The second episode of the third season of Rocko's Modern Life.
The Emperor's New Joe
The Chameleon Brothers regale Rocko with the tall tale behind their secret recipe for coffee.
Schnit-heads
Heffer gets entangled with a cult of sausage-worshipers.
"The Emperor's New Joe" provides examples of:
- Ambiguous Situation: The end of the episode implies that Chuck and Leon could be making their stories up, but nothing is confirmed.
- Bad to the Last Drop: The Chameleon Brothers serve coffee that is bad enough to cause people's heads to explode. The episode gradually reveals that it's brewed from sweaty sock water.
- The Complainer Is Always Wrong: When Rocko complains about the Chameleon Brothers' coffee, they tell him the story of how it was made: the king of their native country liked it so much he made it mandatory for everyone to drink it. Rocko gives a Rousing Speech about not giving in to peer pressure... which eventually gets so preachy that the brothers simply kick him out, telling him that he doesn't have to like the coffee, but should come back next week for the cheesecake. As soon as he's outside, he hears a different customer complaining about the cheesecake and the brothers launching into another backstory, implying that they're just making these stories up.
- A Day in the Limelight: This episode focuses on the Chameleon Brothers.
- Foreshadowing: At the beginning of the episode, Filburt discusses a dream he was having about being smothered by socks. The episode reveals at the end that the coffee Chuck and Leon serve is made of sock water.
- Here We Go Again!: After the Brothers throw Rocko out of their café, we hear another customer complain about the cheesecake, so they begin to tell him a story...
- Identical Stranger: The people in the Chameleon Brothers' home country look remarkably similar to the people of O-Town...
- Klatchian Coffee: The Chameleon Brothers' coffee is actually dirty dishwater. It was served to the king of their country and he liked it so much he made it the national drink (though it's implied that they're just making it up).
- Shout-Out: The title is a reference to The Emperor's New Clothes. At one point, Mr. Bighead's Balzacian counterpart says, "The king, he's naked!", which is also a reference to the story.
"Schnit-heads" provides examples of:
- Big Damn Heroes: Just as it looks bad for the boys, the "King of Wieners" shows up to rescue them. It turns out that Really Really Big Man foresaw Rocko and his pals getting into trouble so he went to save them.
- Bowled Over: How the Sausage Cult plan on disposing of Rocko, Heffer and Filburt. "We're bowling for sinners today!"Rocko: You can't chuck bowling balls at us!
Cult Leader: Yes we can. Says so right here in the Book of Bratwurst. "If there be one among you who does not follow the way of the Schnitzel, let that one go, and do not throw bowling balls at them."
Rocko: Well then, see? It says let us go.
Cult Leader: It's a matter of interpretation. - Berserk Button: The cult leader is short tempered when you eat anything else that is NOT sausage, as proof when Heffer ordered a pizza, as well as don't believe in their ways, such as Rocko and Filbert pretending to be the Benevolent Bratwurst to save Heffer. The punishments he has such as plowing sauerkraut fields or being chucked with bowling balls is cruel and unusual.
- Captivity Harmonica: Not played onscreen, but accompanies Heffer when he plows the sauerkraut fields.Heffer: I got dem mean ooooolllllllle sausage bluuuuuuuuuuuues...
- Cult Defector: Heffer tries to leave the Sausage Cult because he's tired of only eating sausages. When they won't let him go, it's Rocko and Filburt to the rescue.
- Deus ex Machina: Really Really Big Man appearing as the "King of Wieners" is considered this.
- Everyone Has Standards: After a while, Heffer gets tired of eating nothing but sausages all the time.
- Food as Bribe: The manager convinces Heffer to join the cult meetings by promising free bratwurst.
- God Guise:
- Rocko and Filburt get in a weenie machinie and pretend to be "The Benevolent Sausage" to trick the Sausage Cult into releasing Heffer. It fails after a screw in the jaw of the machine falls out.
- Really Really Big Man saves Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt from the Sausage Cult by posing as the King of Wieners, offering to take the cult into paradise, and then dumping them on a "Far Side" Island.
- It Came from the Fridge: The moldy food on Rocko's dishes becomes sentient and tries to attack him.
- Oktoberfest: Heffer joins a cult that is all about schnitzel. (To the point where they consider any other foodstuff, including pizza with sausage on it to be an abomination.) They all wear lederhosen, and the women wear their hair in braids.
- Sausage String Silliness: This episode has Heffer join a sausage cult, which has exactly these as one of the sausage styles. Things, however, become intense when Heffer is eventually punished for eating something other than sausages at the cult by working as a slave in the sauerkraut fielding. When Rocko and Filburt attempt to sneak inside to rescue Heffer, the trio are eventually caught and tied to each pole with a chain of sausages.
- Spoof Aesop:Rocko: Well, Hef, I hope you've learned something from all this.
Heffer: I sure did! All that's shiny is not sausage. [Beat] ...Or somethin'.
