Let It Be (King of Queens episode)
“This was 'orrible! I could have written this crap!”
"Let It Be" is the final episode of the long-running television sitcom The King of Queens. It aired on CBS May 14, 2007, to modest ratings and mixed reviews. The episode was written by series stars Kevin James, Evil Kevin James, Jerry Stiller, and Victor Williams, as well as series writers Bob Carrol, Jr., and Robert Petrie... and also guest starred Henry Winkler, Lou Ferrigno, Lemmy, George W. Bush, Josh Server, Michael Bay, Rob Zombie and the cast of Halloween, and Charles Nelson Reilly in his final role.
Plot[edit]
After executing Spence (Patton Oswalt) for homosexuality, King Doug (Kevin James) finds himself in hot water with the general public, who wants him impeached. Everybody has turned against Doug: His wife Carrie (Scout-Taylor Compton), his father-in-law King Arthur (Jerry Stiller), his royal adviser Deacon (Victor Williams), and even Spence's best friend Lou Ferrigno (himself). But after President George W. Bush (himself) issues a warrant for Doug's death, and after a series of murders by a serial killer named Michael Myers (Tyler Mane), Doug takes advantage of the situation in order to improve his public image.
After running into Josh Server (himself) one day at the electronics store, he tells Doug that the next murder is expected to take place at a Motorhead concert. Doug buys a leather jacket and claims to be The Fonz in order to obtain an all-access pass to the concert, but when the real Henry Winkler (himself) shows up, the preteen bouncer (Daeg Faerch) grabs a kitchen knife and stabs Doug repeatedly until an elderly psychiatrist named Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell) arrives at the scene. Doug then tells Loomis that he is trying to capture Michael Myers, and Loomis tells Doug that he is Myers's doctor; they both agree to help out in capturing him. Meanwhile, Henry Winkler has to wait forty-five minutes for Lemmy (himself) to find a pen for his autograph. Unfortunately, Michael has left the building and nobody knows where he is.
At the Queens Police Department, they run into Sheriff Brackett (Brad Dourif), and his deputy Barney Fife (Charles Nelson Reilly), who agree to help capture Myers and send him back to Smith's Grove Sanitarium. They discover that Michael Myers is headed toward Doug's castle. Doug is afraid that Myers may kill Carrie, Arthur, or Deacon. On their way to Doug's house they run into Michael Bay (himself), who grants permission for the guys to use his Transformers.
At the end of the episode, after Myers is captured and a after a series of clips, Rob Zombie (himself) comes out and explains that Dimension Films and CBS had created this episode for the purpose of promoting the upcoming remake of Halloween, opening August 31, 2007. Zombie explained that:
“Dimension Films approached several different networks about doing a Halloween episode of one of their shows. American Idol didn't work; Fox hated the idea. We wanted Michael to kill off the eliminated contestants, leaving only the winner standing, but Fox said no. Also, Simon Cowell kept telling me that McDowell made Loomis look gay.
Then we tried 24, but we had too many script problems. We hated Fox's ideas, and Fox hated our ideas.
Then we went to ABC, NBC,... We even tried to do My Name is Earl and The Office episodes, with no prevail. So, we decided to just do this piece of crap, and it worked... I hope.”
Then Tyler Bates' version of John Carpenter's Halloween theme played during the credits.
Trivia[edit]
- It is never explained why Leah Remini was replaced by Scout-Taylor Compton. But it is believed that they wanted to work Scout (who plays Laurie Strode in Rob Zombie's Halloween) into the episode in some way, shape, or form. Others believe that she abruptly left due to salary disputes, internal conflict, and a really bad ego trip.
- The tension between the regular King of Queens cast was so bad that the show's producer George Martin served as a mediator during any fights.
- The only people who bothered watching this episode are fans of the Halloween Series of horror movies who are pumped up to see Rob Zombie's remake in theaters August 31, 2007.