The Unfiltered Ramblings of a DVR Addict

I am a real American, Fight for the rights of every man!

Honestly, who didn’t love Hulk Hogan and the WWF back in the 80’s?  Next to maybe Michael Jordan, Hulk Hogan was the most recognizable athlete in the world at the time.  He was huge.  Of course watching the Hulkster’s old matches are going to inspire the gang.  When Sweet Dee gets her IM from the solider she’s been talking to, it give Charlie, Mack, and Dennis the idea to put on a wresting show for the troops.  Throw in some Rowdy Roddy Piper as the “Maniac,” Cricket, Artemis, and Frank as “The Trashman” and you’ve got a winner.

While the guys head down to the local wrestling venue to work on their event, Dee is waiting for her Solider of Fortune.  Her screen name was Desert Rose so of course she’s dressed like a rose and going to play Seal’s “Kiss From A Rose” for him when he gets off the bus.  Frank shows up with a flier to invite the solider to the wrestling event along with a pair of jean shorts that the guys bought him as a coming home gift.  Dee bails as soon as she sees the guy is in a wheelchair leaving Frank alone with the guy.

The guys hire a local wrestler, “The Maniac” to wrestle in their event.  He’s a little crazy, but the price is right for them.  They are working on their persona for the match, and decide on eagle men.  Charlie was pushing for pigeons or chickens, but they go with eagles.  Frank wants in on the action as a character he calls “The Trashman” who throws trash cans and eats the trash, but they make him the ref.  The guys realize they would rather be hype-men instead of possibly getting hurt, so they head off to find someone who can wrestle in their place.  Of course they find Cricket hanging out with the homeless and offer to pay him.  Too bad “The Maniac” gets arrested for unpaid parking tickets, looks like they are getting in the ring after all, but it’s only Cricket, right?

Dee meets with Artemis to pull the old switcheroo on her solider and it turns out that he can walk afterward, and Dee has changed her mind.  At the wrestling match the guys are in the Eagle costumes along with drawn on six-packs.  Dee is going to sing the national anthem to get her solider back.  They introduce Cricket as a terrorist.  As Dee begins to sing, not the national anthem, but “Kiss From a Rose” Cricket body slams her and the match begins.  He takes down both Charlie and Dennis by blowing sand in their face, while Mack runs away.  Luckly Frank saves the day by becoming “The Trashman” and throws a trash can at Cricket slicing his neck open.

Thoughts and Observations:

• This wasn’t the funniest episode of the season, but it was still pretty great.
• The awkward pauses this season are wonderful.  Tonight’s awkward pause was Frank and the soldiers salute that seems to go on a little too long after Frank layed the jean shorts on his lap.
• Anytime we get Artemis we get a treat.  Of course she will go out with the handicapped guy.  She tells Dee it’s “not my first cripple.”  So typically insensitive for her.
• Why did Mac have to draw on his six-pack?  I thought he worked out his glamor muscles.
• Rowdy Roddy Piper was great.  I loved that he lived out of his station wagon with a bucket of chestnuts in the back.
• Dennis’ description of Hulk Hogan’s hair,  “silken like that of a Chinese man…with the skin of a hot dog.”
• The whole bird-man bit was also pretty hilarious, as was the song.  I love that Charlie wanted to be a pigeon.  “Pigeons are survivors though!”