History Recap / CourageTheCowardlyDogS1E4TheDemonInTheMatressFreakyFred

[[AC:The Demon in the Mattress]]

'''Original air date:''' 12/3/1999

'''Production code:''' CCD-103a

Muriel orders a special mattress so that she can sleep comfortably at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who seizes control of Muriel's body.

[[AC:Freaky Fred]]

'''Original air date:''' 12/3/1999

'''Production code:''' CCD-103b

A relative of Muriel's has come to the farmhouse for a visit. This relative, however, proves to be rather insane, and develops a liking towards Courage.
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!!"The Demon in the Mattress" features examples of the following tropes:

* ButtBiter: After exorcising the demon from Muriel and seeing it take over Eustace instead, then try to attack Muriel, Courage chomps onto his butt to stall him.
* CatScare: The Demon of the Mattress pulls this on Courage while possessing Muriel.
-->'''Demon:''' It would be lovely if I could have a cup... of... '''TEA!'''\\
'''Courage:''' [=AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaah...=] ''[gives Demon a DisapprovingLook]''
* LandlineEavesdropping: Courage uses the phone to listen in on Muriel talking to the suspicious mattress salesman.
* PetTheDog: Eustace is cranky as ever in this episode, but he's much less [[TheLoad apathetic and ineffectual]] than usual, and he actively works alongside Courage in order to exorcize and defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Of course, all this actually accomplishes is [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished get him possessed and shipped away with the mattress to parts unknown]]. No wonder he usually prefers to stay in the sidelines.
* ShoutOut: To ''Film/TheExorcist'' when Possessed!Muriel's head does the famous 360 turn... then falls off.
* WhoWritesThisCrap: Eustace has this reaction when he initially reads the last part of the exorcism spell, looking as if he can't believe what he's saying -- [[AsideGlance "Kick 'em in the dishpan, hoo hoo hoo?"]] Courage shrugs too, as if to say he doesn't know either.

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!!"Freaky Fred" features examples of the following tropes:

* CheshireCatGrin: Freaky Fred has a near-constant one, particularly when he's thinking about how "naughty" he is or when he's planning on shaving something. It stretches out so far that it's wider than the rest of his head.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Eustace calls Fred a "freak" and he's actually right for once, given the man's wide, creepy grin and obsession with shaving people completely bald.
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Freaky Fred. He's not really nightmarish, he's just... ''naughty'', due to the constant and extremely creepy look on his face, which scares the living daylights out of poor Courage even ''before'' he finds out Fred wants to shave him bald.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Eustace leaves the house during the events of this episode and rightfully stays out.
* ShapedLikeItself: When Muriel hears the door slam after Eustace locks Courage in the bathroom with Fred, Eustace tells her "The door slammed", and they leave it at that.
* ShoutOut: Fred's rhyming is a tribute to the rhyming schemes in the works of Creator/DrSeuss.
* VillainOpeningScene: The episode opens on Fred presenting himself to the viewer through InternalMonologue on his way to the Bagge residence. His status as a villain is debatable, though, given that his antagonistic actions are due to compulsion and not malice.

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Courage orders a special mattress so that Muriel can sleep comfortably at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who seizes control of Muriel's body.

-->'''Demon:''' It would be lovely if I could have a cup...of...'''TEA!'''\\
'''Courage:''' [=AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaah...=] (''gives Demon a DisapprovingLook'')
* DemonicPossession: The demon in the mattress possesses Muriel and then, after her exorcism, Eustace.
* FauxAffablyEvil: The titular character mattress demon is easygoing and has a snarky sense of humor, but he's also pretty darn evil.
* PetTheDog: Eustace is cranky as ever in this episode, but he's much less [[TheLoad apathetic and ineffectual]] than usual, and he actively works alongside Courage in order to exorcize and defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Of course, all this actually manages to do is [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished get him possessed and shipped away with the mattress to parts unknown]]. No wonder he usually prefers to stay in the sidelines.

* AffablyEvil: Okay, evil is a bit of a stretch, but for a shave crazy barber, Fred is extremely nice and polite.
* AntiVillain: Fred doesn't really do anything truly malicious, he just has a bit of a shaving obsession/fetish and doesn't see anything wrong with shaving people bald.
* CardCarryingVillain: Not entirely evil, but Fred calls himself Freaky Fred and multiple times admits that he's being a bit "naughty."
* CatchPhrase: Freaky Fred's is quite... Naaaaauuuughty...
* CheshireCatGrin: Freaky Fred has a near-constant one.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his... enthusiasm for shaving, Fred never shaves tails because that's weird even for him.
* {{Fetish}}: Fred's uncontrollable urge to shave is, [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant besides his general vibe]], the main reason he's so frightening.
* HarmlessVillain: Freaky Fred doesn't really do much other than shave people, follow you around, and look creepy. But he's ''really good'' at that last one.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Eustace calls Fred a "freak" and he's actually right for once.

* ShoutOut: Fred's rhyming is a tribute to the rhyming schemes in the works of Creator/DrSeuss. Likewise Fred himself is presented as a more benign version of Franchise/SweeneyTodd. He doesn't murder his clients but once in a while indulges in his fetish and shaves them till they're bald.
* VillainOpeningScene: Done in the beginning of "Freaky Fred", though as mentioned above, his status as a villain is debatable.

* ShoutOut: Fred's rhyming is a tribute to the rhyming schemes in the works of Creator/DrSeuss.

Courage orders a special mattress so that Muriel can sleep comfortably at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who latches to Muriel's body.

!!"The Demon in the Mattress" features examples of the following tropes::

* DemonicPossession: Happens to both Muriel and then Eustace.

* PetTheDog: Eustace is cranky as ever in this episode, but he's much less [[TheLoad apathetic and ineffectual]] than usual, and he actively works alongside Courage in order to exorcize and defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Of course, all this actually manages to do is [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished get him possessed and shipped away with the mattress to parts of unknown]]. No wonder he usually prefers to stay in the sidelines.
* ShapedLikeItself: When Muriel hears the door slam after Eustace locks Courage in the bathroom with Fred, Eustace tells her "The door slammed", and they leave it at that.

* WhoWritesThisCrap: Eustace has this reaction when he initially reads the last part of the exorcism spell, looking as if he can't believe what he's saying -- [[AsideGlance "Kick 'em in the dishpan, hoo hoo hoo?"]]

* AffablyEvil: Ok, evil is a bit of a stretch, but for a shave crazy barber, Fred is extremely nice and polite.
* AntiVillain: Fred doesn't really do anything truly malicious, he just has a bit of a shaving obsession/fetish and just doesn't see anything wrong with shaving people bald.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his...enthusiasm for shaving, Fred never shaves tails because that's weird even for him.

%%* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Freaky Fred.

!!{{Tropes}} present:
* AffablyEvil: Ok, evil is a bit of a stretch, but for a shave crazy barber, Fred is extremely nice and polite.
* AntiVillain: Fred doesn't really do anything truly malicious, he just has a bit of a shaving obsession/fetish and just doesn't see anything wrong with shaving people bald.

* CatchPhrase: Freaky Fred's is quite... Naaaaauuuughty...

* CheshireCatGrin: Freaky Fred. Good luck ever finding a picture of him without one.
* DemonicPossession: Happens in "Demon of the Mattress", to both Muriel and then Eustace.
* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his...enthusiasm for shaving, he never shaves tails because that's weird even for him.
* FauxAffablyEvil: The titular character of "Demon of the Mattress" is easygoing and has a snarky sense of humor, but he's also pretty darn evil.
* HarmlessVillain: Freaky Fred doesn't really do much other than shave people, follow you around, and look creepy. But he's ''really good'' at that last one.
* JerkassHasAPoint: Eustace calls Fred a "freak" and he's actually right for once.
* NightmareFuelStationAttendant: Freaky Fred.
* PetTheDog: Eustace is cranky as ever in "The Demon in the Mattress", but he's much less [[TheLoad apathetic and ineffectual]] than usual, and he actively works alongside Courage in order to exorcize and defeat the MonsterOfTheWeek. Of course, all this actually manages to do is [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished get him possessed and shipped away with the mattress to parts of unknown]]. No wonder he usually prefers to stay in the sidelines.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Eustace leaves the house during the events of "Freaky Fred" and rightfully stays out.

* ShoutOut:
** To ''Film/TheExorcist'' when Possessed!Muriel's head does the famous 360 turn... then [[NightmareFuel falls off]].
** Fred's rhyming is a tribute to the rhyming schemes in the works of Creator/DrSeuss.
* VillainOpeningScene: Done in the beginning of "Freaky Fred", though as mentioned above, his status as a villain is debatable.

* DemonicPossession: Happens in "Demon of the Mattress".

* WhoWritesThisCrap: [[AsideGlance "Kick 'em in the dishpan, hoo hoo hoo?"]]

* WhoWritesThisCrap: "Kick 'em in the dishpan, hoo hoo hoo?"

Courage orders a special mattress so that Muriel can sleep comfy at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who latches to Muriel's body.

** "Freaky Fred" is one long tribute to Creator/DrSeuss.

'''Courage: [=AAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaah...=] (''gives Demon a DisapprovingLook'')

** "Freaky Fred" is one long tribute to DrSeuss.

* ShoutOut: To ''TheExorcist'' when Possessed!Muriel's head does the famous 360 turn... then [[NightmareFuel falls off]].

Courage orders a special mattress so that Muriel can sleep confy at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who latches to Muriel's body.

* BlondesAreEvil: Freaky Fred, though it's arguable if he's actually evil. He's pretty much just a creep.

'''Demon in the Mattress:''' Courage orders a special mattress so that Muriel can sleep confy at night. However, when the mattress arrives, it comes with a complimentary demon, who latches to Muriel's body.

'''Freaky Fred:''' A relative of Muriel's has come to the farmhouse for a visit. This relative, however, proves to be rather insane, and develops a liking towards Courage.