Gohan: Huh? Why does it feel like my Dad is fighting Mr. Piccolo... and Vegeta is fighting Mr. Piccolo... and Mr. Piccolo... is fighting Mr. Piccolo...
Krillin: That's weird. It even feels like I'm out there.
Gohan: It feels like everyone we know is fighting Mr. Piccolo.
Krillin: Except for Yamcha.
Yamcha: Well, duh, that's because I'm right here.
Krillin: (Beat) Yeah, that's gotta be it...
Krillin: That's weird. It even feels like I'm out there.
Gohan: It feels like everyone we know is fighting Mr. Piccolo.
Krillin: Except for Yamcha.
Yamcha: Well, duh, that's because I'm right here.
Krillin: (Beat) Yeah, that's gotta be it...
Original Airdate: August 24, 2014
Cell settles in for a heaping helping of exposition.
Piccolo faces with a new mysterious creature that killed the entire population of Ginger Town, but is confident that with his new power up thanks to the fusion of Kami. But will he expect the secrets behind this creature?
Well I am pretty disturbing! Remember that time I drank those tropes?
- Achievements in Ignorance: Nail is somehow able to throw up inside Piccolo's mindscape upon seeing Cell absorb one of his victims.
- All Your Powers Combined: Cell explains to Piccolo that he's made up of the cells of the universe's greatest fighters, which is why he's able to perform all their special techniques.
- Call-Back:
- When Cell fires Piccolo's own Makankōsappō technique at him, Kami replies inside the latter's head "So that's how you pronounce it," referencing Piccolo's difficulty with saying the name of the move during the fight with Raditz and eventually using the dub name "Special Beam Cannon" instead.
- In response to Piccolo's Ironic Echo below, Cell replies "I know you're playing me, but I do," the same comment Vegeta made in Episode 37 when Piccolo suggested letting him fight Android 20 instead of Vegeta.
- Captain Obvious
- When Piccolo asks Cell if he's the one responsible for killing Ginger Town's inhabitants, Cell replies that it was another guy, last name ShitSherlock, first name No.
- Nail says "Oh hey, he's behind you." After Cell had already grabbed Piccolo from behind.
- Comically Missing the Point: Upon sensing Piccolo fighting Cell, Gohan and Krillin comment on how it feels like all of the Z-Fighters are fighting Piccolo- except Yamcha. Yamcha thinks it's because he's right there with them.
- Cryptic Conversation: Enforced. Unlike the source material, Abridged's Cell only explains that he is related to the Androids/Cyborgs in terms of being made by Dr. Gero, and is from the future. Piccolo and the others don't know what, or who, he is after to become a "perfect being" until later, or how he came to the present in the first place.
- Darker and Edgier: Thanks to Imperfect Cell's
Nightmare Fuel tendencies from canon being played completely straight and Takahata101's creepy delivery of his lines that aren't already Crossing the Line Twice. - Eats Babies: Cell at one point coughs up a pacifier. He's surprised by it, mostly because "it's not even the right hole."
- Evil Plan: After explaining his backstory to Piccolo, he only explains that he needs 17 and 18, but doesn't explain why.
- Fun with Subtitles: Cell's name continues to be the Lenny Face emoticon ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) until he comes up with "Cell" as his name during his exposition.
- I Surrender, Suckers: Piccolo feigns defeat when one of his arms is drained, conning Cell into some exposition before plucking off and re-growing his useless arm.
- Insistent Terminology: Cell tells Piccolo that he's "completely bio-mechanical, unlike my siblings, Cyborgs 17 and 18." He lets out a "Good for you; You're wrong," when Piccolo explains that they call them Androids.
- Ironic Echo: Cell asks Piccolo if he "wants to see something cool" before firing Piccolo's own Makankōsappō technique at him. Piccolo asks him the same thing before tearing the arm Cell drained off and using his regenerative abilities to regrow it.
- Just Between You and Me: Invoked and exploited. With his arm drained by Cell, Piccolo feigns defeat in order to get Cell to reveal his backstory to him to buy time while he builds up energy to regenerate his arm. And it works perfectly; Cell is genuinely flattered about being asked a question about himself and just cannot help himself.
- Literal-Minded: Android 18's framing of her question on Android 16's repairs of the van's transmission leaves a lot to be desired:Android 18: Hey 16, how's that tranny coming along?
Android 16: I don't believe the car identifies as either male or female.- Fortunately, 16 does eventually put two and two together.Android 16: Wait, did you mean the transmission? Because it's fixed. (cranks the motor)
- Fortunately, 16 does eventually put two and two together.
- Precision F-Strike: Piccolo lets out a frustrated "Goddamnit!" when Cell reveals that he's yet another creation of Dr. Gero's.
- Screaming at Squick: Piccolo is horrified in silence while witnessing Cell absorbing the insides of his latest victim. As for Nail and Kami:Nail: Ugh, oh God... I-I think I'm gonna puke.
Piccolo: You can't puke, you're in my—!
(Nail pukes in Piccolo's head)
Kami: Oh good lord, it's everywhere! - Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Upon Krillin and Trunks arriving to back up Piccolo, Cell blinds his opponents with a Solar Flarenote before retreating.
- Shout-Out:
- Cell asks Piccolo what he's doing in Ginger Town. Piccolo says it's because he sensed a disturbance.
- This bit from Cell:Cell: (thinking) So, he's faster than me, that might be a slight pain in the ass, but-(gets literally kicked in the rear end by Piccolo) Ahh! My assbutt!
- While Cell is explaining his backstory to Piccolo, when he gets to the part about his Evil Plan to arrive in the past to "achieve perfection" in this timeline, the camera begins tilting to an angle like the villains' lairs in the 1960's live-action Batman show.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Trunks is surprised that Krillin was somehow able to fly up next to him without Trunks sensing him until Krillin started speaking to him. Krillin then lampshades this trope, calling it "stealth mode."
- Suddenly Shouting: When Piccolo finds Cell, he's in the middle of absorbing one of his victims and asks what's going on here.Cell: (chuckles malevolently) Let's answer your question with another question.
Piccolo: Yeah, and what's tha-
Cell: WANNA SEE ME DRINK THIS GUY?! (injects tail into victim) - Sure, Let's Go with That: When Gohan and Krillin notice that the battle between Piccolo and Cell feels like he's fighting everyone but Yamcha, Yamcha says that's because he's with them at Kame House. Krillin says that must be it while looking away.
- Talking Is a Free Action: Piccolo invokes this by getting Cell to explain his origin and motives so he can recover and regenerate the arm Cell absorbed.
- You Monster!: Piccolo calls Cell this after Cell explains why he absorbs his victims. Cell sarcastically replies that he hasn't heard that one screamed at him today.
"Okay, what the Hell am I sensing? Is that the Namekian? Is that me?! IS THAT ME STRONGER THAN ME?! I'LL F*CKING KILL ME!!!"
