Flight Of The Conchords season two episode reviews

Season 2, Episode 1. "A Good Opportunity" No good songs, but a funny opening episode finds Murray fired from the band.

In common with many first season stories, this one is driven by the removal of somebody from the group. This time it is the manager Murray. Murray also gets a great musical number. The lyrics/tune are quite basic (and I can't imagine being in a hurry to add it to my iPod) but the visuals are simply stunning. I've rarely seen New York's skyline so lovingly displayed on screen.

Season 2, Episode 2. "New Cup" Bret buys a new cup, which sends the band's budget spiralling out of control and ends up with Jemaine turning to prostitution.

And it's clever beyond belief all the way. It's also hysterically funny. And the boys unveil two great new songs.

Most FOTC stories revolve around a change in the status quo, which can be a tad repetitive. This time out poverty is the focus of the story. And it works. There's nothing especially dark about anything that happens, the show retains it's gentle style (despite the somewhat depressing story elements) and every scene has laugh-out loud potential. This is a huge step up from the season opener because it doesn't rely on any outlandish events. It's a small, intimate little tale driven exclusively by the characters and the situation that they are in.

Season 2, Episode 3. "The Tough Brets" Bret starts a gang.

The ideas in this series are wonderful: the logistics of playing a gig in a library, for instance. Wonderful, wacky ideas. Brings a wide grin to your face when you watch it. And then there are songs like "I got hurt feelings." Classic. And this is also the one that solidify's the rivalry between New Zealand and Australia and a nifty little cameo from Alan Dale.

Season 2, Episode 4. "Murray Takes it to the Next Level" The band and their manager take things to the next level: friendship. But the managers annoying other friend (Jim) causes problems.

Another wonderful and hilarious episode. Season Two is more of an ensemble show: Mel (Kristen Schaal) gets her own musical number and the story is completely driven by Murray. This says a lot about the strength of the show's concept. It has expanded to be more than a show about two guys in a band, but it is still - essentially - a show about two guys in a band. Because the story is driven by the characterisation of Murray this is definitely one of the strongest episodes.

Plus it features Jim Gaffigan. Another reason to consider it one of the strongest episodes.

Best bits? Murray's friendship chart, and Jim's endless questions. "How many steps in your building?"

Season 2, Episode 5. "Unnatural Love" Jemaine falls in love with... an Australian.

A masterpiece. The best episode, so far, in Season Two, and a serious contender for best ever episode. The songs are wonderful, instant classics, and the comedy is relentless. Sarah Wynter is a revelation. Normally, she plays it classy and beautiful. This time out she aims to be as crass as possible. Consequently, she's impossible to recognise, and simply hysterical.

She just made me in a die-hard fan.

Season 2, Episode 6. "Love is a Weapon of Choice" Bret and Jemaine fall for the same woman.

Again. Oh dear. Yes, there are lots of quirky ideas in this little tale, but - unfortunately - this is too much like earlier episodes. The boys can't always be falling in love with the same woman. Because it won't always be funny.

Season 2, Episode 7. "Prime Minister" The Prime Minister visits.

A superb and very funny episode, but it has little or nothing to do with the band. Indeed Bret is pushed to the background by several much funnier characters played by Brian Sergent and Mary Lynn Rajskub.

Season 2, Episode 8. "New Zealand Town" Hair Gel.

A superb and very funny episode which - almost completely - revolves around the band. There is a subplot about the Prime Minister, which is also very, very funny and has a guest shot from Lucy Lawless, but the main thrust of this outing is what happens to the boys when they discover (and, later, becomes addicts to the effects of) hair gel. Hair gel, you see, makes them 'cool' and gets them to a place where people actually attend their gigs.

I loved this episode not just because it was very funny (and had great songs) but also because it is created around the boys, and they are central to the story/humour.

Season 2, Episode 9. "Wingmen" Bret falls in love.

Again. Oh dear. Why are so many of stories driven by the idea of being love with the babe-of-the-week? Yes, there are quirky ideas in here, and it's a fairly funny episode but they need to stay away from romance for story ideas.

Best gags? Mel teaching the boys how to be stalkers. Lovely.

Season 2, Episode 10. "Evicted" Uh-oh! The last-ever episode?

If this is, indeed, the last episode then the show went out with a bang and earned itself major cult-status immortality forever with it's (sorta) downbeat ending. This episode had some of the cleverest music the show has ever had. Not funny, for once. But all the music was really, really clever. And the song in the middle was dark. I loved it. Can't wait to have that on my iPod.

Great stuff on Mel and her husband in this one, too. Some of the best Mel scenes, ever, and - to my shock - a 'happy ending' to their story.

A wonderful episode all-round.