About.com Rating



Release Date: August 4, 2009

The Basics

The second (and likely final) season of HBO’s Flight of the Conchords expanded on the show’s world a bit, giving greater screen time to the supporting characters in the world of New Zealander folk musicians Bret and Jemaine in New York City. The mix of deadpan comedy and silly musical numbers tilted in favor of the comedy, with some wear and tear showing in the burden of writing a whole album’s worth of songs to accompany the season, but if the songs sometimes lagged, the show more than made up for it in nonstop sight gags and goofy puns, pulled off handily by the top-notch cast.

Bonus Features

• Behind-the-scenes featurette
• Show promos featuring Murray and Greg’s meetings at the New Zealand consulate and fake commercials for Dave’s pawn shop
• Outtakes
• Deleted scenes

Review

In keeping with its genesis as the outgrowth of a musical act, the second season of Flight of the Conchords was a bit like a band’s second album: some straining to replicate past success, some development of craft, some ambition to reach something bigger. Thankfully creators/stars Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie didn’t stray too far from the template they established during the show’s first season, mixing the dry humor of their characters’ adventures as naïve New York City transplants from New Zealand with offbeat, sometimes surreal music videos.

In a way it’s a good thing that this was likely the show’s swan song, because the format can only sustain so much development. The Conchords didn’t find fame or fortune or love, and they never managed to accrue more than their one nutso fan Mel (Kristen Schaal).

The best thing about the show’s second season was not the more high-profile musical numbers, but the narrative scenes, which did a great job of showcasing Mel and all the other supporting characters, especially the brilliant Rhys Darby as the band’s clueless manager Murray.

The comedic talent of the whole cast is evident in the deleted scenes that are frequently as funny as the ones that made it into the show, as well as the amusing promos featuring fake commercials for the pawn shop run by hapless stoner Dave (Arj Barker) and meetings at the New Zealand consulate between Murray and his meek, emotionless assistant Greg (Frank Wood). A 20-minute-plus behind-the-scenes documentary is fairly standard stuff, although it inexplicably only covers the show’s first season.

The Bottom Line

A consistently funny second season for one of TV’s most creative shows, and a fitting send-off that takes Flight of the Conchords out on a high note.