Muppets Now Season 1, Episode 3 recap: Getting Testy

Episode 103 of Disney Plus series Muppets Now features chef Roy Choi’s recipe for a Kalbi rice bowl. Also, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew abuses Beaker for science.

Episode 103 of Muppets Now begins with the classic insult characters Statler (Peter Linz) and Waldorf (Dave Goelz), who live up to their reputation, only as part of a malignant Muppet focus group. Then talented turkey Beverly Plume (Julianne Buescher) hosts the popular cooking show, Økėÿ Døkęÿ Køøkïñ. This time the guest is popular chef Roy Choi. This time it’s not exactly a contest but a collaboration between Roy and our favorite mad mumbler, Swedish Chef (Bill Barretta), for a Kalbi rice bowl with kimchi.

So, in addition to the comedy, we get a tantalizing recipe. The dish includes items like orange juice, kiwi, and a sugar onion marinade, which will probably sound delicious to plenty of viewers (and readers?). As an added twist, Beverly falls in love with Roy, making the Swedish Chef jealous (and perhaps confused, as he makes a “cow bee bowl”). Obviously, Roy Choi and the Swedish Chef will have to sort out their issues before any future collaborations.

The Muppets Now “Muppet Labs Field Tests”

During this highly scientific segment, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (Goelz) and trusty assistant, Beaker (David Rudman), test pizza velocity in various ways, with help from a machine called a “Deliv-ro-tron” and a pizza guy (Al Madrigal). Among serious inquiries tested: What happens when you slingshot pizza against a wall? However, some controversy involving Beaker and a cake leads to some unsafe results. Seriously, Beaker, are you okay?

Lifesty[le] with Miss Piggy

For the next bit, Muppets Now checks in with Miss Piggy (Eric Jacobson) for a disjointed segment on getting one’s act together. As she deals with nonsense from The Great Gonzo (Goelz), we get potentially useful advice on how to be spontaneous and not being married to one’s job. Of course, the big moments for Piggy involve dinner with Taye Diggs, and other special guests include Linda Cardellini and Piggy’s ex, Kermit the Frog (Matt Vogel).

Pepe’s Unbelievable Game Show

Pepe the King Prawn also returns to Muppets Now with his crazy game show, which he kicks off with a “Lightning Round.” Questions include “Is anyone here named Dave?” and “What is your credit card number?” And, of course, he still calls Scooter (Rudman) by the name “Scooper.” Contestants Daniel Montgomery and Niko Posey are tasked with a mirrorless makeup challenge, with results judged by the fabulous Miss Piggy.

Final thoughts on the episode

Muppets Now will basically give you what you expect, which can be comforting in an age of uncertainty. That being said, the characters have enough madcap traits that they can sometimes keep one guessing, even if it’s all within a certain range of behavior.

One of the better segments this time is “Pepe’s Unbelievable Game Show,” simply because it seems like he’d genuinely be an excellent game show host. Then again, Roy Choi’s recipe does sound quite delicious, though the ingredients aren’t necessarily as simple as they’re made out to be and would require some time to prepare.

What are your thoughts on Muppets Now? Let us know in the comments!