The new third season of the enjoyable Disney sitcom Pair of Kings - starting today at 09:20 (South African time) on Disney XD (DStv 304) with a double episode - deals with a major and unbelievable (as in unbelievable) plot and cast change.
Although it stretches the premise of the show - a new third, long-lost fratenal twins-now-triplets brother miraculously shows up on the island of Kinkow just after one brother randomly exists for a non-credible reason and who is only seen briefly by a stand-in actor shot from behind -the outlandish Pair of Kings is still fun and very watchable.
The friendly folks at Disney have specially sent over a screener disk with the first episode of the new third season of Pair of Kings for review. The new season started in June in America and South Africa will be less than three months behind as new episodes roll out with a new one every Saturday morning at 09:45 and a repeat on Sunday mornings at 09:45.
Pair of Kings has dropped one thing that made it fun - the theme song. Gone is the ditty sung by Mitchel Musso (who is co-incidentally the actor and one "twin" dropped from the sitcom). In the place of King Brady in the story Disney added/replaced Adam Hicks as the new third "twin" who it turns out, has been King Boz on the nearby island of Mindu.
(The island nation sank during the storm. Yes. A bit hokey, but what can one do besides just go with it. Oh, and the Minduians like to hug. "Hug, hug my people!")
Of course Adam Hicks, better known to the Disney crowd as Luther in Zeke and Luther, is now shaking up the dynamic of the show. He's an oddball-goofball character who can make monkey noises, is more adventurous, island-knowledgeable, and "at home" so speak in the setting, making Doc Shaw's character of King Boomer in Pair of Kings now come across as the "square" one.
Adam Hicks, used to Disney's stage lights, seems instantly comfortable in the going-for-akward mold the role requires and the self-deprecating moments and scenes the teen audience loves and identifies with - from literal navel-gazing and monkey attack posturing to awkward hugs.
Lanny (Ryan Ochoa) is still the funniest in the trying-to-get-rid-of-them scenes as the character, like Disney's Sharpay who is actually more clever and constantly plotting, yet never comes out on top.
Pair of Kings remains well watchable and escapist fun despite the uncomfortable changeover. The third season of the sitcom is sure to advance the bonding process between the two new brothers and flesh out the island plot, backstories, creatures and peoples further.
