It’s 2018, another year made up almost solely of reboots, remakes, and rehashes of my once-sacred childhood that consume the various pieces of media young me loved so deeply. These attempts to revive characters from the past have been both fair and foul, but I can admit to you here and now that nothing is more exciting to me (and my mom) than the return of FYI front-woman, Murphy Brown.
Photo Source: Murphy Brown on CBS screenshot by Crystal Spears from The Game of Nerds
In season 11, episode 1 “Fake News,” we find many of the familiar staff of FYI are still friends who attend women’s marches, wear pink hats, and hang out at Phil’s. Early in the episode Corky and Frank turn up at Phil’s to ruminate with Murphy on the jobs they’ve been doing since leaving FYI. Unsatisfied by “screaming at the TV” but “not out of it,” they decide to get the band back together in order to start a new morning show that deals in a long-lost novelty of the modern age – the truth.
Photo Source: Murphy Brown on CBS screenshot by Crystal Spears from The Game of Nerds
In order to really get back into their groove, the gang goes to collect a familiar face. We learn that poor Miles spent a hard two years on The View and is overwhelmed by the current political situation. Murphy, Frank, and Corky take it upon themselves to show him that only by getting back into the news game can the four feel empowered and ready to fight the new world order.
Photo Source: Murphy Brown on CBS screenshot by Crystal Spears from The Game of Nerds
As the FYI crew reassembles, we get a look at Murphy’s life at home since our last visit. She’s in the same house, which my mom and I both thought was magical. Murphy and her son, Avery, butt heads when their careers reach a sudden unique parallel and we discover that her son went into the family business (love it).
Photo Source: Murphy Brown on CBS screenshot by Crystal Spears from The Game of Nerds
The episode’s crowning achievements come in twos here at the end; first with a deep cut reference to the painter-turned-family, Eldin, who helped Murphy decorate her house and stay true to herself. After that it’s a hyper-relevant twitter war with none other than Trump himself that ads a comedic twist to the battle between the media and Trump that we see every day.
Photo Source: Murphy Brown on CBS screenshot by Crystal Spears from The Game of Nerds
The episode was outstanding and didn’t miss any chances to tug at heartstrings or to get a laugh. Stop back next week for a review of season eleven, episode two “I (Don’t) Heart Huckabees,” where Murphy will surely continue her Twitter war with Trump and we will probably find out what the team thinks of one of the Huckabees . . .
