Updated on December 10, 2021
Tonight’s episode of “The Looney Tunes Show” really surprised me. Surprised me because not only did I laugh out loud at multiple scenes, but it also had many of the missing elements I’ve criticized about the series’ “sitcom” writing style: slapstick humor; the characters breaking the fourth wall; incidental music; etc. All adding up to what’s easily the funniest episode of the entire show’s run so far!
The plot of this one (yes, SPOILERS AHEAD): Bugs and Daffy go on vacation to a resort named “Casa de Calma” for a bit of fun and relaxation. Things go from bad (getting lost in trademark Bugs style) to worse, at least for Daffy. After arriving at the resort, Daffy and Bugs try to vie for the affections of a starlet resembling Scarlett Johansson. Hilarity (and actual slapstick, etc.) ensues…
Favorite parts:
- Daffy’s opinion of golf (which I agreed with)…
- The motorboat scene.
- The old “ludicrously high diving board” gag.
- The opening scene (even with a GPS, Bugs still fails at directions… and a justifiably cranky Daffy to boot).
- The end scene gag (a throwback to the episode’s opening gag).
- Daffy being punched, then photographed, by the bodyguard.
Overall, a great episode. However, what concerns me is that the series was retooled partway through production of the first season (which might explain this episode being so different from the others to date), and I wonder if this is what it was retooled away *from* to become more sitcom-like…
The Merrie Melodies song this week was also clever—Speedy as a Zorro-like speedster, with a mariachi band performing a ballad about his great deeds helping the downtrodden mice.
Finally, the Road Runner cartoon was also good—Wile E. gets one of those land yachts to try to catch the Road Runner.
Hopefully the producers will take this as a sign to be more daring/outgoing in future episodes, and not try to bury the elements that made the Looney Tunes popular to begin with…
