Tourist Trap (Ben 10 episode)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ben 10 episode | |
|---|---|
| "Tourist Trap" | |
 A Megawhatt. |
|
| Episode # | 6 |
| Production # | 108 |
| Airdate | February 4, 2006 |
| Writer(s) | Man of Action |
| Director | Scooter Tidwell |
| Story | Bouakeo Thongkham Dave Chylstek Sebastian Montes |
| Guest star(s) | Dwight Schultz |
| Season 1 December 27, 2005 – March 25, 2006 |
|
| TV.com episode summary | |
| List of all Ben 10 episodes... | |
"Tourist Trap" is the sixth episode of the American animated television series Ben 10, that premiered on February 4, 2006.
[edit] Recap
The episode begins with Ben making faces at a kid in another car. The two trade silly faces back and forth, ranging from goofy, stretched-out smiles to random tongue-flapping. Gwen makes fun of Ben's various faces, saying they'd be an improvement if he got stuck like that. The kid in the other car then steps up his game by eating part of a hamburger and then showing it to Ben, which Ben refers to as the "seafood special." As a response, Ben ducks under the table and activates the Omnitrix. He then pops back up as Stinkfly and smears slime all over the window. The kid is understandably frightened by this, as well as his father, who also notices. They speed away as fast as possible. Stinkfly is unbelievably amused at his own joke, rolling around on the floor laughing while Gwen chides him on taking the joke too far. As she sits down, he sprays some slime on her seat. He says that going too far is impossible, because funny is funny. Up front, Max notices something and tells Ben to come up, hitting the brakes as he does. This causes Stinkfly to slide to the front. On the road ahead, a propane truck has overturned. The driver is stuck inside and a fire is spreading. Grandpa Max points out that if the truck ignites it'll become a "rocket to the moon," as he puts it.
At the propane truck, Stinkfly finds that it's too hot to get close enough and wishes he were Heatblast. At the same time, he gets an idea. By flying above the wreck and using his slime, he is able to smother the fire enough to get close. He then lands on the truck and uses his tail to tear a hole in the roof. After prying a large enough hole it in, he lifts the man out, who screams until he's back on the ground. Once they land, Stinkfly comments that mucus saves lives. The kid he scared earlier is there, and points out that Stinkfly is the monster "that ate that kid." Stinkfly excuses himself and leaves before people start asking questions.
Later on, Max is taking the kids somewhere. As they drive, Gwen notices a sign that reads "You'll have a ball with it." Ben asks Max where they're going, but he's tight-lipped about their destination, wanting it to be a surprise. Once they finally arrive, they learn that they're visiting Sparksville, a town that is nothing but exhibits for tourists. The mayor shows up to greet them in a monotone voice, seeming more like a theme-park operator than a mayor. Max gives Ben and Gwen tickets then heads to the motel to check them in.
With nothing better to do, the kids start seeing the exhibits. The first one they visit is the jackalope. The mayor is here, doubling as the ticket collector. When Ben questions him about it, he says that he who wears the crown is burdened by many hats. As they enter the building, he makes sure to tell them to mind the signs. Inside, the two begin to take pictures of everything, making funny faces to the camera as they do. They repeat this in several different places, including: the front of the jackalope building, an American Gothic painting cutout, a planetarium in which an employee is replacing the "sun" light bulb, a giant house of cards, a giant hot-dog, Ben getting sprayed with ketchup and mustard, Gwen getting a hot-dog tossed at her, Ben wearing jackalope horns and Gwen wearing googly-eye glasses, the world's largest fish bowl, them sitting on a bench bored, and an "It is this way" sign.
When they finally reach the barn containing "it," the mayor says that it's the weirdest and wildest thing to ever reach Sparksville. A myriad of warnings signs are along the way to it, basically forbidding any touching, photography, or use of electrical devices near it. After all the hype, they find that it's just a giant rubber-band ball. The mayor walks up to ponder on what may be contained within it. Ben is skeptical, saying it's just more rubber bands. The mayor says they can stay as long as they want, then reiterates his earlier comment about minding the signs. Ben is annoyed, as is Gwen. Wanting to have some fun, Ben walks behind the ball and activates the Omnitrix. He then picks it up as Fourarms to mess with it. Gwen is actually with him this time, laughing at the various jokes he makes with it. As he's tossing it from one hand to another, she warns him to be careful or he'll drop it. Fourarms is confident that he can lift it with even one hand, doing so to illustrate his point, but he loses his grip and drops it. Gwen jumps out of the way as it bounces off the floor and through the roof.
The rogue ball continues to bounce after leaving the barn. As it does, it knocks over several exhibits, including a straw chicken, and crushes a food cart. Fourarms is able to slow it down by catching it, but it gets loose and knocks over the world's largest house of cards before stopping. Gwen smacks him for making her a criminal. Fourarms says that he can just put everything back, but reverts to human form just after saying so. As he leans against the rubber-band ball contemplating the situation, a small charge from the Omnitrix is sent to the ball. The charge spreads as the kids leave.
At the motel, the kids work out what they're going to tell Max. Ben says that they should play dumb. Gwen says that it's easier for Ben since he's a lot better at it. Inside the motel room, it turns out to be another of the tourist gags common in the town. The entire room has been turned on its side, including the beds and door. When Max asks them how everything was, Gwen is paranoid and evasive. Ben covers for her by saying that it was great and that he can't wait to see the bathroom.
Back at the rubber-band ball, the charge has spread to nearly the entire surface. A small electric bolt escapes from it and starts circling the power lines and exhibits. It eventually puts a hole through the welcome sign for the town. The bolt then materializes into a little yellow creature. There's a plus and minus on its back, like a battery, and it has a lightning bolt on its chest. Energy can be seen coursing from a hole on its head. It's amused by its work (It completely got rid of the "L" in "Welcome", turning, "Welcome to Sparksville", to "We come to Sparksville".), laughs, and then taking off.
Back at the motel, Ben and Gwen are sleeping, somehow managing to stay in their sideways beds. Max remarks about something out of place, waking them up and causing them to literally fall out of bed. Gwen immediately assumes they've been caught. Ben tells her not to say a word, wondering if she really is a kid. Max calls them, using their full names (Benjamin and Gwendolyn), which does nothing to put Gwen at rest.
Outside, the entire town has been trashed, far more than what Fourarms had caused earlier. Max comments that it looks like a tornado tore through the town. Ben thinks that's a good thing, which sparks Max's suspicions, but Gwen helps to get rid of them. The mayor comes by, saying that he knows who's responsible for the juvenile acts. By using that phrase, suspicion is once again cast on Ben and Gwen. The mayor is quick to alleviate that, though, saying that it was something else. When Max inquires as to who did it, the little energy creature reappears. It hangs around Ben and Gwen, making all sorts of silly faces and poses. It even pulls Gwen's shirt over her head. After it leaves, the mayor explains that it is Megawhatt. Ben asked "Mega- what?", and the mayor replies "Exactly". No one is quite sure where they came from, either being living lightning or static cling run amok. It are normally trapped inside the rubber-band ball. Gwen asserts that it might be an alien, which the mayor says "that's just plain kookie-talk".
At a nearby soda machine, the Megawhatt sees the chance for more trouble. It enters the soda machine and causes it to fire cans at high speeds. As Ben, Gwen, and Max dodge the cans, the mayor continues his explanation, seemingly unconcerned with the deadly barrage of cans. He explains that Megawhatts feed on electricity, making themselves more powerful. They also have a dangerous sense of humor. As the barrage continues, the four take refuge behind an overturned car. When Max asks why they'd keep such a dangerous object, the mayor says that it would have been safe if people had minded the signs, looking at Ben and Gwen as he says so. This makes Ben admit to what they'd done, much to Gwen's surprise. Max decides to deal with that problem later, and asks the mayor how they can stop Megawhatt. The mayor is unconcerned, saying that they released them so they have to catch them.
In another part of the town, the three are looking for the Megawhatt, & Gwen wonders if they should "lure it out with batteries or something". As they discuss where to find it, it sneaks up behind Max and gives him a nuclear wedgie, lifting him off the ground in the process. Max doesn't find it too funny. In response, Ben activates the Omnitrix and becomes Upgrade. When Gwen questions him on the choice, he says "It's complicated, you wouldn't understand". She sees through the ruse, pointing out that the watch didn't let him become the alien he wanted. He insists that he did though.
Having hung onto Max for long enough, the Megawhatt lets go and begins destroying the other exhibits. It starts with the world's largest ketchup bottle, causing it to overflow. The top of the bottle cuts the head off of a giant fake chicken in the process. Upgrade rolls up on the rubber-band ball, sending pieces of rubber-band flying in every direction as he does. They cause a fair amount of damage as they impact various signs and vehicles. Gwen yells at him & asks him whose side is he on. The mayor is calmly watching during all of this, eating popcorn as he does. The Megawhatt laughs at the damage caused by Upgrade. This aggravates Upgrade, causing him to inadvertently fire a positronic blast at the Megawhatt. It dodges the blast, surprised by the sudden turn of events. Upgrade is rather happy about finding the new power, threatening the Megawhatt. It just continues to laugh and takes off.
As Upgrade chases the Megawhatt, it proves to be too fast to hit. When it finally stops to make fun of Upgrade, he manages to grab it. This only gets him electrocuted, as he is made of living metal. As Gwen and Max watch, Max wonders how they'll ground the electric devil. The phrase gives Gwen an idea and she takes Max with her. Meanwhile, Upgrade gets tired of chasing the Megawhatt and tosses a manhole cover at it. The cover cuts the creature in half. Each half then grows into a separate Megawhatt. The two look at each other (apparently surprised at first) and then laugh. As Upgrade mulls on his less than effective action, he reverts back to human form. The Megawhatts then attack him. At that moment, Max drives up in a truck carrying the world's largest thermometer and picks Ben up. As the Megawhatts chase them, they release the thermometer, grounding the creatures. Gwen explains that they used the thermometer as a lightning rod. The mayor comes by to point out that the ground is merely a big conductor, meaning that the Megawhatts will just zipp around underground until they find a way back to the surface. Sure enough start to come from every phone line and power line, multiplying increasingly.
Having gained a massive amount of power from their short trip, the Megawhatts begin to destroy everything in sight. They take out the wheels of every car, a transformer, a fire hydrant, and then the world's largest toothpicks. As the toothpicks fall, everyone runs for cover. The mayor is the exception to this. He is back on a bench eating popcorn, unconcerned with the giant toothpicks that could impale him. None do, of course.
The Megawhatts eventually settle on the knocked-over, giant jackalope that was near the motel. After speaking to each other in some incomprehensible language, they take off. The planetarium exhibit then walks itself out of its building, having been possessed by the Megawhatts. As it walks off, Max decides to follow it in the RV. He finds the Megawhatts have gotten to it, having written "U Am Lame" on the side as well as drawn smiley faces on it. The mayor says that they're likely heading to the hydroelectric dam to power up, after which they'll destroy town after town. "It thinks it's funny" he explains. Gwen looks up and sees the world's largest fish bowl. This gives her an idea, which Ben also gets.
At the dam, the planetarium is trying to break a hole in the dam. As it does, a column of flame engulfs it. After it lets up, it looks up to see Heatblast on the top of the dam. As Heatblast threatens it, it hits the dam once more, causing a major leak and making Heatblast fall over the edge at the same time. As Heatblast descends the dam to the rapidly approaching water, he creates another column of flame under himself and rides it to safety. He chuckles slightly at discovering yet another new ability. As he moves to seal the leak, the planetarium moves to the turbines to absorb their energy.
Near the turbines, a large tarp covering a sphere-shaped object can be seen. As the planetarium approaches the turbines, Heatblast arrives, riding another column of flame. He still doesn't quite have the hang of it, though, as it fizzles out and causes him to crash into a nearby wall. As he staggers out, the planetarium punches him across the dam. Gwen sneaks up behind it and sprays it with a hose, annoying it. As the planetarium tries to punch her, Heatblast makes a large fireball. It turns just in time to see him throw it, smashing it into rubble. The Megawhatts leave it after this. Heatblast taunts them to attack, disappearing in a cloud of smoke as they do. He then reappears by the tarp, blowing kisses at them. They attack recklessly as he enters the tarp. Once they all follow him in, Max shows up to pull the tarp of, revealing the giant fish bowl with the Megawhatts trapped inside. Heatblast melds the top off to seal them in. As Heatblast taunts them, Gwen says that science saved the day. Ben reverts back to human form, and adds that science-fiction helped.
Back at the town, the mayor thanks them for their work. Max apologizes for any setbacks they might have caused, but the mayor has already turned their efforts into progress by turning the Megawhatts' prison into a giant light bulb. He says it will be safe so long as people mind the signs. The light bulb is marked "In case of emergency, do not break glass." As they head back to the RV, Ben says he's pranked out. Max then says there's a time and a place for a practical joke. As Ben opens the door, a bucket of water falls on his head. Max then adds on to his previous statement by saying "but funny is funny, especially when it's not on you." Gwen and Max laugh at Ben as the episode ends.
