The first episode of the sixth season of Garfield and Friends.
Post-Opening Sequence Line: "Today's show was inspected for your safety by #29."
A Vacation From His Senses
When Jon decides to go on vacation, Garfield claims that Jon's terrible at planning vacations and eve shows footage of previous vacations as proof. Garfield uses a video to convince Jon not to take a vacation, but Jon overworks himself while forcing Garfield and Odie to work.
Garfield realizes his mistake, and decides to solve the problem. He notices the same video telling Jon to take a vacation if he's seeing things due to overwork, so Garfield redecorates the house and turns everything into a fun house. Jon goes into his living room and is shocked to see Odie wearing a light bulb on his head and Garfield acting like a spider. After seeing a horse inside his bathroom and Garfield eating raisins (which he hates), Jon decides to take an early nap, but the Singing Ants come in. Jon finally decides to go on a vacation. Garfield believes that it's better than spending the next two weeks working, but they end up going to a location only Jon likes.
The Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster
A giant robot falls into a bunch of mud and is mistaken for a swamp monster.
Dread Giveaway
Following another attempt by Garfield to ship him to Abu Dhabi, Nermal sits with Jon to watch an informercial on television. When Nermal falls asleep, he dreams that Garfield is hosting the Great Nermal Giveaway; first person to call gets Nermal for free. However when Garfield opens the phone lines, nobody calls. Garfield tries to sweeten the deal by throwing in Odie, a new car, $100,000, and a diamond ring, but no one wants Nermal.
The thought of nobody wanting him scares Nermal awake, and Jon comforts him by saying that everyone loves him (except Garfield). Nermal goes off to tell Garfield about his dream, which only makes Garfield remark how dumb someone would have to be to believe that could happen. Cue Jon running and screaming, having just woken up from an informercial dream where he was being given away. After telling Nermal to leave him alone, Garfield goes to sleep thinking that the giveaway might not be a bad idea. Until he starts dreaming that since the last Great Nermal Giveaway was such a success, the next one will feature over HALF A MILLION Nermals, and they'll stay at Garfield's house until they get given away.
"A Vacation From His Senses" contains examples of:
- Boring Vacation Slideshow: Early in the episode, Garfield shows the viewers a slideshow of the last vacation Jon took him on, and the many disasters that befell it; Jon getting lost in a tunnel, stopping to see the world's second largest ball of dental floss, staying in a hotel populated by cockroaches (with a giant one as the hotel's manager), and accidentally driving to the South Pole when he tried to drive to Orlando, Florida.
- The Bus Came Back: The Singing Ants from "Picnic Panic" return.
- Continuity Nod: When Jon sees the Singing Ants, he identifies them as "characters from last season's show"
- Gas Lighting
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Jon certainly thinks so when he sees Garfield eating raisins, which is a food that the cat hates.
- Shout-Out: During Garfield's slideshow of the previous year's vacation, he shows a picture of a beach full of people. he remarks "Every time I look at this shot, I get the urge to find Waldo."
- Timmy in a Well: This episode begins with Odie warning Garfield that something bad is about to happen. Garfield tries guessing that the TV is out and that Jon is experimenting with a new recipe, but Odie assures him it's much worse than that; Jon is plannning a vacation.
"The Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster" contains examples of:
- And Call Him "George": The Swamp Monster tries to make the Weasel his pet, which results in the Weasel running away.
- Bag of Kidnapping: The Weasel traps Roy in a bag to prevent him from interfering with his plan to steal the chickens.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: When Booker and Sheldon complain about the nature walk that he takes them on, Orson points out the many great things that the forest has to offer; lakes, trees, flowers, birds, fish, and the Weasel from last season's show who keeps trying to eat their chickens.
- The Bus Came Back: The Weasel returns after having been gone for all of season 5.
- The Ditz: The Incredibly Stupid Swamp Monster lives up to his name. When Dr. Karloffis Boar brings him to life, the Swamp Monster says things like "2 Plus 2 is 17.", "D-O-G spells Cat.", and "New York is the Capital of Paris."
- My Card:
- The Weasel shows his business card, which says "The Weasel From Last Season's Show Who Keeps Trying to Eat All Our Chickens" to Orson, Booker, Sheldon, and Wade. When Orson complains that the Weasel is the slimiest and most sinister creature in the woods, Booker tells him that's true, but he does have a nice business card.
- Near the end of the episode, when the Weasel comes across the Swamp Monster, Orson gives the Weasel the Swamp Monster's business card. The Weasel complains that the Swamp Monster doesn't even have a fax number.
- Take That!: When Roy is on the phone, looking for a new show to cast in, he gives us this line:note "What do you mean this is the only show you can get me on, Bernie? Isn't Hanna-Barbera casting? Well, how about cable? I hear they're considering doing a funny version of Ren and Stimpy."
- Wicked Weasel: The Weasel, as usual. He ties Orson, Booker, and Sheldon to a tree so they won't interfere with him stealing the chickens, then he traps Roy in a bag. His plans are thwarted by the Swamp Monster when the latter tries to make him his pet.
"Dread Giveaway" contains examples of:
- Dream Sequence: Nermal, Jon, and Garfield each have their own informercial inspired nightmare.
