Key & Peele

“Aerobics Meltdown”

Season 4, Episode 9

Chad White, Rating: Menchies is Delicious!

Using a period piece as a setting for a sketch has been Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele’s staple for a while now. They went back to slave days and even the Victorian era. They seem to hit their stride when they reference early 80’s movies and TV shows. The titular sketch for tonight worked so well both aesthetically and thematically that I could’ve watched an entire half episode based on that subject itself. Never did I tire of seeing Key and Peele do their exercise.

Who knew there were Jazzercise championships? I sure didn’t because I’m 21 so I’m too young to know about that stuff. The duo went to this territory wholeheartedly by not only writing for the era – and staying true to it too – but also incorporating amazing detail as well. The screen transitions to a fuzzy 4:3 aspect ratio. 80’s Jazzercise music takes over the soundtrack as Key and Peele dance with one another. The shift to wide screen (which was a slow reveal) shows us an entire set and the screen goes back to HD. There is a frantic writing on cue cards telling Key that his family has been killed. But he is also informed to keep dancing. The back and forth between Key, the director, the aspect ratios and resolution are astounding. Direction this season has hit a high (for now) and this sketch, as you can see, has eclipsed most of the episode in terms of greatness.

What follows is a family picnic where Peele is dating a four year old Key’s mother. He’s going to be a future step dad so Peele is trying to get to know the kid. However, Key keeps hitting Peele who does not like being disrespected. It was a funny sketch that didn’t go anywhere but it was fun to see Key CG-ed as a young child.

A Stan Lee sketch I swear I saw this summer came next. Peele played the legendary writer who had more heroes for the new writers at Marvel. They’re old man stylized heroes and make sense for him. Peele’s impersonation really takes over here where the jokes fall flat. It was no better than the final sketch that involved two gangsters at a Menchies. It’s at this point where I finally realized that the show may be sponsored by Menchies. Boy do I love Menchies. I am not a smart man.

Should you watch “Aerobics Meltdown?”

If the first half of this review didn’t tell you how much I loved that aerobics sketch, then I have not done my job. That part of the episode alone warrants a view. And the rest of the sketches have their moments but nothing is truly groundbreaking. Then again, is that what we look for week to week in every Key & Peele episode?