Sibling Tsunami
Year produced: 2002
Production code: 102-013
Original U.S. air date: 10/3/2003 (first aired in the U.K. on 12/15/2002)
And yet she calls them her LITTLE sisters...
The one with Jenny's sisters.
Before XJ-9, there was XJ-8, and before that XJ-7, then XJ-6, XJ-5, XJ-4, XJ-3, XJ-2, and finally XJ-1. When Jenny finds and reactivates her sisters, she is beyond happy. But each sister has her own personality, and not all of them have the same level of friendliness that Jenny has. Still, sisters can be counted on, right?
"Sibling Tsunami" contains examples of:
- An Aesop
- Accept that everyone has different personalities and likes, but that you still have each other.
- Working all together as a team is a perfect way to get along.
- Giant Spider: The episode starts with Jenny having just defeated one, using its severed head as a ventriloquist's dummy.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Jenny gives one to her sisters for all the trouble they've caused her after XJ-8 destroys a pinata with her laser vision:Jenny: What's the matter with you? (groans)
XJ-8: What's wrong, sis?
Jenny: What's wrong? I thought it would be great to have sisters, but you guys are terrible! (to XJ-8) you're a thug, (to XJ-4) and you're a neat freak, (to XJ-7) you're a mope, (to XJ-2) and you're just destructive! (to XJ-5) You never shut up, (to XJ-1) and you... (stops herself before XJ-1 can cry) Forget it. You're on your own! I'm back to being an only robot! - Robo Family: Jenny has several "sisters" who are actually failed/incomplete prototypes created by her inventor who have since been shut down and locked up in the basement.
- Shout-Out:
- It's faint, but right before the screen turns black when Jenny activates her sisters for the first time, you can hear the iconic Doom Doors sound effect.
- The Villains of the Week, the Mad Hammer Bros. are a parody of the Mario Bros. from Nintendo‘s Super Mario series. However, in appearance and demeanor, they more closely parody Wario and Waluigi (the evil alter egos of the Mario Brothers), in terms of their gruff and villainous personalities, ragged mustaches, and the Red Brother being stout and fat (like Wario), and the Green Brother being lanky and thin (like Waluigi). The jump sound effect from Super Mario World is even used when the Mad Hammer Bros. jump.
- Sibling Team: XJ-9 and her prototypical "sisters", XJs 1 through 8.
- (Oil is) Thicker Than Water: Said word-for-word by Jenny's sisters in their first appearance when they help her after she is incapacitated.XJ-4: "But so much harder to clean out of the carpet!"
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I Was a Preschool Dropout
Year produced: 2002
Production code: 102-015
Original U.S. air date: 10/3/2003 (first aired in the U.K. on 12/15/2002)
As if she wasn't already a Fish out of Water before.... yeesh!
The one with Jenny going to kindergarten.
Having found out that she's only been activated for five years, the school system declares that Jenny has to be moved into a grade level that matches her "age". Now Jenny finds herself in a new situation... kindergarten.
"I Was a Preschool Dropout" contains examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: It took a Literal-Minded vice-principal to kick the entire plot into motion, and the kindergarten teacher turns a blind eye to all the misery Jenny goes through and is instead concerned more on whether or not she lashes out. Averted with Nora who saves Jenny from the kindergarten class at the end.
- Ambiguous Time Period: Jenny tells Brad she was only born five years ago (from their time) and Brad then begins to list a number of events that happened before that which Jenny would not have experienced. One of these was "Super Bowl 100". The 100th Super Bowl would take place in 2066, plus at least five years since Super Bowl 100 makes it 2071 or later. However another example he lists is the "Blizzard of '24", presumably of 2024, which adds to the ambiguity.
- An Aesop: At the end of this episode, put yourself in the shoes of someone else or other people. There is a reason why someone is who they are.
- Apathetic Teacher: Ms. Binky doesn’t treat Jenny very well, and ignores the kindergarteners bullying her.
- But Now I Must Go: Once Nora reveals the truth, Jenny is dragged back to high school. Because she has softened up to her classmates, she cries loudly in grief.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The kindergarteners attack and throw balls at Jenny, and Ms. Binky puts her in time-out over calling the boys' robot dance “stupid”.
- The Dog Bites Back: After spending the entire episode ridiculed by her classmates, Jenny takes the opportunity to knock them all out in a intense game of dodgeball on the playground. This earns the kids' respect even if the teacher doesn't approve one bit.
- Ear Worm: At the beginning, Brad sings “Minky Momo” on his bike very badly.
- Gosh Dang It to Heck!: Parodied, the kids and teacher treats Jenny's usage of "stupid" as a Precision F-Strike.
- Held Back in School: Jenny is sent to kindergarten because she is technically only five years old.
- Kafka Komedy: The entire episode reeks of this as Jenny is held back and humiliated by her peers, with Vice-Principal Razinski and Ms. Binky refusing to listen to her pleas. Even Dr. Wakeman bailing Jenny out is played for this as she was just starting to adjust to the new lifestyle.
- Kids Are Cruel: The kindergarteners openly hate Jenny. It gets worse when she calls one of the student’s dance “stupid”. Even though eventually she beats them at dodgeball and gains their respect towards the end.
- Mama Bear: Nora bursts into the kindergarten classroom to reveal Jenny’s actual age by showing the teacher diagrams. She does this in a very aggressive and assertive manner, shouting "ERROR! ERROR!" waking all of the kids up during nap time.
- Overly Long Gag: Jenny listing off a long string of O words when a student couldn't come up with one.
- Younger Than They Look: Jenny was designed as a teenager, but it's revealed here that she was born/made five years ago. For this reason, she is sent to kindergarten because she's technically five years old, which she escapes on a technicality because she was designed to be a teenager.
