Review: Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters- Episode 5 "Mermaid"

Bobcat Goldthwait's Misfits & Monsters- Episode 5 "Mermaid"

Guest Star(s): Karan Soni, Bridget Everett, Samm Levine

Written and Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait

This was the episode that Bobcat Goldthwait and Stephen Colbert were talking about on THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT that made me interested in this series in the first place.  It’s a romance story about a man and a mermaid…with a heavy dose of discussing racism…

Allan (Samm Levine) brings his friend Ravi (Karan Soni) to Weeki Wachee Springs to watch their famous mermaid show.  Allan has developed a crush on one of the “mermaids,” Amatheia.  Ravi convinces Allan to strike up the nerve to talk to her, only to find out that Amatheia is a real mermaid, not just a girl in a costume like the others.  Allan isn’t all that sure about dating a mermaid, but Ravi accuses him of being racist, so Allan asks Amatheia out on a date.  This leads to a confrontation with her ex-boyfriend, Neptune, who seems to have his own racism issues against humans.  While this date started out with Allan trying to prove that he’s not a racist, Allan finds himself falling for Amatheia. 

This was the first episode of MISFITS AND MONSTERS that had no horror elements at all.  We did get plenty of weirdness, especially with Allan’s extensive fantasies about what a relationship with a mermaid would be like, including imaging a fish-headed baby.  But everything is played pretty light and fun here.  I kind of kept waiting for mermaids to be revealed to devour human flesh or something like that, but it never comes.  There is a twist in the end, but it fit the theme of the episode so perfectly. 

As with the rest of the series, the strength of this series has been in the casting.  Karan Soni (better known as the cab driver from the DEADPOOL movies) was just hilarious as the relentlessly teasing best friend.  His argument that everyone is a little racist drove the entire plot.  It is not often that racism can be discussed in a truly funny way, but this episode pulled it off really well.

I also loved Bridget Everett as Amatheia.  She had a great balance between wanting to experience more about surface life (her wanting to go on swings, and Allan misinterpreting that as polyamory was so funny) and some hilarious commentary.  When she refers to Ariel as a bitch, I had to pause the episode I was laughing so hard.

And Tony V was great as Neptune.  He had appeared in an earlier episode in a bit part, but he was clearly having a lot of fun with this role.  I don’t want to spoil too much, but Neptune, Allan, and Ravi meet up in a bar at the end to discuss women troubles, it was just the perfect way to end the episode.

By the way, Weeki Wachee Springs is actually a real place that has featured mermaid performances since 1947.  According to the “Making of…” at the end of this episode, Bridget Everett was the first ever non-performer who was allowed to swim in the Springs since it opened as an attraction.  No idea if this is true or not, but it was a neat little bit of information.

MERMAID may not have been my favorite episode of BOBCAT GOLDTHWAIT’S MISFITS AND MONSTERS.  I prefer the episodes with a little more horror going on. But, it was a fun episode with a lot of heart and truth to it.  You really can’t ask for much more than that.