- "The bigger they are, the harder they fall"
Airdate: May 18, 2003
"Out on a Limb" is the sixteenth episode of the second (internet) season of Happy Tree Friends.
Lumpy is cutting down a huge tree, only to end up getting one of his legs stuck between one of its branches and the ground when he is running away from the toppling tree. Obviously, the tree is too heavy to lift, so Lumpy tries to cut off the branch instead, but the axe's head ends up flying off when he prepares to swing. Lumpy begins rummaging his pocket for something else to use. He has a button, a spoon, and a paperclip. He decides to use the spoon — not on the branch, but on his stuck leg. The agonizing process goes on for hours. By the time night falls, the cut area of the leg has been reduced to a bone. The bone is too hard to cut, so Lumpy tries to force his spoon through with the help of a nearby rock. After another cringe-inducing effort, the bone is finally cut, and Lumpy is relieved. Unfortunately, he soon finds out that he stupidly cut his free leg instead of the stuck one. With the spoon bent and unusable, he has no choice but to go through the whole pain all over again with a paperclip.
"Out on a Limb" contains examples of:
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: The spoon (and later, paperclip) is strong enough to assist Lumpy going through his Life-or-Limb Decision.
- Ambidextrous Sprite: Lumpy's antlers.
- An Arm and a Leg: Lumpy has to cut off one of his legs during his Life-or-Limb Decision.
- Artistic License – Space: When the scene changes to night, stars are drawn over the shaded part of the moon.
- The Cameo: Truffles can be seen in the "Trailer Spoof" version of this episode.
- Epic Fail: Lumpy ends up chopping off the wrong leg.
- Everybody Lives: Despite losing both legs, yes, Lumpy is still alive.
- Fur Is Clothing: Lumpy rummages for his belongings in his pocket, which is part of his fur/skin.
- Here We Go Again!: In the end, Lumpy has to go through the whole pain all over again after wasting a long time cutting the wrong leg.
- Hope Spot: Lumpy's axe should pretty much end the episode earlier. But its head flies off instead.
- Inspired by…: See Very Loosely Based on a True Story below.(...) Yes, we were inspired by a true story, but it was perfect for Happy Tree Friends. (...)
- Life-or-Limb Decision: The lone Lumpy has to either wait for his inevitable death... or cut his leg off.
- Oh, Crap!: Lumpy when he realizes he cut the wrong leg.
- Pun-Based Title: Prior to "Out on a Limb", some of the
planned episode titles involve tree-related puns, like "Just Fir You" and "Pineing for You". - Screams Like a Little Girl: Lumpy's Oh, Crap! reaction as mentioned above.
- Time-Passes Montage: After Lumpy begins hacking at his leg with a spoon, the camera pans up to show the sun. It then fades into the moon at night before panning back down to show that Lumpy has cut all the way to the bone.
- Trailer Spoof: "127 Hours Trailer Spoof"
- Updated Re-release: One of the early episodes to be part of the "Classics Remastered" releases, which rerelease early HTF episodes in HD.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: Based on canyoneer Aron Ralston's experience being trapped and forced to amputate his stuck limb during his time at Blue John Canyon, Utah, which happened about a month earlier.
