Recap / Garfield And Friends S 4 E 01

The first episode of the fourth season of Garfield and Friends.

Post-Opening Sequence Line: "The Buddy Bears are on today's show, folks, so keep that channel changer handy!"

Moo Cow Mutt

Garfield tricks Odie into thinking that he is actually a cow.

Big Bad Buddy Bird

Tired of doing silly slapstick on Orson's farm, Roy has his agent get him a new job as Big Bad Buddy Bird, the Buddy Bears' new friend.

Angel Puss

An Angel is sent to Earth to try to keep Garfield from always being mean to Odie.

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"Moo Cow Mutt" provides examples of:

• A Good, Old-Fashioned Paint Watching: This episode begins with Garfield channel surfing, and one of the TV shows is about watching paint dry.
• Crossover Punchline: After the screen irises out on Garfield, the following U.S. Acres Quickie has Orson and Wade talking about how Roy is building a life-sized statue of Thomas Jefferson out of Okra. Garfield interrupts them to tell them and the viewers that they believed him when he said that he knew that Odie didn't really think he was a cow. Garfield then gives up and tells Odie, who now really is a cow, to follow him.
• Exact Words: When Jon and Odie pay Garfield out for tricking Odie into thinking he's a cow, Garfield tells Odie that he can't be a cow since cows give milk. Odie gives Garfield some milk in a carton. Garfield then tells Odie that's not how cows give milk. He then tells Odie that male cows have horns, and Odie gives him a pair of horns that honk. Garfield then tells him "Not those kind of horns!"
• Niche Network: While channel surfing at the beginning of this episode, Garfield comes across the All-Phone Book Channel, where a lady reads from the phone book. Garfield then shuts off the TV and says "Hmmm. Missed my favorite part".

"Big Bad Buddy Bird" provides examples of:

• Alliterative Title: Big Bad Buddy Bird.
• An Aesop: Roy, who's been punished with 16-ton safes being dropped on his head whenever he disagrees with the Buddy Bears delivers a speech that summarizes exactly what's wrong with the groupthink; it helps that he's literally pressed up against a television screen while the Bears try to pull him off, which makes it seem like he's actually speaking directly to children watching Garfield and Friends.
  "NO! No more examples! Kids, don't listen to any of this—these Bears are dangerous. You should have opinions of your own! You should think and decide and not listen to what everyone else says! Use your own mind—don't do everything your friends do just because they do it, have a brain of your own! LET GO OF ME! THE GROUP ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT!"
• Anvil on Head: Anyone who disagrees with the Buddy Bears will have a 16-ton safe dropped on their head, and at one point, two of them, as Roy learns the hard way.
• Big Ball of Violence: Roy gets into one with the Buddy Bears after telling the viewers to have their own independent points of view.
• The Complainer Is Always Wrong: Parodied mercilessly; the Buddy Bears endlessly perform an obnoxious "barbershop" routine with canes and madcap dancing. Their show is designed to teach children "educational things," but the main thrust of the lesson is simple: "Whatever the group decides is right." After getting hit with two sixteen-ton safes, Roy outright tells the viewers not to listen to the Buddy Bears and that it's okay to have your own opinions.
• Don't Try This at Home: After Roy gets hit with a 16-ton safe a second time, the Buddy Bears tell the viewers not to attempt to drop 16-ton safes on their friends at home, as it could be dangerous.
• Exact Words: Roy joins The Buddy Bears when he gets fed up with getting hit with pies on Orson's farm. After getting hit with a 16-ton safe two times, Roy refuses to say his line a third time unless the Buddy Bears promise not to hit him with a 16-ton safe. The Buddy Bears hit him with two 16-ton safes instead.
• Fictional Holiday: In this episode, we learn that today is "National Don't Mention Meat or Someone Will Hit You with a Banana Cream Pie Day". which is Exactly What It Says on the Tin.
• Friend to All Children: Despite being an arrogant jerk, Roy does care about children's safety as shown in this episode, where he warns children about the Buddy Bears being terrible role models.
• Fun with Homophones: This exchange:
  Orson: Roy, you don't want to quit being the rooster here on the farm!
  Roy: No, not the farm! I'm quitting this cartoon show! I've had it with all this low comedy! I have my career to think of! I have too much at stake! (gets hit with a pie) I said "stake" S-T-A-K-E, not "steak" S-T-E-A-K. (gets hit with another pie)
• Pie in the Face: This episode's plot is kickstarted when Roy gets hit with too many pies on National Don't Mention Meat or Someone Will Hit You with a Banana Cream Pie Day.
• Rule of Three: The Buddy Bears provide three examples of why you should always agree with the group (lest you have a 16-ton safe dropped on your head). The first involves the Buddy Bears going to a salad bar for lunch while Big Bad Buddy Bird wants Chinese food. The second involves the Buddy Bears going to an ice cream shop and ordering french vanilla, while Big Bad Buddy Bird wants chocolate. The third involves the Buddy Bears at the amusement park and going on the Horsey ride, while Big Bad Buddy Bird wants to ride the roller coaster. There would have been a fourth example, but Roy cuts the episode short and tells the viewers to have their own independent points of view.
• We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties: After Roy tells the viewers to have their own independent points of view, a card that says "PLEASE STAND BY" appears onscreen as the announcer says "We are experiencing technical difficulties with The Buddy Bears Show."

"Angel Puss" provides examples of:

• Big Eater: Garfield gets himself a banquet to eat as a "light snack", until Angel Puss gives the food to Odie, leaving Garfield with only one small radish.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: The Angel Drill Sergeant is this towards Angel Puss, yelling at him and refusing to give him a harp unless he successfully gets a cat and dog to get along with each other without messing things up.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Garfield tries to eat as much as he can and pester Odie against Jon's wishes, but Angel Puss uses his magic to protect Odie and turn the tables on Garfield.
• Medium Awareness: This episode ends with Garfield deciding to start being nicer to Odie, "at least until the next cartoon."
• Niche Network: When Garfield manages to get Odie out of Jon's chair, he decides to watch the All-Lasagna channel.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Angel Puss is a caricature of Woody Allen, due to his nervous personality and wearing glasses.
• We Want Our Jerk Back!: When Odie sees a frightened Garfield, he tries to get him back to his normal self by goading him to kick him off the table. Garfield refuses at first, fearing that something will happen to him if he does, but then he goes through with it, and Odie is glad to have the old Garfield back.