I just watched Peter tork and the devil for the first time. Oh my god, that was one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen. I didn’t think a monkee episode could ever be like that.
Watching Peter play a genuine kid with heart in him fall into the wrong place was masterful. And watching Mike play a more encouraging and supportive character for the other three, like reassuring Micky is fine after one of his jokes in court or assuring Peter that he can play the harp no matter what, felt like he was interacting with the audience. We were meant to be looking up to Mike.
Making the song “salesman” play in the background of hell, sounding like a “sinman.” When are you gonna sin again?
And HOW could I forget. Not only do all of the Monkees fight to keep Peter, but Davy goes as far as to try to make a new deal with THE LITERAL DEVIL to take him instead? Unprompted. Immediate.
“Why can’t you young people just accept the devil and be done with it?”
One of my new favorite monkee quotes ever, also furthering to portray the Monkees and Peter in particular as young adults- the next generation. What was the younger generation doing in this time? They were rioting, they were preaching civil rights and fighting for stonewall.
So they ask; Why can’t young people accept there’s evil out there? Why do they insist on resisting it? Even when they directly encounter it?
And Micheal answers the question in the end during his monologue:
“The power of that love was inside of Peter…. It was that kind of power that made Peter able to play the harp, you didn’t have anything to do with it at all…. Don’t you understand?.. if you love music, man, you can play music… all it takes is just love, because baby, in the final analysis,
Love is power.”
And Peter loved the harp. And the Monkees loved him. They refused to accept the cruelty represented by the devil and chose to follow their love instead, and in fact, prove that love is a naturally occurring power that everyone is capable of. So if you love music, you can play music like them. If you are capable of loving, then you are capable of fighting for it.
Love really is understanding :)
(And it’s in everything you do <3)














