"The Monkees" Rewatch: It's A Nice Place To Visit... (The Monkees In Mexico)

"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.