Similar to Tenacious D, Flight of the Conchords (Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie) are a musical-comedy duo whose lack of success is chronicled in an HBO series. The second season is ten episodes, two less than the first, and has been nominated by the Emmy Awards for Best Comedy.

Jemaine and Bret play Jemaine and Bret, former shepherds from New Zealand trying to make it as a folk duo in New York. Their manager Murray (Rhys Darby), a Deputy Cultural Attaché at the New Zealand consulate, is rather inept and has trouble finding the boys work. Devjeet “Dave” Mohumbhai (Arj Barker) works at his parent’s pawnshop, although he denies he still lives with them, and offers advice to help the boys understand America and women. One woman that is easy for them to figure out is their lone fan/stalker Mel (Kristen Schaal) and her tolerant husband, Doug (David Costabile). However, they separate when Jemaine and Bret move in with them after being “Evicted.”

Flight of the Conchords is very funny and deals with unusual circumstances as the fellows struggle for success and love. When Brent buys “The New Cup” because they only have one to share, it throws them into serious debt. This leads them to consider prostitution, and the episode closes with a reggae-influenced song that brings to mind early Police and their hit “Roxanne”. There is also a hysterical pop/dance music video parody called “Sugar Lumps,” playing off Black Eyed Peas’ “My Humps.” In “Prime Minister” Jemaine begins dating a woman who is into him because he performs and dresses like Art Garfunkel.

Apparently Kiwis have issues with Australians and this plays out in the second season. Members of the Australian consulate harass Murray in “The Tough Brets.” Jemaine unknowingly sleeps with an Australian and is horrified, but continues to date her to the consternation of Brett and Murray in, what they would think was the appropriately titled, “Unnatural Love.”

Article Author: El Bicho

This writer is a member of The Masked Movie Snobs, a collective that fights a never-ending battle against bad entertainment. Follow at twitter.com/ElBicho_MMS

Visit El Bicho's author page — El Bicho's Blog