Soda-pressed/A Starbox is Born/Royal Flush is the 28th episode of the Animaniacs reboot and the second episode in its third season.
Synopsis
The Warners teach a kid-fluencer the importance of having fun and not growing up too fast. Cindy makes Starbox the star of her own puppet show. Brain plans to rig a high stakes poker game to become the new King of England.[1]
Theme Song
Variable Verse
Wakko: Folding Paper Crane-ys.
Soda-pressed
Animation by Digital eMation
Plot
On a busy day in the Warner Bros. Studio lot, Dot finds out that the Tween Twophy Awards are being hosted in one of the studio sound stages. Yakko becomes certain that Dot will win an award, assuming the fans present love Dot. Nora Rita Norita prepares to announce the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Dot rushes to the stage assuming she will win, but soon discovers that a celebrity and tween influencer named GiGi Soda is the winner of the award, angering the Warner trio, who claim Dot should've been the winner of the award. Nora then reveals to the Warners that GiGi Soda's positive influence to her fans made her into a self-made bajillionaire, and kicks the Warners off the stage since they haven't made much money for Warner Bros.
Yakko, Wakko and Dot break into GiGi Soda's mansion, on a heist to steal the Tween Twophy award. While being surprised by the amount of fun products she's earned from her success, Dot spots the Tween Twophy award. Yakko takes the Twophy, which triggers a pressure plate that opens a secret passage behind GiGi's fireplace. In the secret room, the Warner trio discover GiGi Soda (in casual wear); behind the scenes, is being overworked by the constant attention demanded by her sponsors and advertisers. The Warner trio, saddened that GiGi has no time to enjoy her fun stuff, take her to a local park and remind her to enjoy her life as a kid. Her mood brightens up considerably as she spends her day with the Warner siblings until Nora finds GiGi and scolds her for missing a meeting deciding what age she was. The Warners convince GiGi to back out of Nora's sponsorship, who threatens GiGi about replacing her with GiGi wannabees (who are all whimpering). GiGi stands up to Nora and quits her productive lifestyle so she can live a normal life. Nora protests and demands GiGi to board an unstable candy rocket that will blast off to space. In response to this, GiGi and the Warners trap Nora and her replacements in the candy rocket, which blasts into space.
Dot apologizes to GiGi for stealing her award, realizing that she had a reason to have the trophy. GiGi becomes enraged at Dot for putting her through self-exploration for the whole day, until she eventually reveals her unhealthy obsession to her award, eventually losing her sanity and shattering the trophy. The now-insane GiGi chases Yakko, Wakko and Dot off the roof of the Water Tower as the cartoon abruptly ends.
Crew
- Written by Kathleen Chen & Brian Polk
- Directed by Katie Rice
Songs
Trivia
- The title of this cartoon is a play on the phrase "So depressed."
- The original title for this cartoon was going to be "A Star is Scorned" (a pun of the title of A Star is Born, much like the following cartoon).[2]
- In the beginning of the cartoon, the background of the Water Tower in the city skyline is reused from "80's Cats."
- Yakko mentions Chuck Lorre, one of the creators of The Big Bang Theory; wondering aloud if today is the day he will select someone "to be buried in his pyramid with him."
- The Tween Twophy Awards are a parody of the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
- Gigi Soda is a parody of JoJo Siwa.
- Originally, she was going to be named "Kiki Soda.[2]
- Yakko interrupting Gigi parodies Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
- When Nora asks the Warners what they have done to contribute to the company, Yakko mentions signing up for HBO Max (who streams the show in Latin America). With the launch of the rebranded "Max" service in May 2023, it seems their efforts were ultimately in vain.
- One of the characters on the video call Nora hosts resembles Dan Anchorman/Slam Fondlesome from the original Animaniacs cartoon "Broadcast Nuisance."
A Starbox is Born
Animation by Titmouse, Inc
Plot
Cindy puts on a show with Starbox as the star actor, touching upon many different genres along the way.
Starbox is touched by Cindy's show, and eventually falls in love with one of the dolls. During the play, another alien appears on the window seal of Cindy's bedroom. The alien, named Scout, is revealed to have been summoned by the leader of Grimlox, who has grown impatient with Starbox and has sent him out to exterminate him. Scout prepares to shoot Starbox with his laser gun, but is captured and falls victim to Cindy.
Crew
- Written by Jess Lacher
- Directed by Katie Rice
Songs
Trivia
- The title of this cartoon is a parody of the 1937 film A Star Is Born.
- This cartoon features the debut appearance of the Scout from Starbox's home planet.
Royal Flush
Animation by Saerom Animation
Plot
The mice travel to London, England to enact Brain's latest plan, which involves following Prince Barnaby and Duchess Abigail on their honeymoon and taking many unflattering pictures of Abigail to sell to the tabloids. After accumulating over five million pounds from the photos, Brain enters Prince Barnaby's secret underground poker game so that he could trick the prince into betting on his kingdom so that Brain could become heir to the throne, bring back an absolute monarchy, and rule England with an iron fist.
Meanwhile, Pinky has trouble adjusting to the strange customs of England (despite having a cockney accent) and proves to be too distracting to Brain, as he kicks him out of the room. Pinky runs off crying and bumps into Abigail. The two form a bond over their mutual situation of feeling like an outsider. Pinky and Abigail then explore London as they sing about how different England is from America and Australia as well as wanting to return home with their respective partners.
Back at the poker game, Brain and Barnaby are the only two players. Brain has accumulated over 500,000 chips and deeds to several castles and offers Barnaby to bet his claim to the throne as collateral, which Barnaby accepts the wager. But before the game could begin, Pinky and Abigail approach Brain and Barnaby and tell them that they want to go home. Brain responds by offering Pinky a handkerchief that's soaked in chloroform so he could continue the game without any more distractions, but Barnaby listens to Abigail and decides to abdicate from the throne so he can go to Australia with her.
Infuriated by this new development, Brain angrily rats himself out by showing the tabloid pictures he took of Abigail as he rants about how he did not go through all that trouble only for his plan to be thwarted at the last hour. Abigail and Barnaby are upset that Brain took those pictures and they call for security, causing Brain to retrieve Pinky and flee into the water closet and lock themselves in. Brain apologizes to Pinky for ignoring and incapacitating him and says that they will go home together before the two of them successfully escape by flushing themselves down the toilet. After the mice climb out of the Thames River, Brain tells Pinky that they'll return to the lab and prepare for tomorrow night, and the episode ends with Pinky happily looking up at the constellation of Brain's face smiling and winking at him.
Crew
- Written by Kathleen Chen & Brian Polk
- Directed by Katie Rice
Songs
Trivia
- The title of this cartoon is a nod to a "Royal flush," a type of poker hand and another term for an ace-high "straight flush." It is also a play on words, connecting to this cartoon's theme of the British royal family
- While collecting photographs of Abigail, the Brain compares himself to Annie Leibovitz - a photographer best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities.
- The song that plays during the montage of Brain taking pictures of Abigail is "Le Responsable" by Jacques Dutronc.
- Chicken Boo's name is seen on one of the magazine covers.
- Barnaby and Abigail are parodies of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
- "Not Home", the song Pinky and Abigail sing, is a parody of "A Whole New World" from Disney's 1992 film Aladdin.
- Abby's remark about "stolen Aboriginal land" is a reference to land stolen from Indigenous Australians during foreign colonization.
- The mice escape via toilet is similar to the climax of the Pinky and the Brain episode "The Third Mouse."
Goofs
- On Hulu, the subtitles during Abigail's line "There's nothing much here left to do" line instead say "There's nothing much left to see."
Gallery
International Releases
- Australia: February 18, 2023 (Stan)
- Canada: April 14, 2023 (Cartoon Network)
- Latin America: June 30, 2023 (HBO Max)
Production Notes
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
|---|---|
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Pinky, British Guard |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
| Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain |
| Carlos Alazraqui | Alien Leader |
| Maria Bamford | Scout |
| Stephanie Escajeda | Nora Rita Norita |
| Chris Geere | Barnaby |
| Danny Jacobs | Starbox |
| Eleanor Johnson | Cindy |
| Natalie Lander | GiGi Soda |
| Charlotte Nicdao | Abigail |
References
- ↑ Hulu Press- Animaniacs (2020)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Tweet by Gabe Swarr. Published and Retrieved March 21, 2023.