Review: ‘Oscar’s Hotel’ “Fountain of Forgetfulness”

Regis Schratz ’16 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Forget everything you know. Let the water wash over you and let it all go. Washed up on an unfamiliar shore, desperately try to piece together why you came here in the first place. The fourth installment of KickThePJ‘s Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures,  “Fountain of Forgetfulness”, is about the all-too-familiar concept of short-term amnesia. In this episode, Oliver, played by Chris Kendall, washes up in the dank depths of the Fountain to find that he has forgotten what he was tasked with doing upon arrival.

Fans of The Mighty Boosh character, Old Greg(Noel Fielding), will love this episode’s antagonist, as the Hermit character design is an homage to him. As a result, this episode feels welcome in the pantheon of British comedy, capturing the awkward essence that made the original character iconic. Grace Helbig, who plays the Hermit, is hardly recognizable in this role as she is covered in sea-creature imagery. Helbig’s character on her Youtube channel, It’sGrace, is a far cry from the personality she has developed for herself.

This episode plays out like a small-scale mystery as Oliver attempts to decipher why he came in the first place. Upon arrival, his memory is so scrambled that he introduces himself as “Avocado.” As the awkward encounter continues, he discovers notes on his arm, in his own handwriting, covered by seashells. The Hermit informs him they are held on by “fish saliva,” which is promptly followed by gross-out sound design.

The sound design sells the story as it accelerates to its conclusion. After discovering one of the notes reading “Kill Hermit,” the tone oscillates between comedy and drama, escalating both elements. As Oliver talks to himself, dramatic lighting and sound cues indicate which self is speaking. Announcing his intentions, the lights dim and sloshing is heard as the Hermit sneaks around our hero. This episode has the highest stakes, the biggest payoff, and the best laughs thus far in the series.

Episode Rating: B