Rhett and Link's Buddy System Review: Silent Fight

[Rhett!] [Bagel!] 

"Silent Fight" is interesting because it's a considerably less full-fledged experience, but that's kind of the point. It lacks the outright quirkiness of episodes like "Spa Trip" or "A Frontier Story" because it has to do a very specific job at laying out the foundation of "Missing Link." It can't go for broke if it wants to communicate its message, so it doesn't, and that's why it works.

The basic premise is that Rhett and Link get into a spat and decide to never speak to each other, or anyone else, ever again, and it's a silly idea that slowly drops the harshest reassessment of the duo's friendship yet. To it's credit, though, it's a very meticulously-done episode. It doesn't feel rushed, which is especially surprising coming hot off of a string of light episodes, and it's necessary for it to buckle down on some more essential plot points instead of go full-on crazy. Even when doing so, though, it works surprisingly well.

This is largely in how much it pulls from its supporting characters, all of which shine. Dylan, a vastly underrated character this season, finally gets his due with a large role in the episode's proceedings as the manager in his repackaging of Rhett and Link's nonverbal communication as an avant-garde performance and as Rhett's defendant in the trial, both being golden opportunities for the character (and actor Tobias Jelinek) to shine through - dude was on fire. Ignatius, likewise, was put to better use than ever; upon discovering via news of their new double act that Link was taking residence with Rhett, he takes the two to his own version of court to rule over who's the rightful tenant of the house.

Best of all, though, was the re-introduction of Glenn as Link's defendant, now with a realized vendetta against Rhett from "Sanctuary." Especially for a character I thought we'd never see again, watching him pop up, with less make-up but no less energy, is a delight. Not only does he present some brilliant sidebars, such as his infatuation with the disinterested court stenographer, but his methods are particularly inspired next to Dylan's kooky, but comparatively more straight-laced approach. (Glenn's cross-examination of Roberto, in particular, is inspired, taking advantage of the robot's inability to understand abstract concepts to nullify his testimony.)

The reason all of these supporting characters work so well and leave such a lasting impression is because they become the storytellers, and they ultimately carve out the episode's trajectory once Rhett and Link reach their nonverbal impasse. Watching Rhett and Link's physicality is a treat, especially once they try to begin communicating as opposed to simply not reacting, but the shtick limits the potential for the show's more subtle sensibilities in its writing to shine through since every gesture is deliberately overblown. The characters help amend that, all while filtering the episode's events through different voices for once.

Then, of course, there's that ultimate ending. Objecting to Glenn's defense that the way Rhett was treating him was no way to treat a friend, Dylan argues that Link was never a friend in the first place. It's a tense moment, and tragically, Rhett is forced to agree with the ugly truth. While you could argue that it's a claim unsupported by how much the pair's chemistry improved across the past season, the fact that it failed to ultimately make a difference is particularly devastating.

The way the scene plays out, too, makes the blow all the heavier. Deprived of dialogue, Link pantomimes his final statement to Rhett, but even in its indecipherable goofiness, the scene still comes across as gut-wrenching, and his final break in the bond of silence, uttering one final "Goodbye" before taking his leave, stings. While Dylan threatens to undercut the moment by running around and tossing his letters all over the place in celebration, the joke instead becomes all the more depressing - Rhett doesn't know what to feel, but it certainly isn't the glee of the rest of the courtroom (minus Glenn, who sinks into his turtleneck). Regardless of the humor that the rest of the courtroom may impose, the emotions of our duo feel raw, and the jokes only contribute to the dreariness of the situation in everyone else's inability to recognize the complexity of the situation.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose, but Rhett and Link can't be ignorant anymore in the face of the truth.

Notes and Quotes:
-This episode's music video, "The Kings of Bellevue Estates," is a bit of an oddity in that it lacks a strong connective tissue to the episode. Instead, it feels like straight parody, though I'm a bit lost on its point in the grand scheme of things - it's not like the characters Rhett and Link play in the show mirror some realization in their show-watching alternatives, either. I will say, though, that it completely nailed that crappy Tim & Eric green-screen aesthetic; as someone who hasn't been too fond of Season 2's frequent reliance on green-screening in its music videos, I thought it actually worked here because it contributed a nice dose of intentional campiness. (Also: the "Executive Producer Juincy Qones" at the end, rendered in Comic Sans, was fantastic.)
-Is it bad that I find Rhett's exuberant amount of remote controls to be a bit close to home? Though I suppose that wouldn't be an issue if they just... fit all of the freaking buttons on one remote...
-"This one is actually a Hide-a-Key that hides a key that unlocks this r-"
-"I'm so glad that we were able to compromise with Uncle Randall!" "And who would've thought it would be as simple as still wearing our clothes backwards but turning around in side of them?" "What what what whaaaat!" [Fresh Prince handshake]
-The long take of Rhett guzzling a bottle of mouthwash was perfectly executed, especially with Link subtly slowing down his brushing in the foreground in sheer disbelief.
-Jan from Holdrege, Nebraska's slowly mounting anger at Rhett and Link's quiet acceptance of her welcome cookies was a fantastic bit of character work all around. ("We say 'thank you' in Holdrege.")
-"Screw you, Rhett, I hope you never find that retainer."
-"Hey man, I'm sorry to impose, I found a duffel bag of clams in the alley behind my house again and this time they're not agreeing with me."

Final Grade: B+. So yeah, "Silent Fight" perfectly sets up the season's ultimate culmination; we know all of that by now. But I think it's also an awesome demonstration of how well-conceived the universe of Buddy System is that things can carry on without a compromise to the show's quality while rendering both our protagonists completely mute. It's a testament to the show's conception, to the characters, and to the acting of everyone involved, that "Silent Fight" is such a success, and it's a marvel to behold how amazingly smooth of an episode this is from start to finish. Above all, it's just an admirably writerly episode, and I love it.

For the last Buddy System review of "A Frontier Story," CLICK HERE.

"The new show, 'Dylan Presents: Voiceless,' presents two newcomers, Rhett and Link, who happen to be roommates in real life. For 120 wordless minutes, they made a lot of noise but said nothing. Well, I have one more noise for their show: that of a flushing toilet. War crimes isn't a phrase I use lightly...

...So in summation, this review will act as my resignation from both the world of theatrical criticism and the world in general. Tomorrow, I will fill my pockets with stones and walk into the cold ocean. I'm not afraid of what awaits me in the afterlife because thanks to the show, I've already experienced hell."