"Wingmen" is the 13th episode of the 1st season of The Boondocks. It originally aired on March 5, 2006.
The Freemans fly back to Chicago to attend the funeral of Robert's ex-friend Moe, which brings back painful memories and Huey tries to reconnect with his old friend Cairo, but Robert and Huey learn an important lesson about change along the way.
Tropes:
- The Ace: Subverted in a flashback as Robert recalls a World War II dogfight he and Moe had against German pilots. Moe trash-talked while Robert shot down two of them on his own, then tried to show off by firing with his eyes closed. He ended up shooting Robert's plane full of holes.
- An Aesop:
- As Robert states, you'll eventually find out that "your friends aren't always as loyal as you want them to be".
- We can’t live in the past and must embrace the present, because we’ll end up miserable if we don’t.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Jazmine asks Huey how can he and Cairo be best friends if they never talk anymore, which leaves Huey actually struggling for an answer.
- And There Was Much Rejoicing: The moment he learns from Cookie that Moe died, he starts laughing and singing.Cookie: Robert, the man is dead. Can't you just let it go?Robert: I can now, because he's dead, and I'm not. (starts singing) OH MOE'S DEAD! DEAD DEAD DEAD! MOE'S DEAD!
- Berserk Button: Huey of all people. Cairo was a complete Jerkass to Huey pretty much the whole way. But when he makes the mistake of telling Huey to “follow your punk-ass grandad back to Whitesville”, Huey punches him so hard, he splits his lip!
- Break the Cutie: Poor Huey.
- Double-Meaning Title: Besides being Granddad's actual Air Force wingman, Moe was, albeit unintentionally, a wingman in the modern slang meaning of someone who draws the attention of undesirable women away from you.
- Fake Ultimate Hero: Moe has taken credit for some of Robert's wartime medals and achievements, even passing off a medal with Robert's name engraved on it as his own.
- The "Fun" in "Funeral": Invoked by Moe himself, who has a mean-spirited sense of humor, so he uses this opportunity to posthumously insult and prank Robert. For example, Moe wrote this eulogy for Robert to read aloud:Robert: (reading) I'm not gay, but Moe Jackson was a very... sexy man? (increasingly confused) We used to call him "Moe Bitches"?? I once saw Moe in his underwear??? And it changed my life?! Everybody should have a father like Moe Jackson... Moe Jackson paid my rent over fifty times?! OKAY, THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!
- Also there's one last prank: Moe's will promised something nice for Robert after giving the eulogy. But what inheritance does he leave behind? A jar of foam peanuts labeled "Deez Nutz". The tape ends with Moe saying this prank is "from beyond the grave", meaning Robert has no way of getting him back now that he's dead. However, Robert keeps the jar anyway, showing that he does forgive Moe after all.
- Girls with Moustaches: It's Maybelline, nyukka!
- Gonk: Robert learns that Maybelline, a woman he once had a crush on decades ago, is the same butt-ugly hag at the funeral. According to Cookie, Moe actually saved Robert from having a relationship with his crush.
- Hated by All: Everyone at the funeral acts as if Moe is the best at everything at first. Robert finally breaks all the lies by announcing how much of a jerk Moe really was. Everyone else then starts agreeing with him, and they're left wondering what they actually liked about him.
- Jerkass: Huey’s former best friend, Cairo. He seems to regard Huey moving to Woodcrest as some kind of betrayal, even though Huey didn’t choose to leave Chicago. He also hangs out with a new friend named Dewey, a poser who attempts to be a deep and profound Black intellectual, but is very clearly an unenlightened fool. Even at Moe’s funeral, Cairo and his entourage mock and laugh at Huey and Riley for coming from Woodcrest. When Huey rightfully calls out Dewey for his pretentiousness, Cairo insults him, saying that Huey and his family ran away to Woodcrest, leading to Huey fighting Cairo. Before leaving Chicago for Woodcrest, Huey tried to make amends with his former friend, apologizing for their fight. It initially seems like Cairo accepts, only for him to headbutt Huey so hard he goes flying off his porch with a bloody nose. There’s virtually nothing to like about Cairo at all.
- Kick the Dog: After asking Huey about his best friend Cairo, Jazmine sadly admits that she doesn't think she has a best friend. Huey just replies with "Huh, sucks for you" before walking away from her, which is one of the meanest things he ever does to her in the series continuity. She forgives him at the end when he comes back, though, although she does tease him a bit.
- Last Disrespects: The funeral attendees start arguing and pointing out negative aspects about Moe.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business:
- Robert doesn't joke at all in this episode and acts more like he does in the comics, so you know something is up.
- Huey actually shows his vulnerable and human side in this episode.
- Malcolm Xerox: Dewey Obababaooooo "Mamma-say, mamma-saw, mamma-ma-cu-say" Jenkins, Cairo's new best friend after Huey left Chicago, who chides Huey for his modern dress, not writing (terrible) poetry and all sorts of other petty things. However, Dewey, who converted to Islam as a possible nod to the Nation of Islam, can't get the Islamic greeting right and mispronounces it as "Salami, eggs and bacon" even though Salami and Bacon are made from pork which is haram (forbidden) in Islam. Dewey also runs away when Riley tries to mess with him.
- Rejected Apology: Cairo refuses to make amends with Huey after the fight; the former rejects the latter's apology by headbutting him, resulting in a bloody nose.
- Special Guest: Mike Epps as Moe Jackson.
- Spiteful Will: Moe's recording requests Robert to provide eulogy in his honor. By the end of episode, Robert was given one last present. The present... a jar of nuts. Granted, this was not out of spite. It was because Moe was too much of a troll.Moe: From beyond the grave, you will never be able to get me back!
- Straw Character: One of Huey's old acquaintances from Chicago, Dewey Jenkins, is a fake Muslim who writes bad poetry because he's "down with the struggle". Huey, an actual leftist radical, finds him disgraceful.
- The Tape Knew You Would Say That: Moe's tapes are set up with such unbelievable timing, it's almost as if he was talking to Robert in person. For example, he knew Robert would refuse to give his eulogy at first and begs him to come back. If he returned even a second later, Robert would have known Moe expected him to go through with it from the start.
- True Companions: Jazmine asks Huey if she's his best friend, but he responds that he still considers his old pal Cairo to be his best friend. But after the funeral debacle ends Huey's and Cairo's friendship, Huey returns home and realizes that he must embrace change and may value Jazmine's friendship more than ever.
- Undignified Death: Cookie tells Robert that Moe died from hormone imbalance after using viagra and ignoring guidelines on when to seek medical assistance. It gives us a pretty good idea of what Moe was like.
- We Used to Be Friends:
- Robert and Moe. Robert was constantly annoyed by Moe's antics, but what he considered the last straw was how he thinks that Moe had taken a woman from him. Even though Moe is dead now, Robert wants to see if he can settle things right — although he doesn't really find anything redeemable about Moe. He still decides to keep the "Deez Nutz" jar with him anyway though.
- Huey and Cairo. For some reason, Cairo is convinced that Huey's move to Woodcrest is some kind of betrayal. And then they argue during Moe's funeral, which turns into a brawl between Huey and Riley against Cairo and Dewey. When Huey tries to apologize to Cairo, he rejects it with a headbutt.
