We’ve reached the end of the…Season 11 shows that AIR in, uh…season 11. Look, this show’s weird.
I can sort of see why the CW would want to keep producing S11 material. This season has been stronger than any other to this point, with better guest bookings, more guestless shows, and more 10/10 classic shows from me. I’ve been really impressed with the bulk of this season, and would call about 2/3rds of this season ‘great shows’. Like, we only had one real dud [thanks Gina].
So we wrap things up [as far as I’m concerned] with one last Jeff show from the same taping as E4 and E6, a solid enough taping.
Let’s Make a Date: Jeff must choose from:
Wayne – Butch female coach gathering and training her all-girl wrestling team
Colin – Demanding actor auditioning people to do a passionate love scene with him
Ryan – Chimp being launched into space
Wayne, after setting down enough about his character, goes right for Jeff:

Not too far into this show and Jeff, the Unbreakable, has broken
This is the physical extent we’re starting the show with, folks
Jeff: “…Security!”
I also love, as Wayne tries to get Colin in a lock, he nearly tips over Colin’s chair, which Ryan prevents, but he knowingly knocks over his own chair.
Colin: “Interesting choices, but no…”
Colin, looks at Ryan for 1 second: “…NEXT.”
This is the difference between 2015 Colin and 2001 Colin. He did a similar quirk in 2001 with Ryan, and Ryan was just faintly shaking his head as Colin went in to kiss him. Here, instead of going for it with Ryan, he just refuses to altogether. Maybe because he knows the joke’s been done a million times.
Ryan:

Wayne immediately realizes what he’s doing and cracks up. Then he and Colin exchange a look. They both know what Ryan is.
Ryan’s bewildered monkey face once he realizes he’s in zero-g is fantastic. He then tries turning towards the stage step and gets stuck, and cracks a bit.
Colin, with a meta line that doubles as an in-scene critique: “excellent space work!”
As usual for the CW, the second round is devoid of any questions, just clips from it packaged together as if it happened in succession with the end of the first round. Though it is funny to see Wayne doing his quirk with Aisha as Ryan floats by confusedly in the background. It even distracts Wayne. Jeff, knowing how zero-g works, has to grab Ryan before he floats past him and throw him back into the scene.
Aisha is right there with Wayne doing push-ups and flexing, which is impressive as hell
The push-ups give Colin an idea: “there’s something I want to try:”


Sure enough:


Then Ryan wants in:


Everyone is working together, even Jeff. Wayne does a ‘down for the count’ bit, Colin says Aisha’s got the part, and Ryan asks for a high-five, which Aisha gives only for Ryan to be propelled across the stage again [second time we’ve had this joke in two shows].
Jeff gets ’em all pretty spot on.
Okay. So. I know we have a lot of tight competition with the ‘Wayne waxing’ and ‘horny werewolf’ playings of this game, but this might be my favorite LMAD of the CW version. All three quirks are funny, all three quirks collaborate with each other, and Aisha, perfectly, and we have that hilarious ending where it all comes together. It felt like a combination between 4×01’s LMAD [with Colin kissing everyone] and 5×21’s LMAD [with the bun-tightening finale]. I just loved it so much
Aisha: “and YOU KNOW WHY YOU’RE NOT GETTING ANY POINTS, COLIN MOCHRIE.”
Colin: “hey, I only used one penis…”
Aisha, breaking: “do you have a SECOND that you’re not-”
Colin: “I always have a second one just in case something goes wrong…”
I love Colin
Sound Effects: Colin and Ryan are two Special Forces commandos enjoying a little R&R in Las Vegas when they hear on a newsflash that alien spaceships are attacking the city
THE ONLY SOUND EFFECTS OF S11.
Colin does a dice roll that Mickey gives a loud ‘PWWWRRR’ to
Colin: ‘…I missed the table”
I missed this game
Then, as Ryan does a slot machine motion, Melanie emits a flustered laugh. Ryan responds to this: “IT SHOT ONE COIN OUT!”
Colin: “I’ll try mine out”
Mickey: “RRRRIICK!”
Colin: “oh, I didn’t see the rooster…”
Colin: “I thought I heard a…news bulletin.”
Mickey: “….NEWSBULLETINNEWSBULLETIN!”
Ryan: “YOU’RE RIGHT.”
Colin: “PERHAPS IT’LL BE LESS VAGUE…”
Mickey: “We interrupt this program to let you know that ALIENS have landed in Las Vegas”
Ryan: “Chuck…what program is she talking about?”
PFF. Yes, great move by Mickey, but Ryan just can’t see to give anyone the satisfaction
Colin: “Luckily I brought my rifle.”
Mickey: “RRRRR”
Colin: “AND THE ROOSTER.”
I love whenever they bring something back from an earlier sound in this game
Ryan: “I got the bazooka.”
Melanie: “BOOOM”
Ryan, shrugging: “I *HAD* A BAZOOKA…”
Ryan: “I got a knife.”
Melanie: “CHEAP!”
Colin and Ryan barely hold it together at that sound effect.
Ryan: “it’s a cheap knife…”
Ryan: “Look at the size of that floating disk.”
Melanie: “…WOOO.”
Colin: ‘…WOOWOOWOOWOOWOO.”
Ryan: “You can’t speak their language.”
Colin: “sorry, it seemed easy to pick up.”
So many nice improv moves here
Ryan, nearly breaking on a flub: “I’M GONNA THROW MY WI…I’m gonna throw my wife…I’M GONNA THROW MY KNIFE…IF THIS DOESN’T WORK, I’M GONNA GO GET MY WIFE.”
[Shades of ‘What I didn’t was-know was, OR WAS KNOW…”]
Ryan:

Melanie: “HEYWHATTHEHELL-”
Ryan: “SHUT UP.”
And I’m GONE
Ryan: “NOTHING. YOU THROW *YOUR* WIFE.”
PFFFF
Colin: [gets his]
Mickey: “OH NO, PLEASE”
Colin: “SHUT UP”
Mickey: “AIIIIIIIIGH”
Ryan: “NOTHING.”
Colin: “No, she was caught by that eagle!”
DEAR GOD
Melanie: “WOOOWOOOO”
Colin: “AND THE OWL.”
Then, as they fire up the chopper and Melanie does a GREAT chopper noise, Mickey adds a ‘WOKKAWOKKAWOKKAWOKKAWOKKA”
Ryan, confusedly: “THAT CHICKEN’S FOLLOWING US!”
Colin jumping from the chopper to the window then exclaiming “I’M STUCK IN THE WINDOW” is another moment from this game that cracked me up.
Ryan, walking: “you didn’t have to jump, it’s right here!”
Colin: “I KNOW, I’M SO DRAMATIC!”
Ryan and Colin gaze upon the aliens
Ryan: “Look how small they are”
Melanie, in a very spaced out voice: “…hey Ryan…”
Colin: “hey…what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas..”
That is a fantastic ending line that Aisha thankfully uses to buzz out.
SUCH A GOOD SOUND EFFECTS. One of the best ones of the CW version by far. Mickey and Melanie were so funny, there were so many great bits [the wife bit had me cracking], and it was just long enough for me.
Aisha: “No wives were hurt in the previous game…unless they were watching at home”
Ryan, chuckling: “OUR WIVES WOULDN’T WATCH THIS SHOW…they don’t even know where the MONEY comes from..”
Film Dub: One Day in the Lab
THE ONLY FILM DUB OF S11. AND OH, WHAT A GOOD ONE IT IS.
Ryan’s character begins by looking in a microscope
Ryan: ‘….I wish I knew what I was looking at…”

Ryan: “AAAIIIGH…A…stuffed sheep in my window?”
So already, Ryan’s on edge
Then, Colin’s character appears:

Ryan, now absolutely gone: “OHHH MY GOD!”
Colin: “I have come here for my skin cream!”
I love the horrified tracking shot of Ryan’s character moving away that Ryan dubs over with a ‘HAAAH….HAAAAH….AAAARGHHH…” Like a frightened Bee-Gee
Colin, whose character slices through a curtain: “AND I ALSO NEED A MANICURE!”
Wayne appears as a superhero: “EXFOLIAAAAATIOOOOOON.”
The audience applauds. They know exactly what this scene has become
I love Colin and Wayne dubbing over this ridiculous fight scene. Very Kung-Pow esque quality. Colin even throws in a ‘HEY! E! I! O! U! SOMETIMES WHY!”
Then, as Colin’s character leaps through the window, Colin perfectly times yelling “I’M GONNA GO TO WALGREENS!”
Then, this shot, which is probably my favorite scene in this:

Jeff, as the wife: “Honey, I’m home, what did I miss?”
Ryan, with the most perfect delivery: “You missed Exfoliation Man!”
Jeff, still as the wife: “HONEY, I’M HOME, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?”
Ryan: “STOP STANDING SO CLOSELY BEHIND ME.”
Jeff: “Who are all these people?”
Ryan: “I don’t know but get off my back!”
Jeff, as one of the others: “There’s a spaceshi-”
Ryan: “WHY ARE YOU ON MY BACK?”
Jeff, as one of the men runs out: “AH, OHMYGOD, I’M LEAVING!”
Every line of that is funny. The fact that they’re all on top of each other is just as funny.
And now it’s Jeff’s job to end it, making a phone call. He does a good anti-humor thing by just dialing 5 several times. Due to the long, drawn out nature of the joke, Wayne thinks he needs to save it by yelling ‘EXFOLIAAAATION’ again, but Jeff probably gives him a look that expresses that he’s got the perfect ending:

Jeff: “I’d like to order some American food?”
PERFECT. ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.
Probably my favorite CW Film Dub. Ya hear that? We’re three games in and we have three games that rank as my favorite playings of each on this network. I think this show is doing something really right.
Wait a minute.
Ryan: “And did you see the package he had? That alien was…WOW.”
WAIT A MINUTE. LET’S GO BACK TO 11×06‘S NEWSFLASH:
Colin: “I’m guessing it’s an alien monster with a big penis.”
DOES THIS MEAN…does this mean my favorite CW Film Dub has a callback during one of my favorite CW Newsflashes? Oh my god.
Scenes from a Hat:
“Unlikely Things to Hear in a School Assembly”
Ryan: “just for the record, strippers make more than nurses”
Wayne: “We’ll be releasing you all early today…nah, I’m just fuckin with ya…”
Colin: “I called this assembly to tell you that this assembly has been cancelled.”
“Strange things to happen at a urinal”
Wayne does a ‘talking penis’ mime, giggling at Jeff’s, and then emitting a gigantic roar
Ryan starts up this one:




Possibly one of the goofiest portraits of CWLIIA at its peak
“Excerpts from TV shows that will never get made”
Ryan does a ‘Charlie’s Anglers’ one that gets a smile from Jeff
A decent SFAH. Considering everything around it, it feels a bit low-key, but a lot of it worked.
Greatest Hits: Songs of San Francisco
As Aisha sets up the game, Colin accidentally knocks over a stool. Ryan rolls his eyes.
Aisha, pivoting: “Colin and Ryan are two television voiceover personalities who are EXTRAORDINARILY CLUMSY”
Colin is very goofy in his setting up of the Lil Wayne-Pavarotti number, doing a full interpretive dance which Ryan nitpicks
So ‘Too Many Hills’, this Lil Wayne-Pavarotti song that Wayne and Jeff do, is one of my favorites. Mostly because, like ‘Kelp’, Wayne takes the lead for the first part and Jeff just lingers

Just…looming
Wayne’s Weezy impression is really good, and gives the first part a decent amount of flow. Then, right as it feels as Wayne’s about to slip, Jeff takes over:


“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.”
I laughed SO HARD the first time I saw this. It’s the perfect foil for Wayne’s talky Lil Wayne impression, just a full operatic note at full force. Such a funny contrast
Jeff’s eventual ‘Too fat to climb, too many hills’ note is pretty powerful, and a funny AND impressive capper on this really good song. Right here is where Jeff’s Pavarotti became one of my favorite impressions of his, and it’d show up on occasion over the rest of the run
Wayne and Jeff start the boogie-woogie number with mindless scatting, which is a nice touch
Their ‘Escape the Rock’ number is a fun little Alcatraz-themed song, and both Wayne and Jeff seem to be in sync and working off each other perfectly.
It does have a fun ending, with Jeff suddenly drowning as Wayne’s agreed to let him go first.
A pretty good GH, with one of my favorite CW songs with Too Many Hills, and some awesome Jeff-Wayne work all around.
Overall: One last classic S11 show before the CW-season ends. LMAD, Sound Effects, Film Dub and Greatest Hits have some of my favorite moments of the CW run, there’s some great collaboration all around tonight, and it’s the sort of guestless show that could be right up there with some of the Drew-era favorites. Plus, Jeff was really well-edited, and was responsible for great moments in Film Dub and Greatest Hits. This is a rare sentimental favorite of mine that is as good as I’d remembered.
Show Winners: Ryan and Colin
Best Performer: Ryan dominated almost the entire show. I’m just really thankful he showed up to the S11 tapings in such a good mood.
Worst Performer: Wayne did more set-dressing than anything tonight.
Best Game: Let’s Make a Date felt absolutely perfect, and had so much going on with all FIVE performers.
Worst Game: Scenes from a Hat was good, but not as good as the rest of the show.
SEASON 11 SUPERLATIVES:
Best Episode: E7, the Heather Morris show. You’d think the other Brad guest show would go here, but this one felt stronger to me due to feeling like this entire episode couldn’t be replicated, especially the live, insane feeling throughout. Literally starting energy for this show is Brad accosting Colin as a monkey. But we got the Aisha in drag runner, some excellent guest games, Wayne going mad in SFAH and a really fun GH. Even the Kathie Lee Gifford show couldn’t top it for me.
2nd Best Episode: …E11, the Kathie Lee Gifford show. See? As wild as this show got, especially in Duet and Helping Hands, it couldn’t top E7. But it is one of the most maniacally insane show we’ve had in a while, with Kathie Lee simulating a sexual act with Brad and carrying that through the rest of the show while also being a really fun and game performer. This one had more runners than E7, and it’s still rightfully a classic.
3rd Best Episode: E12, the Randy Couture show. The image of Randy Couture stomping back towards the stage while everybody but Colin frantically runs away is one of the funniest images, and also one of the most clever camera pans in the show’s history. This was a great Jonathan show, a great guest show, and had an insanely fun finale with Jonathan’s wife in SFAH.
Worst Episode: E13, the Gina Rodriguez show. Gina’s lack of A.) improv expertise and B.) want to be there pissed me off and dragged down her games, making it a real slog to get through despite a fun SFAH.
Episode Most Deserving of a Second Look: E4, the Jaime Camil show. A show that I liked at the time that just kept getting overshadowed by more and more great S11 shows. I bet if I watched it again it’d go up in my rankings.
Best Taping: The Brad Sherwood taping, because how could I not? There was this insane, uncontrollable energy throughout with all four performers that touched everything in sight, even if there was less to report in E16.
Taping I’d Love to See More From: Not only at this point in time, but also now, the Jonathan Mangum taping. If you were to only do the Randy Couture show in this season and say ‘that’s all we got for now’, you’d get tons of shit. We’ve gotten 2 more from that taping, yet even that isn’t enough.
Best Regular: Ryan Stiles dominated this season. It wasn’t even close.
Best Fourth Seater: Jeff Davis did the most this season, and had the most impressive moments. Watching this one solidified this choice.
Best Guest Star: Jaime Camil, E4. Nearly went with Kathie Lee, but Jaime put his absolute all into every scene and had the time of his life, even without coming off as ironically funny.
Worst Guest Star: Gina Rodriguez, E13. Gave me the heebie-jeebies.
Episodes Ranked: See my Twitter, @WLIIAWatchdown
COMING UP NEXT: Season 12 begins with the last few episodes from S11. Our first one is a Gary show featuring another staple of a lot of 90s kids’ childhoods.