"I don't know!"
Forky Asks a Question is a series of ten animated shorts produced by Pixar and set in the Toy Story universe. It has been made exclusively available for streaming on Disney+ since the platform's launch on November 12, 2019.
Forky, the toy built by Bonnie Anderson in Toy Story 4 using a spork, asks important questions about how the world works, such as: What is love? What is time? And of course, the deepest question of all... what is cheese?
Previews: Trailer
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Forky Asks a Question provides examples of the following tropes:
- Anuscape Plan: "What Is A Pet?" includes a point-of-view account from a small toy about getting swallowed by a cat and travelling through its digestive system... including coming out the other end.Forky: Were you relieved?
Rib Tickles: ...In a manner of speaking. - Artistic License – History: George Washington didn't wear a wig; that's his real hair.
- Ascended Extra: Several of Andy's toys who were Demoted to Extra in Toy Story 4 get a bit more focus in some of these shorts, like Rex and Hamm. Bonnie's baby toys from the closet who only had a few lines in the movie are also prominently featured in "What is Love?"
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: In "What is Money?", Forky has a hard time paying attention and just makes random observations.
- Audience? What Audience?: In "What Is Reading?", while Forky is giving an outro to the camera, Mr. Spell observes that Forky often behaves as if he's putting on a show of some sort, and asks who he's talking to. The camera cuts away to reveal that the camera Forky has been addressing for the whole series doesn't exist.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the start of "What is Time?", Forky is seen walking with Old Timer the Clock. He then explains that he's a brought along a friend to help him understand the concept of time... Rex the Dinosaur!
- Breakout Character: Forky was a new addition to the Ensemble Cast in Toy Story 4. Now he's the main protagonist of his own series of shorts.
- The Bus Came Back: "What is Reading?" features two characters appearing for the first time in a long time: the Peas-in-a-Pod who were absent from Toy Story 4, and Mr. Spell who hasn't been seen since Toy Story 2 note .
- Companion Cube: Bonnie's mom's mug in "What is a Friend?", which Forky thinks is named "WHAAAT? NOOOO!" because Mrs. Anderson says it a lot while holding the mug and talking on the phone.
- Company Cross References: Several of the shorts feature an emotional moment that's underscored by "Boo's Theme" from Monsters, Inc.
- Constantly Curious: Forky constantly asks questions.
- Couch Gag: One of the questions Forky asks in the intro is different in each episode.
- Dance Party Ending: "What Is Reading?" ends with Forky and Mr. Spell summoning one out of nowhere to cheer up the Peas-In-A-Pod.
- Downer Ending: It's Played for Laughs, but "What is a Computer?" ends with Trixie's computer wiped clean and her angry at Forky for this.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each short is titled "What is [X]?"
- Love Dodecahedron: Melephant Brooks, Chairol Burnett, Carl Rhinoceros, and Bitey White are all revealed to be part of one in "What is Love?".
- Mythology Gag: Bonnie apparently has a Mr. Spell in her room. Such a toy has not been seen in the franchise since way back in Toy Story 2.
- Obfuscating Stupidity: The Peas-in-a-Pod slowly teach Forky to read in "What is Reading?", only for him to reveal at the end that he knew how to read all along.
- Oddly Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo: The first entry in the Toy Story franchise not to have "Toy Story" in its title.
- Pluto Is Expendable: Buttercup tells Forky that there are eight planets in the solar system, "plus or minus Pluto".
- Remember the New Guy?: "What is a Pet?" introduces Rib Tickles, who apparently is Giggle McDimples' longtime partner on the force, though she never appeared in Toy Story 4.
- Retirony: Parodied: Rib Tickles was only one week from retirement when she gets eaten by Dragon. She doesn't die, but she’s clearly not the same.
- Shown Their Work: In "What is Time?", Rex correctly states that birds are dinosaurs.
- Sidetracked by the Analogy: Forky gets distracted by Dolly's statement on cookie crumbling (she was telling him about being a leader) and proceeds to say nothing but "That's how the cookie crumbles" for the rest of the segment.
- This Is Gonna Suck: At the end of "What Is A Pet?", when Forky makes Rib Tickles repeat the Dragon incident.Rib: I’m gonna regret this!
