Airdate: October 7, 1993
Opening Line: "Where's Lon Chaney?"- Wakko
Meatballs or Consequences: When Wakko dies from overeating, Yakko and Dot match wits with the Grim Reaper himself.
Dot's Poetry Corner: Little Miss Mufffet
A Moving Experience: The Hip Hippos decide to move into the city, much to the dismay of the zoologist studying them.
Meatballs or Consequences has examples of:
- The Cameo: Mindy and Buttons appear at the fair in the beginning.
- Chess with Death: Of course, the Warners don't know how to play chess, so it becomes checkers.
- Insane Troll Logic: Dot says that because Wakko already ate 500 meatballs, one more won't hurt. Somewhat lampshaded during the checkers game when Dot admits to being an idiot while wearing a dunce cap.
- Just a Stupid Accent: Death, as part of the episode's Bergman homage, has a Swedish accent.
- Never Say "Die": Not in the episode itself, but rather the episode's title, as
Executive Meddling prevented the use of its original title "Death or Consequences". - Non Sequitur, *Thud*: After taking a nasty fall, Death says, "I'll have the linguine with clams."
- Not Hyperbole: Wakko was right that he would die if he ate another meatball. As soon as he does, Death comes and takes him away.
- Obstructive Bureaucrat: Death is constantly quoting rules and regulations about his job, and at one point tries to use an obscure sub-clause to declare all the Warners to be dead.
- Parental Substitute: When the Warners are Killed Off for Real, Yakko suggests they become a family, and Wakko would like to call Death "Dadoo!"Dot: Hey, Pop, can we stay up past our bedtime?Yakko: Can we watch the adult channel?Yakko and Wakko: HellOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Nurse!
- Shout-Out: The entire episode is a spoof of the films of Ingmar Bergman.
- Take That!: "Are we dead?" "Or is this Ohio?"
- Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Eventually, Death releases the Warners because they were just too annoying.
- You Need a Breath Mint: Yakko and Dot exchange these at each other just before their game of checkers against Death.
A Moving Experience has examples of
- Origins Episode: For the Hip Hippos.
- Poorly Disguised Pilot: Despite having previously debuted in "La Behemoth", this was clearly the first Hip Hippos cartoon produced.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Gina Embryo puts herself through all kinds of punishment trying to convince the Hippos that there is no house that suits them in the city- so they move their own house via helicopter!
Closing Tower Gag: "Chowabunga!"- Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
