Episode 104: Brendon Gets Rabies

Original Airdate: May 17th, 1999

Cast:
Brendon Small – Brendon Small
Jason Penopolis – H. Jon Benjamin
Melissa Robbins – Melissa Bardin Galsky
Paula Small – Janine Ditullo
Josie Small – Loren Bouchard
Dwayne – Brendon Small
Mrs. Peabody – Paula Plum
Mr. Peabody – Richard Snee
Hippie Cat Guy – Mitch Hedberg

Synopsis: Paula promises to take care of a cat belonging to the neighbors, The Peabodys. Brendon wants a dog and helps Paula to show he can have one.

History:
· This episode is one of “The UPN 5”. Therefore, it has Paula Poundstone as Paula and is 100% retroscripted.
· This is the first and only episode to not have a single scene with McGuirk.
· This is one of two episodes to have the Home Movies introduction (Brendon runs around the house, and stops at Paula, who has his camera)
· Mitch Hedberg (who appears several times in season one) makes his first appearance as the hippie cat guy.

Lawn Gnomes: (Click for picture)
· Bed Shot

Brendon’s Filmography:
· “When Animals Eat Other Animals” – Documentary about life & death and the struggle of animals. Its main feature is a snake eating a rat.
· “In Memory of Alexandre” – Video tribute to the Peabodys' deceased cat.

The Movie-Episode Connection:
· Once again, the movie is a documentary and a video tribute without any connection to the episode that isn’t obvious.

The Plotline Connection: (TheJazzFighter)
· Well, yet again we see an episode where the plots, more or less the same in this case, revolve around each other: Paula is asked to take care of the cat, while Brendon ends up doing it for her

Song Lyrics:
· Dwayne’s Cat Song
{Incoherent} Kitty Kat!
Not on the CD Soundtrack. But meh.

Random Observations & Facts:
· Melissa says, “I don’t like birds at all”. However, in Episode 301 – Shore Leave, we learn that the Robbins do in fact have a bird.
· Pedaruddi’s bag says “Bag O’ Mice”.
· The box at the pet shop says "Cuidado!" Which translates to "Be careful!" (Thanks to Tim for the correction)
· Also in the pet shop are various animals including elephants, giraffes, and a guy in an S&M suit in a cage.
· Line you might have missed, referring to watching the snake eat the rat: Brendon: "So we can view them in captivity, here"
· In the theme of "adults acting like kids and kids acting like adults", Brendon acts too mature for the vet's "cotton candy" analogy, while Mr. Peabody says he enjoys it.
· As the Peabodys and the Vet talk about killing the cat, you can see that they follow the rabid cat’s movements with their eyes.
· Both of Paula’s plants on the window are dead.
· Animal gravestones: Tippy, Zack, Azure, Sam, Grover, Buttons, Bumper, Bandit, Oscar Fletcher, Jasper.

Past Episode References:
· Brendon wears a police hat from “Dark Side of the Law” when he sends out Jason and Melissa to look for the cat.

Movie & Other References:
· “When Animals Eat Other Animals” is (probably) a joke on the numerous Fox specials (When Animals Attack, etc.). Given 1999, this fits.
· The plant Brendon says "needs too much attention" is the Audrey II from the movie/musical "Little Shop of Horrors". (Thanks El Zilcho)

End Credits: “Dwayne’s Cat Song”

Reviews: WARNING: Spoilers

Condiment King: I actually think this show might have the best material of "The UPN 5". The best part of this episode was the H. Jon Benjamin-voiced veternarian, who was just hilarious. "We call it, makin' cotton candy." "I cannot ask the cat questions and get 'honest' answers."

I don't think I liked the Paula Poundstone points of this episode once again, such as the first scene with Paula and the couple who owned Alexandre. There's just something that irks me about scenes like Paula kidding with Brendon, she did it before with hitting him in Sucker Punch. Its like she's not as sensitive or motherly as she is in later episodes. She's not as responsible either, as we see in Parent-Teacher Conferences or even here with the couple's cat and later wrecking. She seems a whole lot more like Stephanie from "Law and Boarders" and "The Wedding", and I really disliked that character.

Paula DOES say something pretty big in this episode though, that she forgets that Brendon is just a kid. That's really an underlying theme of this show. Even though Brendon is a little more juvenile in these early UPN 5 episodes, it really starts to show in late Season 1 and especially later on in the series. Speaking of Brendon, he had some great lines in this episode, such as asking if he was being patronized about his perhaps 'heavy-handed' tribute to Alexandre after it played. In retrospect, a very good episode. ****

StrangerAtaru: For some reason, and I don't know why, there are just some things in this episode I find funny and others, well, that don't work. The snooty couple didn't work (making it funnier when they did interact with Paula or other characters), but the whole situation with the cat, especially after it gets rabies, does work. (of course, Jason does get the best line with the infamous "Don't go searching for something because when you find it, it will have rabies") I also somewhat like the scenes at the pet shop for getting Brendon out there and interacting with the world a bit more. (BTW: Sure McGuirk is not in this episode, but I think that his take on the whole thing could be seen in the "Mr. Freckles" incident in season 2.)

Note: Personally, while I do see several differences between both sets of HM episodes, I just think both of which are of a somewhat more consistent quality that works on a different level for each one. Season 1 episodes, at their best, has funny engaging conversation with the occasional visual bit. Meanwhile Season 2 still has the conversations (albeit without Retroscripting), but has also some weirder bits visually to compliment the actions on the screen. (see "History") Also, sometimes I do think that the characters in HM seem older than they really are, but I guess that could have been the intentions all along. (but even if they are "little adults", they are still kids at heart) And one final note: glad I am not the only one complaining of the overusing of McGuirk.

The Landstander: This episode is very good up until around the halfway point, where it kind of meanders around. The Paula/Brendon scenes are the best in the episode, and probably the best between Poundstone's version of Paula and Small. Jason and a Crazy Cat Guy voiced by Mitch Hedberg also provides some laughs. The Peabodys work as one time characters, but I'm glad they were never brought back, cause I can't imagine where they would have gone with them. As mentioned, following the scenes with the vet, the episode kind of falls flat. It also seems like they couldn't decide on an ending, so they made four scenes and put them in succession.

Still, some good laughs here, and Jason's philosophy on the search (as well as him with dentures) is great. But where was McGuirk? Too much McGuirk can be overkill, but none at all is...underkill. A good episode.