WMG / Green Eggs and Ham (2019)

Season 1 guesses

Michellee has a bad dating history.

Michellee is verbally mad at herself for trusting Guy the first time she finds out that he's been lying to her, implying that she's had her heart broken by other dishonest men (presumably ones she dated after her husband died) and can't believe she fell for another one.

The show takes place in The '60s.

There isn't any modern technology in it, and that was also the decade the book was released.

The series takes place in the same universe as Horton Hears a Who!.

Specifically, the 2008 movie. The "people" here look pretty similar to the Whos in the film. Also, one of the trailers mention Whoville.

Sam is asexual.

Unlike Guy, who has clear romantic attraction towards Michellee, Sam has shown no romantic or sexual attraction to anyone whatsoever over the course of the whole series.

• He's awfully flirty with Guy.
• Also, not displaying romantic or sexual attraction to another person at a given moment doesn't automatically make one asexual any more than not displaying sexual or romantic attraction to someone of the opposite sex doesn't automatically makes them gay. In fact, Guy and Michellee are the only characters (who aren't a married couple, at least) who express explicit romantic interest in one another. That doesn't automatically make everyone else ace or aro, it just means that the narrative had no other place for another ongoing romantic story, especially since Sam is preoccupied with Mr. Jenkins already. The show also isn't really the kind to concern itself that much with romantic subplots outside of the one which it does, and that's only because it works from a narrative standpoint.

Sam is bi/pan

He loves everybody!

Sam is poly

Despite all of the homoeroticism between him and Guy, he also does everything he can to get Guy and Michellee together when he finds out that they like each other. Maybe he just wants Guy to be happy, or maybe he's hoping Michellee will "share" him.

Sam has autism.

While very intelligent, he clearly has difficulty communicating with and understanding others, especially Guy. Not to mention he has extremely sensitive taste buds, and can clearly remember and distinguish his long-lost mother's green eggs and ham recipe from everyone else's, a common trait of real-world autistics.

• You have just succeeded in making i am sam Hilarious in Hindsight.

The cause of death of Michellee's husband is the reason of her overprotectiveness.

I'm going the two extremes; he either died of doing something extremely dangerous or something mundane and normal, where death would not be expected.

E.B has this world's equivalent of the Journals from Gravity Falls.

It is exclusively about the Mix-and-Match Critters like the Galirafa and Giroosters, explaining why she knows about them but nobody else does, not even the zookeepers or the BADGUYS. Guy knows at least a basic fact about goats (they are good at climbing), meaning the regular animals are common knowledge.

The "Wildlife Protector" badge Sam shows Guy was an actual badge.

...one that Gluntz left in the car. If the BADGUYS carry badges on their person, Gluntz would certainly forget her badge in her hype for her first mission/McWinkle's last mission/the mere fact of existence.

• That's... actually kind of genius! And it would make for an interesting (albeit humorously convoluted) way to keep the BADGUYS (or just Gluntz) in the show: she needs to get her badge back, so she had to hunt down Sam again because he still has it.
  • It also works to the show's Central Theme of not taking things at face value, and thensome. At first, it looks like a real wildlife protector badge, but then it turns out that Sam isn't a wildlife protector... but the badge was real, it just wasn't his, which also fits his eventual reveal as someone with multiple aliases.

The "happy memory" which Gluntz traps the Goat in, causing him to scream, was...

Going to see The Cat in the Hat.

Season 2 predictions

Possible other Seuss stories that might be retrofitted for season 2's plot.

Seeing as season one uses the entirety of what little of a plot the original book had, it's altogether possible that season 2 will borrow from a different Dr. Seuss book. Examples:

• I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew: It's a Hero's Journey story about how the Grass is Greener. Sam is implied to be taking his own journey to find something that will improve his life (in this case, closure over why his mother abandoned him). There are a lot of potential outcomes.
• Are You My Mother: Though this is technically a P.D. Eastman book that was published as part of Random House's Bright And Early Readers series, which also published several Seuss books, it is commonly misattributed to Seuss, so it might work as a Mythology Gag or just get a Shout-Out.
• The Butter Battle Book: The synopsis of the season mentions "a delicious conflict" between two sides. The best example of this in Dr. Seuss's books is the Yooks and Zooks' battle about buttered bread, so that could easily be one of the main elements of the season.
  • Confirmed!
• Bartholomew and the Oobleck: Goo-Lacka-Goo is actually refined Oobleck. There must be some use for this bizarre gunky precipitation, and Guy will eventually need to get more Goo-Lacka-Goo to keep his inventions from blowing up. A road trip to the kingdom of Didd for a few hundred gallons of gooey green goodness may be in order. Setup for a potential season three, anybody...?

Snerz will have a Heel–Face Turn.

We see throughout season 1 that, despite his dastardly actions, Snerz is capable of things like remorse and heartbreak, and it's implied that the only reason he's so terrible as an adult is that he never learned his lesson from mistakes he made as a child. Considering that Dr. Seuss usually depicted characters learning from their mistakes than being outright punished, and the fact that Sam's journey is about getting closure from his own mother, it would make sense that they'd effect one another.

The BADGUYS won't be in season 2.

Seeing as they only existed to chase Sam for kidnapping Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Jenkins is now back in his habitat, they wouldn't serve any narrative purpose.

• Jossed. Gluntz makes an appearance in the trailer and her voice actress is credited. However, there is no sign on McWinkle, likely due to the character retiring at the end of the first season.

Sam's past is going to catch up with him.

A Heel–Face Turn doesn't undo years of past mistakes.

Sam's mother is also named Sam.

Except it is short for Samantha, not Samuel. For some reason, his full name is stated to be "Samuel-I-Amuel" in "Train" even though "I-Am" is his family name, so his mom's full name can be "Samantha-I-Amantha".

• Jossed

Sam's mother will be voiced by Ellen DeGeneres.

Given that DeGeneres is the show's producer, and she and Diane Keaton have worked together in Finding Dory, this would be something to be expected.

• Jossed.

Other Seuss characters who may make an appearance in Season 2.

• The infamous Jibboo from "Oh the Thinks You Can Think!". Maybe the scene will occur in a similar dark town like in the original illustration, complete with Sam quoting the famous "What would YOU do if you met a Jibboo?" line to Guy. Of course, the Jibboo may turn out to be Good All Along.
• Yertle the Turtle as the Big Bad. Since Seuss intended him as a parody of Adolf Hitler, he'll be an even more obvious Hitler analogue here.
• The Empty Green Pants with Nobody Inside Them from "What Was I Scared Of?". Either they will be Good All Along like in the original story, or go through Adaptational Villainy.
• Sylvester McMonkey McBean. Maybe he'll be a Shadow Archetype to Sam-I-Am, representing the con artist he would've become had he never made his Heel–Face Turn, and also acting as an Evil Counterpart to Guy-Am-I for being a fellow inventer.
  • It wasn't him but there was a character named Sylvester who was accused of being a fake
• The Ikka, Gritch, Grickle, Nupper, and Wild Weef from "Steak for Supper". Maybe here, they'll follow Sam and Guy around wanting green eggs and ham for themselves, with Sam enjoying their company and Guy wanting them to go away.

There will be Mythology Gags referencing the Living Books adaptation of the book.

Such as the other technicolor foods from the memory game making an appearance.

• Purple pancakes were mentioned in the finale of the first season.

There will be an episode titled “Tree”.

It was the only one they didn’t do in the first.

• Jossed. None of the episodes in Season 2 are titled "Tree".

• Actually, they did, albeit really subtly: when Guy is hiding in his treehouse, Sam brings a dish along in hopes that eating some will cheer him up.

We will finally see the narrator onscreen.

Possibilities as to what he will look like:

• A live-action Keegan-Michael Key.
• A furry Seussian version of Keegan-Michael Key,
• A talking loudspeaker, as he was portrayed in the promotional image.
• The Cat in the Hat. Admit it, that would be awesome.
• A cartoon version of Dr. Seuss himself!
• Or a Ted Geisel-looking chap named Theo LeSieg (Geisel's other Pen Name for books he wrote but didn't illustrate).

Sam's mother will turn out to be Evil All Along, or at the very least, a Jerkass.

It will be revealed that she abandoned him for ulterior motives. This fits well with the series' Central Theme of how people aren't who they appear to be.

• With that said, this Reddit post points out this wouldn't exactly be a good direction, because it would make the harsh thing Guy said to Sam in "There" true, and it would give a bad lesson to children that parents who leave their children at orphanages just didn't want them.

A variation on "Sam has an evil parent": His mother is a good and wonderful person who had a VERY good reason for leaving him at the orphanage, namely her husband being a terrible person.

Sam's mother managed to escape her husband, who may or may not have been abusive but regardless was a danger to both his wife and his son. However, eventually she knew staying with Sam would risk her ex finding them so she left Sam at the orphanage to keep him safe and hidden from his father. Finding Sam's mother will bring the truth out and Sam, Guy and Sam's mother will have to work together to stop Sam's father's evil (or at least misguided) designs.

• This would also make an interesting path for Character Development. Sam's own criminal past would tie him to the man who's the reason his mother had to give him up, a fact that would distress Sam greatly since he'd probably wonder if he's doomed to end up the same way, only hurting the people he cares about because of his past; Guy and his mother reassure him that since he's trying to be better, he won't turn out like his father.

A third character will join Sam and Guy, and will fill a similar role Guy did to prevent the show from gaining an Artifact Title.

Since Guy has tried green eggs and ham and likes it now, this other character will be the one refusing to try the dish throughout the season. Most likely they will have a different personality from Guy to feel less redundant. Maybe they will complete the Comic Trio, with Sam being The Leader who leads them into danger, this third character being The Fool who blindly follows Sam's orders, and Guy being the Only Sane Man and powerless to stop them.

• It won't exactly be an Artifact Title since the green eggs and ham are still the link to Sam's mother. Though, it would make sense if they went this route.

Guy will try to get Sam to try a food he likes but Sam doesn't.

Maybe orange cherry pie, one of the technicolor foods mentioned in the aforementioned Living Books adaptation, especially since it rhymes with Guy's name the way green eggs and ham rhymes with Sam's name.

• This would actually tie in perfectly with the above WMG about Sam's mom being evil or the below one about her being deceased: Sam is adamant that he only eat green eggs and ham until they find his mom (or her fate). But after The Reveal, Sam decides to try something new.

Guy will break up with Michellee.

Because, let's face it, relationships like that don't tend to last long in reality. Instead, Sam and Guy will become an Official Couple.

• The last episode of the first season seems to imply that he's finally gained her trust, which was the biggest factor in keeping them apart. That said, if the second season is about them going on another road trip, the distance may put a strain on their barely-new relationship.
• Alternatively, Michellee will be emboldened to try new things, like Guy was, and joins Guy and Sam on their journey. As does E.B., who stowed away in Michellee's suitcase, but she ultimately proves to be a valuable asset due to her resourcefulness.
  • All jossed, as Michelle and Guy are now married in Season 2.

The brown dog and big purple cat Sam was introduced riding on in the book will make an appearance.

Maybe they'll fill the animal sidekick role filled by Mr. Jenkins in Season 1.

The Cat in the Hat's "Eggs!" from the seventies Green Eggs and Ham television adaptation will become an Ascended Meme.

The elephant bird from Horton Hatches the Egg will show up.

Going with the show's Mix-and-Match Critters theme.

• Maybe not, since "elephant bird" doesn't fits the show's punny names for its MAM Cs.
  • They could name him something like "elebird". "Chicken" and "giraffe" aren't similar words either.

Each episode will be based on a different Dr. Seuss book (except the Series Finale).

It makes sense, since the Green eggs and Ham plot is done. Some of my guesses:

• Horton Hears a Who!: Since the narrator mentions Glurfsburg as being north Whoville, it's possibly the first place Sam and Guy go.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: A sequel to the episode above, with the duo still in Whoville. Since "Here" and "Dark" estabilish the month as Snerzuary, this could only happen if this version of Whoville celebrates Christmas in that month instead of Snerzcember.
• The Lorax: Basically the same as the 1972 special, but with Sam filling the unnamed boy/Ted Wiggins' role and possibly some elements from the book which weren't in the special, like the Whisper-ma-phone and Sam having to pay 15 bruckles, a nail, and great grandfather snail. The Onceler's name is already seen in a small store in Meepville in "Boat", possibly foreshadowing (although it's unlikely there would be a store with his name after his factory closed, plus Truffula Trees are seen in some episodes, so if he appears, it's likely he is still on business and still making the Thneeds).
• The Cat in the Hat: Probably would work better as a subplot, where the Cat goes to E.B's house while Michellee's out.
  • Or all four appear at some point, and are voiced by actors who have voiced them in the past:
    • Benedict Cumberbatch as The Grinch
    • Jim Carrey as Horton
    • Martin Short as the Cat in the Hat (I would say Mike Myers, but does anyone want to be reminded of that trainwreck?)
    • Danny DeVito as The Lorax

Sam's mother also has a troubled relationship with animals.

If the "Ma" who makes the eggs that Sam likes so much is, indeed, his mother, perhaps the farm she runs which produces them treats its animals unethically, like Snerz does to all of his pets. It might drive a wedge between her and Sam, who has a newfound respect for animals after his adventures with Mr. Jenkins. It might also be a way for the BADGUYS (or the version of them in the jurisdiction where Sam's mom lives) to remain in the show. Maybe Gluntz gets reassigned there after McWinkle retires?

Sam will become a Phrase Catcher.

He'll cross paths with several past enemies who'll all say "That Sam-I-Am, that Sam-I-Am, I do not like that Sam-I-Am!" as a Mythology Gag to the first line which the second character from the book (the one who becomes Guy in the series) says.

The final season, whenever that'll be, will have the subtitle "Desert."

The "Ma" whose eggs Sam recognizes isn't his mother, but it will be the first in a long, convoluted string of connections to lead him back to her

In addition to the show's Central Theme of Bait-and-Switch, just because Sam's mother cooked with the same eggs he eats in "Anywhere" doesn't automatically mean she made them in some way (if it were, say, a recipe involving eggs, that'd be one thing, but fresh eggs come straight from... ahem, "the source"). Sam's obsession with following this extremely minute details in the vain hope that they might lead him back to his mother will obvious put a strain on Guy's patience, and he'll get increasingly frustrated that Sam has roped him into what seems like a wild goose chase.

It'll turn out Guy only likes the eggs part of the titular dish, not the ham.

In most versions of the story, including this one, Guy only tries the eggs, never the ham.

• Well the last page of the book shows him holding an empty platter, which suggest that he does like the ham. He also tries the ham in the original animated adaptation (although he is shown taking only one bite).

The Black-and-White Morality of Season 1 will be deconstructed.

In Season 1, it's implied that any evil character will see themselves as evil and be proud of it. (For instance, the BADGUYS, even though they turn out to be Good All Along.) Thus, the villain of Season 2 will be a Well-Intentioned Extremist or Knight Templar who keeps insisting they're good no matter what atrocities they commit.

• Neither Snerz nor his cronies are card carrying villains, per se, just corrupt corporate executives. Snerz himself is more a Manchild than an outright monster and there's nothing to suggest his cronies are as cruel or crueler than he is (they do mention abandoning their own collections of rare animals, but even then, they're implied to at least shuffle them off to different homes rather than just dumping on the street. One of them does keep asking if they're going to eat the chickeraffe, but it's clearly just a joke). However, a villain who believes that they're doing what right or even that what they're doing isn't so bad that they should stop (like the Once-Ler) would make sense for a show where one of the main characters is a regular lawbreaker with a heart of gold.

Sam will use his myriad of disguises on his next adventure.

Guy is going to get sick of green eggs and ham.

Even though, like the book, Guy eventually decides to try the title dish and realizes he enjoys it as a result, he probably won't join in Sam's desire to eat it for every meal.

The Fox, Mouse, and Goat will have a bigger role.

They were major characters in the books, and appear in this show's intro, so it would make sense for them to come back. Maybe the Goat will be trying to hunt down Sam and Guy as revenge for losing his Chickeraffe.

• Jossed.

The farmers in "Fox" will turn out to be related to the I-Ams.

Maybe their egg farm is part of the same chain as Sam's mother's.

• In that case, maybe Michael was making a delivery in "Anywhere".

Green ham in this universe grows on trees like ties do.

It'd be a good way to explain where they come from without being super gory.

• And it would also be an opportunity for a joke about it being green ham. Green things grow on trees or at least plants after all.

There will be a reference to The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T.

Perhaps in the form of a pair of roller-skaters conjoined at the beard as minor characters.

Sam's mother will be revealed to be Mrs. McCave from "Too Many Daves".

Sam's real name will be revealed to be Dave, and it will turn out he had a whole bunch of brothers also named Dave, who she later gave up for adoption because she couldn't afford to care for them all.

• Jossed.

Sam's mother is dead.

Since Sam in an expy of Del Griffith, it would make sense. Maybe the reason she gave him up was because she was terminally ill and knew she wouldn't live long enough to give her child the life he deserved.

• Jossed, she's still alive.

Someone will mistakenly call Guy-Am-I "Joey".

As a reference to how some sources called him that(other than somewhat vague descriptions like "Grouchy Guy" or "Sam's Friend") before he was Named by the Adaptation. Or it might be his real name.

Gluntz and Snerz will be major characters again.

After all Jillian Bell and Eddie Izzard are credited amongst the main cast and Jeffrey Wright was credited as a special guest star. I mean, Mc Winkle did officially retire at the end of Season One and he gave his hat to Gluntz. But Snerz, I’m not one hundred percent sure.

• Plus, Sam and Gluntz could be an item.

The season ends with Guy proposing to Michellee

Although it’s been done to death, he can spend the last few episodes or so trying to blurt it out or saying the wrong thing. With these writers, they could even parody this cliché in the narrative.

• But if it were to happen only in the season finale, it could be due to an unplanned pregnancy, similar to what happened to Hellboy and Liz in Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

As a contrast to Sam-I-Am's Adaptational Villainy, Season 2 will give us a character who was a villain in their source material but is more heroic here

Candidates include:

• Sylvester McMonkey McBean will be reimagined as a Trickster Mentor who wants to trick the Sneetches into getting over their prejudices out of a sincere desire to help them become nicer as opposed to the book's amoral con artist. He'll even refund their money once he feels that they've learned their lesson.

Shaquille O'Neal will appear in Season 2.