Black Hole/Stimpy's Invention
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"Black Hole" and "Stimpy's Invention" are 15-minute episodes of the animated television show on Nickelodeon, "Ren and Stimpy".
Contents |
[edit] Black Hole
| “Black Hole” | |
|---|---|
| The Ren and Stimpy Show episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 6a |
| Guest stars | Harris Peet as George Liquor |
| Written by | Bob Camp and Will McRobb |
| Directed by | (uncredited, but could be John K.) |
| Production no. | RS06a |
| Original airdate | February 23, 1992 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Marooned/Untamed World" | "In the Army/Powdered Toast Man" |
[edit] Plot
The final installment of Commander Höek and Cadet Stimpy in the first season begins with our heroes and their ship being sucked into the hideous vortex of a black hole in deep space.
After trying everything, including Manual Override, they have no recourse left but to follow the instruction of the onboard computer which advices them to "Start Screaming". Ren and Stimpy make a prolonged, ear-piercing scream as their ship gets pulled in.
They suddenly find themselves transported to a bizarre dimension, where the physical laws of nature do not apply.
After wandering around their weird surroundings, Stimpy decides to split up in order to cover more ground. He actually does split into two Stimpys, causing Ren to freak out. Ren makes one Stimpy eat the other and they continue their quest. After becoming pooped, they take a short break, but find their body parts detaching.
Ren and Stimpy continue to mutate, and also become compelled to follow a repugnant stench in the distance. They eventually find that the horrible smell is, in actuality, a mountain made up of every stinky, old, missing left sock from planet Earth. Ren and Stimpy continue to mutate while Stimpy discovers that if they don't make it back to the "trans-dimensional gateway" by 3 o'clock, they will remain trapped where they are forever.
They finally make it, as it turns out the "trans-dimensional gateway" is actually an Intergalactic Bus heading for Jersey City. Thinking they are home free, Ren and Stimpy board the bus, but are kicked off for not having exact change.
Despondent, and left with no alternative, they decide to implode into themselves and die. Stimpy makes the arrangement with his handheld computer and they wait for the end.
However, before the end does indeed come, Stimpy discovers that he had the correct bus fare after all. But it's now too late and Ren and Stimpy implode. And so does the Ren and Stimpy logo.
[edit] Additional Opening Credits
- Storyboard: Bob Camp
[edit] Notes, Goofs, and Trivia
- According to John K, the episode was a bit of a failure. Ren and Stimpy were supposed to gradually mutate in a progressive direction and become weirder and weirder. But none of the storyboarders knew exactly how to accomplish this plausibly.
- This episode usually shows up as fans' #2 favorite episode in general polls.
- George Liquor appears in this episode in a daydream where he awards Commander Höek a nobel peace prize. Oddly enough, Harris Peet voices George and not Micheal Pataki.
- Look on the Intergalactic Bus to see a weird alien version of Fred Flintstone.
- In the beginning of the episode as Ren narrates "We're trying everything, even Manual Override" as they are being sucked into a black hole, the button Ren presses doesn't say "Manual Override", but rather "Manual Overdrive".
[edit] Quotes
[edit] Stimpy's Invention
| “Stimpy's Invention” | |
|---|---|
| The Ren and Stimpy Show episode | |
 Ren (wearing The Happy Helmet) and Stimpy perform "Happy Happy Joy Joy." |
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 6b |
| Written by | John K. and Bob Camp |
| Directed by | John K. |
| Production no. | RS06b |
| Original airdate | February 23, 1992 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Marooned/Untamed World" | "In the Army/Powdered Toast Man" |
[edit] Plot
Stimpy, the freelance inventor, wants Ren to test his new inventions. Ren however, wants to read his paper and not have any part in Stimpy's idiocy.
He eventually (and grumpily) agrees, and is subjected to truly stupid inventions like The Cheese-O-Phone (which appears to be an oversized telephone handset with a hunk of cheese on both the ear and mouthpiece, as well as a leather chin strap and a microphone), and The Remote Controlled Shaver, an invisible blade that shaves Ren, leaving just his midsection unshaved (while most of his ears, arms, legs and even his upper torso were shaved, making it appear as if Ren was wearing fur pants). Both of these inventions annoy Ren greatly.
However, it's Stimpy's last invention, The Stay-Put Socks (which always stay up, and never fall down to the ankles, but are filled with glue), that finally push Ren over the edge and he loses it, convulsing and contorting with anger and says "You flithy swine! I will KILL you!". Stimpy realizes that he must instead, use his gift of invention to cure Ren's unhappiness.
Stimpy toils away feverishly and tirelessly in his quest to invent the perfect device to make his pal happy. To this end, he uses such tools as a Jigsaw Beaver and a Duck Drill. Finally, his invention is complete.
Stimpy goes to see Ren, and asks him if he is feeling any better. Discovering that he isn't, Stimpy then straps his new invention, The Happy Helmet on the chihuahua's head. Ren screams at Stimpy and calls him a "sick little monkey" as Stimpy uses the remote control to force Ren to become happy. Ren fights the device for all he's worth, but finally gives in to the helmet's control.
Ren is frightfully happy now, and contorts and twists unnaturally in his complete glee. Ren irons Stimpy's underwear and cleans his litter box with a twistedly grimacing expression, laughing in a very maniacal manner.
The next morning, Stimpy returns home with a special surprise that is sure to make Ren even happier. A record of Stimpy's favorite song, The Happy Happy Joy Joy Song.
Stimpy and the forcibly happy Ren, dance around like complete fools, until Ren dances his way to the kitchen and, probably in a defiant last act of humanity, bashes himself in the head repeatedly with a kitchen hammer along with the music, while Stimpy bounces his bulbous butt.
Finally free from the (now smashed) helmet, Ren, in an insane rage of anger, grabs Stimpy in a choke. Stimpy is bewildered as to why Ren is once again angry. However, Ren comes to the bizarre realization that he simply loves to be angry.
Stimpy seems uncomfortable as the final shot is on Ren's insane grimacing face with his twisted laughter echoing.
[edit] Additional Opening Credits
- Storyboard: Bob Camp (uncredited, but revealed in the commentary)
- Animation Direction: Bob Jaques
[edit] Notes, Goofs, and Trivia
- This was first advertised as "The Lost Episode Of Ren and Stimpy" on Nickelodeon. The reason why it was "lost" was because the episode missed its airing slot as a result of a huge dispute with Nickelodeon on whether or not the episode should be animated. John K pleaded with them to give in and let them make the episode, which they eventually did, but not without having Spumco throw out storyboarded scenes that Nick didn't like. These included Stimpy licking a pair of underwear (although Stimpy is still shown sticking them to himself), a gleeful Ren licking the sweat from Stimpy's armpits, and several of Ren's contorted expressions. Nickelodeon also had issues with Ren rolling up a newspaper threateningly and advancing towards Stimpy. On the First Season DVD commentary, John K. mentioned that Nickelodeon thought it would frighten victims of child abuse. Nickelodeon also initially had a problem with Stimpy using a duck for a drill. They had received a note saying "Change duck to woodpecker", with the reasoning that a woodpecker is used to having its beak damaged in a similar fashion and that the duck seemed to be in too much "pain". For some reason, the duck-as-a-drill and Ren rolling up a newspaper threateningly stayed in.
- Jim Smith attempted to contact Burl Ives to play Stinky Wizzleteats (the singer of The Happy Happy Joy Joy song), but could never reach him to ask. After seeing the episode, Ives contacted John K to say that he enjoyed the parody and that further he would have been willing to have performed as Wizzleteats in the episode.
- When the storyboarders could not figure out a suitable way to end the cartoon, John K suggested the strangely anticlimactic ending, which ended up working amazingly well.
- These are the only two episodes in the first season without a closing bumper.
- The 'cheese-o-phone' scene was cut from UK airings though is on the First and Second Seasons DVD in the UK release of it.
- The line in the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song about the little creatures of the world not knowing that they are ugly is a paraphrase of a Burl Ives line in the 1963 Walt Disney movie, Summer Magic.
- Sometimes, "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" plays alone on Nicktoons Network as a short break.
- After the remote control shaver, Ren said to Stimpy, "You...", but Stimpy interrupted him by giving him the stay-put socks; Nickelodeon didn't let Spumco make Ren said, "sick little monkey".
- The happy helmet appears to be a metaphor for (and satire of) anti-depressants or even drug use. The helmet forces Ren to be happy, and as its effects begin to wear (i.e. Ren is lying depressed in bed,) Stimpy increases the happy helmet's effect to encourage him to be happy. This could be akin to either a doctor prescribing medication or a drug addict self-medicating, only to find that though the drug forces her/him to act happier and feel different, but not feel happier. This is unlikely to be a personal reference to John Kricfalusi, the creator of the show, because when asked if he was a drug user, he replied, "I don't do drugs. Don't need 'em."[1]
- This is one of the best known episodes of the entire series for its featuring of the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song.
