Bro Brian literally just disappears forever after this whole thing lmao like does this mf just live alone in Tony's house now lmao
2 Reviews
A rare Taxi clunker
rudyardk22 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This might just be Taxi's worst episode, as it centres around an unbelievable premise and a fairly unappealing central character.
The set-up? Brian Sims, who was introduced in the previous episode, is a nine-year-old orphan who pals around with Tony. Though in the previous episode he was in a wheelchair, Brian can now magically walk with no explanation as to how this miracle occurred. Brian is also a child who comes off as obnoxious, phony and charmless, although everyone in this episode unaccountably seems thoroughly enamoured of him. (The actor playing him, Tony Danza's son Marc, isn't entirely responsible for this obnoxiousness -- though Marc's not a first-rate talent, it's really the script and direction that let him down.)
In any event, Brian is on the lookout for a rich family to adopt him, and wouldn't you know it, he finds one...just as Tony is preparing to ask Brian if HE can adopt him. Tony, of course, is crushed that Brian will go to another family, but if the episode had ended on that note, it might have been an okay instalment of the show (not great, or even good, but okay.) However, the episode continues on to a completely unrealistic ending: for some reason, Brian leaves his new family for Tony. The episode ends with the indication that Tony will adopt Brian, but Brian is (thankfully) never seen, heard from or mentioned on the show ever again. Overall, "Tony And Brian" has all the earmarks of an episode the writers wanted to forget ever existed and retcon right out of existence.
The episode does have one genuinely hilarious bit involving Christopher Lloyd -- he only appears in one scene, but gets maximum mileage out of it. That's about it though...once you've seen that scene, do yourself a favour and skip the rest of the episode.
The set-up? Brian Sims, who was introduced in the previous episode, is a nine-year-old orphan who pals around with Tony. Though in the previous episode he was in a wheelchair, Brian can now magically walk with no explanation as to how this miracle occurred. Brian is also a child who comes off as obnoxious, phony and charmless, although everyone in this episode unaccountably seems thoroughly enamoured of him. (The actor playing him, Tony Danza's son Marc, isn't entirely responsible for this obnoxiousness -- though Marc's not a first-rate talent, it's really the script and direction that let him down.)
In any event, Brian is on the lookout for a rich family to adopt him, and wouldn't you know it, he finds one...just as Tony is preparing to ask Brian if HE can adopt him. Tony, of course, is crushed that Brian will go to another family, but if the episode had ended on that note, it might have been an okay instalment of the show (not great, or even good, but okay.) However, the episode continues on to a completely unrealistic ending: for some reason, Brian leaves his new family for Tony. The episode ends with the indication that Tony will adopt Brian, but Brian is (thankfully) never seen, heard from or mentioned on the show ever again. Overall, "Tony And Brian" has all the earmarks of an episode the writers wanted to forget ever existed and retcon right out of existence.
The episode does have one genuinely hilarious bit involving Christopher Lloyd -- he only appears in one scene, but gets maximum mileage out of it. That's about it though...once you've seen that scene, do yourself a favour and skip the rest of the episode.
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