Recap / Big City Greens S 2 E 5

He must gain forgiveness, or at least that's what they think he should... ^note Also, note Cricket is helping with the gardening.

Reckoning Ball

When Chip Whistler is threatened to be fired from Wholesome Foods by his dad because of what he did to the Greens, he must reluctantly try to earn their trust and convince he's sorry...or so they think.

"Reckoning Ball" contains examples of:

• All There in the Stinger: It ends with Chip seizing the CEO position and furthering his revenge against the Greens. Cue "Friend Con"...
• Animation Bump: And how! All over the place, several of the characters' expressions are much more exaggerated and expressive, such as Chip's ranting over the store being closed and his breakdowns over Bill's to-do list, Cricket and Gramma's suspicious faces when Chip first attempts at an apology, and the scene where Chip is struggling to replant the carrots. Even the Nightmare Face Chip makes at the end is done with really good shadow effects.
• Arc Words: "You reap what you sow." Or some variant of it.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Chip tricks his father and the Greens (except Alice) into thinking he's changed and becomes the new CEO of Wholesome Foods.
• Bait the Dog: In the end, it seems Chip is apologizing for his mistakes in the past and making a Heel–Face Turn...surprise! He was only tricking the Greens into thinking he's sorry, so he can seize his father's position and further his revenge. Not only were the Greens fooled (except Alice, who still had some suspicions), but the audience as well! But it's not quite surprising, right?
• Batman Gambit: Chip pretends to own up to his mistakes so the Greens can think he changed his ways, allowing him to take full control of Wholesome Foods without his dad around, so he can focus on running the family out of Big City uninterrupted.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Subverted. Chip discovers how kind and loving the Greens are and gives a legitimate apology for the contract to be signed, but is is revealed in the end he only took advantage of their kindness to take over Wholesome Foods.
• Big Damn Heroes: Keys, of all people, steps right in front of the wrecking ball Chip was using, vowing to arrest him for attempting murder, causing him to lose control and only destroy part of the rooftop while simultaneously falling and chipping his tooth once more.
• Call-Back:
  • The events of "Feud Fight", in which Chip destroys the farmer's market trying to get revenge on the Greens, is why people haven't been going to Wholesome Foods and why his father is threatening to not let him be CEO.
  • Chip and Bill shake hands again like in "Supermarket Scandal" and Chip is still disgusted by Bill's severed finger.
• Character Development: Cricket is noticeably more mature than the last season, as he is shown helping his family plant carrots and asks to fix the roof, when he originally deemed chores were a bore.
• The Chessmaster: Chip's niceness with the Greens and gaining their trust was revealed to be just an act. He only used them to his advantage to exact his eventual revenge on him once he's in complete control of Wholesome Foods.
• Cliffhanger: With his dad retired and out of the picture and he is now the CEO of Wholesome Foods and has full control of the company, Chip is now focusing on driving the Greens out of town once more, and he's going to come back for them someday.
• Community-Threatening Construction: This episode begins Chip's obsession of wanting to get the Greens to leave Big City by destroying their beloved farmhouse, which threatens their legacy once again.
• Continuity Nod:
  • The episode starts with a video of Chip throwing tomatoes at Cricket from "Feud Fight", which caused him to be hated.
  • Like in "Supermarket Scandal" Chip is still disgusted at Bill's severed finger, the only difference is that he no longer makes an effort in hiding his disgust when they shake hands again.
  • When Chip was hallucinating the carrots attacking him, he unknowingly buried Cricket and Tilly's bikes from "Night Bill".
  • The Greens' home and farm are threatened once again since it was almost sold in "Family Legacy"; this time it is threatened to be destroyed, which is even worse.
• Darker and Edgier: Notably marks the point Chip's role in the series transitions to a full-on Big Bad.
• A Day in the Limelight: For Chip.
• Easily Forgiven: Deconstructed. Chip was supposed to attain the Greens' forgiveness in order to prove his father he's changed, and considering that in their last encounter he came in with a wrecking ball, that was not going to be an easy task. The Green family was initially (and rightfully) suspicious that his initial apologies were empty, and they have him work to repair the damages in which he has incurred, like fixing their roof. This proves to be too demanding for Chip and he breaks down, confessing to the family his issue with being turned down from the position of CEO and finally giving them a (seemingly) full-hearted apology. The Greens thus officially forgive him by signing his waiver, despite none of the damage having been thoroughly repaired. Add to that that they thus enable him to step in as CEO of Wholesome Foods, and soon Chip showcases his true colors, preparing to focus his newfound resources into fulfilling his ultimate goal: drive the family out of Big City.
• Evil Laugh: By Chip in the very last scene.
• Exact Words: Chip's deal was to get the Greens to earn his trust and sign the forgiveness contract, so he can step in as CEO. This doesn't mean he's over his hatred of them.
• Fake Defector: What Chip turned out to be. In the end when it seems he made peace with the Greens and has become a new man, once his dad is out of the picture he reveals he's still his villainous self and only pretended to turn nice to trick the Greens into accepting him so he can take over the company, and is now plotting to drive the Greens out of town for good.
• Faux Affably Evil: Chip's reason for the episode. Having seen how kind and caring the Greens are, he himself pretends to have changed to convince them into signing the forgiveness contract. Once they have fallen for it, this is enough to convince his dad into handing the company over to him, so he can focus on new schemes against the Greens out of sight.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: In the last scene as Chip steps in as CEO, notice his new business suit is predominantly dull grey, and his shades are off when he almost never removed him. Then he swoons upon realizing it's all his. What happens next? See Wham Line below.
• The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: The second-to-last shot is a close-up of Chip's shadowed reflection in the mirror making a Slasher Smile while looking at the camera, almost as if he's staring at the audience.
• Foreshadowing: There are several hints that Chip is only faking his sincerity so he can take over for his retiring Dad and exact his full revenge.
  • For instance, when Mr. Whistler threatens Chip and forces him to apologize, he says "You got it", then quietly rephrases and says with a smug face, "How hard can it be?"
  • When Cricket is attacking Chip, he says to Bill, "Chip's here to apologize...supposedly." He does exactly that.
  • Chip doesn't sound very serious when he admits his mistakes near the ending, hinting he's a Fake Defector.
  • When asked to sign the contract, Gramma is angry and sounds like she suspects Chip's up to something.
  • Doubles as a Call-Back, like in "Supermarket Scandal" Chip and Bill shake hands, and Chip is still disgusted at Bill's severed finger, but unlike the first time Chip no longer makes any effort to hide how much disgust Bill's severed finger causes him and instead shakes Bill's thumb noticeably disgusted.
  • Among those that signed the contract, Bill is the only one not shown signing it or asking to sign it. Turns out, he's only becoming CEO in place of his Dad to run them out of town.
  • When Cricket hears the real reasoning behind Chip's apology contract, he confusedly asked if Chip himself actually is sorry or not, and Chip responds "No...yes? I don't know!". Chip isn't sorry for his antagonism with the Greens and escalating feud with them, but he is sorry for his current circumstances and the fact that he's forced to apologise to them, as well as the fact he's disappointed his father with his behaviour, even if he personally doesn't regret the way he's acted.
  • The biggest hint: Bill tells Chip he has to work before he earns what he deserves, and once done, he can have anything he wants in life. Chip then appears to think for a moment at this before smiling as if getting an idea, before proceeding to the apology.
  • Normally Chip gets his teeth damaged at the end of every episode when his plans are flawed, but here, he chips it near the beginning and has that appearance throughout the whole episode until the final scene. Having failed at the beginning and endured the usual sign of his defeat, it hints that his (hidden) scheme for the remainder of the episode will actually be successful this time.
  • Back in "Cricket's Biscuits", Gramma would make her famous feel-better butter biscuits for the Greens when they get hurt or injured; but here, she strangely does not make biscuits for Chip. This is a clue that she doesn't trust him and he's secretly plotting something before them.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: When the CEO office is being renovated, the only thing that's not taken down before Chip's second Wham Line is the picture of his dad as a young farmer. This symbolizes the last bit of his dad is witnessing his son's true nature, and what he's doing won't make him proud as intended.
  • Take a close look at what it says on the forgiveness contract. "Hey, we know we did a bad. So we wrote this to prove we are really, really sorry. We admit it. We goofed up! Hope it's all water under the bridge. Please don't sue us!"
• Hallucinations: Chip imagines the carrots with Cricket's face on them which attack him when he buries one of them improperly.
• Ignored Aesop: The moral that Chip learned from having his store boycotted, after that video of him attacking Cricket with tomatoes went viral?: "This never would've happed if he'd never met the Greens".
• Inadequate Inheritor: Chip's actions from "Feud Fight" made his father see him as one. To redeem himself upon his father's eyes, Chip must convince the Greens to sign a document where they forgive him and agree not to sue Wholesome Foods.
• Innocuously Important Episode: Sure this episode marks the point Chip's role turns Darker and Edgier, but the Greens giving Chip advice and Cricket being the first one to sign the contract play major parts since they're the reason Chip's the CEO now, and sets up an even more malicious plot much later.
• Instant Humiliation: Just Add YouTube!: A video of Chip throwing tomatoes at Cricket went viral, ruining his reputation and causing people to avoid going to Wholesome Foods.
• Ironic Echo: Bill's "Put in the work" and "reap the rewards" is repeated word per word by Chip, when it turns out he only used the Greens to get what he deserved to ruin their lives.
• A Lesson Learned Too Well: Chip did take his lesson the Greens taught him about hard work to heart. The problem is he never stopped hating the Green family, and just uses this knowledge to further his revenge against them.
• Manipulative Bastard: Chip is probably the best example in this episode, as he easily manages to fool the Greens and his dad into thinking he changed.
• Mid-Season Twist: Being the fifth episode of Season 2A, Chip becomes the CEO, reveals his sincerity was a fake, and he only used the Greens' kindness to think of new ideas to run them out of town without his dad's interference.
• Mood Lighting: When the shades close in the CEO office, everything becomes completely dark, which refers to Chip's dark nature.
• Mood Whiplash: Chip is able to gain the Greens' trust and becomes the new CEO. Then comes the ending...
• Never My Fault: Chip, once again, believes the Greens are to blame for ruining his reputation. When in reality, he brought it all on himself in the first place for disobeying Cricket's warning about the fruit he bit being fake, which in return chipped his tooth. He also claims the footage of him pelting Cricket with tomatoes was presented out of context.
• Never Say "Die": Averted by Keys when he comes out of nowhere to protect the Greens from Keys' wrecking ball.
  Keys: Don't quote me on this, but I believe murder is ILLEGAL!!!
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Hit big time for the Greens. They think Chip changed his ways, Cricket especially, but they don't know he secretly deceived them into doing such so he can take over Wholesome Foods. And he's got more dangerous plots in store for them later...
• Nightmare Face: The episode closes on one, courtesy of Chip.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Big time for the Greens, especially Cricket. At first it seems Chip made peace with them, but it takes on a whole new meaning when he reveals he only tricked them into thinking he changed so he can take over Wholesome Foods. Cricket will totally feel sorry for this once he finds out.
• Only Sane Man: Out of all the Greens, Gramma is the only one who straight-up doesn't trust Chip when he's convincing them he's sorry and wants to change. She's also reluctant when signing the contract at the end.
• Out-of-Character Moment: Cricket asking Bill if he wants to help him fix the roof, and helping replant the carrots Chip ruined, are two things the Cricket we know would obviously despise.
• Out of Focus: The Greens don't get as much attention here because Chip is the star of this episode.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Sure, Chip has all the power now that he's Wholesome Foods' new CEO, but people are still boycotting the company and sales are still plummeting since no one wants to buy from them anymore.
• Police Are Useless: Officer Keys averts this by protecting the Greens from Chip's wrecking ball. However, he plays it straight when he does not arrest Chip from attempting to murder their property.
• Recycled Soundtrack: The music that plays as Cricket and Bill are fixing the roof is the same tune as Cricket is launching a chicken off the roof in "Space Chicken".
• Rewatch Bonus: The episode's plot becomes very important in later viewings since the audience knows why Chip is trying to convince the Greens that he's sorry from the start.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Chip goes on quite a neurotic one when Bill adds more damage to his to-do list, prompting him to destroy the entire backyard until Gramma intervenes.
• Rule of Symbolism: Chip slamming down the picture of him as a baby right after the window shade closes over it symbolizes his dad is no longer around to control him and he's become a shadow of his old self.
• Sequel Hook: The ending implies Chip is now a real threat to the Greens and is plotting to strike again soon, meaning this won't be the last we see of him.
• Series Continuity Error:
  • Normally Chip whistles through the chip in his tooth (true to his name), but in this episode he doesn't. There is a 'slight' lisp to his dialogue afterwards, implying that Chip cracked his teeth so many times he's learned how to speak normally enough with the gap to avoid unintentionally whistling with every word.
  • When Chip gets his tooth gap refilled, he asks for platinum; but later on in the series he says it's titanium. Presumably, the dentist themselves made the call and filled Chip in on the specifics of his new dental protection afterwards.
• Slasher Smile: The episode closes on one, courtesy of Chip's reflection showing his new titanium filling.
• Shoo Out the Clowns: After signing Chip's contract, the Greens are completely absent for the rest of the episode, save for a photo on Chip's photo of which he vandalizes in the CEO office. This was possibly done to make the ending more serious.
• Spanner in the Works: Chip's wrecking ball would've successfully destroyed the Greens' house if Keys didn't interfere in the first place.
• Subverted Suspicion Aesop: The Greens didn't trust Chip when he tried to apologize the first time, though when he does truly apologize near the end, they believed him. And as it turns out, they were right not to trust him all along — he tricked them into forgiving him so he can further his revenge against them.
• Sudden Downer Ending: Turns out Chip didn't turn good at all, and he fully redos the office, removing all mementos of his father, and is now focused on getting the Greens to leave Big City forever, which officially establishes him as the series' Big Bad. Cricket is going to be in for quite a shocker.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The footage of Chip pelting Cricket with tomatoes going viral meant Wholesome Foods has lost a great deal of customers since no one wants to support a company employing a man who attacked an unarmed child. And even though Chip managed to have the forgiveness contract signed by the Greens, people are still boycotting Wholesome Foods. This kind of negative publicity doesn't just go away overnight.
• Switching P.O.V.: Most of the episode is from the perspective of Chip Whistler; however during the living room scene, it briefly shifts to the Greens' perspective. This was probably done storywise to shield the audience from Chip's plan to use the Greens' kindness and trick them into thinking he's changed his ways, which doesn't get exposed until the last scene once his dad is no longer around.
• Tempting Fate:
  • "Chip's here to apologize...SUPPOSEDLY."
  • After Chip is named the new CEO, Mr. Whistler says, "I know you'll make me proud, son." Guess what Chip does next!
• Trash the Set: A portion of the Greens' roof is destroyed thanks to Chip's wrecking ball, but repaired afterwards. Had not Keys interfered, the entire house would be gone, and all the family legacy that came with it.
• Unexpectedly Dark Episode: Compared to previous episodes, this one's pretty intense; what's dark about it is what Chip pulls throughout the episode. It all gets worse once you find out the truth in the end.
• Unwitting Pawn: The Greens are completely unaware they're helping Chip gain their trust so he can take full control of Wholesome Foods so he has all the power in him to run them out of town. And it'll take them nine episodes until they find out.
• Villain Episode: This episode largely focuses on Chip as he tries to earn respect from the Greens.
• Villain Opening Scene: The episode starts with Chip at Wholesome Foods complaining over the customers boycotting the store.
• Villainous Breakdown: Chip completely loses it when he unknowingly buries the kids' bikes when he passed out, leading him to make more messes of the house.
• Villainous Fashion Sense: After becoming CEO, Chip gets a platinum filling.
• Wham Line: Two in a row within the very last minute:
  • First:
  Greg: Real nice to patch things up with that family!
  Chip: Yup. That was pretty nice of me. But now... things are gonna change. Alright, let's can this junk!
  • And then the very last line...
  Chip: I've put in the work and I've reaped the rewards. And now, I have the full power and resources of the Wholesome Foods Corporation to finally... run the Greens out of Big City!
  • Before that, Cricket seems to correctly predict what Chip is going to do despite the audience not having a clue of what he's really doing.
  Cricket: Chip's here to apologize...supposedly.
• Wham Shot:
  • Chip's Nightmare Face, along with vandalizing a photo of the Greens on his phone, as he reveals his true nature.
  • Before that, everything in the CEO office related to Chip's dad being removed, the shades closing so everything it's dark, and most notably, Chip slamming down his baby picture, a clear sign of defiance.
• When He Smiles: Chip as he is heeding Bill's advice, just before he proceeds to the apology. Subverted however, when he reveals he only tricked the Greens into thinking he was sorry so he can take over Wholesome Foods.
• You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Bill's words of encouragement to Chip, which he uses to his advantage.
  Bill: You can sass me if you want, but I'm just bein' honest. It's like I'm always tellin' my boy: you gotta put in the work before you can reap the rewards. It might not be easy, but if you do that, you can have anything you want in life.

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Let's go clubbing!

Clubbed

Tilly and Andromeda infiltrate Gloria at a night club thinking she's forgotten them, while Cricket watches a movie with Bill who keeps spoiling the plot.

"Clubbed" contains examples of:

• Animation Bump: The parts where Tilly is drinking her milkshake and Andromeda is gasping after her flashback are much more fluid than the rest of the series. The Episode Title Card has also extensive shading and lighting effects.
• Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: When Bill is excited about seeing a movie, he gets out a DVD case, selects a DVD, inserts it into the player...then gives Cricket some Splish.
• Breather Episode: Compared to the sister episode, this is Lighter and Softer and the usual comedic mood. This is currently the only regular paired with an Unexpectedly Dark Episode that is the second segment.
• Brick Joke: The Rube Goldberg Device the girls set up for Gloria finally deploys at the end, dropping the chandelier on the bouncer instead.
• Captain Ersatz: Constellation Battles is a pretty obvious one to Star Wars.
• Character Development: Likewise with its sister episode, Cricket is more mature and responsible here, as he has a better grasp working at Big Coffee and understood Bill's rants more clearly.
• A Day in the Limelight: Tilly and Andromeda again, with Cricket regulated to the b-story.
• Double-Meaning Title: The episode is set in a nightclub, and Tilly and Andromeda try to club Gloria to the head.
• Easy Amnesia: Andromeda thinks the reason Gloria claims to not recognize her and Tilly is because she got amnesia. Later, the bouncer at the club actually gets amnesia when the chandelier falls on him.
• Exhausted Eye Bags: When Cricket comes home from work completely worn out, his eyes briefly have little bags under them.
• Eye Recall: Andromeda does it when she remembers what Gloria said, which leads to her assuming she forgot them.
• Failure Montage: Tilly and Andromeda's failed attempts to "cure" Gloria's "amnesia" at the nightclub.
• Falling Chandelier of Doom: How Andromeda and Tilly plan to "cure" Gloria of her amnesia.
• Guilt by Association: The bouncer threw Gloria out of the club and banning her for life for knowing Tilly and Andromeda, ignoring her protest that she wasn't even with them. Fortunately, he got hit on the head, forgetting that he banned Gloria.
• Losing a Shoe in the Struggle: Gloria loses one of her shoes when she gets kicked out of the nightclub. She then finds it again after Tilly and Andromeda's Goldberg Device worked.
• Luke, I Am Your Father: Constellation Battles ends with Gleebor agreeing with Dante, then he pulls off his head, which is really a mask, revealing Dark Star underneath, who says, "My son."
• My Eyes Are Up Here: When the rest of Andromeda's trap is unleashed and the girls watch, the bouncer complains, "My eyes are down here!"
• Rube Goldberg Device: Tilly and Andromeda prepare one to drop the chandelier at the club on Gloria, thinking it will cure her amnesia. Unsurprisingly, a rope under a candle takes too long to burn through, delaying the rest of the device.
• Rule of Three: Bill spoiling a couple of scenes:
  • Him telling Cricket that the spaceship will explode.
  • Him telling Cricket that Old Man Bobi-1 doesn't make it to the end.
  • And finally, Bill spoiling the part here Dante finds out he's a crystal which causes Cricket to rage quit.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness:
  Tilly: What are we gonna do?
  Andromeda: Well, we all know that one gets amnesia by getting bonked on the head. So, it only stands to reason that a secondary bonk of equal force will cancel out the initial bonk, and regain her memories!
  Tilly: Oh, so we've just gotta hit her on the head real hard?
  Andromeda: Precisely.
• Shout-Out: Tilly and Andromeda's last-resort Rube Goldberg Device is taken right out of Tom and Jerry, more particularly the episode "Designs on Jerry".
• Show Within a Show: The movie Constellation Battles, which Cricket and Bill watch.
• Smash Cut: When the bouncer catches Tilly and Andromeda with Gloria and threatens to throw them out, Gloria starts to say, "Boy, you messed with the wrong —" then it instantly cuts to the three slumping outside on the curb and beaten up.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The girls construct a Rube Goldberg Device to drop a chandelier on top of Gloria, one portion of which requires a single candle to burn through a rope. In their imagined scenario the rope burns through in seconds, but when they actually enact it, the rope turns out to be strong and thick enough, and the candle flame small and weak enough, that it actually takes several minutes of continued exposure for the rope to fray and snap, and Gloria herself quickly noticed the complex mechanism and target laid on the ground. It only works with the bouncer later because he accidentally strayed into the target area and was focused on the three girls right when the rope finally burned through.
• Tap on the Head: Andromeda and Tilly try to hit Gloria on the head in order to cure her "amnesia". After failing several times, they resort to dropping a chandelier on her.

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