Recap / Dr. Crafty Season 3 Month 1: Season 3 Premiere Month

Dr. Crafty Recap Index
Season:
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4
Month:
#1: Season 3 Premiere Month | #2: Valentines Month | #3: Season 3 Commission Month
#4: Cartoon Month | #5: Disney Month | #6: Hero Month
Bonus Content:
Season 3 Patreon Episodes | Season 3 Promotional Videos

Airing Range: 2/1/19 - 2/22/19

Months have passed since "The Foreshadow Game's" events. Crafty was comatose throughout that time, but to everyone's relief, he regains consciousness just in time to kick off Season 3. With renewed vigor, Crafty, Nurse, Pepper, and Messibelle all set out to improve the show's presentation and introduce some merchandise!

Tropes Applicable to the Month as a whole:

• Spin-Off: This season introduces Crafty's Questionable Qloset, hosted by Crystelle the Mysterious Fortune Teller. It functions as the show's QnA segment, with Crystelle using her cosmic powers to answer questions regarding the Dr. Crafty cast and the world they reside in.

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Main Show E51: "Crafty Hearts Re:Grouped"

Air Date: 2/1/19

A bitter reunion with Sasha in a dream gives Crafty a much-needed wake-up call, and he finally rises from his post-Season 2 coma in hopes of becoming a better person. Beforehand, Nurse has had considerable time to think about how she's acted up until now, and she seeks to make amends with Crafty and improve alongside him.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Aborted Declaration of Love: In the time leading up to the production of this episode, Nurse and Crafty reflect on their relationship and decide to apologize and help each other grow. Nurse is so moved by Crafty's apology that she quietly declares that she loves him, but only after she thinks that he's walked out of earshot. When Crafty briefly returns to ask what she said, Nurse denies ever saying anything and punches Crafty back into the room that he initially left for.
  Crafty: Nurse, wait a moment.
  Nurse: Hm? Yes, Doctor?
  Crafty: I um... I didn't want to say this on-camera—it's a little embarrassing—but um... I'm... I'm sorry, too. I've... taken you for granted. And I wanted to apologize. You... You're probably the best partner a silly manchild like me could ever ask for. So... Thank you.
  [The two silently, warmly smile at each other before Crafty's nervousness gets the better of him.]
  Crafty: W-Well, um... I'm going to work on next week's art, yes yes, um, talk to you later? Okay?
  [Crafty retreats to his bedroom.]
  Nurse, softly: Hmhm... I love you.
  [Crafty suddenly returns]
  Crafty: What?
  Nurse: [panicking] NOTHING~~!! GO BACK TO SLEEP!
  [Nurse punches Crafty back into his bedroom and runs off.]
• Art Shift: Crafty's dream sequence is drawn by a different artist, who uses a much softer-looking style to help convey the emotional tone of the scene.
• Both Sides Have a Point: Throughout their argument in their shared dream, both Crafty and Sasha bring up points to which the other concedes.
  • Crafty calls out Sasha for abandoning him instead of finding other means to help him through his personal issues. He also stresses how, despite having the means to visit him at any time, she only returned to him when he was in danger, implying that she only did so to appease her guilty conscience. Sasha recognizes how poor her decisions were, vowing to do what she can to improve should Crafty allow it. After the latest Dr. Crafty episode finishes production, a cutaway shows Sasha blazing across America towards Florida, hoping to cast her fear aside and finally reunite with Crafty physically.
    [Well into the night on the American deserts, Sasha determinedly rides forth on her bike.]
    Sasha: Colin...
    [Sasha remembers the final moments of The Foreshadow Game...]
    Crafty, in flashback: I STILL LOVE YOU, SASHA!!
    [The scene cuts back to the present, where Sasha rockets past an Interstate California 15 sign.]
    Sasha: ... I'm coming back!
  • Sasha attacks Crafty for devaluing her perspective on their breakup. Despite what Crafty may think, Sasha truly had enjoyed their time together. Her abandonment of him wasn't due to a loss of love—it was out of fear for Crafty's safety. He was starting to engage in self-destructive behaviors throughout their relationship, and due to a lack of experience with these conditions, she feared that she was enabling them, so she opted to run away. She regrets her choice and stresses how much she wishes to atone for it. For good measure, she even acknowledges the growth Crafty achieved after she left him, hoping that, whether he takes her back or not, he'll at least realize how good he has it and continue improving. While he remains silent for the most part, Crafty's softened disposition throughout the scene implies that Sasha's getting through to him. And later after he wakes up, he makes up with Nurse and continues bettering himself thereafter throughout Season 3.
• Crossover: Darksilvania made a sketch for Crafty to use for this episode's art piece, the first collab piece developed onscreen. He doesn't turn up in person, which Crafty and Nurse are thankful for only because they don't have to deal with his Pokémon textbox speech.
• Deep Sleep: Crafty ended up in a coma after "The Foreshadow Game." He thankfully manages to wake up after four months, but not before having an emotional conversation with Sasha while he's still unconscious. Their meeting ends up putting some things into perspective from him; he noticeably starts changing his approach to the show and his life, in general, going forward.
• Kick the Dog: At the climax of their argument, Crafty taunts the clearly regretful Sasha with the prospect of him attempting suicide again, just to see if she'll return to his life for good. He soon realizes it was a step too far when Sasha snaps and tries explaining herself.
  Crafty: ... So... not gonna say anything like always?
  [Sasha looks away, ashamed. Crafty finally turns to look at her.]
  Crafty: Fine. I’ll talk, then. It’s always been the same thing, every single night for fifteen friggin’ years. We both sit here, not saying a word to one another. Then all of the sudden, you show up in my life again years later! And even then, here we are again. I guess some things never change, right?
  Sasha: ... Colin... I—
  Crafty: Oh, so now you wanna chat, do you?!
  Sasha: ... Colin, please! You don’t understand.
  Crafty: Of course I don’t understand! You ran off without a word all those years ago, then show up out of the blue and expect me to understand?!
  Sasha: Colin, you were in danger. I had to—
  Crafty: Ohh, I see! Didn’t want someone else stabbing me in the back like you did, huh?! That’s a deed only you’re qualified to do, is that it?! So glad I understand that!
  Sasha: No... It’s... not like that!
  Crafty: Oh really now?! Seems all it takes for you to come swooping back into my life is for me to be in mortal peril!
  Sasha: Colin, please, listen for once!
  Crafty: Maybe I ought to just fall off that cliff again and see if that gets you running back, huh?!
  Sasha: STOP IT!!
  [A crack of thunder sounds in the distance, and the shock of both it and Sasha’s outburst knocks Crafty flat on his back. Thankfully, he’s still on the boat. Sasha, meanwhile, has lost her composure.]
• Rebuilt Set: In the intermission between Seasons 2 and 3, the cohosts rebuilt the lab as a gift for Crafty if and when he wakes up from his coma. It is much brighter and more spacious, with a stained-glass window showing the cohosts (sans Crystelle). Crafty absolutely adores this new lab.
• Post-Victory Collapse: This episode retells Crafty's speech to Sasha at the end of "The Foreshadow Game" from Nurse's perspective. The retelling shows that the damage Crafty's body sustained from the shadow game resulted in him falling into a coma. He didn't fully recover from it until four months later.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Sasha's relationship with Crafty abruptly ended when she suddenly disappeared from his life without a word. This episode offers a little context for why she left: some of Crafty’s actions and behavior during their time together were off-putting for Sasha. She’s too distressed during her conversation with Crafty to recall what they were exactly, but she does remember feeling ill-equipped to deal with them. In her words, seeing what they were doing to Crafty was the first time that she ever felt fear in her long life. As a result, She felt even more confused about how to approach the issue. So she instead opted to run and never look back. This decision has weighed down on her heavily every day since then.
• What the Hell, Hero?: When Crafty and Sasha reunite in Crafty's dream, Crafty, still frustrated by the fallout of their relationship, immediately takes out his selfish anger on Sasha. His comments about her grow more and more severe until Sasha reaches her breaking point and snaps. Now in tears, Sasha calls out Crafty for putting his needs far above hers and outlines her own, nuanced perspective on the situation. She acknowledges that she should be held accountable, but she also knows that Crafty hasn't handled things well at all. Even so, she still opens up the possibility of coming back into his life, as she recognizes the growth that he has achieved and knows that he is capable of growing further.
  Sasha: This! This is why I had to leave! Because I couldn’t stop what you were doing to yourself! You almost threw your life away that day we met. And I saved you that day when no one else would. There were so many wonderful times after that. Knowing you... Being with you... Falling in love with you. All these... All these wonderful feelings and emotions I’ve never experienced before. But then... I could see what was slowly happening to you, the things you were doing to yourself. You were going to throw your life again, I wouldn’t be able to save you this time – because, it was going to be my fault...
  [Sasha takes a moment to choke back tears.]
  Sasha: ...If I had stayed, you’d be making another stupid mistake! I was scared, Colin. In the near-infinite numbers of years I existed, I’ve... I’d never experienced fear. I didn’t know how to save you from yourself, so... I did the only thing I felt I could: I ran. I ran and did everything in my power not to turn back, no matter how much my heart was screaming at me that I should stay. And every day since, I wallowed in regret and heartache because of how much I still adore you.
  [The camera pans over to Crafty, taking in every word Sasha is saying and clearly feeling regret over snapping earlier.]
  Sasha: But... look at you. You’ve grown so much. Every time I see your show, seeing you create what you have... I feel a warmth in my heart knowing you’ve become a stronger person, with friends who support you... love you... Even if it meant being without me, I don’t think I can ever be forgiven for what I did. So if you can’t, I understand. I never wanted to hurt you. But I’m so, so sorry for the scars I left on your precious heart. But... if you find it in your broken heart to forgive the terrible things I’ve done to you, I swear that I will never let another wound like that ever be inflicted on you – not from me, or anyone else!
  [Sasha pauses to let her words sink into Crafty.]
  Sasha: ...The sun’s coming up soon.
  Crafty: Huh?
  Sasha: So, wake up. Have a good life. And... and maybe... think of me... if you want. I’m always going to be thinking of you.
  Crafty: Wait, Sasha!
  Sasha: [whispering] And Colin...? I love you...
  Crafty: SASHAAAAA!!

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Chara-Cafe E7: "Hyde and Shriek"

Air Date: 2/1/19

Desperate for a focus tester, Crafty and Pepper concoct one of their own in hopes that they can address the show's biggest criticisms.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Art Initiates Life: Pepper suggests that she and Crafty make their own focus tester instead of hiring an existing one. The one they create turns out to have quite a few choice words for the show.
• Fed to the Beast: The Focus Tester, as punishment for how harsh she was, is locked away in storage with Junkrat ready to devour her.
• Jekyll & Hyde: Crafty and Pepper decide to make their own Dr. Crafty fan character to hire as a show consultant. She's designed to be a cuter version of the Jekyll and Hyde archetype. Something that sets her aside from other Jekyll-Hyde monsters is that her design is Two-Faced so both halves share the same body. And while the Jekyll half has nothing but praise for the show, the Hyde half doesn't pull her punches in expressing her hatred for the show.
• Self-Deprecation: The Focus Tester's Hyde half attacks the show for its random storylines and outdated humor, which are some of the show's most common criticisms from fans. While Crafty is somewhat hurt by this, he feels that she was harsh but fair.

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Top Ten Tub E7: "Crafty Fan Characters!"

Air Date: 2/1/19

To Messi's chagrin, Crafty kicks off the next batch of Top Ten Tub episodes by picking out—and hiring—some of his favorite Dr. Crafty fan characters.

This episode's list contains the following:

• 10. Glister, by EternApprentice
• 9. Gale, by TheArashi
• 8. Maidbot, by MonkeyTheArtist
• 7. Duke, by DevinQuigleyArt
• 6. Mabell, by YukiGoomba
• 5. Slivia, by Cerulebell
• 4. Frankie, by Bokcutter
• 3. Serena, by Faith-Wolff
• 2. Rob Otto, by FontesMakua
• 1. Scout, by ToxicSoul77

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Absent Animal Companion: Both Crafty's pet skeleton dog Bonnie and Nurse's pet blob monster Goozie have disappeared without a trace after Season 1. Bonnie's fate is revealed here: he left to go find a new owner after being fed up with Crafty.
• Big "NO!": When Crafty reveals the topic for this episode, OCs, Messibelle invokes Spike's memetic scream of "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Crafty tries to reassure her that they're talking about fan characters for their show... which causes her to let out an even bigger "NOOOOOO!!"
• Call-Back: Just like in "Pros and Comms," Messi worries that she's going to be replaced when Crafty shows off Maidbot. However, just like last time, Crafty reassures Messi that she's not going anywhere.
• Demoted to Extra: Despite Crafty hiring all ten of the Crafty Fan Characters on the eponymous Top Ten Tub episode, their appearances since are few and far between, much less voiced ones.
• Foreshadowing: One of the characters on the list, Rob Otto, already works for Crafty. As Crafty muses over this, the scene cuts to the castle's basement, where Rob is constructing a giant robot.
  Rob: Don't worry; your morphin' time will soon come...
• Headless Horseman: One of the new recruits is Gale Dullahan, a Dullahan stylist. Interestingly, her work trolley has a horse's head on it and her severed head also doubles as a cosmotologist's styling head.
• Hypocritical Humor: Crafty is taken aback when Messi remains unaware of Serena's crush on her. He calls her out on her ignorance, but he too is laughably unaware of someone's feelings for him.
• I Coulda Been a Contender!: Glister tried being an Evil Overlord, but he was bankrupted by deciding to place his Volcano Lair in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Now he's given up on his dream and reduced to being Crafty's janitor.
• Interspecies Romance: Serena tries striking up a relationship with Messi, but in a surprising twist, a blissfully unaware Messi continues regarding her as a friend. This one-sided crush becomes a Running Gag, from this point forward.
• Irony: Messi, the most flirty and lovelorn character on the cast, is completely unaware of Serena's obvious crush on her. Crafty himself is shocked at her ignorance.
• Magical Girl Warrior: Frankie, a Frankenstein's Monster-themed magical girl, drops in and attacks Crafty. She apologized for it since she thought he was "the most evil artist on the internet", Shadman.
• Medusa: Slivia, a gorgon wearing the attire of a drive-in waitress with five snake hairs, is another applicant. Her snake hair normally does the actual work for her while she picks up the latest gossip.
• Never Smile at a Crocodile: Duke Crocodile from Episode 7 is a subversion of the trope. Despite being a mutated humanoid crocodile, he's a Kindhearted Simpleton and is rather polite to the others.
• invoked Official Fan-Submitted Content: All ten fan characters make appearances every now and then, be they in the show itself or as commissioned pieces Crafty makes.
• Our Fairies Are Different: Serena is classified as a Phaléne, a fairy mixed with a moth.
• Our Minotaurs Are Different: One of the job applicants is a minotaur named Mabel, who works as Crafty's new fitness instructor and has the ability to lift a barbell with one finger.
• Our Werewolves Are Different: Scout the Werepup is normally the size of a small dog, but under a full moon, becomes a hulking monster even bigger than Pepper.
• Robot Maid: Maidbot makes her in-person debut in this episode. Like in "Pros and Comms," Messi once again worries that she'll be replaced. Thankfully, although Maidbot is there for a job at the castle, she was hired to be Messi's intern rather than a replacement. She comes equipped with a number of cleaning supplies installed into her, as well as Wi-fi and a vacuum that somehow doubles as a laser cannon!
• Smart Jerk and Nice Moron: Crafty decides to pair Scout, the hot-headed and reasonably intelligent werepup, with Duke, the earnestly stupid but kindhearted crocodile mutant, to work together as his security team.
• Terrible Interviewees Montage: Despite Messi's dread, the interviews with each applicant actually go pretty swimmingly. While the characters are all quirky in their own ways, they're at least competent with their jobs, and Crafty ends up hiring them all.
• Visual Pun:
  • When Slivia gives Crafty a takeout bag to get him to hire her, he complains about his order having being pickles in it. The second he says that, Pepper's sea cucumber friend Pickles pops out of the bag.
  • Apparently, Messi likes watching soaps... which is to say, she likes watching literal talking bars of Spanish-speaking soap.
• Wham Line: When Maidbot appears on the list, Messi immediately assumes that she's her replacement and breaks down. Crafty reassures Messi that she and Maidbot are going to be working together, and in her jubilation, Messi blurts out some thanks that sets up her changing outlook on her relationship with Crafty. The outburst causes both of them to pause in shock.
  [Next up on the top ten list is Maidbot, and Messi grows worried.]
  Messi: Waaait a sec... Crafty! You told me I was the only maid on this show! You're not... finally replacing me, are you?
  [Messi bursts into tears as Crafty internally panics.]
  Messi: I knew it! I knew I was the least liked girl on this show!!
  Crafty: What? No no no, of course not Messi! You're irreplaceable!
  Messi: *Sniff*... Really...?
  Crafty: Of course you are, silly.
  Messi: Yay! Thank you, daddy!
  [At this, the two hosts stand in lengthy, awkward silence. Someone in the audience coughs.]
  Crafty: Want to forget the last five seconds and move on?
  Messi: I'd appreciate that...

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Questionable Qloset E1: "Enter the Qloset"

Air Date: 2/1/19

Crystelle accustoms her audience to the Qloset's machinations as a QnA board for Dr. Crafty as a whole.

This episode's questions for Crystelle are revealed on the following three cards:

1. The Fool (Crafty): "Has anyone ever told Crafty that he and Dr. Doofenshmirtz have a lot in common?"
2. The Strength (Nurse): "Does Nurse Worse ever wonder why Mumma, TFS Bulma, HSU Abridged Sir Integra, and Sailor Moon from Sailor Moon Abridged sound so familiar?"
3. The Star (Crystelle): "Since you can read into the future... Why can't you give the rest of the cast a forewarning of future troubles?"

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Actor Allusion: Megami33's other major roles aside from Nurse Worse are mentioned, as someone asked why she, Bulma, Sailor Moon, and Integra Hellsing all sound familiar.
• Because Destiny Says So: Crystelle is asked why she can't warn the others of future dangers. While she can see multiple paths into the future, it's unclear which events will take place, so it's much harder to find out what to tell Crafty. And while she can see some events happening as clear as day, she's not allowed to interfere as it would disrupt the timeline of events.
• Cards of Power: For this episode, Crystelle draws the Fool (Crafty), Strength (Nurse), and the Star (herself). The selection of questions makes for a very simple, safe introduction to the spin-off before succeeding episodes cover questions past the main duo and the Questionable Qloset's host.
• Expy: One question discusses the trope; it asks if Crafty is based on Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz in any way. While Crystelle does acknowledge the similarities, she assures us that Crafty's schemes aren't as frequent and over-the-top as Doofenshmirtz's are.

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Main Show E52: "It's only a Model..."

Air Date: 2/8/19

Finally, Crafty gets around to creating model sheets for the main cast (though he mistakenly believes he's doing a model shoot, at first). This episode details the ins and outs of character reference sheets and the consequences of not using them.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Fashion Show: Crafty wakes up today expecting model shoots of himself and the others; what he didn't know, though, was that the episode was about model sheets. He did manage to get his photo shoots in the end, courtesy of Hirohiko Araki.
• Impossibly Tacky Clothes: Crafty comes into the lab wearing a ridiculous tuxedo/fedora combo for fashion modeling. Nurse, Pepper, and Messi can't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looks.
• Model Sheet: After much demand from the audience, Crafty creates model sheets of himself, Nurse, Pepper, and Messi in this episode. Every other Dr. Crafty-original character, including the newly introduced Crystelle, receives a sheet as well, but they don't get episodes dedicated to their development.
• Take That!: In Episode 52, he takes a jab at Steven Universe and how its characters are frequently Off-Model. He uses the show as a cautionary tale for why height charts are a requirement for any character artist.

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Main Show E53: "The Art of the Con(vention)"

Air Date: 2/15/19

The Crafty Crew decides to visit a convention, and in order to prepare, Crafty prepares everyone their own shirts. With him busy, the cohosts have some time to bounce ideas off of each other.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Fan Convention: Crafty decides to take his co-stars to a convention, blowing his budget on a limo transport and having only enough to give himself and the accompanying co-hosts t-shirts with his designs printed upon them.
• Money Dumb: Crafty blows a good chunk of the Crew's budget on a spur-of-the-moment convention trip. Nurse appreciates the kind gesture, but she lightly admonishes Crafty for his lack of foresight and careless spending. Crafty isn't worried, as he's confident that his editors will find a way to sort out the Crew's money issues... but not a replacement for Pepper's oven, which that money could've been put towards.
  Nurse: Doctor... As much as I appreciate what you're trying to do, I do think we need to be more responsible with our funds, and perhaps more transparent on when things like this are happening?
  Crafty: Oh, relax, Nurse. I can get the artists to draw us more money.
  Pepper: Then, um... Do you think you could get them to draw me a new oven?
  Crafty: [dismissively] Pepper, ovens don't just grow on trees!
  Pepper: Oh, right... Okay...
  Crafty: But, we can talk more about that later.
• Skewed Priorities: Apparently, Crafty prioritizes spending money on conventions and limo service over getting Pepper a new oven, which comes back to bite him later.

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Main Show E54: "Going Poster"

Air Date: 2/22/19

Everyone vies for a poster for their respective shows, and Crafty is happy to oblige if it means making himself look cool(er). Compositional skills are a huge focus here.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Continuity Nod: The premise of the main show's poster involves Crafty and Nurse being confronted by various gag characters that they've encountered in the past two seasons. Some highlights include Jedah gleefully addressing a contract in his hand, Junkrat munching on someone's leg, Kurbodia from "Best Yu-Gi-Oh Monsters," Linkara fuming at Crafty due to their encounter in "Breaking the YouTuber's Code," Rabbid versions of Crafty and Nurse as a nod to "Those Wascally Wabbids," and many more.
• Crossover: It's uncommented on in the episode itself, but the Chara-Cafe and Top Ten Tub posters are collaborative pieces. Both were respectively sketched by Blue-Paint-Sea and ToxicSoul77, two production team members who also happen to be artists. Which posters they contributed to bear some significance; Blue-Paint-Sea is Pepper's creator, and ToxicSoul77 is Messibelle's voice actress.
• Foreshadowing: Among the gag characters depicted on the main show's poster, Disgustilda is clearly highlighted above the rest, foreshadowing her increased presence in the series going forward.
• Stuff Blowing Up: In Episode 54, Crafty thinks he can make the show more "cinematic" with explosives. Nurse is against the idea, but Pepper and Messibelle side with Crafty on the matter.

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