The Gorillaz Kill Me

We all know Murdoc has explicitly affirmed that 2D isn’t replaceable but looking back on the band’s entire career it’s clear that replacements, or even kicking anyone out has really never been an option entertained by any of them (with the exception of Paula, though it’s been stated that they never really considered themselves “Gorillaz” until Noodle joined so I’ll let that slide). Even when it was just 2D and Murdoc, they didn’t go to audition new guitarists or drummers, Murdoc literally built a robot to try and create the closest thing to Noodle that he could. And what about Murdoc? It would have been so simple to have a 3 vs 1 vote to kick him out, send him back to prison etc. yet that’s never really been a direction the team and by extension the band has entertained. This would have been a very understandable and convenient arc to undertake since it’s easily one of the most standard issues bands of their era, both real and fictional, seem to run into at SOME point in their careers. But it has yet to happen.

Hi! Thanks for the ask! And I love The Zeppo. It’s such a great episode!

The Zeppo

I legit think this is the funniest episode of the show. It’s comedy gold. 

I know a lot of people criticize this episode due to how unrealistic and uncharacteristically the characters behave but this episode is supposed to be bit of a parody. The characters’ reactions and behaviors are amplified and dramatized on purpose, and it’s one of the reasons why the episode works so well. 

I love how the world is ending, but no one needs Xander! Instead, he is sent on errand runs. Does this ever happen on Buffy? No. But does Xander feel that way? Yes, and that’s the whole point.

This episode is all about Xander and it’s my favorite episode of his. He has some genuine development and proves how much of a badass hero he is. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Xander’s might often keep him out of the line of fire but he is still needed and valuable. As it is, feeling invaluable or overlooked in a common grievance, and Xander is definitely relatable in that regard. 

The Zeppo presents the world through Xander’s eyes so everything is skewered and the characters are almost caricatures of themselves. For example, Buffy and Angel take their melodrama to a whole new telenovela extreme. Also, surely the Scoobies don’t need that many bagels! However, the genius of this episode is in how it highlights the way Xander sees the world while also making it looks hilarious. And really, Xander’s coping mechanism is humor. He hides pain with humor, he sees the world as a comedian, so it makes sense that everything looks so hilarious from his pov. 

This episode is also a good study on bravery. One of Xander’s main strengths is that he is almost foolishly brave. But what is bravery? Is it actively putting your life on the line like the Scoobies do for the greater good? Yes. But it’s also waiting peacefully for some idiot to disarm a bomb without showing your hand.

This episode is 10/10. 

A few notes: 

- Xander chasing the zombies through the school while those demons are running loose is one of the most hilarious scenes ever. 

- Best line: “I like the quiet.”

- The Bangel scene is both accurate and hilarious. 

- The fact that Xander doesn’t tell his friends about what happened is admirable. I would have bragged for sure. 

- I could name all of the funny scenes but I’d be here all day.

- Xander lost his V card. Just saying.