Heff in a Handbasket
One of the most memorable works of the series is the time Heffer found himself passed over into the realm of Heck, run by a stand-in for Satan named Peaches. That cartoon will probably always be remembered as an imaginative take on morality and the mystery of the afterlife. It stands out so much that it really didn’t need to be followed up on. Well, in the final season, a follow-up to that cartoon is just what we get, and it’s a very worthy one.
In addition to mining good comedy out of the afterlife euphemisms with gluttonous Heffer at the center, it livens the experience with very out-there choices for atmosphere. It all starts when Peaches is told that he must retrieve a soul for Heck or else he’ll face the wrath of the Dark Lord, who apparently has more power than he does. At the same time, Heffer is revealed to have a major fascination for game shows. His first scene for the cartoon even features him get so into one that he practically loses it when the featured contestant gets a question he knows the answer to wrong. Heffer’s friends suggest that he’d make a great game show contestant, and he agrees with them.
Normally though, his friends would have a point when they say that it takes a long time to become a game show contestant. This, however, is not normal times with the ruler of Heck in desperate need of a soul. Peaches sets up a fake commercial specifically designed to entice Heffer to come to him, and with that, Heffer is instantly selected and therefore in Peaches’ grasp. Heffer going through with this, however, requires him to sign a contract, thereby cementing him in the hold of Heck.
This, in turn, would mean dark ramifications all around that Heffer is turning over to the fiery underworld for his game show desire. However, it’s merely dark on the surface as not only has things like Heck been the subject of comedy here before, but it completely rolls with the game show aesthetic. Presumably to keep up the façade that brought Heffer here, Peaches tries to get him to win at his various games before turning his soul over. All the while, the humor that can come from something as extravagant as a game show is realized. There are several parodies of established game shows like Jeopardy, Family Fortune, and Million Dollar Pyramid. Also, the humor doesn’t rely on parodies alone, but also how ridiculously easy the questions are, and how Heffer is so set on winning all the necessary points. What Peaches didn’t count on is the ultimate drawback of Heffer not being able to answer something so easily correctly. Whether it’s his excitability, just being dumb, or a fascination with sea monkeys, he gets everything wrong, delaying the culmination of Peaches’ plan. While this makes Heffer a hypocrite for also getting upset over contestants not getting simple answers when he’s no better, it’s still somewhat funny and works for his sake story-wise.
He only wins at a game show parody of Wheel of Fortune that does not rely on answering questions of any kind, but rather spinning a wheel and guessing by chance. This means, Heffer gets his points and is therefore ‘rewarded’ a spot in Heck. Then there’s a twist that also works for good background on Heffer’s family. In Heck, he meets his wolf grandma, who could have gone to Heaven, but turned down living with a bunch of ‘sandal-wearing Santa Clauses.’ This shows as she’s not a very friendly woman and goes on your typical old woman rant. For that, she tears up Heffer’s contract so he can’t stay with her, freeing him from the afterlife. So Heffer is saved and Peaches is placed on a series self-deprecating this very show as punishment for failing his order.
When it comes to
following up on past concepts, this cartoon does so in a fresh, funny manner.
A+
Wallaby on Wheels
I’ve noticed that this season has been significantly harder on Rocko than usual, mainly through how his problems seem to come from the world around him being intentionally malicious. That said, one thing that’s been going much better for him is his love life, as this cartoon presents him with another romance that works out favorably.
While working at his comic book store job, Rocko meets a worthy contender for a lover named Sheila. She’s a charming individual who enjoys roller skating, but also maintains a very friendly persona. She seems to take a good liking to Rocko even as he acts all weird around her, which is to be expected when a crush on someone develops. Anyhow, Rocko, clearly smitten for Sheila, is driven to take up her interest in roller skating so to get closer to her, except he doesn’t know how to roller skate.
Luckily, Heffer, who Sheila is apparently friends with, knows a lot about skating, and is even called the king of the local roller rink. In spite of the potential for him to be pompous with his title, this story turns out to be one of Heffer’s more pleasing appearances for this season. He’s very courteous when helping Rocko along in impressing his crush, standing by his side to ensure that he gets the moves right. Being a novice at roller skating, and probably not even that, all Rocko can do is flail around like a fool who’s never been on skates before. He’s constantly under his own impressions that he needs to be great in order to impress Sheila, but never considers that she already wants to hang around him. It’s like his own fears of making a good impression keep him from seeing that he doesn’t have to try so hard. Heffer is still willing to help him along to make him look like a good skater without Sheila noticing, but again, it’s more for his own sake than necessary.
All of this leads to Heffer showing off professional moves for the entire crowd, in turn prompting Rocko to try something just as if not more extreme. Considering the scene at the start of the cartoon was him scoffing at the idea of doing something dangerous to impress a girl, it’s safe to say that he’s completely forgotten this now. For the cartoon’s climax, Rocko opts to run the extreme roller skating obstacle course with big jumps, intense loops, spikes, walls of fire, and more. Though driven by his own honest fears of rejection, the resulting climax of going through that obstacle course is kept extremely fun. There’s a lot of great energy to the course itself, and it’s remarkable that Rocko gets through it all. The energy even continues after the course as Rocko is sent through a vertical path downward, poised to run into construction, and a bottomless pit. Heffer, continuing to be a good friend, sets out to save him, but when Rocko’s pushed to safety, Heffer is the one in danger of hitting the pit. It’s Rocko’s own talents in the form of jackhammering that saves the day, and it’s even followed up by him and Sheila seeming to start a meaningful relationship.
While this is another romance that ends well for Rocko, you also have to
consider Alicia from earlier this season.
Sheila is just like her for showing up in one cartoon and then never
again, making for a potential romance that ends up going nowhere. Really, they should have picked one love
interest and have her be present in both cartoons; Sheilia and Alicia are
interchangeable personality-wise anyway.
Also, the end with Heffer falling through the bottomless pit anyway and
no one caring feels very unwarranted. I
mean what did he do to deserve it? Those
points hold it back, but the character moments, the overall payoff, the fun of
roller skating, and romance that works out make this one of this show’s most
charming works.
A
The Ranking
1. From Here to Maternity
2. Heff in a Handbasket
3. Yarn Benders
4. Feisty Geist
5. Mama’s Boy
6. Wallaby on Wheels
7. Teed Off
8. Wimp on the Barby
9. S.W.A.K.
10. Closet Clown
11. Sailing the 7 Zzzz’s
12. Pranksters
13. The High-Five of Doom
14. Magic Meatball
15. Fly Burgers
16. Ed Good, Rocko Bad
17. Seat to Stardom
18. With Friends Like These
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