I don't understand why the 12 people who've rated this episode before me have given it an average of 5.7/10, as this is hysterically funny. From the Mission: Impossible spoofing teaser sequence, this is one gift that just keeps on giving. Think about spoofing Mission: Impossible, for example . How many times has that been done? At the time of writing, IMDb mentions 25 - and that's *just* under the original 1966 "Mission: Impossible" TV series entry. How many of them (including spoofs of the Tom Cruise-starring movie franchise) are really good? That's right. This episode has one of those rare ones that are *really* good. And like I said, that's only the beginning.
The script in itself is a riot, but it's in bringing it to life where this episode shines. This time, *everyone*, not just Philip Baker Hall, rocks. Sure, some of the jokes and twists are comedy staples ("It's *your* car!"), but they are done here so well that some of them actually feel brand new. This is the first episode that truly belongs to the star of the show, as all episodes according to common sense are supposed to, but few have succeeded. On basis of this 9/10 example, it is sad to see that only nine more episodes were made. This show could have been *so* good... (But then Bret Harrison may not have gone on to make the equally hilarious "Reaper", which, ironically, also lasted only two seasons.)
The script in itself is a riot, but it's in bringing it to life where this episode shines. This time, *everyone*, not just Philip Baker Hall, rocks. Sure, some of the jokes and twists are comedy staples ("It's *your* car!"), but they are done here so well that some of them actually feel brand new. This is the first episode that truly belongs to the star of the show, as all episodes according to common sense are supposed to, but few have succeeded. On basis of this 9/10 example, it is sad to see that only nine more episodes were made. This show could have been *so* good... (But then Bret Harrison may not have gone on to make the equally hilarious "Reaper", which, ironically, also lasted only two seasons.)