Teenager Parker Lewis and his friends, music fan Mikey and the intelligent Jerry, try to make the best out of their annoying years in the Santa Domingo high school, frequently outsmarting the rigid principal Mrs. Musso and her henchman, Frank. Parker's parents work in a video rental store whereas his little sister Shelley always tries to wreck his moves. The super-strong Larry Kubiac slowly becomes his friend. Several stories unravel: Parker accidentally pranks Mrs. Musso so much that she loses her job, so he has to help her get it back because the new principal, Pankow, is a tyrant; Kubiac wins a million dollars; Mikey joins a motorcycle gang; Parker and his friends lead a secret radio show; Jerry has a tough time when Parker and Mikey take away his coat... Parker also finds a girlfriend after a while.
Even though it is a loose spin-off of it, "Parker Lewis Can't Lose" is actually what "Ferris Bueller" should have been—even by today's standards, this cult show is one of the better comedies in the 90s of the TV format that stimulates the mind through its inventive-dynamic visual style, shrill ideas, extremely correct jokes, a good sense of understanding teenagers as well as a likable hero, unlike Bueller. Other characters all have a seal of uniqueness, from the "mean" Mrs. Musso up to the annoying sister Shelley, but a special charm is given by Abraham Benrubi who gave the role of a lifetime as the phenomenal Larry Kubiac who undergoes an amazing transition from a school bully in the first episodes to a lovable gentle giant. In one of the funniest jokes, in episode 1.20, Mike lands in prison due to a motor bicycle gang, and asks another inmate, a punk: "What are you in for?" - "Blowing up the Berlin wall!" - "But the wall was systematically dissembled by mutual consent." - "Told you I was innocent!" The final episode of the first season 1.26, in which Parker suddenly has the worst day of his life, even ends on an uplifting, wise advice from the janitor (Ray Walston): "All that stuff you hear about each day being a new day? It's bull. Every day is not new, it's every minute! One minute you're riding high, and the minute later you're facing dumpster. ... Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. But you're never either one for very long."
The series is the best when it tackles a few grounded, universal real-life issues, found in excellent episodes 2.10 (never meet your idols) and 2.11 (would you choose an ugly person who is your soulmate or an attractive, but shallow one?). Author Clyde Phillips demonstrates a sense for wacky, shrill jokes: from the scene where Kubiac is so "tough" that even his tear causes a crack when it falls on the floor, through spoofing the classic joke of a "disruptive event" just before someone's photo is taken (a chicken randomly flies pass Mikey's face who bursts in laughter before the photo flash), up to clever sight gags (in said episode 2.11, Musso is seen on two TV screens as she shouts "Silence!" so loudly that the left TV screen explodes, and she looks at it from her remaining, right TV screen; the fake split screen in episode 2.09). A few star cameos are refreshing (Robert Zemeckis (!) in episode 2.11). A 'tour-de-force' of the show was achieved in a legendary episode, 2.13, Raging Kube, where Kubiac became a pacifist for his girlfriend, but a new school bully challenges him for a duel which culminates in a howlingly funny finale—sufficient to say it involves a school bus. Even those who completely forgot about "Parker Lewis" still have at least some kind of trace of memory of that delicious episode. Unfortunately, the level of inspiration keeps falling already in the 2nd season, since the jokes deflate into just goofy tropes (too many excessive jabs at Kubiac just being "big" and obsessed with eating; Jerry pulling numerous gadgets out of his coat; Parker having a new girlfriend in each second episode, who then "disappears"); whereas the impression is spoiled by the third, last season that wrecked the show with dry and schematic execution that—despite a funny new character, coach Hank (John Pinette)—only showed that "Parker's" characters went on, but their wit remained somewhere in season two. Corin Nemec's dreadful new hair due didn't help either. However, third season excluding, this is still one of the more positive shows from its era.
Grade:++
3 comments:
I remember loving this show!
This was one of my favorites back then when it was on TV. It was appealing watching such jokes that are both childish and clever at the same time, some of which almost reach comic-book proportions. The duel in the Raging Kube episode still makes me chuckle. One nostalgic clip on youtube even has this tagline from a user: Parker Lewis - back when TV was actually cool.
At least it wasn't the kind of show I would see these days that act all obnoxious on purpose.
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