The thirteenth and final episode of the second season of Rocko's Modern Life.
Short Story
Rocko has a crazy dream inspired by his insecurities about being short.
Eyes Capades
Rocko runs into trouble when he discovers he needs glasses right before a jackhammer-riding competition.
"Short Story" provides examples of:
- Alliterative Title: Short Story.
- And You Were There: Parodied. After his dream, Rocko wakes up to find folks he knows who appeared in his dream, and goes through the usual spiel, but the last person in line turns out to be series creator Joe Murray:Rocko: And you... um, I don't think I've ever seen you before.
Murray: You're off-model, kangaroo-boy. - Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Rocko becomes a giant in his dream. So big he even hits his head on the sun.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Rocko's wish to be big brings him nothing but trouble. He accidentally wreaks destruction wherever he goes, everyone mistakes him for a monster, and when Spunky falls into the sewers, he's too big to save him.
- Call-Back: When Really Really Big Man tells Rocko that he was a bigger person when he was his normal small size, he brings up the time Rocko saved Heffer's life by removing a chicken bone lodged in his throat, the time he gave his only foul ball to a little kid at the baseball stadium, and the time he took Pinky, his appendix, for a roller coaster ride as one of his final wishes.
- Continuity Nod: Really Really Big Man is watching the soap opera from "Boob Tubed".
- Creator Cameo: Joe Murray shows up in the ending to tell Rocko that he's off-model.
- Height Angst: Rocko is tired of being so short and wishes to be taller. When he dreams he gets his wish, he then finds that he's too big and wishes to be short again.
- Heroes Gone Fishing: Really, Really, Big Man was watching TV in his home when he got the alert about a "giant wallabee" on a rampage. Before leaving, RRBM grumbles about how monsters always attacking when the good shows are on.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: An alligator in a leather jacket makes Rocko get an issue of the Yellow Frog comic book from a high shelf, then changes his mind and takes the box Rocko is standing on to store his comic book collection in. In Rocko's dream, he tries to squish Rocko after stepping on his car. At the end of the episode, when Rocko awakens his dream, the alligator gives Rocko his box back after being caught by Really Really Big Man.
- Shout-Out: Rocko is given a pair of ruby-colored mittens to clap together while wishing to be small again.
- Track Trouble: When Really Really Big Man punches the gigantic Rocko and sends him flying, Rocko destroys the railroad bridge he was watching passing trains on. Subverted in that the consequences of a broken railroad bridge are never shown (i.e. no train wreck or anything).
"Eyes Capades" provides examples of:
- Blind Bats: Rocko becomes farsighted around the time that he's training for a jackhammer contest. When Heffer remarks that Rocko is "blind as a bat", a giant bat approaches Heffer, being insulted by that stereotype. After Heff apologizes, the bat suddenly bumps into a wall, and apologizes to it.
- Crush Parade: Happens to Rocko's new glasses, concluding with a little old lady walking over them.
- False Reassurance: Filburt tries to reassure Rocko that having glasses isn't that bad... other than the fact that people call you names, you get turned down on dates, people ostracize you, you can't swim with glasses on, if you lose them you can't find them... Filburt then realizes that he's made himself depressed.
- I Resemble That Remark!: Heffer remarks that Rocko is "blind as a bat", when a giant bat approaches Heffer being insulted by that stereotype. After Heff apologizes, the bat suddenly bumps into a wall. And apologizes to it.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: The Chameleon Brothers are running an eyewear store in this episode.
- Reading the Stage Directions Out Loud:Big Biff Benderhaus: House of Jacks is the one, oh yes. Smile, point to name.
- Shout-Out: The title is a parody of the then popular Ice Capades shows.
- Slices, Dices, and Makes Julienne Fries: The optometrist tries to sell Rocko a pair of lenses that do this.
- Unwanted Glasses Plot: Rocko almost immediately becomes far-sighted around the time that he's training for a jackhammer contest. The insurance glasses are too awkward for him, and he accidentally breaks them while practicing. When it finally comes time for the contest, he comes out without wearing any glasses, causing Heffer to panic ("Look out everyone! He's visually impaired!"). He does perfectly, which was revealed to be because, yes, he discovered contact lenses. It's then revealed that the big hero of the jackhammer ring (Biff Benderhaus) wears contacts as well, but only while jackhammering because "with glasses, I look like an intellectual". He demonstrates this by putting on his glasses and within two seconds, some girl walks up and asks "are you an intellectual?"
