REVIEW: “Kings of Con” – Episode 8 – “Plano, TX”
On episode 8 of Kings of Con, the convention tour has taken Rob and Rich to Plano, TX and if the saying “everything is bigger in Texas” checks out, it certainly seems to prove true for the trouble Rob and Rich find themselves in. And the mustaches. It definitely applies to the mustaches.
Things seem like they’re going to be looking up for the guys right away as they find themselves in much nicer accommodations than they’re used to. We’re immediately started out with jokes about the guys’ aliases, which had us laughing out loud. The first snag however comes while during check in Rob notices and attempts to hide from Lyle (guest star Ron Livingston), the co-owner of the convention company, and it’s ‘renegotiating season’. Things seem to get back on track while Rob and Rich are on their way to their hotel rooms. Richard is recognized by an attractive fan – Mary Helen – who invites them to a party in her room promising Rich some of her “special pie”.
Rob opts not to go the party and instead heads to the spa in the hopes of clearing his head about Lyle and the impending contract negotiations. Rich takes Chip (Gil McKinney) as his wingman to Mary Helen’s party instead. Rob gets more heat than he bargained for in the spa’s steam room when Lyle appears. Lyle is not only Rob’s boss, but he is eccentric in every sense of word. Things aren’t fairing much better for Rich and Chip at Mary Helen’s party – which is actually her 16 year old daughter’s birthday party. Chip flounders to fit in while Rich and Mary Helen slip off to get some of Mary Helen’s pie. The steam seems to have really gotten to Rob’s head as he finally blurts to Lyle that he needs ‘a bump’.
Things cut back to Rich and Chip at the party where Rich is getting ready to indulge in some “pie”, and Chip finally seems to have found his way into the graces of the teenagers in attendance. This is where one of the best moments (and there are plenty) of this episode occurs – Gil McKinney absolutely had us laughing out loud when the teenagers were talking about Taylor Swift, and Gil’s character, Chip, recites a lyric from Taylor Swift like he’s in a Shakespearean play.
A few moments later, who should arrive but Mary Helen’s husband Mel – played by The Walking Dead‘s Michael Cudlitz – walks in to find Rich with his pants around his ankles in the bedroom. All that suave talking Rich has picked up from hosting the conventions almost pays off and he is nearly able to talk himself out of this major misunderstanding. However, things go south and Rich finds himself taking an unplanned dive from the balcony into the pool. Rob was not very successful in his talks with Lyle, and on the verge of a meltdown finally makes his escape from the steam room where Maury (Kurt Fuller) is waiting outside.
To say I was a bit excited for this week’s episode was a bit of an understatement, after a bit of a hiatus for the holidays. And especially with a guest appearance from Michael Cudlitz. Once again, I don’t have enough good things to say about Kings of Con. The casting choices continue to be brilliant, and the writing is fresh and funny and continues to be extremely quotable every single time. Each episode presents a new situation that Rob and Rich find themselves in and it is never rehashed material and each week I am excited for the next thing that these two are going to get themselves into.
As always, be sure to check out all the latest episodes of Kings of Con on Comic-Con HQ and come back on Tuesday nights for the after party Kings of Conversation on Comic-Con HQ!
