The first episode of the second season of Rocko's Modern Life.
In the series' first two-parter, Rocko and Filburt find out that their favorite show, The Fatheads is created by Ralph Bighead, the estranged son of Ed and Bev, who are about to celebrate their 30th anniversary. It's up to the wallaby and the turtle to reconcile Ed and Ralph.
This episode provides examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: In the opening credits for The Fatheads, the maitre'd introduces the titular characters as "The Boneheads", which annoys Mr. Fathead.Mr. Fathead: It's The Fatheads, you dolt! (hits the maitre'd with parking meter)
- Anthropomorphic Food: Melon Man from The Fatheads is a man made out of watermelons.
- Art Evolution: Depending on the scene, Rocko either has his first-season design (with round eyes), or his standard look (with oblong eyes).
- Author Avatar: Ralph is one of the series' creator, Joe Murray, who described the character as a "less stable" version of himself.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Mr. and Mrs. Fathead have a pet giant fly whom they walk on a leash like a dog.
- Big "NEVER!": Done fantastically by Ralph when Rocko tries to convince him to make amends with his father.
- The Bogan: Rollo has an exaggerated Australian accent, is exceptionally stupid and adds "mate" to the end of every sentence.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: During their tour, Rocko, Filburt and the tour guide visit the storyboarder's room. The storyboards on the wall show the exact scene happening in the show.[Rocko, Filburt and the tour guide open the door, revealing the Hollowood staff's storyboards]
Storyboarder: Okay, then Rocko, Filburt and the rhino guy come in to the- [He notices they're in the doorway and gulps]
Tour Guide: Woo-hoo-hoops! Wrong show! [He slams the door] - Brick Joke: At the beginning of the episode, Ed slams the television over his head in a fit of rage induced by The Fatheads. At the end of the first part, Ralph slams his television over his head during his own freak-out.
- Call-Back: Rollo, who is based on Rocko, continues the Running Gag of Rocko being mistaken for a beaver.
- Cartoon Creature: The titular Fatheads look like slimy green things. They were modeled off of the parents of the creator, who are toads.
- Comically Missing the Point: In the last scene, Heffer is laughing at The Fatheads episode featuring a thinly disguised version of his best friend, only to admit he doesn't actually get it.
- Deadpan Snarker: Mr. Fathead.Mrs. Fathead: Guess what I got?
Mr. Fathead: A lobotomy? - Deranged Animation: In-universe example with The Fatheads; the show's intro shows a cage crashing onto people, and leads to the Fatheads beating each other up with parking meters.
- The Ditz: In The Fatheads, the character of Rollo is so dumb, he doesn't even know how to use his hands, as he knocks on the Fatheads' door by bashing his head against it.
- Eye Scream: In one episode of The Fatheads, Mrs. Fathead whacks her husband in the head, causing his eye to literally shatter like glass. This annoys both Mr. Fathead and the elf living in his eye.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: Mrs. Fathead exclaims "Edward Elias Fathead!" when she catches her husband eating a girl scout that tried to sell him cookies.
- Furry Reminder: Ralph's baby photos show them in their egg and as a tadpole.
- I Have No Son!: Both the title and premise of this episode. Ed severed ties with Ralph after he became a cartoonist and created The Fatheads, a cartoon starring unflattering caricatures of him and Bev. He eventually reconciles with Ralph after realizing that he does care about him after all, and is proud of Ralph after finding out how well-paid he is. Bev averts this, as she did not willingly cut off ties with Ralph and wanted him to come back to the family again. The only reason she asked Rocko to bring Ralph back was because Ralph refused to have anything to do with both his parents.
- The Klutz: Rollo is an idiot who slams his head into everything, and of course, messes up the Fatheads' cheesecake.
- Laugh Track: The Fatheads has one, only it's just one guy laughing like crazy, and whenever the Fatheads smile for the camera, traditional sitcom applause is heard.
- Like Father, Like Son: For all their differences, Ed and Ralph are very prone to angry outbursts, hold co-workers in contempt, and are too prideful for their own good.
- MacGuffin: The donut in Conglom-O was used by Ed to have his son break as per tradition to work for the company. While Ralph breaks tradition by announcing that he has no interest in working there, it later reveals that he kept the half years later because he cares about his father more than Conglom-O.
- Made of Explodium: In one episode of The Fatheads, Mrs. Fathead buys some melons from Melon Man, which explode in her and Mr. Fathead's faces.
- Manly Tears: Ed cries these when he finds out that Ralph kept his half of the donut all the years they drifted apart.
- My Beloved Smother: Despite Ralph's insistence on never seeing either of his parents again, it's telling that his thinly veiled caricature of his mother is much nicer than that of his father. For Bev's part, she did not disown him like Ed did, desperately wanted the two to reconcile, and while Ed seems to view The Fatheads as a direct act of mockery against them, Bev is simply saddened at the fact that her own child sees his parents as such cruel people.
- Noodle Incident: Two in the episode of The Fatheads that introduces Rollo's character. The episode starts off with Mrs. Fathead getting her feet stuck in her husband's nostrils, and Mr. Fathead says, "That's it! The bake sale is off!" Later, when Mrs. Fathead offers Rollo some cheesecake, Mr. Fathead yells, "Don't give him anything!" as if she's tried giving Rollo food before.
- Pig Man: Two appear at the beginning of the opening credits of The Fatheads, only to be crushed by a falling cage.
- Shout-Out:
- The opening sequence to The Fatheads, where the main characters are assembled in a factory is copied from the opening sequence to the Canadian sketch comedy You Can't Do That on Television.
- While screening an episode of The Fatheads, some yes-men tell Ralph "It's a credit to your genius!" "A triumph of your will!" "It's... okay!"
- Show Within a Show: The Fatheads, a show created by Ralph that Rocko and Filburt are fans of.
- Simpleton Voice: Rollo is an idiot who talks in an exaggerated Australian accent.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: When Rocko and Filburt arrive at Bighead Studios, a rhino holding up a sign with a smiley face on it asks them if they've come for the tour. When Rocko tells them that they've come to see Ralph Bighead, the rhino refuses to let them in. When the rhino asks them again if they've come for the tour, Rocko decides to go along with it and says they have, which prompts the rhino to let them in.
- Tempting Fate: After seeing an episode of The Fatheads, Ed says that he never wants to hear the name "Ralph Bighead" again. Cue Rocko coming to his house and asking Ed if Ralph is related to him.
- Title Drop: Ed says, "I have no son!" word-for-word a couple of times.
- Tragic Keepsake: Both Ed and Ralph secretly keep a side of the old donut that symbolizes their damaged relationship.
- Two Halves Make a Plot: This episode has Ed and Ralph keeping both sides of an old donut related to the event that damaged their relationship. When they reconcile, they join the donut together.
- Wham Line: When Ed sees that Ralph has kept his half of the donut after all those years.Ed: You do care about Conglom-O!
Ralph: I don't care about Conglom-O. I care about... you. - Women Are Wiser: Bev desperately pleads for Ed and Ralph to mend fences so that they can be a family again.
- Write Who You Know: In-Universe; Ralph Bighead's hit cartoon series The Fatheads is an unflattering caricature of his parents, who are at first devastated but learn to take it in stride once they patch up their relationship with him. At the end of the episode, to thank Rocko for reuniting him with his parents, Ralph adds a new character to The Fatheads, Rollo, an Australian beaver obviously based on Rocko.
- Yes-Man: Ralph is followed by a whole group of them, all of whom end up getting fired for being such brazen and pathetic suck-ups. Rocko and Filburt are able to get into his office by pretending to be part of the group.
