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Tummi's Last Stand/The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again
Reviewed: 07/31/2011
The Curse of Dumbwin Strikes Again.
Okay; now we finally get to Tummi's Last Stand after I felt that The Oracle episode was the same short under a different name. Shows how much I know eh? Is it a redo episode? Let's rant on and find out shall we....?
Tummi's Last Stand is done by Len Uhley and Mark Seidenberg. The teleplay is done by Alan Burnett. The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again is written by Rich Fogel and Mark Seidenburg. Both episodes are animated by TMS.
Tummi's Last Stand: We begin this one at Drekmore BEFORE HAPPY HOUR (sunset) with the zoom in northeast pan shot as we head inside in front of the stage as the ogres are looking at a stage with a red curtain with a pirate symbol of Dukie's head with skull and crossbones. Okay; I don't get the joke here as Dukie walks on stage and tells everyone to be seated. So the ogres flop on their backs like a bunch of dead fish out of water. HAHA! Dukie doesn't quite know how to make that one; so he proceeds with his speech as he wants to finish off those pesky Gummi Bears. Zook states the obvious and heatless Dukie blows him off because he knows that. Dukie has a new incentive to catch Gummi's as the red curtain is opened and we have a small curtain on a pedstal as ultra-cool sidekick Toadie arrives dressed up as Vanna White. Seriously; he is. Toadie pulls on the rope and it reveals a picture of an ogre in Hawaiian gear as Toadie proclaims that the ogre who captures the most Gummi Bears gets a free trip to Reckmore Something. Toadie then goes to the mystery prize behind the green cloth and unveils a golf cart with spiked wheels and poison tipped arrows. Now there's something I need to counter Mr. Icy Road. Please let me capture a Gummi Bear; I want Cubbi. POW! OUCH! Ummmm.... I should note that Toadie does say “cruisin for a brusin” here so bad anime dubs do not have an monopoly on bad dialogue here. The ogres of course are giddy which shows that it takes nothing...AND THE ROCK SEZS NOTHING....to amuse them. Gad is shaking Zook in case you didn't notice.
Then Toadie offers trailblazing clothes as two colored ogres get on stage as one of them is dressed like Vacation Van Honk and one is dressed like Uncle Scrooge if he went generic. Sorry; but nothing can top the spiked wheel golf cart Toadie. Let's just get the contest started already. Dukie gets back on stage proclaiming that this is a taste of the prizes and yells at them to get those Gummi Bears. So the ogres run out remembering to run on stage and MURDER Dukie and Toadie for fun. HEE HEE! Dukie is dazed and confused while Toadie proclaims that it worked like a charm. Somehow; I think it worked too well myself. Scene changer and we see the ogres in the forest looking for Gummi Bears of course behind every nook and cranny. We get a telescope shot OUT OF NOWHERE as we head inside Gummi Control Center as Grammi proclaims that the place is crawling with ogres. NO?! REALLY?! Grammi is worried because apparently Cubbi and Tummi are outside. Gruffi proclaims that he hopes that they are smart enough to keep quiet and stay out of sight. Will that happen........NAH!
So we head to a lake with a waterfall and damn I'm so good. Cubbi dives from the waterfall and pops up from the water apparently wearing a sailor suit as he calls for Tummi and we see Tummi on top of the waterfall with a pink Gummi inflatable floatation device (oh; the irony!) and wearing a bathing suit that looks like a major FASHION POLICE OF LAW violation if there ever was one. He's still wearing the hat; but has no sandals on by the way. Cubbi wants Tummi to jump while laying back in the water; but Tummi wants to take it nice and slow. Which is codeword for slipping on the rocks and riding on the waterfall slide. HAHA! He is upside down as Cubbi swims over calling it great. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. He turns Tummi right side up as Tummi thanks him and goes ashore and flops on his back proclaiming that he's not cut up with this stuff. Cubbi joins him and pokes on belly telling him that he would be better served if he got into shape. Yeap; it's a redo episode of The Oracle. At least it's Cubbi joining here as he notices ogres behind the bushes and they are so totally BUSTED. Cubbi and Tummi bail stage left and it's the SCOOBY DOO CHASE SEQUENCE THE FAT JOKE EDITION~! Ogres flop down; Cubbi dodges all and two ogres have a meeting of the mi....Wait a second....I mean meeting of the skulls. And it wasn't at the stinkweed swamp.
Tummi tries to reverse field; but gets caught by Zook as Tummi screams for help. Cubbi is up a tree and notices the conviently placed beehive and drops it on Zook's noggin. Zook runs away like a scalded Scooby Doo on speed (seriously; they do the HB SPOT OF DOOM there) and WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE! Good MAN-SIZED bump there. Cubbi and Tummi make it to the river as Cubbi shows off his Kit running skills while the ogres show off their football tackling skills on the trees. Good payoff to Zook ramming into a tree by the way. Tummi is having trouble playing Sinkers & Floaters as he loses his hat. Cubbi pleads for him to forget and Tummi somehow has better luck balancing himself at a better pace. However; Gad, yellow ogre and red ogre block them off at the pass. So Cubbi looks around and it's more Sinkers & Floaters down the river. Funny how Tummi had trouble on the first two rocks; but has zero problems timing it now. Logic break #1 for the episode. Sadly; they are forced to stop at a large rock because they are near a waterfall. Ah; shucks. Cubbi tells Tummi not to quit; but Tummi cannot run another step. Cubbi proclaims that they don't have to as he shoves Tummi into the water and they grab onto a vine and swing down the waterfall and into the waterfall backwards. Now THAT was awesome! (Kit: Wow; even I didn't have that idea. Ah biscuits! Kick: That's MY catchphrase you heat stealing bear cub!) Gad and the two ogres play Sinkers & Floaters towards the end and look over the edge wondering where the Gummi's go. The ogres decide that Cubbi and Tummi got squished on rocks (BS&P strikes again!) as they bail to tell Dukie and win their prizes. He wanted them captured; not killed. I think they are in for a rude surprise when they return to Drekmore.
Anyhow; we head inside a cave behind the waterfall as Cubbi and Tummi sit on their duffs panting. Tummi is grateful that they lost them and Cubbi blows Tummi off. Huh? Tummi admits that he isn't as fast as he used to be as he sits down on a rock and looks up. He panics a bit as we see a closeup of a large Gummi Bear warrior statue. Cubbi is in awe as we pan down in between it's legs (And another myth about the old Disney being squeaky clean crumbles to dust) as Cubbi notices a big ass hourglass with sand in it and that actually ends the segment five and a half minutes in. I guess Michael Eisner needs to be turned on again for money. Whatever you say you clueless putz.
After the commercial break; we see Cubbi and Tummi walk to the big ass hourglass as Cubbi pulls on the rope and Tummi doesn't want Cubbi messing around. The hourglass turns 180 and like sands through the hourglass; so is a long sequence of moving gears to work something is used to waste the time of our lives. Cubbi and Tummi try to bail and that reveals the FAKE OGRES OF DEATH who rise from the floor and throw boulders. Cubbi dodges one; Tummi doesn't and does a huge MAN-SIZED bump into a stack of armor. HAHA! I see BS&P has been sacked for now. Or having a smoke break. I'll accept either answer at this point. Cubbi pulls on the rope to reserve the process and the ogres all dive back into their holes as Tummi eats some cookies from a jar. Huh? Logic break #2 for the episode. Cubbi calls the device something the Gummi's used for training. NO?! REALLY?! Tummi throws his cookie away because the ancients ran off since the food was awful. Cubbi calls this the perfect place to get Tummi into shape. Tummi isn't so sure as Cubbi reminds him that they almost got caught because he's out of shape. Cubbi wants him to give it a chance and he can be a lean, mean bouncing machine as he slams a knight helmet on Tummi's head. HEE HEE! Tummi opens the visor and decides to give it a shot.
So we head back in the meadow as Dukie blows off the ogres for letting the Gummi Bears get squished like that. HAHA! Like we didn't see that one coming a mile away. Toadie repeats the spot in a rare moment of annoying me as Gad defends himself because they didn't get away; they died in roundabout terms. Dukie blows it off because they got outsmarted. NO?! REALLY?! That wouldn't take much if at all. Dukie proclaims that there is only one person left to handle this and that's him. Toadie isn't all that amused as that was his second guess. So what was the first guess? Inquiring minds want to know Toadwart. Dukie leads the ogres into the forest while insulting them of course. So we head to the waterfall and behind it as Cubbi starts up the hourglass and Tummi races for his life as he manage to dodge the fake ogre boulders; but makes the fatal error of not looking where he is going to claim that this isn't so hard and he gets MURDERED by a boulder. I shake my head with a smile. Scene changer and Tummi's next race is bouncing off springs. Next it's dodging the rock wall smashers. This is like watching Dust Man's level from Mega Man IV; only with walls instead of ceilings. Then we roll on logs for a while as Tummi must dodge smashing wooden SLEDGEHAMMERS OF PLOT. He runs backwards which is not a smart move and dodges one and then gets MURDERED good by a hammer and gets knocked in front of Cubbi on the ground on his belly. Cubbi is just loving this routine; you think he was an innocent sadist.
Tummi asks how he did and Cubbi proclaims that it was good for a first try and it's time to take it from the top. Tummi predictability groans like the fatass that he is. At least he's making an effort unlike Hoppo. POW! OUCH! Ummm... Scene changer as we head to the forest as the ogres check the bushes of course with Dukie yelling at them. Wait; I thought Dukie was going to do the work now? Who does he think he is; Sir Lazybones Tuxford? Anyhow; we see Zook dunking Toadie in the river for fun as Toadie pops out with Tummi's hat. Dukie deduces that the Gummi's are close by as Toadie proclaims that he will help out. So Zook dunks him into the river again for fun. HAHA! So we return to the rolling logs routine and Tummi dodges the hammers and jumps over the fence and does a perfect three point landing. Cubbi comes over proclaiming that he did it as Tummi proclaims that he overdid it and flops on his back tired. HEE HEE!
So we head into the forest as Cubbi and Tummi are wearing Gummi Warrior armor (which Tummi is not too thrilled wearing) which makes Cubbi look like a complete tool. Tummi looks better as he sheds the breastplate of course when Cubbi proclaims that Tummi lost ten pounds; just to lose ten more. HA! Cubbi then stops and notices yellow and red ogre looking in the bushes. Tummi and Cubbi hide behind a bush as Tummi thinks no one will see them; so Zook somehow pops from a bush from behind and calls them out. Tummi sums it up nicely as it's the SCOOBY DOO CHASE SEQUENCE THE TEN POUNDS LIGHTER FATASS EDITION~! POW! OUCH! Ummmmm..... And in an ironic twist; Cubbi's breastplate is weighing down Cubbi and Tummi is well ahead of Cubbi as Zook grabs Cubbi. The moral of the story: It's ALWAYS the metal that slows you down; not the fat. Zook takes Cubbi away as Tummi hides behind a tree and notices Zook taking Cubbi to Dukie as Tummi declares this all hopeless because he cannot fight the ogres on his own and without Cubbi; he couldn't make it through the obstacle course. Then he gets the LIGHTBULB OF BLOODY CLAIRTY; cuts a bad pun and bails stage left.
So now we see Dukie with a tied up Cubbi asking the dumbest question ever: Are there any more bears? You would think after 50+ episodes and Cubbi being with other bears when Dukie SEES them clear as day would render this question pointless. Logic break #3 for the episode as Cubbi goldbricks. Now at this point; I would kill to see Dukie tickle Cubbi's feet; but Tummi ruins that for me as he calls out for Dukie. So much for that lie Sir Cubbi. Dukie accuses him of being a little lair and Cubbi takes offense of being little. Riiigggghhhhtttt Sir Cubbi. So Tummi bails as we head to the waterfall and you can pretty much guess the finish well in advance (Hint: it was lifted for the two part pilot episode of DARKWING....DUCK) as Tummi swings like Tarzan backwards into the waterfall and Dukie proclaims that this is where they hid. So the heels follow into the cave and Dukie is stunned as we see Tummi at the hourglass and Dukie wants that damn Gummi Bear. Zook puts Cubbi on the ground and everyone runs in; Tummi pulls the rope and you can pretty much guess what happens next here. Dukie and Toadie think the reinforcements are here and of course the ogres all turn on Dukie with boulders. HA! Ogres get squashed, bounced and generally get their asses kicked and to hell with bothering calling this. I see Zook, Gad and yellow ogre are auditioning for Darkwing Duck too.
So we are down to Dukie and Tummi as Tummi bails stage right and calls Dukie Iggy. Iggy is not amused at that pet name either as he follows along with Toadie deeper into the cave as we see two statues of Gummi Warrior guards with sticks as it turns out that Dukie and Toadie are on a rock slide as Tummi is above them as he pulls the lever (WRONG LEVER!) and the Gummi Warriors apparently have oil rifles as they pour oil into the slide as it turns out to be actual tar (!!!) as Dukie and Toadie slide down the slide into about five big ass sacks of feathers. At least the tar is cool; otherwise; we have a Liberty Kids situation on our hands as the heels drop onto the bounce spring and get bounced into the air out of the cave and effectively out of the episode altogether. No, not really as they sploosh above the waterfall and ride down the waterfall. Dukie and Toadie pop from the carnage as Toadie spits a fish out of his mouth and proclaims that someday people will pay for rides like this. HAHA! Dukie gleefully MURDERS Toadie with a trout for fun. HAHA! So we head back inside the living room as all the Gummi's gather as Cubbi tells the tale of Tummi defeating Dukie and the ogres by himself. Grammi wheels in the tray of a chocolate cake as Gruffi approves of him losing some pounds. Tummi of course feels hungry and eats less cake than I did in one sitting on my birthday. That ends the episode at 10:34. A few logic breaks aside; this episode was awesome. About time this series got above ****. **** ½ (90%).
The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again: We begin this one with a far shot of Castle Dumbwin...ERRR..I mean Dunwyn as we pan northwest as we see a road with a horse and carriage headed by a man named Goodwin according to the fat lady (June Foray) who happens to be inside the carriage. She is wearing a pearl necklace with an emerald gem as she asks where they are. Goodwin is a red tunic wearing guy with a red Mickey Mouse Hat (Michael Rye- The Gregor voice gives him away) as he proclaims that he took a wrong turn and out of the bushes comes two brown tunic thieves as one of them cuts a promo (the one with the crossbow I should point out). The club thief walks in and steals the pearl necklace with the emerald as it's is in good hands; which is his. Sadly; he walks back and the CRIMSON AVENGER (in shadow red) steals it back. He is in shadow and looks a lot more adult which indicates that Tummi is holding Cubbi like Baloo held Kit in War of the Weirds. The thieves look stunned as the CA swings like Tarzan as the club guy tries to nail the CA; but MURDERS the crossbow thief who in turn loses his crossbow as it smacks a tree and shoots off the thief's hat. The one with the club which makes no sense since it was the red hat thief who is in front of it. The CA bounces behind the bushes as the thieves foolishly follow him and they get tripped up by the CA using a rope trip who conviently has shrunk to Cubbi size. The CA proclaims that crime doesn't pay which is downright stupid because it obviously does. Otherwise; no one would commit a crime. The thieves run away like scalded dogs as the CA bounces back and gives the necklace in plain sight to the fat lady. I'm sorry; but the shadow effect is forced beyond belief and makes zero sense. If Cubbi was wearing a helmet; this would have been a lot more effective. Logic break #1 for the episode.
The CA bounces away calling this all in a day's work for him as we scene change to Gruffi throwing an apple on the ground and the loaded spring bounces it away stage left. Gruffi resets the trap as we see the thieves running in and Gruffi bails to hide as the CA is following them and the shadow slowly turns to Cubbi as Gruffi realizes who it is and grabs Cubbi's cape and Cubbi gets dropped. What a prick this Gruffi fellow is? Gruffi blows off Cubbi for pretending to be the Crimson Avenger. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! After two episodes of this; you would think Gruffi would have got it by now that Cubbi is NOT pretending. So Gruffi grabs Cubbi and blows him off for getting into more trouble as a caped clown; end of discussion as he drops him into the Quick Tunnel. So we head back to Dumbwin as we hear Dukie's voice (He is turning into Clamantha early episode at this point in terms of appearances) as we pan west to a mine shaft and enter to see Dukie talking to Toadie and exchanging notes on the situation. Okay; this is really silly even by Dukie's recently lowered standards to stoop to the old break out of jail routine. Ultra cool sidekick Toadie is wearing a candle mine hat just to look cool and goofy all at the same time.
Dukie's Krackpotkin plan is to kidnap Princess Calla in order to gain Castle Dumbwin. So this is what Dukie is reduced to: doing stereotypical damsels in distress spots with Princess Calla. The castle will soon be his according to Dukie as he grabs Toadie as he shovels upwards cutting a really cute promo as we soon discover that he missed the castle by about 12 feet or so and is digging the moat out. Needless to say; Toadie breaks through and both heels get washed right out of the mine causing a flood. Toadie gleefully sums this one up for me as I'm going to predict Dukie jettisoning Toadie out of the castle again. Dukie gets the CHEAP HEAT OF LAUGHS as Toadie segues into being tied up to the spoon of the catapult. Dukie blows off Toadie as a miserable ogre whose only function is to keep Dukie's heat from flying away. Okay; I made that last part up. Zook pulls the rope as Toadie is through in Drekmore and Toadie is POPPED OUT OF THE CASTLE~! HAHA! If only Dukie were still cool at this point. Since he's not; he's hosed. Toadie ends up dropping like a missile through the trees and lands into the BS&P'ed bushes. Whatever Disney censors.
Toadie pops from the carnage and apparently the branches successfully untied him and basically destroyed his clothing which indicates on the shot that Toadie is in the bushes naked. Bah; we have seen Cubbi and Kit with no pants; I think Toadie can live without them too. So we head to a cliff as Gruffi leads Cubbi with his gear and Cubbi pleads for mercy; but Gruffi is a prick on a mission to ruin Cubbi's best gimmick EVERAH~! That's a sure sign Gruffi is degrading as a decent character now. Cubbi obeys and waves goodbye to the CA clothes as they float down into the wind below as we cut to ultra-cold sidekick Toadie walking with green bush leaves covering his naughty parts and his ass. Toadie cries and then it's the ATTACK OF THE CRIMSON AVENGER CLOTHES~! HAHA! Geez Gruffi; did you have to force him to lose the WOODEN SWORD OF PINPRICKS too? Prick! Toadie pops from the carnage and goes to the conviently placed lake and puts on the black mask and proclaims that he is really in style.
So we segue to the two thieves robbing a white bearded man with a gray horse and carriage. Geez; not these two losers again! They are like the Fry and Spud of the Gummi world; only Fry and Spud had enough smarts to outsmart a woman; despite being contrived at the same time. We then see Toadie Avenger walk in and notices the robbery taking place. He just talks and the two idiot thieves turn around and panic. They flee like scalded dogs stage left as Toadie just stands there all confused. At least Toadie has the height to pull this crap off; unlike a certain Darkwing Decoy I know. Anyhow; the bearded man walks over and entombs Toadie with pots and pans just to show his generous side. HAHA! Toadie sees this as something as we scene change to a shot of Castle Dumbwin as we hear a flourish as ultra-cool sidekick Crimson Toadie gets the football spot with confetti and a hero's welcome. Okay; this makes no sense whatsoever since the real Crimson Avenger NEVER gets these spots. Unless it's Cavin and Calla doing it alone with him. Toadie proclaims that everyone loves him as he drops down and finds an OUT OF NOWHERE fruit cart and raids it eating every fruit in sight. He takes some bread and the salesman comes in to inform him that the food isn't free. Ooops! Toadie tells him to put it on his tab as we walks away and then he hears a scream as a boy runs in to inform everyone that Princess Calla has been kidnapped. Huh? How did that happen?
Toadie wants to save her after lunch so the denizens invokes the dreaded eye contact violence as Toadie gets the picture. Yeah; we all know how deadly Hoppo's eye contact violence can be. So we see Dukie walking towards the gate with Princess Calla looking like Deadaluses from The Mighty Hercules cartoon of the 1960's. Oh crap; you got Z-Grade wardrobe in my AAA cartoon! Toadie Avenger calls him out as Dukie turns around and Toadie invokes the BREAD SWORD OF DOOM. HAHA! I see where Rebecca got her bread violence from in A Star Is Torn. So Dukie kicks him right in the kisser to counter as Toadie lands in front of the denizens who in turn throw Toadie back and Toadie lands right on the back of Dukie's head. And then Toadie invokes BREAD VIOLENCE, BREAD VIOLENCE, RA! RA! RA on Dukie's head. HAHA! Hard to believe Rebecca Cunningham STOLE that one on Baloo. Dukie tries to grab Toadie; so Calla invokes MOLLY VIOLENCE on Dukie! This is a special day indeed as Dukie blows his cover. Toadie is in shock as he drops to the ground and Dukie escape through the trapdoor which apparently opened by itself. Oh come on guys! That's too silly as Calla orders Toadie Avenger to go after him; but Toadie wants to call it a day and faints dead away. Calla blows him off in kind.
So we head to Gummi Glen as Calla explains the whole thing as Cubbi is not happy to here about this and walks out as Gruffi proclaims that the CA isn't what he is cracked up to be. I love real comments that aren't supposed to be real comments. Cubbi decides he's going to do something about it. So we head to the Dumbwin Bar from He Who Laughs Last as Toadie gets popped out of the bar and gets branded a worthless bum. Now I feel the need to invoke bread violence on those denizens of Dumbwin too. Good bump by Toadie Avenger though. Toadie hates the treatment and then we pan onto the roof as the real CA is on the roof calling Toadie out. Wait a second? So Cubbi HAD a spare outfit?! If so; then good, Gruffi deserved to get screwed for being such a prick. It still doesn't make sense though. The real CA drops down and points his WOODEN SWORD OF PINPRICKS at Toadie and calls his bluff. Toadie points out the snappy suit as he takes out a boot, nail and a rotten fish as Cubbi gleefully blows him off in response. CA has had enough of his name being dragged in the mud and wants to fight; so Avenger Toadie bails like the coward that everyone thinks he is. We segue to the roof as the chase is on and a brick falls onto the conviently placed checkers table where two guards are playing and ruins their game. They notice the shadow Crimson Avenger and take their axe spears and go after them. That allows the table to move and up pops Dukie in his stupid Z-Grade black robe again. For goodness sake Dukie; wear another costume. Even the music playing Robin Hood from Dressed for Success was better than this.
He bails stage right as we segue into Princess Calla's room as Princess Calla is sleeping in her bed as we hear yelling outside. Calla wakes up to the racket; and then gets her mouth covered by Dukie who seems to have gain witch hands since we last saw him. Dukie tells her not to worry her head over the racket as we resume the chase between the Crimson Avengers and then Toadie Avenger disappears into thin air in the middle of the courtyard. Cubbi pans around and then notices a piece of cape near a bucket near the well as Cubbi sneaks in and it's PEAK-A-BLUE time as Toadie Avenger is so totally BUSTED! Toadie backs up and then proclaims that there is a runaway water wheel as Cubbi foolishly looks the other way (Riiiiiggggghhhhttttt) and Toadie shoves Cubbi into the wall and Cubbi falls into said well. Splash ensues as Toadie giggles it up and walks away stage right thinking that he's won. Sadly; he walks right into Dukie of course as Dukie grabs him and Princess Calla is tied up and gagged over his shoulder. Dukie rips the mask off and is SHOCKED to discover that it's ultra-cool sidekick Toadie. NO?! REALLY?! As if his green face didn't give that away. Toadie gets dropped as he goldbricks and Dukie isn't buying it. Toadie bows down to his former master and begs for mercy. Sadly; he brings up the meat missile and Dukie calls him out on it and Toadie's stammering just makes him even more guilty than he already is.
Dukie grabs Toadie and carries him to the roof as Cubbi gets out of the well wanting to MURDER Toadie Avenger as he hears a scream for help as the two knights arrive with a nightgown wearing King Gregor with his sword calling Dukie out wanting Calla. Dukie decides to give it to him as he throws Calla off the roof. Okay; that is pretty dangerous to do as Call free falls and she would scream if she wasn't gagged. She manages to get lassoed down and dropped down gently to the ground as Dukie turns to his right and sees the shadow of the real Crimson Avenger. Dukie proclaims that he's the other one and Cubbi blows it off as he's the only one. And THAT'S REAL BRUTHA~! CA bounces down (Huh? I don't recall Cubbi drinking his vial of roids beforehand) as Toadie Avenger bails so Dukie grabs a flag pole and breaks it into a stick. CA doesn't like this at all as he backs up and we have a wimpy sword fight in progress as Toadie hides behind a wall calling this great courage and what a show. This goes one for a while until we head to the edge of the roof and Dukie bashes the wooden sword of Cubbi's away. Toadie then decides to take the rotten fish and slides it down the roof as Dukie goes in for the kill and steps on it. Dammit; I knew that would get involved somehow. Dukie drops into the moat with a resounding splash as CA cuts another promo on him. You know something; this is awfully dumb in hindsight. They should have booked it the other way with Cubbi throwing the fish. Yeah; it would have broke logic; but whatever. It just means Cubbi looks awfully weak since he didn't do anything to defeat Dukie here.
Oh; and just to make things worse, the denizens of Dumbwin all forgive him DESPITE the fact that Dukie got away. AGAIN! In that case; that makes the denizens of Dumbwin all look like bigger pricks than Gruffi ever was. Bad, bad logic break there guys. Gregor hugs Calla as Cubbi waves to the cheering crowd as Toadie looks on from the wall feeling bad as we segue to the forest as Toadie gives back the CA outfit to Cubbi as he is not worthy of wearing it anymore. He will grovel to get back in Dukie's good graces again as Cubbi tells him that he had courage tonight as Toadie shakes his hand and thanks him. And then just to make Cubbi look like a prick; Cubbi calls him a lousy hero and bounces off stage right. Dammit; not you too! Toadie sheds tears as he walks off and proclaims that he will no longer be a doormat; but a foot stool (NOT THAT ONE!) instead. HAHA! So we go into the hallway as Cubbi takes his outfit and is tired as Gruffi stands in front of him asking about the rags as Cubbi pleads again. Gruffi no sells and Cubbi gives them back as Cubbi asks the obvious question and Gruffi blows it off. Oh yeah; let's just get one last kick in Cubbi's and our collective groins just to keep Gruffi in the jerkass character why don't ya? That ends the episode at 10:30. Oh man; what a disappointment this episode was as it was a jerkass fest basically from start to finish. Someone in creative must have been pissed off; and the logic break were obvious and the finish was horrible. Toadie and Cubbi carried the whole episode of course. ** (40%). And that's the lowest rating for a Cubbi focused episode ever. This basically renders Cubbi as lower than Kit Cloudkicker now on the overness scale. Really sad indeed.
THE REVIEW LINE
Wow; a violent mixed bag of short this time around. Tummi's Last Stand was one of the best episodes so far in Season Four as despite being a redo episode of The Oracle; it was better off since I could take Tummi more seriously being out of shape; than being fat and reducing a diet that was loaded in good foods anyway. While the whole finish was basically a template for the Darkwing Duck training course from Darkly Dawns the Duck; it was planned out and built up nicely with MAN-SIZED bumps. It could have been better if Tummi didn't look in better shape on the Sinkers & Floaters spot and Dukie looked stupid in places. It was a really great episode and best one thus far in this season.
Sadly; as much as I love The Crimson Avenger as a gimmick; The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again was the worst episode of the lot and the reasons are lots: Gruffi and almost everyone acting like a prick. I can understand the denizens of Dumbwin and even Dukie being pricks; but Cubbi? Gruffi seemed to be the worst one. I didn't like the booking of the finish as it made Cubbi looked weak. I would have had them switching places as Toadie stands up to Dukie with Cubbi doing the banana peel finish instead. That would have developed Toadie's character and made the exchange more worthwhile. Although I would also make Cubbi lose the attitude with the lousy hero bit. Then there were logic breaks out of the wazoo: Why wasn't the moat dried up from the start of the mine shaft sequence? How did Dukie kidnap Calla in the first run? When did Cubbi obtain bouncing powers without the juice? And there is the big logic break at the finish: Dukie got away twice and yet the first time when Toadie was there; they booed the Crimson Avenger out of the castle; while the second time; they cheered him like a saint again. This is why Toadie should have done the sword fight with Dukie: it would make the cheering at the end more fitting. The only reason this episode isn't a DUD is because Toadie was funny as usual and Cubbi was good when he needed to be. However; this shows that Cubbi is not awesome enough to carry episode well past average at this point. In fact; this was a Cubbi focused episode and it went below average compared to Kit's focus offerings which tend to never drop below ***.
So in essence; it's a disappointment. So next up is Ogre Baby Boom and The White Knight as Dukie's brother finally makes his presence felt. Oh goody. So........
Thumbs up for Tummi's Last Stand and thumbs down for The Crimson Avenger Strikes Again and I'll see you all next time.