Key & Peele, created by and starring comedians Keegan Michael-Key and Jordan Peele, is one of the most popular sketch comedy television series around. Despite its relatively short run of five seasons from 2012 to 2015, it excellently exhibits quick wit, humor, and creativity. Portraying various characters, Key & Peele often satirized pop culture, social issues, and everyday life, with a commendable mix of humor and savvy commentary. The show received critical acclaim while it aired, and has since amassed an even bigger fanbase.
“Consequences”
A former gang member named Donny Herrera, played by Peele, is invited to a high school assembly to talk to the students about life choices, and consequences. After being introduced to the students by Key, who plays the principal, the former’s character starts addressing the audience. He builds up his speech with his first few statements, but when he tells them the consequence of his bad behavior, it doesn’t quite add up. It all goes downhill from there as he tells them more of his actions that have increasingly more unbelievable consequences, one of which involves him being sucked into a wormhole. The students, encouraged by the principal, exit the hall because they believe Herrera to be out of his mind. The twist ending, however, implies that there may be some truth to everything he had said.
“Gremlins 2 Brainstorm”
This sketch is a parody of how the story of the 1990 fantasy/comedy movie Gremlins 2 was developed. A self-proclaimed Hollywood “sequel doctor” – played by Peele – crashes a brainstorming session. Peele deliverrs his character to perfection, imposing himself on the meeting, and hijacking it from the director. He tells each writer to design their own gremlin, all of which he eventually decides will be in the movie. It’s a simple parody sketch, but it is very well executed, and is quite hilarious.
“Gideon’s Kitchen”
This sketch is just a little over one minute, but it is among Key & Peele’s funniest material. A contestant on a cooking show, played by Peele, presents his dish to the chef, played by Key. The chef, after tasting the dish, gives his assessment. However, it is not quite a straightforward answer, and for the duration of the sketch, till the very end, we are not quite sure what exactly the chef thinks of the dish. Regardless, the back-and-forth interaction between him and the contestant is comedy gold, and is sure to get you laughing.
“Gay Wedding Advice”
When a relative of his announces his marriage to a man, Larry, played by Peele, along with the rest of his family, quickly realize their ignorance when it comes to things concerning the LGBTQ+ community. In a bid to show their support, and not mess things up at their relative’s wedding, the family invites Larry’s gay co-worker Gary, played by Key, to give them a crash course on the dos and don’ts of a gay wedding. However, the family has lots of misconceptions of what a gay wedding is like, and Gary’s advice is not quite what they expect.
“Pizza Order”
Wendell, played by Peele, is one of Key & Peele’s recurring characters, and he made his debut appearance in this sketch. Wendell calls a pizza place to make an order, and he is attended to by Carlos, an employee at the pizza place, played by Key. During the call, while in the course of making the order, things take a very unexpected turn, and it goes from a pizza order to a heartfelt declaration of love, with a convincing monologue from Key’s character, Carlos. You really have to see it for yourself to get it.
“Georgina and Esther and Satan”
In this hysterical sketch, Key and Peele portray friends Georgina and Esther, respectively. The two elderly women meet up in church before the service begins to catch up. The dialogue here is truly hilarious, and the scene where they both bully the devil when he tries to possess them is iconic. This is a must-watch for anyone who wants to see two grandmas kick Satan’s ass.
“Weird Playlist”
This sketch does not involve a supporting cast. Key and Peele are the sole focus here, and they are on a drive somewhere. Key’s character, the one behind the wheel, tells Peele’s character to put on some music, and he eagerly obliges. What comes out of the speakers after he plugs in though, is not music, but his audio journal. He tries to take it out but Key makes sure he doesn’t. Some wild things are said, and the atmosphere in the vehicle is pretty awkward, but that’s part of the appeal of this skit, and it is sure to get a laugh out of you. This is perhaps a cautionary tale on why one should not be too confident about being passed the aux.
“Text Message Confusion”
Two friends, portrayed by Key and Peele, make plans to meet at a bar and hang out. While sorting out specifics and communicating through text, the tone of the conversation is lost in translation, and although they are both reading the same texts, each one is having an entirely different conversation contextually. When they finally meet, one is happy, and primed for a hug, while the other feels terribly disrespected and upset. I guess nothing really beats a phone call.
“Awesome Hitler Story”
With an assist from Modern Family’s Ty Burrell who plays a German general, this skit sees Key and Peele play soldiers from opposing armies. Peele’s character is a subordinate of the German General, and seconds into the sketch, they open fire on Key and two of his colleagues, supposedly killing them. Key survives, however, but the General does not know this. He is only interested in recounting his awesome Hitler story to his subordinate, but Peele’s character is frequently distracted by the moving body of the man who should be dead. Despite the serious setting of this sketch, it is undoubtedly one of Key and Peele’s funniest, and will have you in uproarious laughter.
“Substitute Teacher”
This sketch opens with Mr. Garvey, a substitute teacher played by Key, introducing himself to the students he will be teaching. After his introduction, he proceeds to take roll call, but messes it up, mispronouncing the names of the students. He is corrected by each student whose name he gets wrong, but vehemently disagrees with them, insisting they are the ones in the wrong, and increasingly gets aggravated by each student who decides to correct him. The sketch ends with him calling the name “Timothy” on the roll, the only name he correctly pronounces, and the only Black kid in the class, played by Peele.
