The Great Jungle Gym Standoff
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| “The Great Jungle Gym Standoff” | |
|---|---|
| Recess episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 11 b |
| Written by | |
| Production no. | 111 b |
| Original airdate | December 13, 1997 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Jinxed" | "The Experiment" |
| List of Recess episodes | |
The Great Jungle Gym Standoff is the 11th episode of the ABC and Disney Television Show Recess.
[edit] Synopsis
When a group of workmen turn up at Third Street School, they attract the attention of the kids by announcing that they've come to build a new jungle-gym for the playground. Initially, everyone is delighted, until one of the builders casually announces that to install the new equipment, they'll have to take down the currently standing jungle-gym, known jokingly as "Ol' Rusty".
The kids at first seem resigned to this fate for their beloved climbing apparatus, with the exception of T.J. Detweiler, who hangs back while the rest of the school go in for classes, claiming he wants to play on the old gym one last time. When the workmen arrive with their tools, T.J. is still sitting on the highest platform. He is told to come down and go into class, but argues that as soon as he gets down, the gym will be demolished, and implies that he's willing to risk physical injury to stay sitting on the platform.
Naturally, as with any great event at Third Street School, this brings out the teachers and the other pupils. However, inspired by T.J.'s example, his friends climb up to join him, fondly recalling past incidents centring around "Ol' Rusty". The headmaster tries in vain to talk them down, and eventually resorts to the ultimate weapon: 'phoning the children's parents.
When the parents arrive, it takes a while to explain the situation. Meanwhile, what seems to be the entire student body has now climbed onto the jungle-gym, and T.J. is leading everyone in rousing songs. The headmaster is now angry to the point of madness, and orders the parents and teachers who have assembled to bring their children down. Instead, the adults realise just how important the school jungle-gym is to their whole community, and join the protesters.
Eventually, there is only one possible conclusion. Principal Prickley gives up and storms off to his office, leading to enormous cheers from the protesters. The only one not delighted is Gretchen Grundler, who is trying to shout something about structural failure, but can't be heard over all the noise. Within moments, though, it becomes apparent what she wanted to say: the gym, built as it was for a fairly small school, was never meant to accommodate so many people, and T.J. barely manages to get everyone off before "Ol' Rusty" collapses spectacularly.
The kids are despondent. However, one of the workmen takes an interest in their plight, and it isn't long before he provides a solution: instead of installing a new gym, the old one is rebuilt, better than before. The episode ends with a comical suggestion that T.J.'s descendants will still be enjoying "New Rusty" in the distant future.
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