Jinxed (TUGS episode)

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"Jinxed" was the fourth episode of TUGS. The guest star is Boomer who's jinxed. His voicer was Lee Cornes.

[edit] Brief Synopsis

One night, Ten Cents and Sunshine find a mysterious tug out at sea, whose name is Boomer. He isn’t moving, of which it would seem he has broken down. Ten Cents and Sunshine offer to help, but Boomer doesn’t want any. He says how he is a “jinx”, and is why he doesn’t want anything to do with anybody. He used to be called Captain Harry, he says, but when he was sold, the new owner painted over his original name and renamed him Boomer, causing the supposed jinx. And it would appear true, upon Ten Cent’s tow rope, which he attaches to Boomer, falls into the sea!

The tugs bring Boomer to Captain Star, who says for Sunshine to fetch coal for him. But when Boomer is restoked and he starts up, his engine blows! Captain Star orders Boomer out of there! And once he is, his engine strangely stops smoking. Could there really be a jinx? It would seem even more so when Captain Star drops his megaphone to the ground below! He tells the tugs to take Boomer to Lucky’s Yard.

Later, Boomer starts rapidly taking in water all of a sudden, of which it would appear the jinx is still there with him. As Boomer sinks lower and lower, he is most happy. But luckily, he comes to rest on a garbage barge which sunk sometime ago. Ten Cents goes to get a rescue crane, in the likes of Mighty Mo. Mo tries to lift Boomer, and it would seem all is going well until… Mo’s crane ceases up. “Another jinx,” Sunshine sighs. Ten Cents and Sunshine finally approach Lucky’s Yard that night. Big Mac and O.J. are there to relieve them of the cranes. A raft construction is ready for Boomer. Suddenly, the lights go out, no-one can see, and calamity ensues, but luckily no-one is hurt.

Boomer is repaired, and begins working for the Z Stacks, on the munitions contract. As he passes Zip, Zug and Boomer by, who are hauling a barge of explosives, Ten Cents toots good luck to Boomer on his hooter, and the load explodes! Jinx?

Captain Zero gets rid of Boomer as soon as possible, afraid he will cause more disaster. Captain Star takes him back, but will this prove good or bad?

Ten Cents and Sunshine have just finished delivering some barges, when Sunshine comes up with the idea that Ten Cents blowing his hooter may be the cause of the Boomer incidents. Ten Cents thinks such a theory nonsense – until he tries his hooter when he sees Boomer again, in a sort of test, which seems to cause a marker buoy to sink! Sunshine is now positive, and Ten Cents is absolutely bewildered!

The next day, Captain Star gives Boomer a simple task of towing a schooner out to sea, in which he hopes nothing could possibly go wrong.

Ten Cents and Sunshine escort Boomer to the old wharf where the schooner is. Boomer starts away with success; Ten Cents all the while being sure not to blow his hooter!

Later, Ten Cents and Sunshine are working with Big Mac and O.J., when they see Boomer being towed in by the Fire Launch. Boomer says he was struck by lightning! On such a nice days? Perhaps the jinx is still at work?

Captain Star has Boomer sent to Lucky’s Yard, “…never to be used as a tug again, no matter what.”

Some weeks later, Ten Cents and Sunshine are surprised by Captain Star’s order to fetch Boomer and take him Up River. Ten Cents says to Sunshine how, “There’s a ships graveyard there, full of rusting hulls.” Is the worst set for Boomer?

When the tugs see Boomer, they find he has been turned into a houseboat! Boomer is taken by the two to his new mooring. He is very happy there. As Ten Cents whistles goodbye, a tree falls over, which would seem to have been caused by the jinx! But Boomer assures it is gone, as if it was still there, the tree would have collapsed on one of them. “…the jinx had gone!”

[edit] Notes

Second appearance of Mighty Moe since Ghosts and the only appearance of Boomer (although his model makes a cameo in Up River).
This episode uses stock footage of OJ at night from Ghosts
First and only time we see a tug in tears until the episode munitions (Sunshine)!
Hercules, and Top Hat are not featured in this episode
Cameos by Zorran and Zebedee
Zak is the only Z-Stack to speak
Only episode where Top Hat is absent & doesn't appear in
Fourth & Last time Captain Zero speaks.
Warrior makes a cameo in this episode, he appears when Boomer is lifted out of the Water, but only his flag is visible.
First episode where Warrior isn't the main star, the second being Quarantine