Who would have thought that moving nights and networks would have a negative effect on the ratings? It stands to reason that the two-way trade, moving The League from FX to FXX and from Thursdays to Wednesdays, is mostly responsible for the fantasy football comedy's drop in numbers, especially since it started the fifth season off strong. Good thing Season 6 has already been ordered, the network at least knows that this kind of tinkering with the line-up can be costly and may take some time to fully recover. But a visit from "Rafi and Dirty Randy" should help. Well. If everyone makes it out of the episode alive. What ever doesn't kill you, right?
Dirty Randy's first appearance on The League was in name only, with Jason Mantzoukas' Rafi simply referring to his porn making pal in a conversation with Brian, Tall Guy and the rest before Seth Rogen took on the role for a series of rad cameos. Mantzoukas and Rogen have turned what could have been a throwaway joke into a pretty hilarious recurring character with him showing up on-screen during the third season premiere to help the gang shoot a porno in Andre's apartment. 'Dr. Andre Nodick' was such a success in "Lockout" that Randy returned to film 'The Mayan Acockalips' in "12.12.12" (S4, E11) as well as cameo in this season's premiere, "The Bachelor Draft," as a member of Rafi's dominance league.
But all of those cameos will pale in comparison with this week's appearance (I'm guessing) since Rogen's Randy is not just popping in for a scene with his buddy Rafi, the pair are headlining the episode with their own adventure! Could this lead to a Rafi spin-off? Probably not, no. I don't think a show could sustain that high level of crazy all the time but this one-off (or even annual gag) seems like a great idea. Oh, and Rogen also already has a show of his own in development at FX. It's about Bigfoot. I wouldn't mind seeing Jason Mantzoukas get his own show, however, since he's hilarious in everything in which he's cast, like Enlightened, Parks and Recreation and The Dictator.
And The League, of course. "Rafi and Dirty Randy" was written by Mantzoukas and Rogen and finds the pair on an crazy revenge trip to Los Angeles. After Rafi and Dirty Randy discovered that a friend has been killed, they take a trip to L.A. to settle a few scores and maybe make a few pornos along the way. No more shooting in Andre's loft, it's time to go mainstream. It also looks like Rogen isn't the only guest star for the special episode with the preview also showcasing the UFC's Dana White and Kevin Nealon. Oh, and it looks like Jenny and Kevin make an appearance too. The others? Find FXX to find out.
The League returns with Episode 4, “Rafi and Dirty Randy,” Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. ET on FXX. Created by Jeff and Jackie Schaffer, the series stars Mark Duplass, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Steve Rannazzisi, Katie Aselton, Jon Lajoie and Jason Mantzoukas.
