Band Meeting: HBO's "Flight of the Conchords" Takes Off with a Wing and a Prayer (and a Song from Murray)

With just the opening words of the second season premiere of HBO's Flight of the Conchords, I felt as though I had refound my lost Linus blanket, all comforting and cozy and warm.

Say it with me now: "Band meeting."

If you haven't already watched the Season Two premiere of Flight of the Conchords (either at FunnyOrDie.com or right here at Televisionary), I suggest you do so immediately as it's only available online through the weekend. (The actual linear television premiere of Flight of the Conchords will air on HBO on January 18th.)

Just a few quick thoughts about the premiere as my full thoughts on this and the first few episodes of Conchords will come in a full advance review at a later date.

I've missed Bret and Jemaine (not to mention Murray and Mel). The season premiere ("A Good Opportunity") kicks off just where we left off at the end of Season One: with Murray achieving fame and success with new band Crazy Dogs (complete with three gold records) while the guys continue to slog on without any real gigs or money coming in. But they do get the titular good opportunity when they are asked to create a jingle and star in the commercial for a women-only toothpaste called Femident.

It was fantastic to see Murray achieve metoric success and then lose it just as quickly when he realizes that the Crazy Dogs have in fact stolen the lyrics and music video from an unknown Polish band that put out the same song 15 years earlier. (Or as Murray calls it, a "cover song" from before.) His operatic song about abandonment have nearly overshadowed his Season One debut performance, "Leggy Blonde," but that song will always have a fond place in my heart.

Still, it was great to see the guys attempt to find success without Murray, only to learn that they need him to hold them back from any attempts at success. Especially as they don't have work visas or green cards. Or a legal right to be in the States in the first place, really.

And a storyline involving superfan Mel starting a street fire to protest the claim of plagiarism against the Crazy Dogs was absolutely hilarious, especially as she browbeat long-suffering husband Doug for not wanting to light things on fire. After all, why did he even bother to come if he wasn't going to burn things? Touché.

All in all, a fantastic return of the best damn New Zealand folk-comedy band in the business. I don't know about you but I couldn't keep the smile off my face the entire half-hour and I've missed the Conchords' unique blend of witty comedy, absurdist repartee, and kick-ass musical numbers.

Flight of the Conchords' second season launches Sunday, January 18th on HBO.