Ep 7. Cracked China

In the seventh episode of the second season of Robot Chicken, titled "Cracked China," viewers are in for a hilarious ride as the show pokes fun at a whole host of pop culture icons and references. True to form for the show, this episode is a mish-mash of various sketches that range from absurd to borderline genius.

One of the running gags in this episode centers around a group of barbarians who embark on a series of heists and shenanigans. Featuring some truly ridiculous scenarios, such as a barbarian robbing a hot dog vendor, this sketch is sure to have viewers rolling their eyes and laughing out loud in equal measure.

Another standout sketch features the members of the band Journey going on an adventure in space. If that sounds bizarre, it's because it is. But somehow the show manages to make it work, with lines like "I think we're all a little scared right now, but mostly it's just Steve Perry" landing perfectly.

Other sketches in the episode touch on everything from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series (with a hilarious bit about a wizarding school that doesn't go quite as planned) to the Biblical story of Moses. Some of the side-splitting highlights include a Batman sketch that reimagines the Caped Crusader as a bumbling detective, and a spoof on the popular crime show Cops that features an all-Muppet cast.

One area where this episode really shines is in its clever use of various media formats. For example, one sketch features a fake commercial for a board game called "Chinese Checkers." The board game appears to be a perfectly normal version of Chinese Checkers at first… until you realize that the checklist included with the game includes ridiculous tasks like "Ask someone for directions to the restroom in Mandarin" and "Do the complete Chinese Water Torture Test on someone named Steve."

But perhaps the sketch that ties the entire episode together is a recurring bit that takes place in a fictional restaurant called "Cracked China." In each iteration of this sketch, two chefs argue about various bits of trivia related to pop culture, such as whether or not Kermit the Frog is a vegan. The back-and-forth is utterly ridiculous, but it's the kind of absurd humor that Robot Chicken excels at.

Overall, "Cracked China" is a fantastic episode of Robot Chicken that is sure to please both die-hard fans of the show and casual viewers alike. With its clever use of various pop culture references and its completely off-the-wall sense of humor, it's an episode that will have viewers laughing and shaking their heads in disbelief from start to finish. Whether you're looking for a quick, funny pick-me-up or a longer viewing experience that will keep you entertained for over 20 minutes, this episode is well worth checking out.