Animal has always been a wild child. Introduced on The Muppet Show in 1975, he was a drummer so unhinged that he wore a chain around his neck — presumably in a feeble attempt to prevent chaos. He chased famous actresses around, excitedly chanting "Woman! Woman!" He thrashed on his drums and cymbals with rabid abandon. And he won our hearts with every chomp, chase, and shenanigan. In The Muppets Mayhem, however, fans are offered a softer side of Animal, including his tragic but sweet origin story.
In the new Disney+ show, his rough edges of lust and rock 'n' roll are toned down. He's no longer the skirt-chasing party animal. When he shouts about a woman, it's to help a wallflower give voice to his feelings. When his limbs go into a flurry, it's in service of music — and sometimes hibachi. He's still got the chain around his neck, but Animal is essentially presented here as the little brother of the eponymous Electric Mayhem. He's a handful. He's wild and a bit slow on the uptake, but he's family and beloved above all else. And episode 3, "Track 3: Exile on Main Street," reveals how that came to be.
Where did Animal come from?
While the Electric Mayhem is recording with record producer Zedd, Floyd Pepper is stunned to see how Animal playing a single drum strike on a light-up keyboard can generate a whole percussion soundscape through AI tech. In awe, he says to Zedd, "With all these high-tech gizmos, and the way you create your musical magic — just think about it — this band ain't got no need for Animal or his drum set anymore!"
Animal overhears this, but he freaks out before he can hear what Floyd says next: "ALL of us could be replaced!" Instead, Animal breaks the $80k doodad and storms off through a glass door without breaking stride. In a huff, he quits the band and goes on a job hunt that leads to plenty of hijinks. The band longs for him, then seeks him out, sings a song, and they are happily reunited. However, a flashback reveals why this comment from Floyd hit Animal harder than he hits the drums. Floyd is Animal's adopted dad.
In the last act of the episode, Floyd checks on a sleeping Animal, who snores softly in a hammock. Floyd rocks the swing gently, then he opens his bass case and looks upon a handwritten note inscribed with one simple word: "Keep."
From there, the show flashes back. How far? Well, before 1975 anyway. Floyd wears a denim shirt — none of his Sgt. Pepper-like rock regalia — as he answers the knock on a wooden front door, presumably of his home. From these clues, we can assume this scene happens before he was touring in the van with the Electric Mayhem. On the other side of the door sits the darkness of night — and a bird cage, tall and narrow. Within it sits a familiar critter, more specifically baby Animal, then merely a huffing ball of fur, dejected and abandoned. On top of the cage sits the note: "Keep."
From this, we might discern that, like Gonzo in Muppets From Outer Space, Animal comes from a pack of creatures like him. But he was left behind. We don't know the why, but we see how this works out for the little red monster.
Without a moment's hesitation, Floyd plucks the critter from the cage. That signature chain hangs from his neck, dangling down his long legs. "Look at you," Floyd says softly. "Hey there little fella, I'm Floyd." In response, baby Animal tries to take a bite out of the bassist. Far from being thrown, Floyd laughs, saying, "Nice try, little Animal! Come on. Let's go rock." He carries the furry foundling inside, and chuckles, which Animal — newly and lovingly christened — echoes with a giggle of his own. Just like that, they're bonding.
Does this break Muppet Babies canon? Yes, unless you assume the monosyllabic note and birdcage were left by the faceless Nanny who'd had enough. But more importantly, this scene cements Floyd's role as adoptive dad to Animal. Since The Muppet Show, Floyd has often teamed up with Animal, defending him, translating for him, or otherwise allying with him. Here, their connection is revealed to be much more than bandmates or besties. The Muppets Mayhem establishes Floyd as a father figure who raised Animal the only way he knew how: with heart and rock n' roll. Theirs is a tale of father and son, making beautiful music together for nearly fifty years and counting.
In a later episode, more flashbacks will reveal how this duo connected with Dr. Teeth and how Animal first began beating to his different drum. These, too, are charming insights into the backstory of the band that's long been in the background of the Muppets' misadventures. But in episode three, under a cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," The Muppets Mayhem lays down a story that blends pain, joy, and biting. The origin of Animal was a long time coming, but it came about just right.
The Muppets Mayhem is now streaming on Disney+.
