The Nightmare Begins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Invader Zim episode
“The Nightmare Begins”
ZIM arriving at the great assigning
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 1
Writer(s)	Rob Hummel
Director	Steve Ressel
Production no.	01
Original airdate	March 30, 2001
Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Pilot"	"Parent Teacher Night"
List of Invader Zim episodes

The Nightmare Begins is the first official episode of the Invader Zim series. It was first broadcast on March 30, 2001. It is 22 minutes long which makes it a double length episode.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Goofs 3 Changes / Rewrite 4 Miscellanea 5 Quotes

[edit] Plot

In the Irken Empire, Operation Impending Doom II is to begin. The basis: Elite soldiers, or "Invaders", will go to various planets, analyze the planets weaknesses, and then prepare them for the coming invasion by the Irkens, who have a hierarchy based on whoever is taller. The current Almighty Tallest are confident that this one will work...but then a little green imp jumps up onto the stage and is confident that he will be an invader. This imp is Zim, the psychotic megalomaniac who singlehandedly ruined the original Operation Impending Doom. The Tallest hate him, as he is an idiot who'll stop at nothing to be an Invader. The Tallest decide to get rid of him by sending him to a planet not intended to be invaded...Earth. As the Invaders all get robots that obey them, called SIR units, Zim gets a malfunctioning one, called GIR. After The Tallest jam keys, coins, and other assorted junk items into his brain, GIR comes to life. The Tallest bluff their way past GIR's self-evident derangement by saying "it's not stupid it's advanced" and send Zim off. However, back on Earth, a boy named Dib has overheard the proceedings via a satellite, and desperately tries to warn his younger sister, Gaz, and his father, Professor Membrane. Alas, as he's been saying such things all his life, they ignore him.

Zim and GIR set off for earth while GIR sings "The Doom Song". Upon arrival, Zim immediately sets up a bizarre little house, cemented by large coils smashing into the other houses, and creates two robotic parents (to keep up appearances). He disguises GIR as a dog with an obvious zipper, and Zim prepares the "ultimate" way to deceive Earthlings... by putting on contact lenses and a wig. He goes to skool as the new kid, and Dib is the only one who instantly realizes that Zim is an alien. However, Zim covers it up, saying he has a skin condition. After skool, Dib confronts Zim with sleepcuffs that are able to render alien life-forms unconscious. Realizing the jeopardy, Zim runs for his life, and Dib has to chase him down. However, Zim gets to his house in time, and Dib swears future pursuit. However the robot lawn gnomes in front of Zim's house fire lasers at him, disintegrating the cuffs and, frightened, he leaves.

Later, the surprised Almighty Tallest get a message from "Invader Zim" assuring his safe arrival. The Tallest ponder the fact that Zim is alive and well, but also what happens next...

[edit] Goofs

• GIR's tongue is a dark blue from when they land on Earth until he is given his dog suit.

• When Zim lands in the voot cruiser the Irken symbol is one eyed. But when GIR gets out it changes to the two eyed symbol. Then before Zim brings up the disguise menu it changes back to the one eyed symbol.

• In some shots of the episode, Zim has four fingers. He only has three in his designs.

• After Gir gets into the dog costume and runs to the street the voot cruiser disappears

[edit] Changes / Rewrite

• Several character changes were made after this episode, including a complete re-work of the Tallest.

• Originally, in order to be able to be sent to a planet, Zim was supposed to battle a monster called the Digestor. In which Zim gives the Digestor his sandwich Tallest Red gave him, and the Digestor skips away happily.

• Zim's rampage on Irk was originally much longer, but was cut for time. Jhonen stated that the episode would have been extended by 20 minutes if they kept it in.

[edit] Miscellanea

• The two disguises which Zim looks at before choosing are none other than cameos of the creator, Jhonen Vasquez, and the director, Steve Ressel.

• Because of the absence of the opening title video, this is technically the longest episode of Invader Zim ever made.

• This episode was included on the Nickstravaganza! 2 DVD/VHS.