Los Angeles California
Uncle Kermit hadn't told him what had happened. Not when he'd called and asked Robin to go to California. But Robin could tell that something was wrong. He left a note for Pepe, and called Anastasia to let them know he had to go away for a few days. Then he hopped a portal for the Muppet theater.
Kermit wasn't there when Robin arrived, but most of the rest of the gang were there.
Kermit had asked them to do a tribute to a man named Jim Henson. The problem was, none of them knew who Jim Henson was. And Kermit had not yet arrived from New York to tell them. (this was before cell phones were widespread)
When Robin saw a picture of Jim Henson, he realized who the man who had chatted with him the previous summer had been. “Hey, I remember this Jim Henson fella!” he exclaimed. And now he remembered where he had seen him before that. “Yeah he was always hangin' around.”
“Where?” Fozzie asked.
“Uh,” Robin said, “Down there.” He looked down towards his feet.
The others looked down as well.
“Hey!” Clifford said. “Who are those guys?”
“I don't know.” Robin said. “But they're still following us around.”
“Hey look!” Gonzo pointed out. “When we move, they move! Try it!”
After a few moments, Fozzie stopped them. “Okay don't even look at them anymore, it's too weird.”
Over the course of the next half hour, the Muppets learned more and more about Jim, with help from some of the celebrities who had worked with them in the past, and some archive footage Kermit had provided.
Finally, they thought they were ready. That was when Fozzie found the file folder filled with fan letters to Kermit and Jim. Fozzie began to read them aloud.
“I feel very sorry, that your best friend Jim died.” Fozzie read. There was a stunned silence.
Robin felt an ache in his heart and a lump in his throat when he realized what had happened to make his uncle ask them to come. Now he knew what was wrong when he got the call.
“Jim died?” Gonzo said sadly. “But, we were just starting to get to know him.”
One by one, they each read one of the letters. Piggy almost couldn't finish, she was very close to crying.
“We will miss you Jim Henson.” Robin read. “Matt.”
“Cancel.” Fozzie said softly. After everything they had learned, nothing they had prepared seemed to measure up. “We can't do a tribute to him.” Fozzie despaired.
Robin touched his arm. “Kermit thought we could.” he said. Robin, possibly more than many of the Muppets had seen very strange things, had seen people triumph over adversity most people couldn't even imagine. He believed they could solve this problem.
“Oh but Robin,” Fozzie said, “All we have are silly songs and whoopie cushions.”
“Maybe that's enough. That's what Uncle Kermit says. You take what you got, and you fly with it.”
“Fly with it? Kermit says that?”
“I think he learned it from Jim. You know this Jim Henson may be gone but, maybe he's still here too, inside us. Believing in us.” Years ago, Bernadette Peters had lifted Robin's spirits with an inspirational song. It held a special place in Robin's heart and he began to sing it now.
By the time the song was done, the rest of the Muppets had joined in. And then they noticed that Kermit had arrived.
“That was great.” he praised them. “But, do you have something silly you could end with?”
“Silly?” Fozzie asked incredulously. "Do we have something silly?"
Come on Uncle Kermit, look who you're talking to.
[Cut for sadness and "character" death. Dialogue lifted from "The Muppets Remember Jim Henson".]
Kermit wasn't there when Robin arrived, but most of the rest of the gang were there.
Kermit had asked them to do a tribute to a man named Jim Henson. The problem was, none of them knew who Jim Henson was. And Kermit had not yet arrived from New York to tell them. (this was before cell phones were widespread)
When Robin saw a picture of Jim Henson, he realized who the man who had chatted with him the previous summer had been. “Hey, I remember this Jim Henson fella!” he exclaimed. And now he remembered where he had seen him before that. “Yeah he was always hangin' around.”
“Where?” Fozzie asked.
“Uh,” Robin said, “Down there.” He looked down towards his feet.
The others looked down as well.
“Hey!” Clifford said. “Who are those guys?”
“I don't know.” Robin said. “But they're still following us around.”
“Hey look!” Gonzo pointed out. “When we move, they move! Try it!”
After a few moments, Fozzie stopped them. “Okay don't even look at them anymore, it's too weird.”
Over the course of the next half hour, the Muppets learned more and more about Jim, with help from some of the celebrities who had worked with them in the past, and some archive footage Kermit had provided.
Finally, they thought they were ready. That was when Fozzie found the file folder filled with fan letters to Kermit and Jim. Fozzie began to read them aloud.
“I feel very sorry, that your best friend Jim died.” Fozzie read. There was a stunned silence.
Robin felt an ache in his heart and a lump in his throat when he realized what had happened to make his uncle ask them to come. Now he knew what was wrong when he got the call.
“Jim died?” Gonzo said sadly. “But, we were just starting to get to know him.”
One by one, they each read one of the letters. Piggy almost couldn't finish, she was very close to crying.
“We will miss you Jim Henson.” Robin read. “Matt.”
“Cancel.” Fozzie said softly. After everything they had learned, nothing they had prepared seemed to measure up. “We can't do a tribute to him.” Fozzie despaired.
Robin touched his arm. “Kermit thought we could.” he said. Robin, possibly more than many of the Muppets had seen very strange things, had seen people triumph over adversity most people couldn't even imagine. He believed they could solve this problem.
“Oh but Robin,” Fozzie said, “All we have are silly songs and whoopie cushions.”
“Maybe that's enough. That's what Uncle Kermit says. You take what you got, and you fly with it.”
“Fly with it? Kermit says that?”
“I think he learned it from Jim. You know this Jim Henson may be gone but, maybe he's still here too, inside us. Believing in us.” Years ago, Bernadette Peters had lifted Robin's spirits with an inspirational song. It held a special place in Robin's heart and he began to sing it now.
By the time the song was done, the rest of the Muppets had joined in. And then they noticed that Kermit had arrived.
“That was great.” he praised them. “But, do you have something silly you could end with?”
“Silly?” Fozzie asked incredulously. "Do we have something silly?"
Come on Uncle Kermit, look who you're talking to.
[Cut for sadness and "character" death. Dialogue lifted from "The Muppets Remember Jim Henson".]