Bret Gives Up the Dream

"**Bret Gives Up the Dream**"
"Bret Gives Up the Dream"
Flight of the Conchords episode
	Bret as a human billboard
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 2
Directed by	James Bobin
Written by	James Bobin ; Jemaine Clement ; Bret McKenzie
Production code	102
Original air date	June 24, 2007
Guest appearances
	Sutton Foster (Coco); Eugene Mirman (Eugene); David Costabile (Doug); Frank Wood (Greg); Eddie Pepitone (Eddie); James Smith (Maxwell)
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Sally"	Next →; "Mugged"

Last updated December 12, 2022

"Bret Gives Up the Dream" is the second episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords . The episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, June 24, 2007.

Plot synopsis

Starved for cash, Bret and Jemaine apply for jobs as human billboards. Only Bret gets the job however, which causes problems when the band finally gets a gig at a travel expo. Murray and Jemaine confront Bret at his new job, and this leads to a debate on the chicken/egg causality dilemma. Unable to attend because of his job, Bret records his part onto a cassette tape for Jemaine to play along with. Murray decides the tape is as good as the real thing and fires Bret. At the travel fair, Murray and Jemaine's efforts to promote New Zealand are ridiculed by a smug Australian official, Maxwell (James Smith), and his contingent of bikini girls. Meanwhile, Bret develops a crush on Coco, a new arrival to the sign holding team.

Dave (Arj Barker) is not credited in this episode, even though he is seen in a shot in the song "Inner City Pressure."

Songs

The following songs are featured in this episode.

"Inner City Pressure"

"Inner City Pressure"^[1] begins near the start of the episode, after Bret and Jemaine lament their poor financial state upon having to resort to eating food Bret has found on the street. The song and video are performed in the style of "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys.^[2]

"Boom"

"Boom"^[1] is an inner monologue sung by Bret while conversing with Coco, the attractive new sign holder. The song is performed in an electronic/dancehall style similar to that of Jamaican artist Shaggy.^[3] The lyrics centre around his attraction to Coco but are distinguished by the fact that nearly all nouns are replaced by the word "boom". The accompanying video features Bret and Coco dancing in front of an animated background and has strong similarities to The Black Eyed Peas' "Hey Mama" video.^[4] Also featured prominently during this sequence is a 1980s Casio DG20 digital guitar (set to mandolin).

Other songs

The end of "Rock the Party" is seen being performed by Jemaine at the Travel Expo. Bret is not present, but he provides musical accompaniment and back-up vocals via a pre-recorded cassette tape. This song, whose lyrics consist mostly of the words "rock the party", makes an appearance in several future episodes.

Cultural references

The Toothbrush fence that Murray refers to is an existing attraction. It can be found near Te Pahu, a small town 30 km southwest of the city of Hamilton, New Zealand.^[5] It is one of a number of other novelty fence tourist attractions that can be found in New Zealand, such as the Cardrona Bra Fence.

Broadcast and reception

"Bret Gives Up the Dream" debuted on HBO on June 24, 2007. The episode received over 973,000 viewers, a decrease from the first episode's 1.2 million views.^[6]

Related Research Articles

Flight of the Conchords is an American sitcom that was first shown on HBO on June 17, 2007. The show follows the adventures of Flight of the Conchords, a two-man band from New Zealand, as its members seek fame and success in New York City. The show stars the real-life duo of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, who play fictionalized versions of themselves. A second season was announced on August 17, 2007, and shown from January 18, 2009. On December 11, 2009, HBO canceled the series after two seasons and the duo announced that the series is not going to be returning for a third season.

"Sally" is the pilot episode of the American television sitcom Flight of the Conchords. It first aired on HBO on June 17, 2007. In this episode, New Zealanders Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of the band Flight of the Conchords have moved to New York City to try to make it in the United States. At a party, Jemaine falls for, and subsequently begins dating, Sally—Bret's former girlfriend. As Jemaine's attentions focus on Sally, a lonely Bret is forced to deal with the advances of Mel, the band's obsessed—and only—fan. Meanwhile, Murray, the band's manager, helps the band film their first music video, although they cannot afford decent costumes or proper video equipment.

"Mugged" is the third episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. It first aired in the United States on Sunday, July 1, 2007.

"Yoko" is the fourth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. It first aired in the United States on Sunday, July 8, 2007.

"Sally Returns" is the fifth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. It first aired in the United States on Sunday, July 15, 2007.

"Bowie" is the sixth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. The episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, 22 July 2007.

"Drive By" is the seventh episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, July 29, 2007.

"Girlfriends" is the eighth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, August 5, 2007.

"What Goes on Tour" is the ninth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, August 12, 2007.

"New Fans" is the tenth episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, August 19, 2007.

The Actor (<i>Flight of the Conchords</i>) 11th episode of the 1st season of Flight of the Conchords

"The Actor" is the eleventh episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, August 26, 2007.

"A Good Opportunity" is the first episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States and Canada on January 18, 2009. It was released online to US residents at Funny or Die on December 17, 2008.

"The New Cup" is the second episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords, and the series' fourteenth episode overall. This episode first aired in the United States on January 25, 2009. The episode was directed by James Bobin and written by Duncan Sarkies. In this episode, Bret and Jemaine's fortunes unravel after Bret buys a new teacup. With emergency band funds unavailable, Jemaine takes desperate measures in hopes of supplementing their income.

"The Tough Brets" is the third episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords, first broadcast in the United States on February 1, 2009.

"Murray Takes It to the Next Level" is the fourth episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on February 8, 2009. In the episode, Murray tries to elevate Bret and Jemaine on his friendship graph, bringing his questioning pal Jim in on the plan. Mel demands an apology from Bret for inappropriate behavior that she dreamed about.

"Unnatural Love" is the fifth episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords, and the seventeenth episode overall. It first aired on February 15, 2009. The episode was directed by Michel Gondry and written by Iain Morris and Damon Beesley. Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of the band Flight of the Conchords star as fictional versions of themselves. The plot focuses on Jemaine's forbidden romance with the Australian Keitha, which chagrins his fellow New Zealanders Bret and Murray, the band's manager.

"New Zealand Town" is the eighth episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on March 8, 2009.

"Wingmen" is the ninth episode of the second season and twenty first overall of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on March 15, 2009. It is the penultimate episode of the second season.

"Evicted" is the final episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on March 22, 2009.

The toothbrush fence is a roadside attraction in Te Pahu, Waikato, New Zealand.

References

1 2 Lyrics from Episode 2: "Bret Gives up the Dream". Official HBO Website
↑ Fickett, Travis (2007-07-15). "Ready To Soar". IGN . Retrieved 2007-07-16.
↑ Shaggy - "Boombastic" (YouTube)
↑ Black Eyed Peas - "Hey Mama" (YouTube)
↑ Te Pahu Toothbrush Fence
↑ Levin, Gary (26 June 2007). "Nielsens: For openers, try 'Closer'". USA Today. Retrieved 15 February 2012.

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[hbo-1] 1 2 Lyrics from Episode 2: "Bret Gives up the Dream". Official HBO Website

[IGN-2] Fickett, Travis (2007-07-15). "Ready To Soar". IGN . Retrieved 2007-07-16.

[shaggy-3] Shaggy - "Boombastic" (YouTube)

[heymama-4] Black Eyed Peas - "Hey Mama" (YouTube)

[5] Te Pahu Toothbrush Fence

[usat-6] Levin, Gary (26 June 2007). "Nielsens: For openers, try 'Closer'". USA Today. Retrieved 15 February 2012.

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