Swamp Thing (2019) s01e10 – Loose Ends

The saga of the 2019 “Swamp Thing” ends with a reasonably good season finale. It’s not a series finale; the episode’s oddly reductive by the end, low-key revealing they never really had the budget. It’s a “who will survive, and what will be left of them” type of finish, clearing out all the old business.

Well, all the old business except Maria Sten’s disappearing live-in girlfriend and job at the town newspaper. Unfortunately, Sten lost character development after “Swamp Thing” finished its first act. Besides Derek Mears’s lengthy battle against intruders (led by Michael Beach and apparent stunt cast Jake Busey), the episode’s all about Kevin Durand’s zucchini sliding off its cracker as he races to save wife Selena Anduze.

The episode opens with a resolution for Ian Ziering’s story arc (including an odd farewell with Sten, two characters with a scant relationship), then heads over to Virginia Madsen. Sonuvabitch husband Will Patton had her committed last episode, which seemed like a lousy finish for Madsen, given she’d just done a big character development arc.

This episode doesn’t make it any better. It doesn’t make it any worse, just doesn’t make it any better.

Plus, it gives Jeryl Prescott a scene in the last episode. Everyone comes back for the finale—well, okay, Prescott and Andy Bean. Bean’s got a tough scene, and it works better than I’d have thought. It’s a too little, too late bit, but pretty much everything’s too little, too late at this point.

Being a streaming show and being a season finale, the episode works its way through the various cast members who definitely won’t be back and the ones who may. The only two who get any actual conclusion are Crystal Reed and Mears. Reed’s got shockingly little to do for a show where she’s top-billed, but she and Mears sell the premise going forward. It’s not perfect, it’s not the comics, but it’s okay. The show stabilized what it needed to stabilize.

Good performances from Jennifer Beals, Patton, Durand, Anduze, Mears. The show cops out of Reed’s early freak-out about potentially crushing on a vegetable, which is bad, but director Deran Sarafian clearly couldn’t handle it.

The rest of the direction’s fine, just the immediate follow-up to last episode’s cliffhanger reveal.

Speaking of cliffhanger reveals, the episode ends with a tease for next season and another cast change or two. It’s a bad end for at least one character’s season arc, which is unfortunate. Even Mears and Reed get something of a lackluster finish (theirs is budgetary), so it fits. There’s only so much you can do with a cut season order.

But as a proof of concept, “Swamp Thing” shows the special effects for a successful adaptation have arrived; it’s just being able to afford enough of them. Doing it on the cheaper “Swamp Thing” does surprisingly well.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e09 – The Anatomy Lesson

Asterisks about Writer’s Guild credit rules, I knew when Mark Verheiden’s name came up on this penultimate episode’s opening titles, The Anatomy Lesson was in trouble. It’s not a lot of trouble, but there are definite backslides. The script’s not interested in Crystal Reed’s experience at all; on the one hand, she’s the action hero rescuing her kidnapped love interest, so it’s not primed for character drama. On the other hand, Ian Ziering gets that action hero arc without any stakes whatsoever, just to not be a selfish white surfer bro.

It’s a packed episode, with three main plots, then three subplots. Reed and Maria Sten team up like it’s seventh grade to track down kidnapped swamp monster Derek Mears. Kevin Durand and Will Patton are going to dissect Mears. Ziering gets a visit from still not Kevin Smith Macon Blair, who tells him to (blue) devil up and save the day. Subplots are Selena Anduze’s Alzheimer’s getting worse while Durand’s busy on his supervillain origin story and then Henderson Wade being mad at mom Jennifer Beals. Beals isn’t in the episode, though, and Wade doesn’t have anyone to talk with, so it’s not clear why he’s mad. Is he angry because she didn’t tell him Patton was his real dad, furious because she got mad when he killed someone to stop Patton from blackmailing her, and just sad he’s a murderer? Doesn’t really matter, it’s the second-to-last episode, and Wade’s got a comics-ordained arc to complete. Then Patton has to get his revenge on wife Virginia Madsen, who hopefully gets a better send-off next episode.

Speaking of comics-ordained, this episode takes its title from Alan Moore’s famous (second) issue of Saga of the Swamp Thing. It’s not a direct adaptation (unfortunately), but it’s got the same basic reveals. The episode focuses on Durand, not Mears, which… might work out next episode or might be a missed opportunity. The episode’s got some big reveals and some reveals pretending to be big, but no reason they won’t be able to land it. Might be nice if Reed got something to do.

One last thing: director Michael Goi. Not good. Gets Sten’s worst performance in like four or five episodes, which is back when Verheiden was getting credits too. Once the action oscillates away from Reed and Sten, Goi’s direction improves, but every time it returns to them, it flounders. It’s impressive the show’s got the momentum to get through it, but it does. Good work from Durand, Anduze, and Ziering. Mears and Reed are fine but barely get anything to do.

Let’s see what happens next time.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e07 – Brilliant Disguise

It appears to be the end of act two for “Swamp Thing: The De Facto Mini-Series,” with one character presumed dead at the end, another three saying goodbye to Marais or at least seriously considering it, and a big twist revealed. Maybe multiple big twists. But it’s hard to keep track of the double-crosses when dealing with soap opera villains like Will Patton’s not-quite-successful industrialist.

Patton was about all they had for forceful performances when the show started. But, thanks to plot perturbations and the casting of Jennifer Beals (still wish she’d been around for the pilot), the performances have improved across the board. It’s still not great when Crystal Reed talks about her duty as a “CDC scientist,” but the better material outweighs it now.

Plus, Virginia Madsen gets an amazing episode arc as she realizes she can’t rely on Patton to negotiate her future—having recovered from her supernatural struggle against a malevolent spirit assuming the form of her dead daughter, Madsen apparently had to give up fostering the little kid who the spirit possessed. So she’s got more time on her hands.

What’s particularly great about Madsen’s arc is how it unfolds across the episode. Sure, Reed and Andy Bean have a whole adventure together, but they’re off in a lower-budget nature sci-fi Netflix series. Madsen’s got a character development arc. It’s awesome.

Especially once Michael Beach shows up.

He’s playing Nathan Ellery, who was a Bond villain in the comics. Most seventies comic book villains were Bond villains. The show characterizes him as a venture capitalist whose mysterious organization is funding black book projects. Or something. It doesn’t matter, Beach is fantastic. And he’s not chewing through it all like Patton.

Patton was great stunt casting for “Swamp Thing” as a nighttime horror soap. However, with the other characters showing agency around him and actors finding their performances, it doesn’t work as well. Particularly with Madsen and Beals.

And the show seems to know it, moving the chess pieces for the final act.

As for Reed and Bean… we’ll see. Swamp Thing Derek Mears—who almost calls himself a swamp thing—doesn’t get much screen time this episode because he grew Reed a hallucinogenic spore, so she sees him as Bean most of the episode.

It’s definitely Bean’s best performance. He’s mansplaining about things only he and the plants know, which kind of makes Swamp Thing the ultimate white male role. Or at least, Alec Holland in hallucinations post-transformation (Alan Moore actually wrote Alec Holland’s human soul as a dick, which is perfect).

So, Bean tells Reed all about his new understanding of life, the universe, and everything, including there’s a very dark place nearby they totally shouldn’t ever go and inspect.

Reed immediately zooms off to the nearby dark place where the “Rot” has taken over. The Rot is a newer Swamp Thing villain, so I’m not familiar with it. It’s gross, grey, and has tentacles.

It’s eventually an exciting adventure plot, with “Swamp Thing” finally using some of the budget to make the swamp look pretty. Right before showing it all rotty.

And then Kevin Durand and Selena Anduze have an excellent arc, full of muted conflict and quiet tragedy.

All in all, solid episode. Despite the lengthy, early slog, I’m both now on board and bummed it’s almost over.

I’m also pretty sure they’re doing the good stuff intentionally at this point.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e05 – Drive All Night

Wait, did “Swamp Thing” just get good? I mean, this episode’s definitely good. It’s a combination of season arcs progressing and culminating, better than normal writing (credited to Franklin jin Rho), and better directing of the actors. Greg Beeman directs. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything he’s done since License to Drive in 1988.

But he gets Crystal Reed’s best performance of the show so far, a decent supporting one from Maria Sten (I knew calling her out would result in her getting better, three years retroactively), and a full-stop good one from Jennifer Beals. Will Patton chews a little less on the scenery as the show’s revealed more of his villainy. Virginia Madsen’s uneven but ultimately successful. It’s her season arc getting the culminating here.

This episode marks the halfway point in “Swamp Thing.” The show infamously got its season order cut, then got canceled before even airing, so it was unclear if the show would ever find direction. It does. And, regardless of the quality, their gradual buildup does pay off. Including Swamp Thing Derek Mears finding out about the Green, but not from John Constantine (a Matt Ryan cameo would’ve been difficult but extraordinary), but instead from a Phantom Stranger (Macon Blair, in a Silent Bob impression). It all starts tying together, including Reed realizing there’s something supernatural to the swamp.

Mears and Blair have a handful of scenes together—two or three, but if there are three, the second one’s entirely unmemorable—where Mears learns how to listen to the trees. They tell him (and the viewer) something about Reed’s history with Patton and Madsen’s daughter, played by Given Sharp. Melissa Collazo plays young Reed, and it’s kind of amazing how well they cast younger versions of people even on streaming these days.

Sharp is haunting Madsen, this episode possessing her new ward, Elle Graham. The possession stuff is just okay until Graham starts trying to manipulate Madsen, then it starts getting good and never slows down.

Then Beals has a subplot tying into the murder of Mears’s human self (Andy Bean shows up in flashback, which is starting to get annoying). Real good twists and reveals, with Beals raising the bar on “Swamp Thing”’s acting. Patton’s a delight, but he’s hamming it up. Beals is outdoing him sober, so to speak.

Plus, Ian Ziering’s getting downright sympathetic.

I’m hopeful “Swamp Thing”’s uptick will continue; either way, Drive All Night’s a fine forty-five minutes of television.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e04 – Darkness on the Edge of Town

I’ve been trying really hard with Maria Sten, who plays Crystal Reed’s bestie. Sten’s just in the show to ask Reed what she’s going to do next or what she’s just done. Last episode, it seemed like Sten was going to have a reporter subplot, but it was just to set up Will Patton for later. In this episode, they don’t even pretend Sten will get anything to do for herself. She’s around for her dad, Al Mitchell, to get infected with a supernatural swamp bug, but just so she can call Reed into the subplot. It’s a bad part.

And Sten’s not good in it.

Maybe she’ll turn it around. But it’s four episodes in, and she’s worse with better dialogue. This episode’s got the least bad lines so far; writing credit to Erin Maher and Kay Reindl. It’s still lots of bad lines, but much fewer than before. And there’s character subtext for the first time ever: Patton wants to adopt little orphan Elle Graham, but is it because he misses having a daughter or because Graham proves a good control for intemperate wife Virginia Madsen? It’s a wild plot for Patton this episode. He starts burying a dead body and ends buying his wife a granddaughter.

But, in the context of dark soap opera, it’s a plus for the series. And Madsen’s fine. Jennifer Beals is still solid, Kevin Durand’s still out there in the right way, and other cast members are evening out. Jeryl Prescott and Ian Ziering only seem to exist during their scenes in episodes, but this time around, the show knows how to package the subplot.

Then there’s Swamp Thing Derek Mears and newly reunited pal Reed. The show provides no context for Mears’s journey of discovery with his new existence—the plants are talking to him, and he knows how to grow trees—but from a horror angle. The show never tries to give Mears’s perspective, including when he’s never on time to meet Reed in the swamp. She goes out three times, and despite saying he can feel her presence immediately, he always takes forever to get there. So what’s he off doing?

Swamp Thing started as sci-fi horror mixed with regular horror, but the show has a real hard time with it. Maybe because they aren’t doing the sci-fi. There are a couple times there’s atrocious dialogue, but the show can get away with it because there’s nothing else they can do at that moment. They’ve boxed themselves into this supernatural threat-of-the-week format, and the only way out is through.

There are some secret origin hints about Reed; she has a nightmare about her greatest fear, and it’s not killing Madsen’s daughter; it’s something else, meaning the Madsen and Patton dead daughter storyline gets pushed some more instead of just dealt with. Hidden secret soap operas are so lazy.

Anyway.

It’s the best Reed’s been, and Mears’s still all right.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e03 – He Speaks

They do bugs.

In the nearly fifty-year history of Swamp Thing, I don’t think there’s anything ickier than the bugs. Including when he fought like blood monsters who use intestines as tentacles or whatever. The bugs were worse. Just pages and pages of bugs sent from Hell to torment the living. Yuck.

And this episode does the bugs.

Only they’re not demonic; they’re… well, it’s unclear. But, so far, there’s not some entity controlling them, so they’re just bugs on their own—maybe juiced up on Kevin Durand’s magic plant serum—but they’ve got agency. Makes them kind of cute. Or at least their antics are cute when they’re not eating their way through human bodies.

This episode’s got the first talking Swamp Thing scene, presumably with Derek Mears doing the voice. It’s good. There’s no resolution to it because the writing (credited to Rob Fresco) is bad, but Mears makes it work. They also do a great job with the eyes. They’re inhuman but human. Mears saves Crystal Reed, and they have their meet again cute, albeit just after he’s fought a bug monster man. The scene immediately reveals the problem with Reed’s nighttime soap lead in a horror comic adaptation—she’s got no motivation beyond professional; Reed’s not great at the professional scenes.

Especially not the one where she whines to local doctor Tim Russ about her CDC boss coming to check on her because she’s made no progress other than being somehow involved with scientist Andy Bean’s death and not saving the dude from the end of last episode. Reed’s either got whiny scenes or ones where she exposition dumps to Maria Sten. I was hoping this script—not from the previous episodes’ writers—would be an improvement; mais no.

Still, Reed and Mears’s scene isn’t a fail, which is what’s presumably going to be important soon.

There’s also a lot brewing, mostly local industrialist Will Patton being a little more of a soap opera villain than initially implied. They implied a lot too. He’s got (unlikely) shady loans, ties to what may be an exciting criminal organization if they do any comics’ adapting, and an occasional affair with sheriff Jennifer Beals, which wife Virginia Madsen at least suspects.

So much soap.

Madsen’s good this episode. Good enough past sins can easily be forgotten if she just keeps it going. Beals is pretty good, too; not sure about the accent. They’re getting to the point where the boomer soap opera might play well on “Swamp Thing.”

They just need to give Reed something real to do. I’m not sure she will do well with it, but her whole part has been softballs. Despite being the lead on the show, and having Sten for her exposition dumps, the show profoundly fails Bechdel. All Reed and Sten have to talk about is dudes.

But Mears is good. The costume’s good. The movement’s good. “Swamp Thing” at least has got Swamp Thing.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e02 – Worlds Apart

“Swamp Thing” reveals one of the many superhero tv show caveats: an origin episode isn’t the same thing as a pilot episode. Yes, last episode introduced the various characters, but this episode—in addition to introducing more supporting characters (well, at least one)—sets up what they’re going to be doing on the show. For example, Virginia Madsen, who’s no better acting-wise, unfortunately, is going to be trying to resurrect her dead, apparently drown in the swamp daughter. It’s unclear if it’s intentional or not or if an evil spirit is manipulating things.

Or newly introduced sheriff Jennifer Beals (doing a Southern-ish but specific accent), who also happens to be dreamy deputy Henderson Wade’s mother. She’s worried Wade’s life-long puppy dog crush on Crystal Reed will get in the way of something. It’s unclear what. Beals gets mad when Wade and Reed go looking for a missing kid; it’s a strange, concerning professional flex from Beals.

Or still munching away at the scenery Will Patton. At first, I felt bad for Patton—it was his scene opposite Madsen—but later on, he picks things up, relishing in the shitty, good ol’ boy but wealthy industrialist, who may or may not have a human side. At one point, Reed has to ask Patton for a favor, and we find out however the daughter died in high school, it was in a way Patton can say he doesn’t blame Reed.

Of course, Reed’s local bestie Maria Sten has just told Reed not to trust Patton. Or reminded her not to trust Patton. It’s soap, but grim and gritty soap. They’re trying real hard to be Southern Gothic, and they’re able to pull off the visual trappings of the genre. Sort of. Ian Ziering shows up as a cheesy action hero who owns a retro video rental and vinyl store in town, a la Kevin Smith. It’s so weird it can’t not work. Oh, also basically Internet cafe because no one knows how to use their smartphones in “Swamp Thing.”

The show also establishes how Andy Bean will stay in the credits even though he’s become a giant swamp thing, played—in suit—by Derek Mears. The show’s doing something interesting with the Swamp Thing introduction. They’re dragging it out, for one thing, but they’re giving him a psychic connection to little kid Elle Graham. Not sure if she, Swampy, and the dog will fend off angry villagers in an homage to Saga of the Swamp Thing #1, but there’s a not zero chance.

Bean has video diaries, which he apparently records on his iPhone, then uploads to Ziering’s very not-Apple PC laptop but also not showing a brand. Bean loads them into iTunes on the PC. We find out from the diaries he’s not rich actually (meaning he was regularly breaking into his old lab last episode), and he thinks Reed is smart, driven, and lovely. Also, he’s a sandal enthusiast.

But the real surprise is Kevin Durand as Jason Woodrue. Woodrue—previously essayed by Mr. John Glover in Batman and Robin—is a Swamp Thing mainstay and, in the show, Durand’s working with Patton. Durand’s a hoot. He’s trying really hard to do something different and succeeding. Despite having a big cast, it’s the first spotlight performance, partially because everyone else is pretty constrained. Hence Patton having to devour armchairs.

Reed mostly gets to run the episode, with diversions, and it’s okay, but just. Thanks again to special effects and production values, the show can carry through the weaker moments but, again, only just.

Swamp Thing (2019) s01e01

I can’t get the “Swamp Thing” theme out of my head; a subtle but undeniable earworm courtesy composer Brian Tyler. It is not at all related to any of the previous themes—well, it could be from the 1990 show, I don’t remember; I did wonder how the Swamp Thing movie score would work over the new show, with its production values and its CGI. Despite having two movies and a three season TV show under the franchise belt, this “Swamp Thing” is the first one capable of getting close to the comic in terms of visuals.

The special effects are okay. They’re going for a 1982 Thing thing, only with plant vines, and it’s fine. The show initially presents as a sci-fi medical thriller but quickly veers into straight horror and conspiracy thriller terrority, with a lengthy break in premium but not transcendent soap opera. CDC troubleshooter Crystal Reed is back home since leaving in disgrace; she somehow killed her best friend (a bridge and a car are somehow involved, but no more details yet), and the friend’s mom, Virginia Madsen, ran her out of town.

So, despite taking place in Louisiana (fake with a good regional name Marais versus real place from the comics Houma), no one has an accent. It’s Southern California Gothic. Madsen’s married to industrialist Will Patton, who’s experimenting on all the yokels without anyone suspecting because he’s such a good old boy himself. It’s an easy performance for Patton, who has the most accent, whereas Madsen’s—so far—blank. With an outrageous accent, she might stand out. Without one, and without any visible emoting, it’s a disappointment. This episode’s extraordinarily well-paced, so the Reed and Madsen scene had goodwill going in. Like, it could’ve been something.

It was not. Combination Madsen and the script, but mostly the latter.

Anyway.

The medical sci-fi thriller involves rogue, disgraced scientist Andy Bean, who sneaks into the hospital where Reed and her team have set up base to investigate a mysterious outbreak. After hinting at potential supporting cast members in Reed’s homecoming arc (hottie sheriff Henderson Wade and cool newspaper reporter Maria Sten), the episode ends up being Bean and Reed, hanging out, doing science, blowing things up, running from plant monsters, and so on.

Bean’s scientist without mercy comes off like a twenty-first century Richard Dreyfuss from Jaws; he’s an entitled, privileged rich kid whose hobbies happen to coincide with the greater good. Is Bean charming in the part? He’s not unlikable, which is a success.

Reed’s okay. After being active in her first scene, her character’s been entirely passive since. Despite being the lead, she’s rarely got anything but potential agency. Someone else comes along and takes over. It’s a problem.

But “Swamp Thing” generates more than enough momentum through this first episode to warrant a return. Especially since this episode’s presumably more prequel than the pilot.

Frasier (1993) s06e21 – When a Man Loves Two Women

Credited writers Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck wrote the shittiest episode of “Frasier” ever (thus far) earlier this season, and so I was dreading this one. Especially since the logline seems primed for a bad episode—Kelsey Grammer hooks up with not one but two women (consecutively, not concurrently) and has to pick the one he wants to pursue a relationship with. It stands out because the women are returning guest stars—Virginia Madsen and Amy Brenneman—and it’s rare for the one-episode guest stars to come back. They maybe never have; definitely not the love interests.

Madsen is the breathy coworker from the Valentine’s Day episode where Grammer could never figure out if she was romantically interested. Brenneman was in the Christmas episode where the family had to pretend they were Jewish for her mom’s sake. The episode starts with Grammer and Madsen together, then he runs into Brenneman and ends up with her, then starts fretting over the right choice.

Brenneman’s obviously the right choice because she’s nicer to Jane Leeves, who Madsen treats like crap. John Mahoney votes for Madsen because she’s breathy and not too intelligent and opinionated like Brenneman (seriously, Mahoney needs to get a recurring subplot besides being an amiable pig). David Hyde Pierce abstains from choosing but does try to help Grammer with the decision-making. Also, the writing’s really thin on Madsen, so she’s just annoying, whereas the episode’s eventually going to give Brenneman the most agency a love interest has gotten to this point. With the caveat, there’s a narrative device in play the show’s rarely used before and never let anyone but Grammer in on.

It works out, too; Brenneman’s excellent. Madsen’s a low okay. She’s really unlikeable, so it’s an uphill battle, and she was also a lot better last time. One of the problems with bringing actors back is when they’re not better or as good on the return.

There’s also a bunch of great physical comedy from Mahoney, Leeves, and Hyde Pierce. Like director David Lee (his best-directed episode in ages, if not ever) really wanted to have fun with the sequences. Leeves also gets to do a great American impression in the spotlight, which seems to have been meant to make up for her being the punchline for a guest star. And Peri Gilpin has some good moments as she counsels Grammer with his unexpected romantic dilemma. It’s a packed episode.

And rather successful, given it’s about Grammer gaslighting his love interests while he inspects their proverbial teeth. Not enough to make up for Gregory and Huyck’s last outing, but a very solid entry.

Frasier (1993) s06e14 – Three Valentines

Kelsey Grammer’s garbage politics were well-known when “Frasier” aired, which always made rooting for the show awkward. But Three Valentines, the fifth episode of the series he directed, is so good I thought about how it was too bad he never broke into movies. Though he’d just have made right-wing crap.

This episode is a divine showcase of the show’s main cast (except Peri Gilpin, who’s around and good but not showcased), starting with David Hyde Pierce doing a lengthy slapstick sequence. He’s getting ready for a society Valentine’s Day date with the president of his wine club and notices his pants aren’t quite well-ironed enough. The only dialogue in the scene is Hyde Pierce setting the stage for the audience (on a phone call to his wine guy) and then the occasional witty remark to Eddie the dog, who watches the silly human unintentionally wreak havoc. What’s great about the scene is Hyde Pierce, obviously, and how he, Grammer, and the script pace out the ordeal. It starts with Hyde Pierce doing one kind of a physical bit, then moves on to another, then moves on to another, then another, then rewind to the second, then skips ahead. It’s exquisite work from all involved.

Then it’s time for Grammer’s Valentines, which has him out on a maybe date, maybe business dinner with new colleague Virginia Madsen. The scene opens with Grammer calling Gilpin to talk about whether or not it’s an actual date. He’ll call Gilpin back throughout—it’s nice to see cell phones used to such good effect—to get feedback on the latest development. Grammer’s sequence eventually gives him some good physical humor, but nothing like Hyde Pierce’s masterclass in it. Instead, it’s mostly comedy of errors dialogue stuff and an enjoyable guest turn from Madsen. Rob Hanning gets the script credit on this episode; it’s an excellent script.

The third and final date is John Mahoney and Jane Leeves on a non-romantic evening. The Hyde Pierce segment was all physical gags; the Grammer one was physical and dialogue; theirs is all dialogue. Leeves gets bummed she doesn’t have any romance in her life, while Mahoney is upset everyone thinks he’s too old to be her fella. The latter’s a lot more problematic when you think about it than when you watch it… actually, so’s the former, given her relationship status is defining her. Even great, it’s still a nineties sitcom episode.

Lots of good acting from Leeves and Mahoney, emphasizing their abilities at immediate tone changes. It’s a lovely finish to the episode.

Three Valentines is obviously an exemplar “Frasier,” but it’s also an exemplar of the sitcom format. Grammer, as director, does a great job. The cast is all excellent. And Hyde Pierce’s physical comedy sequence is glorious.