History Recap / BigFinishBSS8E1TheTubFullOfCats

The Draconians and the Mim are at war, and the Collection's in the middle. [[AdventurerArchaeologist Benny]] tries to return with the Collection's former owner, [[MagnificentBastard Irving Braxiatel]], in an attempt to open negotiations in an attempt to end the war before a nuclear armaggeddon. The only problem is, the Collection is blockaded. Only when [[CloningBlues Maggie]] and Benny arrive at the spaceport, they find one [[TheAllegedCar very old ship]], an absence of Irving Braxiatel, and a suspiciously large box [[HumanPopsicle among their luggage]]. And then there's the small matter of the ship's almost entirely feline crew.

* CloningBlues: Played With, as Brax acknowledges that [[OppositeSexClone Maggie]] is essentially his daughter but proceeds to treat her like crap throughout the entire episode anyway.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Brax attempts to avoid The Light by putting himself into a state of null suspension. Doubles up with AskAStupidQuestion and ASpotOfTea, as he ends up locked in a box with an EldritchAbomination. As he screams frantically for help, Benny arrives and asks how it got in.

** Although, the man who said this was (in the context of the story) certifiably insane, and it was most likely a delusion so he could claim that he was the first man in space. And yes his ego is that big, while orbiting Earth in a capsule he thought that the Earth was moving around him. In fact his egomania was so huge it [[spoiler: was what the Gravity's Rainbow used to anchor itself to reality whenever it entered the Light]]. And given that (in other areas of the whoniverse) the space program was definitely real, it's safe to assume that it isn't this trope being used.
* AndIMustScream: The Light. Where you don't actually exist. [[spoiler: And travelling through this is how the Gravity's Rainbow intends to run the blockade]].
* AmbiguousGender: Chanticleer.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: After discovering [[spoiler: that Brax has been in null suspension in a box in the hold]] for half the journey, Chanticleer's conditions for him staying on the ship are that he pays the full fare, apologises to Maggie, and empties the cat litter for the rest of the journey. [[spoiler: Brax reluctantly agrees.]]
* BrokenAce: Anthony Rogers, the 20th century astronaut [[spoiler: driven mad by having to be the personality who has to drag the ship back to reality every time it goes into [[AndIMustScream 'The Light']]]]. See SpaceshipGirl below.
* CatsAreMagic: The only creatures with enough sense of self to defeat the [[spoiler: {{Eldritch Abomination}}s let loose in the Light]].
* CloningBlues: Played With, as Brax acknowledges that [[OppositeSexClone Maggie]] is essentially his daughter but proceeds to treat her like crap throughout the entire episode anyway.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Maggie attempts to hold Brax account for ParentalNeglect, he genuinely seems to think he's scoreed a point by stating that he spent the last cosmic cycle [[ItMakesSenseInContext ''as'']] a rock, rather than merely ''under'' one as Maggie complained.
* DoubleEntendre: [[spoiler: Rogers']] comments, on the subject of stars, that they are 'pin pricks' and tiny compared to him. Benny, held hostage, replies that yes, she can say that he's an enormous prick.
* EldritchAbomination: Found in The Light.

* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Maggie takes the role of anchorite for the Gravity's Rainbow after Rogers manages to finally escape and die]]. Of all the passengers, she's the least suited but also least necessary.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Brax attempts to avoid [[spoiler: The Light]] by putting himself into a state of null suspension. Doubles up with AskAStupidQuestion and ASpotOfTea, as he ends up [[spoiler: locked in a box with an EldritchAbomination]]. As he screams frantically for help, Benny arrives and asks how it got in.

* {{Narcissist}}: Captain Anthony Rogers. [[spoiler: The ideal candidate for Anchorite should be one, as it has to be someone with a sufficient sense of self to drag the ship back to reality]].
* OppositeSexClone: Maggie to Brax. When she was first created, he was slightly disappointed that "it" was female.
* ParentalNeglect: Brax's treatment of Maggie, which culminates in [[spoiler: him hiding in a box knowing that she'll have to make the HeroicSacrifice instead]].
* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The crew of Gravity's Rainbow consists entirely of [[AmbiguousGender Chanticleer]], [[spoiler:20th century astronaut Anthony Rogers]], and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking several cats.]]

-->'''Benny''' [[spoiler:to Anthony Rogers]]:"Not only will we die but everyone on the Draconian flagship will die. Then their fleet will fire on the Mim and loads of Mim will die. Then they’ll fire back and loads of Draconians will die. Then everyone in the middle will die! Everyone on the Collection will die and they’re going to die because you are ''bloody moron''!"
* [[spoiler:SapientShip]]: Gravity's Rainbow, in a way.
* [[spoiler:SpaceshipGirl]]: Anthony Rogers is [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Guy]] at the beginning, [[spoiler: Maggie]] ends up as this at the end, though she minds a lot less. [[spoiler: The reason? The ship, which disappears from reality into 'The Light' needs an individual with a strong sense of self to drag it back]].
* {{Tearjerker}} / ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler: Maggie and Brax's final conversation]].

* {{Tearjerker}} / ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler: Maggie and Brax's final conversation]].
* XanatosBackfire: Brax attempts to avoid [[spoiler: The Light]] by putting himself into a state of null suspension. Doubles up with AskAStupidQuestion and ASpotOfTea, as he ends up [[spoiler: locked in a box with an EldritchAbomination]]. As he screams frantically for help, Benny arrives and asks how it got in.
-->'''Brax''': "I invited it in for tea! '''I DON'T KNOW!'''"

* BrokenAce: Anthony Rogers, the 20th century astronaut [[spoiler: driven mad by having to be the personality who has to drag the ship back to reality every time it goes into [[AndIMustScream 'The Light']]]]. See JerkassWoobie and SpaceshipGirl below.
* CatsAreMagic: The only creatures with enough sense of self to defeat the [[spoiler: EldritchAbominations let loose in the Light]].

* JerkassWoobie: [[spoiler:Anthony Rogers]].

* WhatAnIdiot: Maggie releasing [[spoiler: Rogers]] from his room.

* DoubleEntendre: [[spoiler: Rogers']] [[HannibalLecture comments, on the subject of stars, that they are 'pin pricks' and tiny compared to him]]. Benny, held hostage, replies that yes, she can she that he's an enormous prick.

* BrokenAce: Anthony Rogers, the 20th century astronaut [[spoiler: driven mad by having to be the personality who has to drag the ship back to reality every time it goes into [[AndIMustScream 'The Light']]. See JerkassWoobie and SpaceshipGirl below.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When Maggie attempts to hold Brax account for ParentalNeglect, he genuinely seems to think he's scoreed a point by stating that he spent the last cosmic cycle [[ItMakesSenseInContext ''as''] a rock, rather than merely ''under'' one as Maggie complained.

* Tearjerker / ThrowTheDogABone: [[spoiler: Maggie and Brax's final conversation]].

* [[spoiler:SpaceshipGirl]]: Anthony Rogers is [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Guy]] at the beginning, [[spoiler: Maggie]] ends up as this at the end. [[spoiler: The reason? The ship, which disappears from reality into 'The Light' needs an individual with a strong sense of self to drag it back]].
* WhatAnIdiot: Braxiatel attempts to escape [[spoiler:The Light]] by putting himself into a state of null suspension. This goes about as well as you'd expect. Also Maggie releasing [[spoiler: Rogers]] from his room.
* XanatosBackfire: Brax attempts to avoid The Light by putting himself into a state of null suspension. Doubles up with AskAStupidQuestion and ASpotOfTea, as he ends up locked in a box with an EldritchAbomination. As he screams frantically for help, Benny arrives and asks how it got in.

* [[AllMythsAreTrue All Conspiracy Theories Are True]]: Apparently, all the astronauts in the original space program came from a male modelling agency in New Mexico.

* WhatAnIdiot: Braxiatel attempts to escape [[spoiler:TheLight]] by putting himself into a state of null suspension. This goes about as well as you'd expect.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: -->'''Benny [[spoiler:to Anthony Rogers]]''':"Not only will we die but everyone on the Draconian flagship will die. Then their fleet will fire on the Mim and loads of Mim will die. Then they’ll fire back and loads of Draconians will die. Then everyone in the middle will die! Everyone on the Collection will die and they’re going to die because you are ''bloody moron''!"

* TheNarcissist: Captain Anthony Rogers. [[spoiler: The ideal candidate for Anchorite should be one, as it has to be someone with a sufficient sense of self to drag the ship back to reality]].
--> '''Benny''': "What we need is a self obsessed narcissist with a God complex! Where's Brax"
** [[spoiler: The answer, as it transpires, is 'hiding in a box'. Doubles up with CrowningMomentOfFunny when he lectures Chanticleer on how he's the most important of the crew and so should be the one to survive in the box, in space and then, as Chanticleer walks away in disgust, has to call him back and ask him to close the lid.]]

* [[spoiler:SpaceshipGirl]]: Anthony Rogers is [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Guy]] at the beginning, [[spoiler: Maggie]] ends up as this at the end. [[spoiler: The reason? The ship, which disappears from reality into 'The Light' needs an individual with a strong sense of self to drag it back]].

* [[SpaceshipGirl]]: Anthony Rogers is [[SpaceshipGirl Spaceship Guy]] at the beginning. [[spoiler: Maggie ends up as this at the end]].

The Draconians and the Mim are at war, and the Collection's in the middle. [[AdventuererArcheologist Benny]] tries to return with the Collection's former owner, [[MagnificentBastard Irving Braxiatel]], in an attempt to open negotiations in an attempt to end the war before a nuclear armaggeddon. The only problem is, the Collection is blockaded. Only when [[CloningBlues Maggie]] and Benny arrive at the spaceport, they find one [[TheAllegedCar very old ship]], an absence of Irving Braxiatel, and a suspiciously large box [[HumanPopsicle among their luggage]]. And then there's the small matter of the ship's almost entirely feline crew.

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