s sure he’s given the whole thing plenty of thought. When Kermit tells him that he actually just flipped a coin, Fozzie grabs him, and shaking him violently demands to know who he is, and what he’s done with Kermit.
Just then they are interrupted by Yolanda flaying through the air screaming; someone has turned on an industrial fan. It’s Miss Piggy! She turned on the fan to create a picture-perfect entrance for herself. She calls for Kermit, but he has disappeared. In his office, behind a plant, Kermit whispers to the camera crew to get the camera out of his office.
Later that day the studio is swarmed with Muppets. And not just the Muppets who work there, no. The studio is full to the brim with some of the most obscure Muppets from the last 50 years. Apparently Kermit was so distracted, when he sent out an email to the staff telling them that they could invite a plus one to the show, he accidentally added an an extra one, and everyone invited eleven friends!
Meanwhile, Pepé and Yolanda are trying to find Kermit. In his office Pepé opens a drawer to find Kermit hiding inside with his cell phone, a lamp, and a bag of corn chips. He claims he’s just producing the show from the drawer, but Yolanda tells him that she knows he’s just hiding from Miss Piggy. She tells him this is proof that they are not meant for each other. As Pepé protests and tells him not to fear the love, the office starts to fill up with people needing his opinion or help with all sorts of show-related issues, including Scooter, who is still trying to find a replacement for Bruno Mars.
The crowd in Kermit’s office soon begins another argument about Kermit and Miss Piggy’s relationship, and Kermit furiously yells that there are just too many signs that they are not right for each other. Tonight after the show, he’s going to tell her they should just be friends. He tells Scooter to keep looking for a musical guest, and that he’s going to go try to talk to Bruno Mars’ agent in person, then he throws himself out the window.
As Kermit leaves, Uncle Deadly enters, demanding to know where Kermit is. He is dealing with a very restless Miss Piggy who is still waiting for Kermit to make a move. Ignoring what Kermit had just told them, Pepé tells him that Miss Piggy needs to just wait. Kermit is working on something very big for tonight’s show. Yolanda tries to protest, but Pepé just sprays her in the face with his cologne.
When Deadly gets back to Piggy’s dressing room, he finds her pacing back and forth with her pets, wondering why Kermit isn’t responding to her texts. He tells her not to worry, he’s heard that there is a grand gesture coming. Miss Piggy cheers up immediately. That’s her favorite kind of gesture! She turns to Gloria Estefan and Foo-Foo and tells them that they’re about to get a daddy!
As Kermit drives down the street singing along to his own song, he stops at a light and is interrupted by someone else singing in the next car over. It’s Jack White, and he is singing You Are the Sunshine of My Life, which is Kermit and Miss Piggy’s song! It’s a sign! He flags Jack down and tells him to pull over so they can talk.
Back at the studio, Scooter is still trying to find a musical guest, and he is now holding auditions among all the Muppets that have shown up. There are some not so promising candidates, like Bobby Benson’s Baby Band, as well as some very promising auditions, including Marvin Suggs and the Muppaphone performers, as well as Manah Manah!
Kermit and Jack White find a park bench to sit on and Kermit tells him what’s been happening. He tells him he doesn’t know what to do, he loves her, it’s just a tricky situation. Jack responds, “But, love.” This is what Pepé has been saying all day and it finally clicks. “You’re right!” he tells him. “I’ve gotta go get my girl!” Before he leaves, he invites Jack to be the musical guest, and he calls Pepé to tell him the grand gesture is a go.
That was all Pepé was waiting for. He had everything ready. They studio is soon full of flowers, including a canon full of rose petals. Yolanda is less than enthusiastic, commenting that the whole thing looks like Liberace’s quinceañera. Rizzo hears her, and tells us that he knows she’s cynical about all this love stuff, but he’s working on his own plan for her.
Just then Miss Piggy walks in and Pepé panics, crying, “You’re early!” Miss Piggy is smitten. “This must all be part of the grand gesture of love!” Pepé tells her of course it is! Kermit just called and told him to get things ready, and luckily he’d already started, because he knew he’d change his mind. “Change his mind?” She demands. Yolanda tries to explain that he’s just been waffling all day, and Pepé tells her that deep down he always knew he wanted to be with her. “Yeah!” Fozzie chimes in. “He probably didn’t even need to flip that coin!” And with that, he dreams were shattered. If she was nothing but a coin flip, that it won’t be any different this time. She tells Deadly to buy he a ticket to Thailand, leaving that night.
As Piggy storms out, Kermit comes running in. He realizes what’s happened and he chases after her trying to explain. He knew what he wanted that morning but everyone got inside his head and made him unsure, but he knows now! Piggy tells him that she’s always known. Before she knew she knew, she knew! She’s tired of the waffling, she wants someone who’s going to be all in! She’s done being hurt. She want Kermit to leave her alone so she can get through the show.
That night at the show, Yolanda is watching Kermit being miserable, and tells Rizzo that this is why she’s on team friendship all they way, men are dopes. “That’s a shame,” Rizzo tells her. “Yo, Bubba!” he calls, and suddenly Bubba appears next to him, holding a rose with a diamond ring around it. Yolanda is smitten. “I love it!” she screams, and plants a kiss on Rizzo.
Miss Piggy introduces the night’s musical guest, Jack White, who tells the audience that he had planned to play something new, but an old friend asked him to play something with a little more history, and he breaks into You Are the Sunshine of My Life. Miss Piggy is shocked, and while the camera is off her, she runs off stage. Kermit watches her go and tells Pepé and Scooter that it’s too late, he took too long. Scooter tells him that they have one last idea. Maybe it would help if Piggy saw that all their friends were on Team Love. As Jack White and the Electric Mayhem keep playing, all the Muppets join him on stage wearing Love t-shirts, singing along, including Rizzo and Yolanda, and Gonzo and Camilla, who are dancing together.
Miss Piggy watches them from behind the curtain, but leaves anyway. Kermit watched her go, and follows her until she leaves the building.
That night on Miss Piggy’s plane to Thailand, before the flight takes off, she puts in an order with the flight attendant. When the attendant is gone Kermit appears. He tells her that he knows it’s risky, but he wants to try anyway. He tells her he loves her; he wants them to just get out of here. Away from work and everyone, and just figure out who they are.
Miss Piggy seems to agree, and has something to tell him, but prefaces what she’s about to say with the fact that she just washed down an Ambien with two chardonnays. She starts to tell him that she knows they’ve always had a complicated relationship, and that’s why… And that’s all the further she gets before the Ambien kicks in and she’s out like a light. Just then the attendant announces that they are about to take off and everyone is to take their seats. Kermit goes across the aisle and sits down as Pepé watches from the row behind laughing to himself. He’s leaving nothing to chance, “Because, love.”
Review
Because… Love was fantastic. In addition to all the great Kermit/Piggy drama, we had SO MANY MUPPETS! If the last episode played to people’s nostalgia through the use of old sketches, this one does the same thing, but with old Muppets! The number of cameos in this thing was off the charts! We even got characters like Droop, who had all but disappeared after the Muppet Show.
I put together a list of (almost) all the new/old Muppets that showed up in this episode, with the help of the Muppet Wiki, without whose help, this would have taken me far longer. Of course we had Droop, and an appearance from Bubba, but we also had Howard Tubman in a rather prominent role. We even got an explosion from Crazy Harry! It was like a Muppet dream come true!
And as if that wasn’t enough, we even got tiny musical bits from Mahna Mahna and the two Snowths, and Marvin Suggs and his Muppaphone!
Not to mention a couple babies from Bobby Benson’s Baby Band, as well a mention of Geri and the Atrics! And we haven’t even touched on the background Muppet cameos! Old Tom from Muppet Treasure Island was there! I would have never guessed we’d see Old Tom on this show!
There was also Pops, the Jade Green Frackle, Zippity Zap, and even Link Hogthrob! If we get a season 2, they just HAVE to bring him back for at least one new Pigs in Space sketch!
I don’t have much to say about the guest star, Jack White, except to say I loved the song he did with the Muppets. I am not really familiar with him, so his appearance on the show wasn’t that big a deal to me, but I really ended up liking him. He was a likable guy, and a great musician.If you’re interested, the song he sang with the Muppets is available on iTunes. Of course I had to buy it.
The way the writers handled the Kermit/Piggy drama was great. It really made the characters feel human, despite being made of fur and felt. I love/hate the way they ended the episode; it was kind of perfect, even if there was some things left open. There was no real resolution between the two of them, but you kind of knew what was going to happen anyway. There was just enough of a cliffhanger that they have something to work with next season, but not so drastic that they won’t be able to tie everything up should the unthinkable happen, and the show get cancelled. As it stands now, if (heaven forbid) the show really is done for good, they can easily wrap it up with a short video on Facebook or YouTube. The Muppets as characters are a in bit of a unique situation, not many other shows have such a luxury.
Favorite Quotes
Droop – Sucking on a wall dispenser: “And now they’re outta hand sanitizer!”
Bobo: “Hey, boss? These plus elevens are piling up. I’d love permission to maul the next one who asks if I’m the bear from The Revenant.”
Miss Piggy: “Where on earth is Kermit? I texted him a kissy-face back! Plus a frog, plus a pig, plus a diamond! But then nothing! Do you think he’s waffling?”
Swedish Chef – Appearing with a waffle: “Is ferdey say der waffo?”
Piggy: “Not that kind of waffle, Chef. But yes, of course!”
Jack White: “Hey, Kermit! You can drive?”
Yolanda: “Yeah, Piggy, you know Kermit. He was sure, then he was unsure, then he was sure again. He’s just a waffler.”
Swedish Chef – Appearing with another waffle: “A Waffo?”
Piggy: “Not now, Chef! Are you telling me – Woah, leave the waffle!”
Piggy: “I need a frog who is all in. And you’re never all in! I’m tired of your waffling!” *She holds out her hand expectantly, and looks around.* “Seriously?!”
Chef – Peering around the corner: “No mo waffo!”
Piggy: Aaaugh, I hate today!”
Yolanda: “Poor Kermit. He shouldn’ta showed up with words, he shoulda showed showed up with sparkle. But, men are dopes. And this is why I’m on Team Friendship.”
Rizzo: “Well, that’s a shame, because – Yo! Bubba!”
Bubba, walking up with a rose: “Hey, how you doin’?”
Rizzo: “I got somethin’ for ya.” *He turns the rose to reveal a diamond.* “Every rose, has its bling.”
Bubba: “Hey, ya didn’t get it from me, ya never saw me, I’m not here.”
Yolanda: Oh! Oh! What? OOOOOH! Oh, I love it!!! Wait a minute, is that blood on there? Ah, no, no, don’t answer, I don’t care!”
Final Thoughts
This finale was almost perfect. It (nearly) tied up the will they/won’t they drama with Kermit and Miss Piggy, and it saw the return of so many random Muppets that it was almost impossible to count them all! These last two episodes together were one of my favorite stories all season, and it really makes me hope that the show will be back in the fall. The Muppets got so much better in the second half of the season, that it’s sure to be even better in a second season!
As of the date of this post, March 16, The Muppets still has yet to be renewed for a second season. All hope is not lost though. As I said in my last review, the finale did boast ratings that were a bit higher than the previous three episodes. Not to mention The Muppets’ win at the Kids Choice Awards.
If you’d like to see a second season of The Muppets, there is still something you can do! Just tweet @ABCNetwork using #RenewTheMuppets. If enough of us make our voices heard, hopefully ABC will have no choice but to renew it!