Sally Returns

"**Sally Returns**"
"Sally Returns"
Flight of the Conchords episode
	Jemaine bumps into Sally at a laundromat
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 5
Directed by	James Bobin
Written by	James Bobin ; Jemaine Clement ; Bret McKenzie
Production code	105
Original air date	July 15, 2007
Guest appearances
	Rachel Blanchard (Sally); Sutton Foster (Coco); Eugene Mirman (Eugene); Frank Wood (Greg); Ramsey Faragallah (Doorman); Murray Bartlett (Mark)
Episode chronology
← Previous; "Yoko"	Next →; "Bowie"

Last updated December 12, 2022

"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.

Plot synopsis

After a chance meeting at the laundromat, Jemaine reconnects with Sally. She is interested in resuming their relationship but tells him that they have no future while he remains roommates with Bret. Jemaine immediately announces that he is moving out but refuses to tell a perplexed Bret that it is because of Sally.

At a band meeting, Murray announces that he has started a "band investment portfolio". He has been creaming a bit off the band income and has purchased some real estate — three stars for fifty dollars each. Bret is pleased but Jemaine thinks it's a waste of money. Later in the episode they learn that Jemaine's star has gone supernova.

Jemaine takes Bret and Murray to see his new apartment. It turns out to be an empty cleaning cupboard, which Murray dubs a "compartment". When Jemaine announces he has to leave on a date, Bret quickly works out that it is with Sally. A jealous Bret takes Coco on a date to the same restaurant to which Jemaine has taken Sally. After dinner we learn that Sally is having a birthday party which happens to conflict with Jemaine's housewarming.

In the week leading up to the parties, the two band-mates launch into an escalating competition to craft the most thoughtful and beautiful birthday present for Sally.

At the housewarming, Jemaine learns that Bret has gone to Sally's party instead, so he abandons it also and rushes to Sally's place. However at Sally's party they both get a shock — she tells them that she is engaged to Mark, an Australian former boyfriend. Mark has given her a BMW, which vastly outshines the creepy gifts that Bret and Jemaine have made. The two are heartbroken.

Walking home, Bret asks Jemaine to move back in. Jemaine agrees and then passes on a message from Coco — she has decided to dump Bret due to his obsession with Sally.

Notes

This episode is the conclusion of both the Sally and Coco story lines.
When Bret and Jemaine arrive at Jemaine's new apartment, the doorman greets them with "Welcome back Mr. Clemaine (apparently, a portmanteau of Jemaine Clement's first and last names)". This is the first time in the series that we have heard the surname of either of the two main characters.

Songs

This episode features the following songs.

"Business Time"

In the song "Business Time",^[1] Jemaine fantasizes about married life with Sally. The premise of the song is that Wednesday is the night of the week that they "usually make love". After some "foreplay" (brushing their teeth) and a couple of false starts, the objective is completed within two minutes, resulting in an unsatisfied Sally and a "sleepy" Jemaine. The song is performed in a bassy spoken voice interspersed with singing, similar to the style of Barry White. The guitar Bret uses in the song is seen hanging in Dave's shop in other episodes.

"Song for Sally"

"Song for Sally"^[2] is Bret and Jemaine's response to Sally announcing her engagement. In this duet, they each competitively describe their love for her and how each wishes that she'd come back to him. This sequence is shown at 60 frames per second instead of the usual 24.

Cultural references

During Bret's interrogation of Jemaine as to why he is moving out, Bret refers to Jemaine getting a "hickey from Judy Bailey". He is referring to veteran New Zealand news reader Judy Bailey.

In the same conversation, Bret mentions his mould collection. He refers to one mould by name, which he pronounces 'Aspergillius Finigus'. This appears to be a made-up name, although Aspergillus (no 'i') is a real genus of fungus. It is possible he is just mispronouncing the word 'fungus', or the real mould 'Aspergillus fumigatus'.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"The Third Conchord" is the twelfth and final episode of the first season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, September 2, 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.

"Love Is A Weapon of Choice" is the sixth episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on February 22, 2009.

"Prime Minister" is the seventh episode of the second season of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on March 1, 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.

References

↑ Track listing of The Distant Future EP Sub Pop Records
↑ Lyrics from Episode 5: "Sally Returns". Official HBO Website

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[ep-1] Track listing of The Distant Future EP Sub Pop Records

[hbo-2] Lyrics from Episode 5: "Sally Returns". Official HBO Website

[1]

[2]