Episode Report Card Gwen: F | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT John-a-Tronic And Richard-a-Licious
By Gwen | Season 4 | Episode 16 | Aired on 03.18.2001
My thoughts of re-seeding the human race with a hot pilot after a post-nuclear-war airplane crash are interrupted by Richard's rude remarks to his fellow travelers. He shoves the baby carrier into the overhead compartment. The baby noise starts. John switches it off with his remote as an elderly woman stares blankly. The music plays as if this is supposed to be funny. Richard stands up and addresses the passengers, warning them of the likelihood of a plane crash. His monologue serves to scare everyone, and then to make them aware of the legal services Fish & Cage has to offer. Normally I like Greg Germann, but a little Richard Shtick goes a long way -- especially when it's negated by John Shtick at every turn.
We see the plane land, and then Ally is bellowing into the phone at John while Nelle and Ling look on. All three of the women are dressed bizarrely. Ally's mostly brown outfit has green twill sleeves. Ling is wearing a huge gold rose as a necklace pendant. Nelle is wearing all black with the exception of what appears to be a red diaper. We learn that the captain of the plane has ordered Richard not to speak throughout the flight. John wants Ally to research the legality of this request.
Back on the plane, the fat guy sitting next to Richard is passing gas very audibly. Haw, haw. The hatred of fat people on this show just never, ever, ever gets old. Never. It'll always be exactly as funny as it was the first time. Richard pulls down an oxygen mask, causing an alarm and some sort of turbulence. The next thing we know, he's being led off the plane in handcuffs. He makes a couple of cracks about L.A. law enforcement. "Repugnant!" John yells. Shut the hell up, John. God, you make me sick. It takes three cop cars to escort Fish and Cage off the tarmac.
The next thing we know, Richard's on trial. John's annoying voice rings out over the courtroom. "First class turned into a police state..." and "repeatedly expressed himself through flatulence," he says. He goes on a long rant about the discomforts of air travel, the likes of which haven't been heard since the last time I had cable and used to watch stand-up comedy from the early, early nineties. It wasn't funny then, either. The judge dismisses the case. Richard starts to speak, but John discourages him firmly.
We're forced to hear Randy Newman sing again as Tweedledork and Dumber hang out of a limo's sunroof and wave to blondes. This is only the first quarter of what will prove to be the longest, most irritating episode ever.