Sunday, June 11, 2017

Earthworm Jim 1.12 - Queen What's-Her-Name

Plot: In the opening, Jim is threatened by Evil the Cat and his earthworm Jim voodoo doll, only to figure out the magic runs both ways, and the doll responds to his movements as well.

In the main story, Princess What's-Her-Name gets her morning paper and finds the Queen has banned chocolate, which means that tyrant has to go. She turns to Jim and Peter for help and relates her childhood locked in a dungeon at her sister's orders. This deeply moves Jim, but is only entertaining to Peter. The attempted coup is to take place during the Queen's monthly, secretive horn bleaching. Despite Peter turning into a monster and blowing their cover, the Queen is captured and the Princess assumes the throne. Peter's concerns things were too easy are brushed aside.

But the whole thing is actually a ruse by the (former) Queen, who has Professor Monkey-for-a-Head install control circuitry in the dress the Princess is required to wear, then plans to make her beat Jim to death before ripping herself limb from limb. Jim, too in love to fight back, instead makes a desperate dive for the Queen's remote control and is able to turn the Princess against her sister with the power of ballroom dancing. The day saved, the Princess abolishes the monarchy and holds democratic elections. Then she forgets to run and the Queen re-takes control. *sad trombone*

In the interlude, Psycrow struggles with the fact space villainy has become unsatisfying, and considers a career change.

Quote of the Episode: Jim - 'Aw man, you and your Puritan work ethic. Get off my back, man!'

Times Peter Turns Into a Monster: 1 (11 overall).

Cow? Yes, and it proves instrumental in saving our heroes and preventing a cliffhanger ending.

Other: Three times in this episode, Peter compares events to pro wrestling and determines them to be better, at least in terms of entertainment value. I wonder if the writers were also getting tired of the "Fear is the mind-killer" bit. If so, they should probably have refrained from overusing this catch phrase right off the bat.

They also did this bit with Jim commenting about how all this cooperation is surely going to help his and the Princess' relationship, and her being baffled as to what he's talking about, and used that at least three or four times. Somehow it didn't feel overused, maybe because it's previously established the Princess does not generally share in Jim's deep emotions.

They also brought back the recurring gag of Peter eating haggis before he realizes what it is. Interesting a planet of intelligent insect species would make meals with sheep internal organs. Mostly because I wonder how they're getting sheep. Alien abductions, I suppose. Would explain the cow's sudden appearance and attack on the Queen. That'll teach you damn aliens to steal our livestock!

I considered using 'Eat dirt, ponderous rumped blaggard!' for quote of the episode, but Jim' irritation at Peter raining on the triumphant parade was too good to pass up.

The Queen was going to make her sister rip herself limb from limb, that is pretty dark right there. Psycrow could take a few lessons from the Queen. Maybe hire her as a guest lecturer for the Super-villain training program. It is interesting to me how largely chummy most of Jim's villains are. The Queen hires the Professor and Psycrow, so does Bob on occasion. Psycrow and the Prof will work together. Evil is kind of the exception, but then he wants to destroy all existence rather than conquer it. Bob says he wants to destroy, destroy, de-strooo-yah, but that's as a means to conquering also. Too incompetent at it to bother the Queen, though.

Insecticans are about as interested in politics as people in the United States. No one showed up for the Princess' announcement that she'd dethroned her sister. And no one else tried running against the Queen for office. Although the newspaper didn't announce voter turnout, only that Queen Slug-for-a-Butt won in a landslide. Does she have a fiercely dedicated minority of the population in her corner, or did she scare everyone into voting for her?

No comments: