Second episode broadcast (Sept 19), "Monkey See, Monkey Die," was a great improvement over the first, though the starry-eyed 'Davy's in Love' routine has already grown tiresome. The Monkees show up at the seaside mansion of the late millionaire John Cunningham for the reading of his will (they get the piano!), and must help the young heiress (Stacey Maxwell) spend one night there to inherit, despite mysterious disappearances and a failed séance. Stacey Maxwell was a British-born actress who eventually left Hollywood for her native England. Henry Corden makes the first of five appearances as the band's overbearing landlord Babbit, and veteran Milton Parsons gets the biggest laugh when The Monkees ask how they had met John Cunningham, telling them that he always appreciated them returning a wallet to him containing $600.00 Micky: "ah, cause it showed our honesty?" Milton: "oh no sir, because it wasn't his wallet!" Another plus is the debut of their current single, "Last Train to Clarksville," issued a full month before, composed by producers Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and, strangely enough, the very last track recorded for the debut LP (July 25). The other track is "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" (July 23), composed by Boyce and Steven Venet, both expertly performed by Micky (as producers, Boyce and Hart closely followed The Beatles' model). Both tracks are distinguished by the expert guitar work of Louie Shelton, who later did the same on Boyce and Hart's "Valleri" and Micky's "Little Girl." "Monkey See, Monkee Die" was 5th in production, filmed June 20-24.
4 Reviews
Wherein the Boys play "Last Train To Clarksville"
survivorofakuze29 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
(Spoilers)
The first episode, "Royal Flush", which I also wrote a review for, gives you an idea of what the typical episode of The Monkees would be like, I think. But I had to give this one a slightly higher grade.... mostly because this is the one where they play, "Last Train to Clarksville", which I think is just.... It's great. It really is. (For what it's worth, the tie-in was that they get this neat little upright piano if they play a song on it-- but songs like that hardly needs a real tie-in. Who needs plot when you have music.)
There were some other interesting moments, though. Like when Davy Jones immediately falls for the girl and she falls for him, the following exchange takes place, which I think is an interesting little bit of period color:
*Michael & Micky start waving their hands in front of Davy's face and saying his name to try to get him out of his little love-stupor* *Davy starts walking over towards the girl anyway*
Michael Nesmith: Statistics prove that two out of three teenage marriages end in divorce! Micky Dolenz: Ah, three out of three! Michael Nesmith: Four! Four out of three!
And Micky and Wool Hat were so persuasive that the very phrase "teenage marriages" was never heard again, such was the change in the land. ;)
Right.
And it's also funny when Mike tries to get various animals to carry a message.... when Peter Tork dresses up as an Indian for some reason....
Anyway.
TAKE THE LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE, AND I'LL MEET YOU AT THE STATION....
.... Much of it is average, with the stock haunted mansion, corny palmist, hit-or-miss puns, etc., but it's a pretty cool show, with the famous band and the positively-portrayed female guest star (probably even more positive than in Seinfeld), and with that one, singular moment of excellence, I have to say that it's a cut above the mere mediocre.
(8/10)
The first episode, "Royal Flush", which I also wrote a review for, gives you an idea of what the typical episode of The Monkees would be like, I think. But I had to give this one a slightly higher grade.... mostly because this is the one where they play, "Last Train to Clarksville", which I think is just.... It's great. It really is. (For what it's worth, the tie-in was that they get this neat little upright piano if they play a song on it-- but songs like that hardly needs a real tie-in. Who needs plot when you have music.)
There were some other interesting moments, though. Like when Davy Jones immediately falls for the girl and she falls for him, the following exchange takes place, which I think is an interesting little bit of period color:
*Michael & Micky start waving their hands in front of Davy's face and saying his name to try to get him out of his little love-stupor* *Davy starts walking over towards the girl anyway*
Michael Nesmith: Statistics prove that two out of three teenage marriages end in divorce! Micky Dolenz: Ah, three out of three! Michael Nesmith: Four! Four out of three!
And Micky and Wool Hat were so persuasive that the very phrase "teenage marriages" was never heard again, such was the change in the land. ;)
Right.
And it's also funny when Mike tries to get various animals to carry a message.... when Peter Tork dresses up as an Indian for some reason....
Anyway.
TAKE THE LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE, AND I'LL MEET YOU AT THE STATION....
.... Much of it is average, with the stock haunted mansion, corny palmist, hit-or-miss puns, etc., but it's a pretty cool show, with the famous band and the positively-portrayed female guest star (probably even more positive than in Seinfeld), and with that one, singular moment of excellence, I have to say that it's a cut above the mere mediocre.
(8/10)
A slight improvement over the first episode
bensonmum27 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The Monkees head to an old, haunted house for the reading of a millionaire's will. Because it's so foggy, they're forced to spend the night. Hilarity ensues.
Monkey See, Monkey Die (why won't IMDb let me spell this the right way) is a slight improvement over the first episode. A few things that really worked for me: 1. The carrier pigeon gag was pretty funny. 2. The whole séance was a blast. A lot of good gags here. 3. Milton Parsons as Ralph the butler. He has the best lines in the episode. As for things that didn't work for me: Really, there's only one that stands out - Stacey Gregg as Davy's Love of the Week, Ellie. Too white-bread to be very memorable.
Favorite song: Last Train to Clarksville (naturally)
Monkey See, Monkey Die (why won't IMDb let me spell this the right way) is a slight improvement over the first episode. A few things that really worked for me: 1. The carrier pigeon gag was pretty funny. 2. The whole séance was a blast. A lot of good gags here. 3. Milton Parsons as Ralph the butler. He has the best lines in the episode. As for things that didn't work for me: Really, there's only one that stands out - Stacey Gregg as Davy's Love of the Week, Ellie. Too white-bread to be very memorable.
Favorite song: Last Train to Clarksville (naturally)
The First Great Monkees Episode
dodgecameron-4305925 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is possibly my favorite episode of the entire show. This is where the show's identity really coalesced, polishing out the roughness of the first episode and setting the tone for the rest of the first season.
Firstly, we have to mention the many quotable, iconic jokes from this episode. From the first appearance of Davy getting literally starry-eyed over a girl, to the classic first interaction between the boys and the butler, to that whole thing of sending out an SOS message to non-English speakers. My favorite gag is probably the one where they try to use a carrier pigeon, but really every joke lands here.
This episode features the first of many Monkees scripts written by Treva Silverman, and right off the bat it's a knockout. The story is another variation on the old dark house tale, but with enough new angles that it's refreshing instead of tiresome. Plus, it also acts as a precursor to "Scooby-Doo Where Are You?". It's got four teenage hippies going to a dark creepy place and having to stay there for whatever reason (fog, crashed boat, no gas, etc.). A mystery ensues with some spooky goings-on involving monsters and ghosts. After some cue hunting, comedic shenanigans, and a musical chase sequence, the ghouls are unmasked, revealing the whole thing to be a (inheritance/real estate/etc.) plot. In fact, the basic plot of this would be used in "A Night Of Fright Is No Delight" from the first season of Scooby-Doo (spooky house on an island, inheritance from a mysterious millionaire, inheritors picked off one by one), with only the culprits being different (here it's the missing inheritors, in Scoob it was the lawyers).
With all that in mind, I can't justify giving this episode anything less than a 10. It's just perfect.
Firstly, we have to mention the many quotable, iconic jokes from this episode. From the first appearance of Davy getting literally starry-eyed over a girl, to the classic first interaction between the boys and the butler, to that whole thing of sending out an SOS message to non-English speakers. My favorite gag is probably the one where they try to use a carrier pigeon, but really every joke lands here.
This episode features the first of many Monkees scripts written by Treva Silverman, and right off the bat it's a knockout. The story is another variation on the old dark house tale, but with enough new angles that it's refreshing instead of tiresome. Plus, it also acts as a precursor to "Scooby-Doo Where Are You?". It's got four teenage hippies going to a dark creepy place and having to stay there for whatever reason (fog, crashed boat, no gas, etc.). A mystery ensues with some spooky goings-on involving monsters and ghosts. After some cue hunting, comedic shenanigans, and a musical chase sequence, the ghouls are unmasked, revealing the whole thing to be a (inheritance/real estate/etc.) plot. In fact, the basic plot of this would be used in "A Night Of Fright Is No Delight" from the first season of Scooby-Doo (spooky house on an island, inheritance from a mysterious millionaire, inheritors picked off one by one), with only the culprits being different (here it's the missing inheritors, in Scoob it was the lawyers).
With all that in mind, I can't justify giving this episode anything less than a 10. It's just perfect.
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