"The Picture Frame" begins with Mike, Davy, and Micky entering Mammoth Studios to meet with director J.L. and his assistant Harvey. J.L. offers them rolls as bank bandits in a movie and says he's already arranged a hidden camera shoot at the Ninth National Bank. All the boys need to do is show up, hold up the bank with the list of dialogue, and then come back with the money. Unfortunately for them, the whole thing is a setup to make them the fall guys for J.L. and Harvey's robbery, so once the "shoot" ends and the boys return with the props J.L. reports them to the police. By the time the band eventually figures out that the police aren't part of another shoot and try to explain what happened it's already too late. Mike, Davy, and Micky end up in jail and soon have to defend themselves in court, so it's up to Peter to search Mammoth Studios for the photo that will prove their innocence.
Honestly, I think "The Picture Frame" should've been the first episode of season two, because it's better than "It's a Nice Place to Visit..." In almost every way. It takes a fairly silly (in a bad way) conceit and just runs with it, charging it up with high energy and surreal, Pythonesque bits. Being Pythonesque can also mean silly, but in an absurd and fun way, like the courtroom scenes and when the police station became a movie theatre. The guys also do a great job in it with each of them getting at least one big laugh moment. A couple of my favorites include Mike's ridiculous faces and Davy's greatest line of, "We were shooting a movie! Some cat came up and said, 'You wanna shoot a movie?' Said, 'Yeah, we'll shoot a movie.' So we shot a movie." The episode's so, so silly and so, so great that even its title is a somewhat of a pun.
Another noteworthy aspect of this episode is the romps. One, because they feature the first non-credit sequence appearances of the iconic rainbow room. And two, because they're "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Randy Scouse Git," which are simply great songs. Plus, both show the Monkees doing social and political commentary in both direct and subtextual ways. "Randy Scouse Git" may play at being goofy and absurd, but it goes right for the jugular when it counts. I mean, when Micky Dolenz literally shouts, "Why don't you hate who I hate, kill who I kill to be free?" there is no sugar-coating his scorn. Meanwhile, "Pleasant Valley Sunday," by comparison, is more understated if for no other reason than its digs are couched in such a lovely, sunny pop song. As such, I feel like its one of those songs that can be easily misread if you're not paying attention, like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (though perhaps not as widely misunderstood as that one seems to be.) Come to think of it, maybe "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is partially responsible for my affinity for happy sounding depressing songs.
"It's a Nice Place to Visit..." begins with the Monkees broken down in El Monotono, Mexico. While they leave the Monkeemobile with a mechanic they go into a nearby cantina where Davy instantly falls for their waitress, Angelita. He asks if she'd like to go for a walk with him, but her father and the cantina owner refuses on her behalf as she is the girlfriend of El Diablo, the bandit without a heart. The boys then find out their car needs a new motor for $14.95 and return to the cantina to find work. Though the owner has misgivings about letting them play, the patrons enjoy them so much he tells them to "play until you think you will drop and then keep on playing." Davy goes to say goodbye to Angelita and she tells him that doesn’t want to be El Diablo’s girl, but that she doesn’t feel she has a choice. While they continue to “say goodbye” El Diablo enters the cantina with his bandits and threatens Davy with describable and indescribable torture because Angelita chose him over El Diablo. After he takes Davy prisoner, the others infiltrate his camp disguised as bandits El Dolenzio, El Torko, and El Nesmito who offer to join forces with him after they pass his tests of strength, bravery, and skill and determination. El Diablo throws a celebration meal for them, during which Peter finds and frees Davy. But before they manage to get back to their car and leave Mexico, El Diablo challenges El Dolenzio to a duel at high noon, which Micky must accept lest the bandit punish the whole town.
My first prompt for this episode reads “New credits, same old stereotypes and love at first sight.” One of season two’s distinguishing traits is the use of “For Pete’s Sake” as the end credits theme, which I like simply because I prefer that song over the main theme and it helps lessen any repetitiveness when marathoning the show. Now, the opening credit theme remains, but montage it plays over includes clips from season two and elsewhere as well as a little gag involving their names. Also, the syndicated version of the show used the season opening, so it’s the one I’m most used to and familiar with. As for the “same old” stuff I mentioned, the episode wastes little time getting to Davy instantly falling in love with Angelita and characters with stereotypical accents. I don’t know and it’s not really for me to say if the episode is as culturally or racially insensitive as others, but one character actually exclaims “Aye Chihuahua!” so take from that what you will.
One notable thing in “It’s a Nice Place to Visit…” that I’m pretty sure is different or at least uncommon for the show prior to this and that’s the use thematically appropriate music. For instance, the episode uses a more Western style version of the main theme song throughout it. Also, the featured Monkees song is “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round,” which again has a Western feel and the lyrics fit, at least somewhat. Of course, the specifics and plots of the song and the episode differ, but the “loud mouth Yankee” “down in Mexico” that keeps wondering why he’s sticking around with this chick despite all the reasons he should just leave definitely has some parallels to what happens to the boys here.
"The Picture Frame" begins with Mike, Davy, and Micky entering Mammoth Studios to meet with director J.L. and his assistant Harvey. J.L. offers them rolls as bank bandits in a movie and says he's already arranged a hidden camera shoot at the Ninth National Bank. All the boys need to do is show up, hold up the bank with the list of dialogue, and then come back with the money. Unfortunately for them, the whole thing is a setup to make them the fall guys for J.L. and Harvey's robbery, so once the "shoot" ends and the boys return with the props J.L. reports them to the police. By the time the band eventually figures out that the police aren't part of another shoot and try to explain what happened it's already too late. Mike, Davy, and Micky end up in jail and soon have to defend themselves in court, so it's up to Peter to search Mammoth Studios for the photo that will prove their innocence.
Honestly, I think "The Picture Frame" should've been the first episode of season two, because it's better than "It's a Nice Place to Visit..." In almost every way. It takes a fairly silly (in a bad way) conceit and just runs with it, charging it up with high energy and surreal, Pythonesque bits. Being Pythonesque can also mean silly, but in an absurd and fun way, like the courtroom scenes and when the police station became a movie theatre. The guys also do a great job in it with each of them getting at least one big laugh moment. A couple of my favorites include Mike's ridiculous faces and Davy's greatest line of, "We were shooting a movie! Some cat came up and said, 'You wanna shoot a movie?' Said, 'Yeah, we'll shoot a movie.' So we shot a movie." The episode's so, so silly and so, so great that even its title is a somewhat of a pun.
Another noteworthy aspect of this episode is the romps. One, because they feature the first non-credit sequence appearances of the iconic rainbow room. And two, because they're "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Randy Scouse Git," which are simply great songs. Plus, both show the Monkees doing social and political commentary in both direct and subtextual ways. "Randy Scouse Git" may play at being goofy and absurd, but it goes right for the jugular when it counts. I mean, when Micky Dolenz literally shouts, "Why don't you hate who I hate, kill who I kill to be free?" there is no sugar-coating his scorn. Meanwhile, "Pleasant Valley Sunday," by comparison, is more understated if for no other reason than its digs are couched in such a lovely, sunny pop song. As such, I feel like its one of those songs that can be easily misread if you're not paying attention, like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (though perhaps not as widely misunderstood as that one seems to be.) Come to think of it, maybe "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is partially responsible for my affinity for happy sounding depressing songs.
