The Impressionist
Spiffy Remo (Chuck McCann) is the starring performer at a local nightclub, taking to the stage as "Mr. Personalities" to deliver a series of incredible impersonations of the great stars of yesteryear. As he rests in his dressing room bemoaning his boredom with impersonating people for a living and wanting to do something greater, a particular attendant in the audience sneaks backstage into Spiffy's dressing room forces a bag over his head. Spiffy is brought to a secret government facility, where he is shown an extraterrestrial being that has been designated "Hoffgosh" (Claudia Templeton). Spiffy's abductor tells him that Hoffgosh holds the secret to nuclear fusion, which can easily solve the planet's energy problems. The problem is that Hoffgosh is slowly dying in Earth's atmosphere and communicates primarily in physical gestures, so Spiffy is tasked with emulating said gestures with absolute perfection in order to communicate with the alien, and maybe seek a greater calling for himself in the process.
Tropes:
- The Ace: Spiffy is flawlessly adept in the art of impersonation, yet he's grown weary of performing his act for easy audiences and wants to do something greater.
- Affectionate Nickname: Spiffy bears the stage name "Mr. Personalities" as he's introduced for the crowds.
- Allergic to Routine: Spiffy's grown tired of his career as a nightclub act, but he also wishes that he had more talent he can use for the world at large other than impressions.
- Bizarre Alien Locomotion: Hoffgosh's species apparently talk to one another through grand physical gestures, and it's up to impressionist Spiffy to match these gestures to the best of his ability.
- Blackmail: The agent who brings Spiffy to the lab extorts him into staying by bringing up charges brought up against him and subsequently dropped when he served in the army, threatening to reopen the case and potentially throw him in prison.
- Black Site: The government lab where Hoffgosh is being kept, as the employee who brings Spiffy there has a burlap sack put over his head and makes him lie down in the backseat of his car so he can't see anything, then has him sign an agreement that swears him to secrecy.
- Chromosome Casting: The only women present are in the club, either watching Spiffy with their dates or serving drinks.
- Deadpan Snarker: Spiffy is quite the comedian when he isn't impersonating anyone, even in a top secret government lab.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After he manages to communicate with Hoffgosh, the alien becomes Spiffy's friend, inviting him to travel throughout the galaxy together. It's also likely that Hoffgosh's knowledge of fusion power will go on to do wonders for the planet.
- First Contact: The US government has captured an alien that holds crucial knowledge. They unfortunately can't talk to it because it communicates via specific body movements, so they bring in Spiffy and his imitating skills to see if he can replicate the alien's movements.
- Hawaiian-Shirted Tourist: The NSA agent who brings Spiffy to Hoffgosh dresses as an unremarkable tourist to get the drop on him. Spiffy even tells the club manager that he could see him in the crowd, and the sight of him trying to blend in while gazing around with icy eyes sent chills up his spine.
- In a Single Bound: Hoffgosh possesses a mighty vertical leap, hopping up onto its desk and off again when it sees Spiffy for the first time.
- Informed Attribute: Spiffy is said to be the greatest impressionist alive, but the only impressions we really see him perform are those of Oliver Hardy, Woody Allen, and the Wizard of Oz. The club's manager even notes how boring the opening act is, unaware that Spiffy is brought in to make first contact.
- Innocent Aliens: Hoffgosh holds the secret to a fusion process capable of solving Earth's energy problems, although it attacks the scientists looking after it in apparent self-defense if they don't copy its movements. When Spiffy manages to make contact with it in the alien's way of communicating, it becomes his friend and offers to show him around the galaxy.
- Manchild: Hoffgosh is noted to be very child-like in its behavior in spite of its vast scientific knowledge, often attacking the scientists studying it if they don't copy its gestures exactly and make it feel threatened.
- My Significance Sense Is Tingling: Spiffy tells the manager of his club that he got bad vibes from the tourist in the loud Hawaiian shirt trying to look inconspicuous. We later learn that he's with the NSA, and Spiffy was right to be more than a little concerned at first.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Spiffy Remo is modeled after Rich Little, who also made a huge name for himself by doing impressions.
- Race Against the Clock: Hoffgosh is said to be dying the longer it stays in Earth's atmosphere, prompting Spiffy and the government workers to get the secret of nuclear fusion it holds before it suffocates.
- Shout-Out:
- Spiffy's first scene has him performing a Laurel and Hardy routine where he plays both characters and dresses as Hardy. He also incorporates a Woody Allen monologue and an impression of the Wizard giving the Tin Man a heart in his act.
- He later compares Hoffgosh to Peter Lorre and Jimmy Stewart.
- Spider-Sense: Spiffy tells his manager that the man in the Hawaiian shirt made his thumbs itch, which he says happens when he gets nervous.
- Stay with the Aliens: Spiffy and Hoffgosh end the episode by traveling the cosmos together on the latter's ship.
- Take Our Word for It: Spiffy had certain charges brought up against him in the army, which were dropped. The NSA agent who brings him to Hoffgosh waves them in front of his face and threatens to re-open the case. While we don't know what these charges are, they're apparently severe enough to put Spiffy in jail for years if convicted, forcing him to try communicating with Hoffgosh no matter what.
- Take This Job and Shove It: Spiffy is in the process of yelling this to the manager before the NSA agent steps in.
- Tuckerization: The name of Spiffy's club, TJ's, is named after the series' executive producer T.J. Castronova.
