After a shaky outing last week, The Muppets bounced back with an episode that brought large groups of characters together in ways that made their adult lives seem actually plausible and appropriate. Nobody was clamoring to see a production meeting full of hungover Muppets, but with a bunch of songs and guest star Ed Helms, it all actually tied together pleasantly without having to single out characters to make fun of them. (Except Sam the Eagle, who was a giant creep about Janis.) Let’s take a look at this week's power rankings.
5. Kermit
If you don’t like watching Kermit "manipulate with the best" in order to keep Up Late with Miss Piggy afloat, then The Muppets isn't the series for you. But just as he intervened when Piggy's relationship with Josh Groban was changing her in ways she couldn’t see, he does the same this week to end Piggy keeping the crew out till all hours, which would derail the show’s production schedule. Yes, he's being a jerk, but he's keeping the ship upright. It's also probably a good thing that his new girlfriend hasn't shown up since the pilot.
4. Ed Helms
Considering how important musical performance has been to the film and television success of the Muppets for decades, it’s a wonder that karaoke didn’t show up sooner than this episode. Ed Helms is a noted music enthusiast—singing in The Office and appearing in the video for Mumford & Sons' "Hopeless Wanderer." He's great here as an incredibly petty version of himself who Piggy remembers from holding his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's just so he could get back at his niece for not inviting him to a party there.
3. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker
It’s possible for these two characters to have great moments separately, but this week their best moments were together. First, for Bunsen telling Beaker to do his Miss Piggy impression ("Me, me, me, me, me!"), and second for showing up to the morning meeting wearing each other's clothes.
2. Statler
We had to know it was a long con all along, but because this is a more adult Muppets program that delves into emotional content, there was a sliver of possibility that Statler was trying to connect with Fozzie in his loneliness. But the B-plot of Fozzie accidentally nailing Statler with an errant t-shirt gun shot does lead to the above GIF when the bear visits the hospital, and the hilarious, in-character deception that leaves Fozzie feeling like Charlie Brown trying to kick that football.
1. Swedish Chef
Anytime this beloved Muppet does the Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" for karaoke, he will undoubtedly own the top spot on this list.
