The Muppets have officially returned to their roots, and they brought a modern pop icon along for the ride. In the newly released The Muppet Show special, executive produced by Seth Rogen, Sabrina Carpenter joined Kermit the Frog for a performance that is already being hailed as an instant classic. The duo took on the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers hit “Islands in the Stream,” but in true Muppet fashion, they weren’t alone.
The performance took place in a beautifully realized swamp set, surrounded by a chorus of performing fish, alligators, and flowers that provided “la-la” backing vocals. While it began as a sweet, nostalgic duet with Kermit playing his signature left-handed banjo, the serenity didn’t last long. Miss Piggy, fearing she was being upstaged after her own “Aphrodite” number was cut from the overbooked schedule, muscled her way onto the stage to turn the duet into a chaotic trio.
Reviews of the special have been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting that Carpenter fits the “vaudeville” energy of the Muppets better than almost any guest in recent history. From her “Manchild” performance featuring dancing chickens to her backstage “simmering beef” with Miss Piggy—who reportedly threatened to sue Sabrina for stealing her look—the special captured the exact brand of anarchy fans have missed. As Statler and Waldorf noted from the balcony: “The show’s not half bad!” “Yeah, it’s all bad!” Fortunately for Trevor Decker News readers, the rest of the world seems to disagree.