Jon has decided to install a pet door in case of fire, and show his pets where it is. Garfield claims to understand.
Jon decides to test this by sneaking up behind them and yelling "FIRE!"
They jump up, then run straight for the door. There's a thud. Garfield and Odie flee the house and make a left at the street. Good thing cars never use it!
Problem is, Jon was between it and them when he did that, so he's partway through the pet door himself. He pretends to be someone complimenting him:
That was very clever of you, Jon.And he responds:
Thanks, I knew they'd pick up on it.("Friends Are There")
"So if someone wants you to change the channel, kids, just say, 'no.'"
Garfield: Cabin Fever
Jon drives through the snow-covered woods. He announces that they're almost there. Apparently, his friend loaned him their cabin in the mountains for the weekend. Odie's down with it, but Garfield's shivering. He would've preferred if he had friends with a Maui condo in close proximity to a good Italian restaurant. Garfield asks odie why he's not hanging his head out the window. Odie refuses, but Garfield urges him. He puts down his window and demonstrates... why that's not a good idea. He gets splatted with snow in the rough shape of Santa's hat and facial hair. "Ho, ho, ho." Odie snickers. I can't say what the caption says he does, at least not on some forums. A hint: it sounds very similar.
They arrive, and once inside, Jon says it's great, and says it's a real rustic cabin. Garfield defines the term as "dump". Odie apparently likes the place. Garfield isn't too thrilled. Where's the color TV and sauna, and has it been sanitized? Garfield does notice an actual lack: after climbing up to the cupboard, he finds it empty. Jon decides to go to the market down the hill. Garfield also considers the lack of phone and microwave as points against it. He considers being happy there a sure sign of very low intelligence. Cue Odie.
At the small market (that's what it says!), Jon is telling the proprietor what he wants. When the proprietor tells him he has enough for a small army, Jon says he wants to know when he has enough for a large army. The man doesn't blame him for stocking up, what with the coming blizzard. Jon didn't know about it, and rushes out the door... before returning to pay. Garfield is playing a board game by himself, probably because he's suffering from ennui. You could be forgiven for thinking he's playing checkers, but he's playing on a 6x11 board, and one of his moves involved pushing one piece on square forward, and Draughts Does Not Work That Way! The other side's move involved multiple jumps which I'm not going to analyze here. He pulls the pieces to himself, saying he won. Then he alternates between accusing himself of cheating and denying it for a few iterations before the "cheating" side knocking the board and pieces away.
Odie's whining and looking through a decondensed circle in the window. Garfield decides to check what he's seeing, and makes his own circle. He says the falling white stuff isn't dandruff, and decides their best option would be get out of there before they're snowed in, and opens the door, with some effort. In comes the snow to tell the story. Odie leaps into action to locate him, dig in, and pull him out. Garfield is shivering, and delivers the message: "Too... late."
Out on the roads, Jon is driving, and is stopped by a roadblock and an officer, guarding a huge snowbank. He goes to the officer and says he has to get through, but the officer tells him all roads are closed. Jon points out the cat and dog he has in the cabin, without food. The officer tries to assure him that a cat can go without food for a long time, but Jon figures this one can go about an hour.
Garfield doesn't know how long they can hold out, given that he hasn't eaten in... wait for it... almost an hour. Odie wants out, but Garfield explains that they're snowbound. Thinking there must be food somewhere, he goes into the kitchen and opens up the cabinets. Nothing. He approaches a set of three drawers, the bottom of which is a different color. I wonder if he's going to open it. He finds... a cracker! He kisses it, and tells Odie about it. Garfield considers himself saved... until a mouse does what he should've done: he simply takes it and eats it. Too bad he hasn't acquired a taste for mouse! Suddenly, a shaking prompts Odie to grab a table leg. Garfield assures him that it's not an avalanche: just his stomach.
Odie still wants out. Garfield says he can't. He tries to get his mind off food, because if he thinks about it, he'll go bananas and apples and pie and ice cream. He decides to try thinking about the cabin, but it's cheesy, so that doesn't work out: he has to snap out of it, as there's too much at stake. STEAK.
Jon trudge though waist-high snow with one of the bags of groceries. He calls out that he's coming. A pile of snow falls on him. He's coming... eventually.
Garfield browses a cookbook. He passes up a filet mignon and shrimp chow mein before grabbing a picture of spaghetti marinara, wadding it up, and eating it, and proceeding with a search for meatballs. Odie still wants out, but Garfield swallows and says no, it's the end. He starts crawling, and says he'll never Jon again, or taste lasagna again, or see Nermal again... that last one makes him consider that things aren't all bad. He figures he needs to make out his will, and to this end, uses his paw and stamp pad on blank paper. He tries to consider an appropriate beneficiary, but decides to take it all with him. Odie still wants out. Garfield exasperatedly obliges. As Garfield is calling after him to get lost in the snow and freeze, he sees why Odie wanted out: a drive-thru lasagna place just a few yards away. He runs over and hops up to the window of the take-out seruice. (Apparently, they like using obsolete spellings
. Also, we can't speak for quality, but at least it's Italian, right?) The owner informs him that they close as 8 PM sharp, and closes the window. Garfield is horrified, and pounds on the wood. He points at Odie and says he knew it was there all along. Odie barks a "Right!" Garfield asks why he didn't tell him, and goes back to pounding.
Defeated, Garfield reenters the cabin. Odie enters behind, rather more upbeat. Garfield is contemplating his imminent demise too much to notice Jon cooking, even though he says he'll have dinner ready in a second, and Garfield responds. It takes a little bit more time to realize... Jon's back! He leaps into Jon's arms! Jon says he's only been gone two hours, and that he's making his specialty: Southern-fried pig's liver with chocolate sauce. It's back to pictures of food for Garfield, because that hungry, he's not. (Cut back to Jon and Odie: his apron is off.) Garfield wonders if there's a picture of lemon meringue pie.
Orson's Farm: Quickie
We start with Lanolin using Sheldon for a yo-yo, much to Sheldon's displeasure. And Booker's, when he sees. He goes and tells Orson. Apparently, this has happened at least once before. Orson has a plan.
Lanolin figures she'll try bowling next. ...Is she yolking or simply cracked? Wouldn't an egg's shape, even without legs, make rolling the thing right too hard? I could be wrong, I guess. She is interrupted, however, by Booker and Orson in a trench coat, pretending to be bigger than her. He threatens her into letting Sheldon go. It works, but she pulls on Orson's snout and releases it, claiming it's the strangest looking belly button in the world. (I guess any degree of visibility would be on oddity amongst them.) She then leaves, and Orson observes that she's not as dumb as she looks.
Orson's Farm: Return of Power Pig
Orson is reading under the shade of a tree. Sheldon comes up, wanting to be read to. Orson asks if he's sure he can handle it; Sheldon claims no scary story is too scary for him. Orson starts to read Humpty Dumpty. Sheldon leaves; it's too scary.
Meanwhile, a worm jumps into a hole. Booker spots him, and decides to sit on the hole, blocking it. He even manages to say that nothing on Earth will move him. How about a pointy hat?
Ach du lieber, eine flying chicken!Booker lands next to Sheldon, scaring him. Booker asks him why he's so edgy. Well, I guess it happened the day he acquired a taste for quiche—
1. nervous, apprehensive...Oh. Well, Orson just read him a scary story, prompting him to go hide. Roy sleepily comes out of the henhouse to blow his horn. This exacerbates Sheldon's fear, and he runs off. Booker asks about him playing a wake-up call at 9:30. Roy's on daylight savings time. He asks about Sheldon. Booker replies that Orson read him a scary story, "like about a monster or something." This sets Roy to wondering what kind it was.
Bo and Lanolin and hoeing opposite sides of a plot of land divided by a fence. Lanolin doesn't get why nothing's growing. She threatens the seeds, but Bo suggests the "honey" approach. A field of flowers covers his side within seconds.
Lanolin: VERY FUNNY!She walks off steamed, leaving Bo and the flowers stunned. Roy comes up, and asks why everything's shaking. Bo attributes it to Lanolin's amplitudinous vocalizing. Roy had thought Orson told him about the monster. Lanolin comes with a scarecrow. Roy scoffs, as he believes they never work. Lanolin says it's the ugliest scarecrow in the world. Roy wants to see. Lanolin plants it. It looks vaguely like Roy. Roy is sarcastic about the comedy value, and walks off. Bo mentions the monster to Lanolin. She responds with a degree of... I'm not sure what.
Wade says he's going to conquer his fear of the pond today. He gets to the edge, remarking that everyone says he's a coward... and who is he to go against popular opinion? He starts to leave, then returns, more determined, this time. He tells the pond he'll conquer it. But just as he puts his toe in the water, a fish bites his foot, making him hop on the other. He hops into Lanolin, knocking her down. He apologizes and explains. She asks why fish are a concern when there's a monster about. Predictably, this sends Wade into contortions before he starts running. He quite literally runs into Orson. He manages to get out that there's a monster on the loose. Orson thinks that ridiculous. Wade insists he got it from an excellent source, so Orson prepares to change into Power Pig. He runs into the shed, closes the door, and emerges... in a tutu. This time, when he goes in and comes out, it's the right costume. Wade has to urge him to stop monologuing and go after the monster.
Power Pig searches the farm. He even checks a haystack before Wade reports that he found it. He drags Power Pig over. It's Lanolin's scarecrow. Orson bravely marches up and attacks it! They go rolling down the hill. Wade tells Lanolin the monster's got Orson, but Lanolin tells him to come back with her scarecrow.
Booker pounces, catching the worm. The cloud of dust of Orson and the scarecrow draws Booker into it, leaving the worm behind.
Roy is playing paddleball, and is just into the 8000s when the fight gathers him up and takes them all crashing into the side of a barn. Wade and Lanolin arrive on scene. Wade mistakes the scarecrow head for Roy's, and laments that he hadn't used it yet.
Orson says he heard there was a monster from Wade. Lanolin asks why he thought a stupid thing like that. Um... YOU? As Wade points out. Lanolin says Bo told her, who says Roy told him, who says Sheldon told him, who says all he said was what Orson told him. Orson's had enough, and sets off for a long walk in the country. Booker didn't didn't quite hear, so Sheldon says he's going to the country. Roy asks if he's going to a country. Lanolin wonders if that means like Spain. Bo wonders if that means Orson's going to Spain. Wade becomes afraid that Orson's moving to Spain forever.
Orson sings a song cautioning listeners not to spread rumors, because who knows how much its true by the time it's gotten to you, and how much of the truth you'll spread when you pass it. Also, who wants to be the subject of rumors? People who believe in No Such Thing as Bad Publicity, I suppose.
For the first time, the show goes directly from Orson's Farm to Garfield without a Garfield Quickie in between.
Garfield: Fair Exchange
It's nighttime, and Jon is about to ask Garfield if he's seen something, but is distracted by Odie standing on his head. He thinks that's really terrific, and asks Garfield how he taught Odie how to do it. Garfield presents the glue. Jon pulls Odie loose and says he's got to stop doing those things. He sends Garfield to bed without supper. Of course, Garfield has already had that, as Jon recalls, so he amends it to "post-supper snack". That, too, has been consumed, so Jon tries again: his post-post-supper snack. Garfield's had two. Jon makes a final edit: he'll send Garfield to bed without his pre-bedtime, post-midnight snack meal. Garfield is shaken. Jon wishes Garfield could be in his shoes for once.
Jon has changed into pajamas, and goes to bed, musing about how easy his cat has it. He makes a second wish, that he could have a life like Garfield's. He goes to sleep.
Garfield is miffed. He realizes Jon thinks it's easy being a cat. He, too, would like to trade places. He gets in bed, and feels a dream sequence coming on.
It's day time at the Arbuckle house. Jon wakes up in Garfield's bed, with Garfield body. He's wearing a little bowtie for no apparent reason. He yawns, and finds himself hungry, as he hasn't eaten since his pre-bedtime, post-midnight snack meal. He goes to wake up Garfield by hopping on him and playing castanets while dancing. Garfield, in Jon's body, asks what he's doing there. Jon returns the question. Garfield points out it's his dream. Jon says it's also his, and he's here because he wants pancakes. Garfield gets up to make them, but compliments him on using a flamenco dance.
Garfield sprays cream on his face, and has a realization. He asks who replaced his shave cream with whipped cream, but in a way that suggests he knows. Jon figured it'd put him in the mood for strawberry shortcake.
Garfield has a restaurant sized griddle to work with, it seems. He's making flapjacks. They seem to be cooking awfully fast, but it is a dream, after all. Jon's eating them by the stack. Garfield, tired, sits down for a powdered doughnut. Jon, of course, swipes it. When Garfield protests, Jon says not to blame him; it's his own dream sequence, after all.
The doorbell rings, and Garfield goes to answer it. It's his neighbor, a large man, name of Atweiler. He tells Garfield that Jon tried to eat his fern last night. Garfield doesn't think it a big deal that a cat tried to eat a plant; however, Fern is a toucan. A toucan with a wrapped-up beak and wing in a sling. Garfield turns to scold Jon, but Jon pushes Odie off the table, as usual. Garfield catches him, tells Jon off, sets odie back on the table... and goes to answer the phone now. Jon decides Garfield's right... and instead turns Odie's ears like a propeller.
Garfield has five phones set up in close proximity. He's receiving calls about Jon's antics: something involving a whole cow...
Jon finishes winding Odie's ears, and sets him to take off. Odie flies around the room.
Garfield is soon swamped with calls about Jon: something for which he wants to be sent the bill; something involving aisles 3-9 at the supermarket... he neglects the calls infavor of chasing Odie. Once he's outside, Jon boards up the door, because Garfield is totally malicious like that. Garfield's still running.
Jon can't decide what to have from the refrigerator, so he takes everything.
As Garfield chases Odie, he passes some people. Mr. Atweiler points him out as "the guy with the cat". Another man relates that Jon put gelatin in the birdbath to make the pigeons bounce off. The group of four starts chasing Garfield.
Jon's run out of food, so he decides to sell it: a small down payment in lasagna, and he'll let it go cheap.
Odie's ears finally run out of spin, and he falls. Garfield is there to catch him, but his troubles aren't over; neighbors on his tail! He decides he wants to be himself again, so he decides to pinch himself to end the dream. It works. Garfield has to find Jon to make sure they're not each other.
Meanwhile, Jon is freaking out about Garfield taking him to the vet. He runs out of bed. They collide in the hall, and when the dust clears, Jon looks back, and appears to have a tail, but he pulls on it and finds that it was Garfield up the back of his shirt. Both are glad they're themselves... and not Odie.
Next time: Disc change, and episode 9!
