Power Trip
Although
this isn’t the cartoon where Rocko’s official job at a comic book store is
introduced due to the only official episode order I have not being in
the production order, this is technically the first time we see it. The environment of the job with small spaces
and a cold boss, Mr. Smitty, helps make Rocko relatable for having such
less-than-ideal working conditions showing that no job is perfect. Rocko also
exhibits a proper attitude anyone working should aspire to have. He’s friendly
with customers and focuses on the job’s positives through reading the comics about
Really Really Big Man.
As for the story,
Rocko gets to break from his counter job when Mr. Smitty goes out of town and
puts him in charge. He hires his friend,
Filburt to help. As a character, Filburt
is very likable and entertaining. He may
be nerdy and neurotic, but expresses those traits with such endearment and
manages to brave the stressful tasks he’s put through. This quality becomes apparent with what Rocko
gets up to as the temporary boss.
His
time in Mr. Smitty’s office mostly consists of him trying out the features of
his boss’ chair. Then he touches a green button Mr. Smitty warned him about
before he left. After pressing it, Rocko
literally becomes his boss, adopting his angry face, crazed attitude, and later
on his apparel. This becomes a problem
in a grueling, yet still pretty funny scene where he continuously calls Filburt
up to the office to command him to sell RRBM comics, and Filburt then runs down
to try and sell them to angry customers even though he doesn’t have them. As fun as it is to watch Filburt run up and
down the stairs with a humorous call for him from Rocko in between runs, it’s
perplexing that no one realizes that RRBM comics simply aren’t available. Rocko at least has the excuse of being under
the influence of the green button, though it doesn’t make the scene where he
fires Filburt, one of his best friends, any less harsh one to sit through.
There is a nice scene of Rocko discovering
the errors of his ways from Really Really Big Man himself. He shows Rocko what’s happening to Filbut,
what he’ll become if he carries on acting like a jerky boss, and his and
Filburt’s childhood friendship, featuring the birthplace of a charming part of
Filburt’s neurotic ways where he keeps repeating that he’s nauseous. Each vision stands out for the risqué
additions of RRBM’s chest hair and nipples, further selling the comedic appeal
of the superhero. As for Rocko and
Filburt, them making up is a very nice scene to make up for the animosity, as
is how they solve the problem of the store in a mess by having RRBM sign
customers’ comics.
Unfortunately,
despite the success they find with these actions, when Mr. Smitty returns, he
unreasonably wants Rocko to fire Filburt, and Rocko ends up fired with his
friend when he defends him. Unlike most
hardships Rocko runs into, this one is hard to justify since it comes from
irrational actions of another character that go unpunished as opposed to bad
luck beyond his control. It’s a good
thing this show isn’t too continuity based since Rocko is seen working at Kind
of a Lot O’ Comics in several future cartoons.
It may not end well, but the nice moments for Rocko and Filburt and the
humorous take on superheroes are strong enough to make the cartoon good as it
is.
B
To Heck and
Back
One
of life’s biggest questions is of what happens at the end of life. Anything can kill us, but no one alive can
possibly tell what happens after that. In
animation, you can depict any interpretation of the afterlife. This cartoon expresses such an idea, but
in regards to the bad place.
It starts with Heffer displaying his primary
character flaw while eating lots of food at Chokey Chicken, and Rocko has to
pay for everything yet gets far less to eat.
This flaw of Heffer’s brings on the main plot when in his gorging on
chicken, he chokes on a bone and passes out.
There’s an interesting take on Heffer in the afterlife out of this when
he starts out flying towards the sun for a big hamburger, but then his wings
melt and he falls through the ground into the dark and fiery Heck.
Actually, this is another strong positive to
the cartoon. It’s one of the cleverest plays on censorship. The cartoon knows exactly what it means by
Heck with letters of the real name crossed out and replaced, and characters
suggesting the real name before quickly going with the euphemism. Even the need to not use the real name of the
Satan figure is jabbed at with him insisting being called by the nonthreatening
name, Peaches. He specializes in
bringing on eternal torment to bad souls, but it’s approached with fumbling
attempts to remember the lines, genuine frustrations while explaining
everything, and sounding like a salesman when advertising Heck’s
amenities.
As funny as the undertones
are, it still makes a point regarding what it does for Heffer. Peaches claims that Heffer’s here for
committing the deadly sin of gluttony.
Tormenting him with a TV that has no remote, Peaches explains the sin
with a montage of Heffer’s gluttony being far more extreme than normal,
constantly hurting others by costing loved ones any food. A great thing to take from Heffer, watching
his memories, and what’s currently happening with Rocko stuck in his abdomen
while retrieving the chicken bone, feels genuine regret as a glutton. It shows that even when we sin, there’s hope
for good inside us, and this is easily true for Heffer. Even in prior appearances he’s been a good,
caring friend despite his faults. So
even when he’s put forced to watch Rocko stuck inside him and witness the face
of Peaches as demonic udders, Heffer is still likable and sympathetic.
It even feels like he’s grown from all this
when he throws away a chicken when offered an escape from Heck saving both
himself and Rocko. However, we then get
a montage of Heffer reverting back to his old habits and having to be reminded
of his lesson by sudden appearances of Peaches culminating with him ending up
in what looks like a coffin, but cleverly turning out to be the inside of a
pretzel box in the world of the living.
The point is, the whole thing was just a dream, and Heffer still has an
eating problem as he and Rocko end the cartoon driving to Chokey Chicken
again.
It is disappointing that Heffer’s
experiences and development end up all for naught, but other than that, this is
still a strong cartoon for showing that good can exist even in the biggest of
sinners, and the creative depiction of Hell Heck.
A
The Ranking
- Skid Marks
- To Heck and Back
- Who Gives a Buck?
- Dirty Dog
- Jet Scream
- Keeping Up With the Bigheads
- No Pain No Gain
- Power Trip
- Bedfellows
- Leap Frogs
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Rocko and Heffer go on a Wild West adventure as well as the TV version of the original series pilot "Trash-O-Madness."
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If you would like to check out other Rocko's Modern Life reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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