Leave It to Beavers
After a malfunction in an experiment, Pinky is able to communicate with beavers. The Brain then exploits this skill and enlists the help of the beavers in his latest plan to take over the world, but negotiations with the beavers are somewhat difficult.
Tropes:
- All for Nothing: Pinky and the Brain finally get the beavers to build the dam, but it turns out the residents of La Vista del Arroyo Odioso are prepared for a flood and Brain’s threats are meaningless.
- And Then I Said: Pinky when he’s talking to the beaver:Pinky: So I said, "If you don’t like licorice, why squeeze the cat?"
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Brain is genuinely concerned when he thinks he injured Pinky with his latest invention.
- Big Dam Plot: The Brain’s master plan for taking over the world in this episode is to use beavers to dam up a river and threaten to flood a nearby town unless they agree to his demands. If that works, he’ll do the same to every river in the world.
- Bubblegum Popping: The beavers ask for bubblegum in exchange for helping the mice. Of course, one of the beavers ends up blowing too big of a bubble and it pops all over him and Brain.
- Layman's Terms: This exchange between Pinky and the Brain:Brain: Pinky, give the amphibious rodent another witty verbal pearl.Pinky: Say what?Brain: Talk beaver.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: Pinky says “knee-jerk” is his secret middle name.
- Pest Controller: The Brain decides to use Pinky’s newly acquired ability to speak to beavers to control an army of them in order to, of course, take over the world.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: This episode's title is a reference to the classic sitcom, Leave It to Beaver.
- Shout-Out: When the Brain tapes Pinky to the TV screen, Pinky is excited that he’ll get to watch Marcia Brady up close.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Brain’s invention was originally supposed to speed up the process of evolution, but instead it gave Pinky the ability to speak beaver.
- Special Edition Title: The end theme is sung, or grunted, by the beavers.
- X-Ray Sparks: When the Brain shoots Pinky with his evolution ray, his full skeleton is visible. The same thing later happens to the beaver that’s hit with it.
Cinebrainia
Pinky and The Brain try to capture the adoration of the world by becoming movie stars. Their plan changes course when the world considers them comedic geniuses and experience and unprecedented success. At the height of their comic-fame, Brain being Brain manages to sabotage it all with his boring foray into drama.
Tropes:
- Been There, Shaped History: It’s implied that Pinky and the Brain inspired the creation of The Little Rascals as well as Mickey Mouse.
- Cryptid Episode: One of Pinky and the Brain’s silent movies appears to be this, titled “Pinky and the Brain Meet Bigfoot.” Although, seeing how most of their movies seem to focus on them being squished, this could just be the foot of a normal human coming down on them to do the same.
- Dastardly Whiplash: Pinky’s character in their self-directed movie fits this trope, complete with cloak, top hat, and mustache.
- Deliberately Monochrome: Any time a movie is shown, it’s in black and white.
- "Down Here!" Shot: When Hal Slug hears a knock at the door, he looks out to see no one there until Brain says “Ahem!” and the camera pans down to the two tiny mice.
- Hairpin Lockpick: How Brain busts himself and Pinky out of their cage.
- Historical Domain Character: Thomas Edison appears in the beginning of the episode, a reference to Edison opening the first film studio in Hollywood.
- At the end of the episode, a man implied to be Walt Disney is seen drawing a sketch of a cartoon mouse after apparently being inspired by the Brain.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: The character of Hal Slug is a caricature of real-life silent film producer Hal Roach.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: The title is a reference to Microsoft Cinemania, a computer CD-ROM reference of films, actors/actresses, and the movie industry published annually from 1992-1997.
- Railroad Tracks of Doom: The Brain’s movie has Pinky as the villain tying a doll to a set of train tracks for Brain to save.
- Slapstick: Pinky and the Brain become a comedic duo that specializes in this type of humor, especially Brain.
- Shout-Out:
- Thomas Edison's film is based on the 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery. There is an urban legend around the film that the people ran out of the theater when the train appeared on the screen (spoofed in this cartoon by the audiences and Pinky thinking the train on-screen was headed towards them).
- The title of Pinky and the Brain's movie, "The Day the Clowns Cried", is a parody of the unreleased Jerry Lewis film The Day the Clown Cried.
- A caricature of The Little Rascals (which was created by Hal Roach) star Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer enters the studio, and is referred to by Pinky as a "little rascal."
- At the end of the cartoon, Brain laments how no mouse will "ever make a lasting impression" on the silver screen. Just then, a cartoonist in the audience is seen drawing a mouse into a sketchpad after seeing Brain's silhouette on the screen. This of course, is a nod to Walt Disney and his creation of Mickey Mouse.
- Brain's "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. De Mille" bit is a nod to a line spoken by Norma Desmond to (who she believes to be) director Cecil B. De Mille at the end of the 1950 film, Sunset Boulevard.
- Silent Movie: This is the type of movie Pinky and the Brain are making and it has all the classic tropes. Fitting, considering this episode is set during the Silent Age of Hollywood.
- Squashed Flat: The Brain gets flattened several different ways in their slapstick movie.
- X-Ray Sparks: A lamp with an exposed light bulb falls on Pinky and the Brain and electrocutes them both, showing their entire skeletons in the sparks.
