FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS 1.4 - "Yoko"

Writers: Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie & James Bobin
Director: James Bobin

Cast: Jemaine Clement (Jemaine), Kristen Schaal (Mel), Rhys Darby (Murray), Arj Barker (Dave), Bret McKenzie (Bret) & Sutton Foster (Coco)

Bret's relationship with Coco threatens to break-up the band...

"Sandwich hit my face!"

-- Jemaine (Jemaine Clement)

Oh dear. Flight Of The Conchords only has one joke: socially inappropriate get-togethers. Episode 1; having dinner with your girlfriend's ex-boyfriend. Episode 3; having dinner with the man who mugged you. And now episode 4; playing gooseberry on your friend's dates. They're all variations of the same basic joke, that Jemaine has no concept of social norms.

What's even worse, Flight Of The Conchords only has one dramatic idea: the break-up of the eponymous band. That happens here again -- like it does, or at the very least is threatened to, every single week...

Anyway, the plot of episode 4 has Brett falling in love with sign-holder Coco (Sutton Fisher), who was introduced in episode 2 -- but Jemaine insists on coming along on their dates. Coco's presence is an obvious riff on Yoko Ono, wife of John Lennon, and she threatens to break-up the Conchords, just as Yoko did The Beatles.

There's not much story going on here, and what little plot there is just extends old gags. After last week's mild improvement, Yoko sinks the show sinking to a nadir. There are a few chuckles to be had (a 2-hour love song and Jemaine's crappy rendering of a band poster), but they equal 2-minutes of an otherwise plodding bore.

Rhys Darby remains the best thing on show as manager Murray, but even he only has one chance to shine -- when he chairs the Annual Conchords Fan Club meeting, with Mel (Kristen Schaal) the only person in attendance. Mel's clearly has a crush on the band, so it's amusing when Murray "accidentally" passes her a topless photo of himself...

But that's the only scene that raised a proper laugh. The comedy songs are particularly melancholy and unmemorable this week, from Coco's Love Song, to If You're Into It and Sellotape. The only thing sustaining my interest at the moment is the vague belief Jemaine's character may be autistic -- which would explain his behaviour, but might be construed as poking fun at the disabled.

There's really not much else to say. I'd heard very good things about Flight Of The Conchords during its US run on HBO, but I'm struggling to see the appeal. It's too laid-back for its own good, mostly repetitive, and evidently unable to develop beyond a handful of joke types and one plot.

The Conchords may be in flight, but they're stuck in a very tight circle.


16 October 2007
BBC Four, 9.30 pm