The twelfth episode of the second season of Dennis the Menace (1986), and the seventy-seventh episode of the series overall.
Kooked Goose
Mr. Wilson wins a pet goose in a contest, but isn't very happy at it since its always noisy and biting him. So Dennis and PeeBee set the goose free and replace it with a robot goose, hoping to make Mr. Wilson happy. Instead, things get worse.
Pell Mell Hotel
While Dennis goes to see Aunt Evelyn in a hotel one day, he wanders off with his friend Gina and the two wind up in a dangerous adventure against some bad guys/spies who plan to brainwash television viewers.
The Old Ball Game
Mr. Wilson gets caught up in taking Dennis to a baseball game. Not only does he keep missing the game while buying treats for Dennis (plus the fact that he had to pay for an extra seat to hold the treats) but he winds up getting beaten up by a player (with the help of Dennis, of course).
"Kooked Goose" provides examples of:
- Butt Biter: Georgette does this to Mr. Wilson, which is one of the reasons why he doesn't like her.
- Butt-Monkey: Mr. Wilson. He wins a pet goose in a contest he entered, in the hopes that he could win a trip to Hawaii instead. His pet goose, Georgette, is noisy and bites his butt, and when Dennis gets PeeBee to make a robotic goose named Georgette the Second to take her place, she literally puts him through a wild goose chase, leaving a hole in his fence and destroying his prize-winning petunias in the process.
- Egging: When Georgette the Second takes flight, she drops eggs on Mr. Wilson. When Dennis sees him, he says he looks like an omelette.
- Imagine Spot: Mr. Wilson has one where he is in Hawaii, surrounded by hula dancers. His fantasy ends when the manager of the airport brings him a pet goose, which is his prize, and which bites him.
- Impact Silhouette: Georgette the Second leaves one through Mr. Wilson's fence when she runs through it.
- Robot Me: Dennis gets PeeBee to make a robotic goose to take Georgette's place while he takes the real Georgette to Uncle Charlie's farm. PeeBee dubs the robot "Georgette the Second".
- Second Place Is for Winners: Mr. Wilson enters a contest for a vacation and wins first prize. When he gets to the airport to claim his prize, he finds out that the vacation package is Second Prize, and that the first prize is a pet goose.
- Your Tomcat Is Pregnant: Dennis finds out that Mr. Wilson's pet goose is a girl when she lays an egg, and decides to call her "Georgette".
"Pell Mell Hotel" provides examples of:
- Affection-Hating Kid: Dennis dislikes when Aunt Evelyn gives him hugs and kisses. When Gina sees this, she can't help but laugh. When Aunt Evelyn hugs and kisses Dennis again at the end of the episode, Gina tells Dennis that it's at least better than being captured by bad guys, but Dennis disagrees with her.
- Banister Slide: Dennis and Gina do this when they get to the top floor of the Ritzy Hotel. The fat spy is waiting to catch them at the bottom, but the thin spy rushes towards him on a cart and pushes him out of the way, resulting in Dennis and Gina bouncing off him.
- Big, Thin, Short Trio: The three spies have this dynamic, with the lead one being the Short, and the two lackeys being the Big and Thin.
- Bumbling Henchmen Duo: Two spies disguise themselves as employees, but their plan to brainwash television viewers is foiled by Dennis and Gina.
- Comically Missing the Point:
- When the thin spy asks Dennis and Gina, "So, you want to play games, eh?", Dennis and Gina think they're talking about actual games, and decide to play hide and seek.
- When Dennis overhears the lead spy talking about brainwashing television viewers, he says that he doesn't like anything that has to do with washing.
- Dastardly Whiplash: One of the spies is tall, thin, has a handlebar mustache, and an exaggerated nose and chin.
- Elevator Buttons Mash: Dennis does this when he and Gina hide from the spies in the elevator. He ends up entering a code that takes them to the top secret sub-level.
- Giving Them the Strip: When Dennis is caught by the thin spy, he takes off his jacket and runs away.
- Kid Hero: When Dennis and Gina make their way into the top secret sub-level, they uncover the spies' plan to brainwash television viewers.
- Mistaken for Servant: Due to the two spies wearing the outfits of the hotel employees they kidnapped, Aunt Evelyn mistakes them for actual employees and asks them to bring her some coffee.
- Rump Roast: When the thin spy is carrying a flaming shish kabob, he trips over Dennis, who tries to get his quarter out from under a table. The thin spy tosses the shish-kabob into the air, and it lands right behind the fat spy, causing his pants to catch fire. The fat spy jumps into the lobster tank to douse the fire, resulting in the lobsters pinching his butt.
- Terrible Trio: A trio of spies take over the Ritzy Hotel in an attempt to tap into the television network and brainwash viewers.
"The Old Ball Game" provides examples of:
- Baseball Episode: Mr. Wilson goes to a baseball game in this episode, and is forced to bring Dennis along when the latter hides in his car.
- Bee Afraid: A bee flies onto Dennis' ice cream, and when Dennis gives it to Mr. Wilson, the bee stings Mr. Wilson on the nose.
- Big Honking Traffic Jam: Mr. Wilson gets stuck in one on his way to the stadium. When he starts complaining to the other drivers, Dennis says that he wants to hear the "Star-strangled Bammer", which is how Mr. Wilson discovers him in his car.
- Butt-Monkey: Mr. Wilson. At the game, anything that can go wrong for him does go wrong; he has to pay $20.00 for Dennis' seat, plus another $20.00 for the seat Dennis put the snacks he bought him in, he misses a great hit due to having to buy Dennis an ice cream, he gets stung on the nose by a bee that lands on said ice cream when Dennis gives it to him, he accidentally tosses said ice cream into Lefty Malone's shirt, causing him to strike out as a result, and gets a black eye from him after the game ends due to Dennis telling Lefty the insult Mr. Wilson said to him earlier.
- Iris Out: This episode ends with one on Mr. Wilson's black eye when Dennis shows it to his friends.
- Malaproper: Dennis mispronounces "Star-spangled Banner" as "Star-strangled Bammer".
- Mistaken Identity: When Gina plays hide and seek, she mistakes Mr. Wilson for Joey, due to Mr. Wilson wearing a baseball cap, which was the only thing visible behind the fence when Mr. Wilson drops his ticket to the baseball game and tries to pick it back up.Mr. Wilson: What in Jehosophat is going on?
Gina: Sorry, Mr. Wilson. I thought you were Joey.
Mr. Wilson: Yes, lots of people get us mixed up. - O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mr. Wilson doesn't realize Dennis is in his car until he's halfway to the stadium. Not wanting to miss the game, he has no choice but to take Dennis along with him. When he calls Henry to ask for his permission to let Dennis go to the game with him, Henry says, "I think the heat is getting to poor George. He asked if he could take Dennis to the baseball game!"
