Mission Hill Episode
Capsule
Episode #11
"DAY OF THE JACKASS" (Or,"Stories
of Hope and Forgiveness")
With loads and loads of contributions by tacosalad97124
Some information taken from TV Tome
Production Code: 3950-11
Original Airdate: July 28, 2002 (Cartoon Network Adult
Swim)
Written by: Dan McGrath
Directed by: Christian Roman
Guest stars:
David Clennon as The Boss
Dave Thomas (voice of unknown)
Synopsis:
Oblivious to a world crisis that is brewing, Andy meets a teen actress,
Becka Michelle Butterfield, who asks him to go to the Grammys with her.
Unfortunately, things go wrong due to the town's fixation on the continuing
crisis, while Andy brushes it off. Meanwhile, Toby decides to walk to
school and ends up being pursued (albeit slowly) by a rabid (but eerily calm)
dog. In the midst of all this, Posey meditates to find her inner self,
destroying all her personal demons.
Due to a series of mishaps, Andy and Kevin end up handcuffed to a segment of
iron fence. Kevin is freed, but Andy is not, so Kevin runs to go get help,
leaving Andy on the street. At that moment, Toby comes along with the
rabid dog in tow. The rabid, quiet dog turns into a rabid, angry dog who
corners Andy and Toby in an alley, cowering behind the iron fence Andy is bound
to.
Kevin, now unable to find his brother, goes to the Grammys, wearing a tuxedo
meant for Andy to tell Becka Michelle Butterfield what happened. He talks
to her and tells her a line his mother used to say about tolerance, "It
takes all kinds of fruits, to make fruit cup." Finding the line
inspirational, Becka recites the line as she presents an award. Her
recital of that line is accredited to a sudden peace talk and the world crisis
is averted.
While still in the alley, Andy finds out about Kevin's day at the Grammys and
in a rage hits the rabid dog with the iron fence (don't worry animal lovers, the
dog is just stunned). He then drags the heavy iron fence home in the
pouring rain, while reminders of Kevin's accomplishment play out on every TV he
passes by. The noise he makes wakes Posey from her meditative trance just
as she sees her inner being.
Kevin returns, happy and thankful to Andy for making it possible for him to
go to the Grammys, and gives Andy a note from Becka, who explains she's winning
an award next week and wants him to come see it. It turns out it's the
Nobel Peace Prize.
Notes
- This episode marks the first appearance of The Concerned Businessman. That's the respecable-looking man on the street who
maniacally says "Penis! Penis! Penis!" He appears again in episode 12 ("Happy Birthday, Kevin") and would have appeared twice
more in episode 18 ("Bye Bye Nerdie").
- Scene: Andy and Jim drive to work, the radio announces the upcoming Grammy Awards. Every celebrity the announcer lists has a three-word
name. (eg: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Melissa Joan Hart, Becca Michelle
Butterfield, Jonathan Taylor-Thomas)
- Lots of fun background messages in this episode. In Pot Roasters Coffee Shop there's a poster that you can decipher a little at a
time. (It says "Enjoy the natural sounds of maracas and wolves")
- Poster in the window of Savior Faire Germ-Free Tuxedo Rental: "Don't let residual bodily fluids ruin your big night,
Go Germ-Free!"
- Continuity error (minor): In the scene where Andy dons a welding mask and tries to cut his handcuffs with a torch, he is wearing his
baseball cap backwards. But as he tries to chase Kevin the baseball cap instantly turns around so it's
facing forward.
- Act 3 concludes with a view through the bathroom window, showing Andy relaxing in the tub. But the exterior view reveals the wrong
side of the building, and the window is in Carlos & Natalie's apartment. This was a bit of artistic
license, not a real mistake. The team originally decided to include a window in the bathroom even
though it wasn't located on an exterior wall.
- Cartoon Network airs this episode without closing credits, disclaimers, or copyright. This is unintentional. The final stinger
scene, which shows Becca recieving a Nobel Prize, was slated to play in the promo pane during the WB's split-screen credits. When the
episode was syndicated, the stinger was spliced in place of the credits. (Otherwise the footage wouldn't have been included at all!)
- BLING BLONG ANAL DETAIL: At the end of Act 1 Andy bursts into the street of Cosmopolis Times Square and cries "The is the best day
of my life!" The scrolling news ticker in the background was not present on the original film, but
was electronically added to the video during post production.
-The first title of this episode, "Day of the Jackass", is likely a
parody of the 1973 film "The Day of the Jackal."
Music
- "Arctic Cat" by The Gloria Record is playing on Jim's car
radio before the DJ comes on with Grammy news.
