Hi, Caroline here! Many wonder how I came to be the resident pop culture expert and enthusiast that I am. The answer: I grew up sitting in front of the television. I have consumed so many hours of TV programming and movies, probably to an unhealthy level. So if I’m going to be stuck home for the rest of my senior semester, I might as well take a walk down memory lane and rewatch and rehash some episodes of my favorite childhood TV shows to distract myself from the state of the world. In this series, I will be watching the pilot episode of my favorite childhood TV shows and seeing if I still think they are great.
So today I will be watching the first episode of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” For those who have never seen it, the show follows twin brothers Zack and Cody, living in the hotel their mother performs at, and the hilarious shenanigans they and the hotel staff get into at Boston’s Tipton Hotel. This is easily one of my favorite shows growing up (including its spinoff series). In my head, this is one of the funniest shows on Disney with one of the greatest casts. Mosbey teaching London how to drive is the greatest moment in comedy history and nothing will ever be funnier than that. So let’s see if this show is as great as I remember.
Viewing Notes:
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The fashion in this show is something else.
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Carey is a great mom.
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They really leaned into the whole opposite twin thing.
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Esteban is just as funny as I remember. Although I’m waiting for him to say his full name.
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The theme song slaps.
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Mosbey just received a FAX from London’s dad.
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Also just remember the running gag of never seeing London’s Dad face. That is comedy my friends.
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Also some of these jokes went WAY over my head. London’s newest step mom just dropped out of college.
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Mr. Mosbey is the greatest underrated character in this show.
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LITTLE ALLSYON STONER just showed up, I forgot she was in this show.
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I love that they named a character Tapeworm.
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London’s room is so 2000’s.
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The fat jokes are a no from me dog.
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I’m calling it now, the ~life lesson~ of this episode will be the twins realizing that real friends care about them and not the super cool 5 star hotel they live in.
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Lance the Lifeguard!!! I forgot he was also in this and I forgot what a big dummy he is.
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The shark tooth necklace he is wearing is also very 2000s.
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London’s outfit has the words “wink wink” on the shirt and a pink newsboy hat and matching scarf.
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We were so close to having Mosbey yell “No running in my lobby.” Will it happen in this episode? Let’s find out.
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“Mom said we shouldn’t give into peer pressure” “We’re not, we are just doing what everyone else is doing.” Disney comedy gold right here.
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There is a man on a ladder in the lobby and I have seen enough Disney Channel shows to know this is going to end up in a comedic disaster.
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Oh no, the man on the ladder was Esteban! And now he is swinging on the chandelier, holding on for dear life.
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London is again in a whole pink coordinated outfit.
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The friendship between London and Maddie is truly a show highlight.
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Also waiting for the iconic twin handshake. Has not happened yet.
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Also when does London start saying “Yay me!”?
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I have genuinely laughed at some of these jokes. Early 2000s Disney Channel comedy still holds up.
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As I suspected this episode is about ~the meaning of friendship~.
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As punishment for Zack and Cody’s shenanigans this episode, they had to clean the pool’s tiles with toothbrushes. Is this legal?
Good News! This show definitely lives up to all the hype I remember. While there are none of the classic gags like “yay me!,” the handshake, Estaban’s incredibly long name, or “No running in my lobby” in the pilot episode, I still had a lot of fun watching it. This show is so 2000s it almost hurts, but in a good way. Disney loves opposite personality friends and this show is probably the greatest example of that. Zack (the fun one) and Cody (the uptight one), London (the rich and dumb one) and Maddie (the smart and rich one), and Mr. Mosbey (conventional) and Carey (unconventional). This. Show. Knows. Comedy.
Episodes like “The Ghost in Suite 613, ”Fairest of Them All,” and “That So Suite Life of Hannah Montanna” are ingrained in everyone’s memory and for a good reason: this show was iconic. I do not remember “Hannah Montana” or “Wizards of Waverly Place” being this funny. I guess I’ll just have to watch them and find out. Call it nostalgia or whatever, but this is a truly entertaining show that still made me smile. It was high quality kids TV that we don’t always see on cable anymore. So my suggestion during this trying time? Binge watch “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and while you’re at it, its spinoff “The Suite Life on Deck,” it’s definitely worth the time.