Four Key Episodes – “Reno 911”
By Robert R. Garver
Bob Garver here with my fifth column for F.A.N. This week I take a look at one of my Comedy Central favorites.
What I know going in: A heck of a lot. I’m mixing it up this week by picking a show that I used to watch regularly. “Reno 911” centers around the incompetent police department of Reno, Nevada. At its head is the shortshorts-wearing Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon). Other primary cast members include dimwitted deputy Junior (Robert Ben Garant), bigoted Garcia (Carlos Alazraqui), ladies’ man Jones (Cedric Yarbrough), endearingly unloveable Wiegel (Kerri Kenney-Silver), self-proclaimed bombshell Johnson (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and walking ball of attitude Raineesha Williams (Niecy Nash).
The show is presented in a fake documentary format. It is supposed to be a parody of “COPS”, but by today’s standards it is more akin to “The Office”. Rarely do the episodes stay with a single storyline very long, jumping around between the various officers and giving the show a sketch comedy feel.
The show stayed on the air for six seasons and underwent a controversial overhaul in the sixth. I’m probably most familiar with the show from its fourth and fifth seasons, around the time the unfortunate flop “Reno 911: Miami” was released in theaters. It’ll be interesting to go back to 2003 and see what the show was like when it first began.
First Episode: “Pilot”
Plot: We meet everybody, but there’s not much of a central plot. Highlights include a discussion of grey-area use of the N-word (which Weigel completely misinterprets), an interrogation of a mime, and the very first instance of Dangle’s bike being stolen.
Thoughts: Love the show, love the jokes, love the format. There’s nothing like seeing some cops beat up on a mime. Some of the characters could use some development (Dangle and Weigel are exceptions), but I’m sure we’ll see it in time. My only real complaint is that Dangle makes out with a guy and there’s no confusion about it. I like a Dangle who’s only ambiguously gay.
Rating: Three Stars out of Five.
Second Episode: “Fireworks”
Plot: The officers need to crack down of fireworks in Reno. Meanwhile Wiegel makes herself into a frumpy undercover prostitute and Dangle’s assistance to a man trying to recover his lost dog turns into a date.
Thoughts: Still funny stuff. My favorite gag is actually a bit that plays during the credits where Dangle admonishes Garcia for using the phrase “f***ing tamales” and Wiegel suggests changing the wrong word. The scene got a genuine laugh out of me, the first of any show since I started doing this column.
Rating: Three and a Half Stars out of Five.
Middle Episode – “Undercover at Burger Cousin”
Plot: Jones and Garcia go undercover as burger cooks in a fast food place. The manager (Seth Green) treats them like regular employees, in other words like crap.
Thoughts: The episode is rightfully ranked among the show’s best. Just when you think it has burned itself out, it just goes and gets funnier. Green nails his role, cats explode, and fooling around with the lie detector leads to not one but two pull apart brawls. You’d think the magic would be gone after five seasons, but this episode is terrific.
Rating: Four Stars out of Five
Final Episode – “Wiegel’s Couple’s Therapy”
Plot: Dangle holds a tribute to Princess Diana that nobody wants to attend. The squad also has to deal with the irritating star of “Jesus Christ Superstar”.
Thoughts: Ah, the show’s ill-fated sixth season. When they changed out half the cast and the gags started getting repetitive. I wouldn’t exactly say that the show’s spark is gone, but it’s definitely in the process of going. Comedy Central was right to pull the plug on the show after this episode, if only because it prevented the show from embarrassing itself further.
Rating: Two Stars out of Five.
Final Thoughts: I was right to love “Reno 911” the first time around. The show was funny, it did a lot within its format, and for several seasons managed to continuously top itself. Things may have fallen apart at the end, but it was still one of the greatest shows to ever grace Comedy Central.
Robert Garver is a graduate of the Cinema Studies program at New York University. Check out his movie review blog at www.bobatthemovies.com. He welcomes feedback, criticisms, and suggestions for future columns at rrg251@nyu.edu.