Maybe a little green lie on The Muppets isn’t the end of the world

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We’re all guilty of telling little white lies on occasion. Sometimes it’s out of mercy or kindness. Sometimes it seems like it’s in our best interest when we’re backed into a corner by somebody whom we truly love that we don’t wish to upset by telling the whole truth. “Does this dress make me look fat?” “Do you like my new haircut?” “How old do I look to you?” We conveniently gloss over the whole truth in order to tell the other person what they clearly want – or maybe even sometimes need – to hear. We tell ourselves there’s little harm to this in order to justify it. Sometimes we tell the little white lies because we have to … sometimes we don’t even want to face the whole ugly, naked truth ourselves.

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When Kermit’s precociously adorable nephew Robin comes for a visit, Kermit finds himself telling a “little green lie” because it seems like the kindest thing to do in the situation. Robin’s parents recently went through a bitter divorce and one of the only things that kept him going was the knowledge that not all relationships end on a sour note. He idolizes his Uncle Kermit and he’s content that at least Kermit and Miss Piggy seem to be thriving in a happy, loving relationship even if his parents somehow failed at maintaining theirs. Kermit doesn’t have the heart to tell the poor kid that he and Miss Piggy have been broken up for a while, so he pretends they’re as happy as ever and convinces the rest of the Muppets to go along with it in this week’s episode titled “Little Green Lie.” Really, if Kermit and Miss Piggy can’t even make it, what hope do the rest of us poor schmucks have at finding our soul mates?

I think the saddest realization that hit home for me while watching this episode was not in the fact that Kermit and Miss Piggy are still not reconciled (the eternal optimist who believes true love conquers all inside me knows that will eventually come to pass), nor was it the knowledge that Kermit lied to his impressionable nephew. We’re all lied to at one point or another by those who are closest to us, but the majority of us are able to forgive and forget, especially if we know the lie came from an honorable place. I’m sure Robin will be able to forgive his uncle eventually (the truth was eventually exposed, as it just about always is), and really if they get back together soon, it won’t even be a lie much longer. So, where’s the harm in all of that?

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No, what made me the saddest was the realization that Robin is now voiced by another voice actor after having been voiced by beloved puppeteer Jerry Nelson for years upon years. It just wasn’t the same not hearing Nelson’s cheerful voice. I know he died in 2012, but seeing his iconic characters voiced by others forces me to face that sad reality. Robin was still as cute as ever, but somehow his voice seemed all wrong. That’s not to say it was the new actor’s fault. It wasn’t. Matt Vogel has successfully taken over many of Nelson’s most beloved characters, and he seems wonderfully talented. But what’s familiar now becomes suddenly unfamiliar. I haven’t watched Sesame Street in years, but I can’t imagine reacting any differently upon hearing Count von Count or Mr. Snuffleupagus voiced by someone other than Nelson.

Perhaps this is what it’s like to be an adult and witness your childhood being stripped away slowly piece by piece. You can revisit your childhood from time to time (arguably, that’s what I do every time I watch The Muppets), but it will never quite be the same ever again. I think young Robin said it best himself after he found out the truth about the break-up: “I don’t like that everything’s changing.” Perhaps I’ll take a chapter out of Kermit’s book and tell myself a few little white lies regarding this ugly truth that I don’t wish to believe. That’s how I will continue to enjoy the new format of The Muppets and whatever direction it decides to take on the Kermit-Miss Piggy dynamic.

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I enjoyed the laser tag scenery this week – it was as bold and beautiful as Miss Piggy herself – and the scene in which The Swedish Chef attempted to explain the break-up to Robin using food that looked like Kermit and Miss Piggy had me in stitches. The secondary plot was also enjoyable. When Gonzo became more than a little preoccupied with his newly reconciled relationship with Camilla, Pepe and Rizzo decided they should interview candidates for a replacement wingman. The hopefuls? Big Mean Carl, Sam the Eagle and Chip, the awkward IT guy. Personally, my vote was for Big Mean Carl. I laughed out loud when he went up to Good Morning America’s Lara Spencer at the bar. I love you, Big Mean Carl!

What did you think of this week’s episode? Tell us in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you!