Plumbers Academy
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| The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode | ||
| "Plumbers Academy" | ||
| Episode no. | 40 | |
|---|---|---|
| Prod. no. | 146 | |
| Airdate | November 9, 1989 | |
| Writer(s) | Martha Moran | |
| Plumber's log # | 218 | |
| Bowser's alter-ego | None | |
| Guest star(s) | Martin C. Gardner | |
| Featured song | "Workin For A Livin'" - Huey Lewis & the News | |
| Episode chronology | ||
| ← Previous | Next → | |
| "Elvin Lives" | "Karate Koopa" | |
| List of all Super Mario cartoon episodes | ||
"Plummers Academy" (sic) is the fortieth animated episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
King Koopa and his minions chase the Mario gang around a castle, and end up challenging the Bros. to a fight. Mario pulls out a special golden plunger (while Luigi pulls out a golden wrench) which he throws at Koopa's nose, though he retaliates by opening a trapdoor underneath the good guys and trapping them in a pit. More concerned with getting the plunger off of his nose, Koopa and his troops leave the heroes alone in the pit. Unable to get out of the pit, Mario is saddened because he lost his special plunger, which was given to him by the President of the United States. Toad inquires why Mario received his plunger, so Mario tells the story in an extended flashback sequence.
Mario and Luigi were starting their first day of "basic draining" at the Plumbing Academy in Brooklyn, and they were assigned to Sergeant Kooperman; a gruelling instructor who has the same voice as King Koopa. Right off the bat, Kooperman takes a great dislike to the Bros., forcing them to perform labor-intensive assignments, like hauling bathtubs up a fire escape numerous times and digging large pits. On the verge of flunking, the Bros. nearly drown themselves trying to fix some pipes, so they quit the academy.
As they leave the academy, the Bros. notice a statue of the legendary plumber, Salvador Drainado, with a plaque reading "When the plumbing gets tough, the tough get plumbing!", though they opt to become librarians. They then learn that the U.S. President is giving the President of Russia a drive-by tour of Brookyln. Meanwhile, Kooperman is fixing a sink in a nearby apartment, and when he goes outside to get more drain cleaner, he mistakes a bag of concrete for it. Kooperman soon learns that it's "fast-drying" concrete, which soon causes water to rise from the sewer and flood the street that the President's limo is driving through.
Mario recalls points out that "When the plumbing gets tough, the tough get plumbing!", so he and Luigi don diving equipment and head down into the sewers. Mario uses a jackhammer to chisel through the cement clog, which stops the flooding. Later, the Bros. are treated to a ceremony at the White House, where Mario is awarded his golden plunger, and Luigi his golden wrench, which ends the flashback.
Though Mario is still depressed, Princess Toadstool gives the Bros. some encouragment, which prompts Luigi into using his wrench to open a valve and flood the pit, allowing them to escape. Meanwhile, Mouser is still trying to get the plunger off of Koopa's nose. The four heroes stuff Mouser in a closet, while Mario tries to get his plunger back from Koopa (who's convieniently been tied down). With Toadstool's help, Mario gets his gold plunger back, and the heroes leave Koopa tied down. Wanting to celebrate, Mario requests to have pasta.
[edit] Trivia/Goofs
- The on-screen title for this episode incorrectly reads "Plummers Academy".
- This episode mildly spoofs Police Academy.
- Salvador Drainado was prominently featured in "Brooklyn Bound".
- The two Presidents bear resemblances to George H. W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev, who were the presidents of their respective countries at the time of the show.
- In some shots Mario's golden plunger is colored like a regular one.
- The flags on the limo are inconsistent. One of them appears to be the Japanese flag in one shot.
- Amazingly, no water leaks out of the mess of pipes the Marios get caught in, despite the big, visible gaps that appear.
[edit] Live-Action Segment: "Glasnuts"
[edit] Synopsis
To Mario and Luigi's surprise, Mikhail Gorbachev comes to the basement, in search of the Bros.' expertise on making pizzas. As Gorbachev comes to make his own pizza, he puts on all sorts of bizarre toppings. In the end, Gorbachev is pleased with the results, and intends to to honor the Marios back in Russia, where he will open a chain of pizza parlors.
[edit] Trivia
- The title is a pun on "Glasnost".
- This is one of the few instances on the series where the cartoon and the corresponding live-action segment have a related theme.
