Best Taxi episode ever!

dcfrench

My favorite episode was when Alex got his old dog, Buddy, back from the farm where he had been staying for the past several years.

Before Alex went to pick him up, he told everyone at the shop what a great dog he was and all about his great "play dead" trick, where Alex does a Lone Ranger routine before pretending to shoot Buddy. When Alex gets Buddy back to his apartment, he tries over and over to get Buddy to perform the trick, but Buddy has apparently forgotten it. Buddy isn't well and Alex takes him to the vet. After the vet gives Alex the bad news that Buddy doesn't have much longer to live. Alex takes Buddy home and treats him like a king. He even sautes his dog food in a wine sauce. Alex's date one night thinks it is some of Alex's gourmet cooking and helps herself.

Then one day Alex brings Buddy into work with him. Everyone wants Alex to do the famous "play dead" trick but he begs off, knowing that Buddy has forgotten it. But finally, under great pressure, especially from Louie, Alex tries one more time. And, you got it, this time Buddy slumps over and collapses on the floor right on cue. But he doesn't get up and you know what happened. Tony is the only one not to figure it out and makes some inappropriate comment. But everyone else slowly circles around Alex and Buddy and tears are welling in everyone's eyes, including mine. Alex chokes when he tries to say something and Nardo tries to comfort him. The camera goes from face to face and then slowly pans down to Buddy, lying lifeless on the floor. But then, lo and behold, Buddy slowly turns his head to the side to look up at the stunned crew standing there shocked and crying.

Buddy had done the best "play dead" trick any dog had ever done! I literally jumped out of my chair and shouted something like "I do not believe it!" at the TV. The bastards totally punked me. They had me crying, for God's sake. Sadness turned to shock, to amazement, to anger, to laughter, and then finally to sadness again. Because, after the last break, Alex was sitting alone on the bench at work looking completely lost. He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out Buddy's empty collar and broke down in tears. And so did I! And that was the end of the best Taxi episode, or any situation comedy episode I have ever seen or probably ever will see.

score 10/10

dcfrench 11 January 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1569386/