This is a satisfying episode, even if its premise is pretty trite. Charlie works for a pharmaceutical company. He is wimpy and doormat for a cruel boss. When a huge number of birth control pills pass their expiration date, the boss wants Charlie to doctor the manifest. This is fraud. Well, here's the kicker. The boss has given Charlie a talking doll that spouts motivational junk when his head is pushed down. But the little guy soon begins to act on his own, much to Charlie's chagrin. His manhood is called into question over and over, as well as his determination and will. Charlie does battle because he doesn't want to get fired. A point is reached, of course, where the clerk can't take anymore. It's fun but it's been done before.
5 Reviews
No surprises at all...but still enjoyable to watch
planktonrules15 February 2022
"Mr. Motivation" is an episode of "The Twilight Zone" (2002) where the main character is a mousey man who is bullied by his boss. As part of the bullying, the boss brings the guy a birthday present. This seems nice, but it's a talking movational doll...given to the guy because of the irony of it all. However, the doll turns out to have a grasp of what's going on around it and it becomes the meek guy's coach...getting him to man up instead of knuckling under.
The entire story becomes obvious about five minutes into the show. But HOW it all works out in the end is enjoyable enough that I could still enjoy the program. Nothing great...but fun.
The entire story becomes obvious about five minutes into the show. But HOW it all works out in the end is enjoyable enough that I could still enjoy the program. Nothing great...but fun.
"Just what I need, a kick in the pants!"
classicsoncall11 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The motivational bubble head doll in the story starts out a little like one of those Magic 8-Balls that give a generic answer to whatever question you might pose it. But after a few tries, milquetoast office worker Charlie Stickney (Wallace Langham) starts getting some very pointed suggestions to improve his work and love life by sticking up for himself and facing down a boss that asks him to falsify records at the Trized Pharmaceutical Company. It's not much of a stretch to figure out that Charlie's going to take 'Mr. Motivation's' advice to heart and get himself promoted to office manager after putting supervisor Rick (Christopher McDonald) on the hot seat for his questionable office tactics. With Charlie firmly in charge, the episode ends with a quick reminder to the new boss of where he came from when a new employee goofs on the job, and Charlie quickly corrects what was the same type of bad behavior that he had to put up with in the past.
The joke's on him
kapelusznik1811 March 2015
***SPOILERS*** Treated as a doormat all his life Charlie Stickney, Wallace Langham, a clerk at Trized Pharmaceutics is given by his boss Ricardo "Rick" Rickenhouse, Chris McDonald, this toy "Mister Motivation" to motivate Charlie to do a better job. Tapping the toy on the head Charlie gets advice from "Mister Motivation" in how to do his job which at first he doesn't take seriously at all. In fact Charlie feels the toy is somehow mocking him and making him, by listening to it, look foolish.
It soon happens that "Mister Motivation" starts making wolf calls to Charlie's pretty co-worker Linda, Helene Joy, making her think that it's him doing it and really turning Linda on to him. In fact even though Charlie always wanted to get close to and with her he didn't realize that Linda always had the hots for him and all that he really needed was a push to start the relation going that "Mister Motivation" gave him. Meanwhile Rick the boss is trying to get Charlie to put his both job and freedom on the line to cover up a number of false date stamps on a birth control pill that already passed its expiration date!
***SPOILERS*** With Charlie reluctantly going along with Rick's orders "Mister Motivation" kicks into action thus, unconsciously, giving Charlie the guts to stand up to him as well as impress Linda, who thinks he's a wimp, with his new found courage. Try as he does to get Charlie to do his criminal bidding "Mister Motivation" foils Rick at every turn and exposes his dirty dealings to the company heads as well as the FDA: Food & Drug Administration. Now promoted to boss and having Linda as his girlfriend Charlie also learned to be fair to those who work under him. And unlike the now imprisoned Rick when he put down a new worker Carl, Zachary Ansley, for falling down on the job, like Rick always accused him of doing, Charlie later call back a startled Carl, who expected to be fired, and thanked him for the good work he's doing!
It soon happens that "Mister Motivation" starts making wolf calls to Charlie's pretty co-worker Linda, Helene Joy, making her think that it's him doing it and really turning Linda on to him. In fact even though Charlie always wanted to get close to and with her he didn't realize that Linda always had the hots for him and all that he really needed was a push to start the relation going that "Mister Motivation" gave him. Meanwhile Rick the boss is trying to get Charlie to put his both job and freedom on the line to cover up a number of false date stamps on a birth control pill that already passed its expiration date!
***SPOILERS*** With Charlie reluctantly going along with Rick's orders "Mister Motivation" kicks into action thus, unconsciously, giving Charlie the guts to stand up to him as well as impress Linda, who thinks he's a wimp, with his new found courage. Try as he does to get Charlie to do his criminal bidding "Mister Motivation" foils Rick at every turn and exposes his dirty dealings to the company heads as well as the FDA: Food & Drug Administration. Now promoted to boss and having Linda as his girlfriend Charlie also learned to be fair to those who work under him. And unlike the now imprisoned Rick when he put down a new worker Carl, Zachary Ansley, for falling down on the job, like Rick always accused him of doing, Charlie later call back a startled Carl, who expected to be fired, and thanked him for the good work he's doing!
Mr Writers Block
talllwoood1326 June 2023
You ever have a friend, coworker or anything along those lines who tries to be funny. Is always on. That is always trying to get people to laugh even though they aren't the least bit funny. That's this episode. This episode dilutes and bastardizes a few episodes of Twilight Zone from the 1950s in particular that have dummies in it. Sure it's not a 1:1 remake or anything like that but I'd rather it be.
Most of the leads in the cast are so unlikable. The woman he's trying to get with looks like she would really be there. Dare I say there's even a tiny bit of chemistry in this would work. It seems like this was written by an underappreciated man working a dead end job and this is his or her fever dream.
Just like a few other episodes it was absolutely quantity over quality.
Most of the leads in the cast are so unlikable. The woman he's trying to get with looks like she would really be there. Dare I say there's even a tiny bit of chemistry in this would work. It seems like this was written by an underappreciated man working a dead end job and this is his or her fever dream.
Just like a few other episodes it was absolutely quantity over quality.
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