Prehistoric Stimpy/Farm Hands
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"Prehistoric Stimpy" and "Farm Hands" are 15-minute episodes of the animated television show on Nickelodeon, Ren & Stimpy.
Contents |
[edit] Prehistoric Stimpy
| “Prehistoric Stimpy” | |
|---|---|
| The Ren and Stimpy Show episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 4a |
| Guest stars | Jack Carter as Wilbur Cobb |
| Written by | Bob Camp and Ron Hauge |
| Directed by | Bob Camp |
| Original airdate | November 12, 1994 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Blazing Entrails/Lumber Jerks" | "Magical Golden Singing Cheeses/Hard Day's Luck" |
[edit] Plot
Ren and Stimpy are visiting the world-famous Museum of Natural History, and the former cannot resist climbing the skeletons. He is caught by Wilbur Cobb, who is working at the museum and decides to give the pair an impromptu lesson on the history of dinosaurs. So begins the epic tale of the Stimpysaurus...
Going back to the very dawn of life itself, Cobb explains the development of single-celled organisms, who eventually evolve into the lowly Stimpyfish, the very first land-dwelling creature who instantly falls prey to the tar pits. Aeons later, a second Stimpyfish emerges from the water, and though dodging the pits, is hit by a bus. When Ren accuses Cobb of making the story up, he is silenced upon glimpsing the unearthed remains of the bus itself.
The story continues, having acknowledged the Stimpyfish as 'An evolutionary dead-end'. With the eventual population of the planet, life flourishes and hierarchies are established. The one dinosaur to reign supreme is the Stimpysaurus, the stupidest creature ever to dwell on earth. Its ignorant nature contributes to the evolution of mankind, providing them with both shelter and heat, if unwittingly. Unfortunately, the Stimpysaurus also meets its demise at the tar pits.
With the tale over, Stimpy is eager to hear how the rest of the dinosaurs became extinct, and Cobb is happy to oblige. However it becomes apparent that his multiple theories - ranging from fatal hemorrhoids to watching too much television - are less than convincing. As he continues to ramble on, Ren and Stimpy become suicidally bored and are saved by the museum curators, who take Cobb away and reveal he is merely a bone-polisher and should not be believed. Stunned, the two head off for a taco and, like their prehistoric ancestors, fall prey to the tar pits.
[edit] Additional Opening Credits
- Backround Color Design: Scott Wills
- Storyboard: Peter Avanzino and Stephen DeStefano
[edit] Notes, Goofs, and Trivia
- Certain broadcast versions of this episode cut a small scene before the net goes over Wilbur Cobb. A bored Ren produces a saw and says 'It'll all be over soon, pal' - you then hear him saw off their heads off-camera. With the scene missing the final shot of Ren and Stimpy with the wrong heads makes no sense.
- Numerous sequences in this episode are similar to those of the season one show "Untamed World" - chiefly that all the different species resemble Ren and Stimpy in some form or other. Also the cry of the Stimpysaurus is akin to that of the Crocostimpy.
- The scrawny, beady-eyed man from season two's "Dog Show" makes a brief appearance, trapped in the talons of a passing Pterodactyl. The only other appearance this character makes is as one of the mourners at Ren's funeral in the season three episode "Ren's Retirement".
- At the end of the story of the Stimpysaurus, Wilbur Cobb says 'And that's all she wrote', a reference to the title of the popular 80's drama series Murder, She Wrote.
- One of Wilbur Cobb's theories of extinction is that the dinosaurs all thought they were Superman and jumped off a building. This refers to well-known (though possibly apocryphal) tales of children who would do likewise when Superman first became a cultural phenomenon.
- This episode appears on the DVD "Seasons Three & A Half-Ish" with a scene missing. When Wilbur Cobb continues to ramble on about his extinction theories, Ren says he is bored. Stimpy then tries to entertain Ren by pulling off Cobb's glasses and nose and using them to do an impersonation - he gets beaten by Ren with the nose for his troubles.
[edit] Quotes
- Wilbur Cobb: The mighty Cobb-O-Saurus!
[edit] Farm Hands
| “Farm Hands” | |
|---|---|
| The Ren and Stimpy Show episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 4b |
| Written by | Ron Hauge, Jim Gomez, and Bob Camp |
| Directed by | Bob Camp |
| Original airdate | November 12, 1994 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Blazing Entrails/Lumber Jerks" | "Magical Golden Singing Cheeses/Hard Day's Luck" |
[edit] Plot
Abner and Ewalt, farm-owners and backwards hicks, contemplate their young'uns and soon realise they have all perished. Upon reading an advert in a comic book, they decide to send off for mail-order young'uns who will do all the work on the farm for them. A while later, Ren and Stimpy arrive, eager to start their new life as mollycoddled youngsters, and are unimpressed when they are assigned their chores.
Ren attempts to gather eggs at Abner and Ewalt's behest, but finds himself persecuted by the resident chickens who, upon seeing his long ears, believe he is the easter bunny. After being assaulted by hot yolk, he disguises himself as a destitute chicken and pleads with them for eggs. They take pity and acquiesce to his plea, but his success is short-lived when a swarthy rooster also falls for the disguise and accosts him. He attempts to court Ren by shoving worms down the chihuahua's throat (followed by a hefty mound of gravel to aid digestion).
At dinner, Abner and Ewalt are horrified at the sight of Ren and Stimpy's pristine, white teeth. They set about correcting the situation and pull out all their teeth, forcing them to resort to chewing food with gravel, like the chickens.
The following day they are instructed to milk Bossy and change the horse's litter. Ren, upon discovering that Bossy is a violent gorilla, trades jobs with Stimpy (who unsurprisingly has a knack for dealing with litter). Bossy takes a shine to Stimpy, while Ren and Mr. Horse don't quite gel. Later on in the afternoon, Ren begins to lose his mind in the heat. He becomes paranoid and despairs at the prospect of cleaning the outhouse - especially as Bossy elects to make use of it while they are working.
As time passes, Ren becomes a nervous wreck. When a tornado hits the farm he grabs Stimpy and the two hide underneath the outhouse while Abner and Ewalt enjoy the ride. Believing that the wind has wiped out the whole world, he insanely babbles to Stimpy that they are alone. However, his worries are vanquished when hope (of sorts) presents itself from above...
[edit] Additional Opening Credits
- Backround Color Design: Scott Wills
- Storyboard: Stephen DeStefano
[edit] Notes, Goofs, and Trivia
- The opening scene in which Abner and Ewalt chat is reminiscent of the opening scene for the season two episode 'Out West'. In fact, at the end of both scenes the animation of the two guffawing dementedly is virtually frame-by-frame identical (it also uses the same sound).
- During said opening scene, Ewalt says 'Nah, we hung them yesterday!' - this is a more direct reference to 'Out West' when the two (as sherrifs) were discussing who they have had hanged - in this episode they are instead discussing the plights of their various young'uns.
- The design of the magpie that pulls at Ewalt's eyeball is vaguely reminiscent of Paul Terry's 'Heckle and Jeckle' character designs.
- The scene toward the end where the farmhouse is picked up by the tornado pays homage to the 1939 classic 'The Wizard of Oz'.
- Just before the tornado hits there is a brief shot of Ren being used as a footrest, going through a series of bizarre poses - this harkens back to John K.'s original short 'Big House Blues' in which Ren behaves similarly (just before Stimpy covers him with hairballs).
- This episode appears on the DVD 'Seasons Three & A Half-Ish' with some footage missing (the segment where Ren asks of Abner and Ewalt how they chew without any teeth, to which the rooster reappears bearing more gravel).
