Conchords Set For Second Flight

originally published in the Gonzaga Bulletin, 2008

The boys are back in town. Starting this Sunday the highly acclaimed HBO series Flight of the Conchords returns for its second, and some say final, season. The novelty band turned cult sensation is comprised of innocuous New Zealanders Bret and Jemaine and their antics with their preposterous manager Murray in New York City.

While Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm may have invented the “show-about-nothing” genre, Flight of the Conchords perfects it. Whether the pair are bickering over using their “rapping names” (Rhymenoceros and HipHopopotamus), making bike helmets that look like hair or debating the finer points of tickling, the two never fail to entertain with ceaseless banality. The show’s cast frequently breaks into song, including tracks that are found on the CDs by the group… think Tenacious D but funnier.

Last season included such highlights as the return of Bret’s coldblooded ex-lover Sally, Murray’s hopeless crush on the computer assistance woman, Bret’s Footloose style dance montage, anti New Zealand discrimination at a fruit stand and the stalker antics of their pudgy-cheeked creeper-fan Mel.

Last season ended with an episode entitled “The Third Conchord” where a new bongo player, Todd (comedian Todd Barry) is introduced to the band, eventually ending in the spinoff group, the Crazy Dogggz. With the new hit “Doggie Bounce”, the Crazy Dogggz (also featuring comedian Demetri Martin) take the international music charts by storm. The new band rapidly gains popularity and even loyal Mel leaves the Conchords behind.

However, no real tutorial is needed to join the swarms of fanatical viewers who swear by the show’s ability to make one laugh harder at nothing than ever thought possible.

According to NPR’s FanBoy blog, the show is pretty easy to follow.

"Two guys from New Zealand come to New York," McKenzie says. "And they're a band. And they fail, uh ..."

"Weekly," Clement jumps in.

"They fail every week, yeah, at 10 o'clock," McKenzie says.

This season picks off where the last left off, as Flight of the Conchords fire Murray and attempt to move on with growing their band and the Crazy Doggz face a copyright fiasco and Murray is forced to return to the original band.

The show frequently features famous stand-up comedians and actors including Arj Barker and Saturday Night Live’s Will Forte to assist in spot-on deadpan and hipster hilarity. Various pop culture blogs insist on the presence of so-called “darker themes” of season two and Jemaine’s failed attempt at becoming a gigolo.

Some worry that the show is in its final season, owing to the departure of Bret and the length of time it takes to create enough material for an entire season of the show. Also, for those still on the campus cable package without HBO, the show will be available for online viewing.

Whether you are a plaid clad hipster with a deep appreciation for the “keytar” (a combination keyboard and guitar) watching the show through ironic Buddy Holly glasses or a hipster hater with a secret love of the kiwis, this show will not disappoint. Flight of the Conchords is perfect for college students, encapsulating everyday ridiculousness in way everyone wishes they could.

If you have never seen this show or a true Mel at heart, stop everything you are doing at 10 pm on Sunday, January 18 and enjoy hilarity with a heavy New Zealand accent.