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Recap / Aladdin S 2 E 31 Power To The Parrot

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While Aladdin and Jasmine enjoy a holiday to Getzistan, Iago and Genie get into an argument over who could make better use of the latter's powers. To settle the debate, Genie makes a bet with Iago - he'll transfer his powers to the parrot for one day, on the condition that Iago only uses them for good. Iago seems to make such clever use of his newfound abilities that Genie wonders if he should let Iago keep them - but Iago soon finds that being a genie isn't as easy as it looks.

This episode contains examples of the following tropes:

  • A Day in the Limelight: For Genie and Iago, with Aladdin and Jasmine playing no role in the story overall.
  • Didn't Think This Through: Genie!Iago uses his newfound powers to solve Agrabah's problems, but since he's motivated by his usual Greed, his solutions are huge and grand gestures that end up causing problems further down the line:
    • He starts by redirecting a river to flow around Agrabah to solve its water shortage. He then decides to make it rain overnight... which causes the twin rivers to burst their banks and flood the city, ruining businesses and homes.
    • He gives Abu a Midas Touch ability and hands out free jewels at his all-you-can-eat banquet to solve its poverty issues. Not only does Abu starve due to being unable to eat or drink, inflation shoots up so badly that a loaf of bread costs a whole bushel of rubies.
    • He hosts a free all-you-can-eat banquet for the citizens of Agrabah to feed the poor. This ends up giving the irate citizens ammunition to throw at Iago when their economy collapses and their city floods. Worse, the rotten food brings back the giant worm that had been terrorizing Agrabah earlier in the episode.
  • Hated by All: Genie!Iago becomes this after his rivers and rain flood Agrabah and his gemstones crash the economy. Even Abu turns on him when his "Infinite treasure Touch" leaves him starving.
  • Heroic BSoD: Genie undergoes one when Iago seems to be a better genie than he is and considers letting him keep his powers. This, of course, is before things go wrong and Iago can't handle it.
  • Ignoring by Singing: Genie does this when Genie!Iago comes to him for help, since he thinks Iago's only come to gloat.
    Iago: (yanking Genie's finger from his ear) WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT?!
  • Laser-Guided Karma: Iago, with Genie’s loaned powers, focuses on improving Agrabah to curry favour with the citizens. This comes back to bite him when his short-sighted solutions cause even more problems and the angry citizens turn against him.
    • Earlier in the episode, Iago had humiliated Genie by making him the subject of a dunk tank attraction. By the end of the episode, after getting his powers back and fixing everything, Genie returns the favour.
  • Let's See YOU Do Better!: The crux of the episode. Iago claims that he could do a much better job than Genie, so Genie makes a bet; he'll loan him all of his powers for one day to see if Iago can do better.
  • Loophole Abuse: Genie!Iago consistently find ways to bend the rules of being a good genie so he can get something out of it.
  • Mad Scientist: Genie briefly turns into one when transferring his powers to Iago.
  • Midas Touch: Genie!Iago rashly gives Abu this power. Naturally, Abu ends up being unable to eat or drink due to food and water turning into gems.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Genie!Iago decides to focus on solving Agrabah's water shortage, food shortage and poverty. But since he cares more about winning prestige and status than actually doing good, he goes overboard with his solutions. The result is a flooded city, a ruined economy and a populace furious with him. And then the rotten leftover food brings the giant worm monster back.
  • Noodle Incident: Genie apparently once materialized a twelve-pound hot fudge sundae for himself.
  • Produce Pelting: The irate citizens of Agrabah do this to Genie!Iago, who wonders aloud where the angry mobs get their rotten fruit. Turns out, it's all leftovers from yesterday's banquet - and Slugguthu, the giant worm, smells it from miles off.
  • Running Gag: Twice, Genie!Iago responds to Genie's questions of Why Didn't I Think of That? by popping out his brain on a spring. This grosses out Genie considerably.
  • Sand Worm: Slugguthu, a gigantic “scavenger worm” with a huge maw, multiple eyes and a sensitive trunk. He loves rotten food and is drawn to it by the smell from miles away… which spells trouble for Agrabah when he catches a whiff of the discarded food from Iago’s ill-conceived all-you-can-eat banquet.
  • Shapeshifter Showoff Session: Genie is depressed that he can't transform himself while Iago has his powers. The moment he gets them back, the first thing he does is to transform into various things with unabashed glee.
  • Shout-Out: At one point, Genie!Iago quotes John F. Kennedy by saying "Ich bin ein Agrabanian".
    • At the episode's start, Genie (in the form of a bird) is conversing with a duck until its owner takes it away, chiding it for "talking to strange ducks". Genie, in the voice of Donald Duck, asks the audience "Was it something I said?"
  • Superman Substitute: Genie briefly morphs into "Super Genie" to fight Slugguthu, albeit unsuccessfully. When the worm comes back later, Genie!Iago tries to go one better as "Ultra Iago"... and somehow does even worse.
  • Tempting Fate: Genie!Iago casually asks what could possibly happen should he indulge himself with his genie powers. He promptly gets chased by a truck, pulled apart by horses and pelted with bombs.
    Iago: OKAY, OKAY! I GET THE DRIFT!
  • Weird Trade Union: This episode implies that there is a union for genies that ensures that they use their powers selflessly and for the benefit of others, not themselves. They're very vigilant, according to Genie himself.
  • With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: In a less malevolent example, upon receiving Genie's powers, Iago also picks up on Genie's shape-shifting and eccentric goofy mannerisms, while the de-powered Genie loses them and becomes more morose and depressed. Apparently, possessing semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic power makes you a Cloud Cuckoolander by default.
  • With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Summarized as 'The Code of the Genie', which states that genies must use their magic in the service of others and not to benefit themselves. Naturally, Genie!Iago bending the rules in his favour leads to things going wrong.
  • Why Didn't I Think of That?: Genie is taken aback by Iago's use of his genie powers, as Iago pulls tricks that Genie never thought of trying.
  • You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: Iago's reaction to how Genie's powers are transferred back to Genie - by pulling his finger.

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