Recap / Strong Bad Email E 96 Lackey

Airdate: Monday, January 26, 2004

Sender: Steve, Victoria BC

Strong Bad: (singing) So innocent and email-free... That's you 'n me.

Steve from Victoria, BC ("BC?! Woah, this is an old freakin' e-mail.") wants to know why The Cheat is such a diligent lackey, wondering if he perhaps owes Strong Bad a life debt or something.

Strong Bad: No, Steve, The Cheat is a good lackey because he "knows what's best" and "doesn't want to get left by the side of the road during a thunderstorm" or "taped to Pom-Pom again." It probably also has to do with the fact that I "treat him like a brother that's not Strong Sad" instead of a "little yellow squeaky thing that somethetimes steals my ladytypes." I also pay him real nice. Which isn't very difficult considering The Cheat "thinks pencil shavings are legal tender."

Strong Bad demonstrates by offering The Cheat a pile of pencil shavings in exchange for stealing a fresh cantaloupe from Marzipan's garden. As The Cheat walks off with his "spoils", Strong Bad makes use of his freshly-sharpened pencil and fresh "can-ta-loop-ay" to create a crude puppet.

Strong Bad: Hey, everybody, look! It's Doreauxgard! How you doing, Doe?
Doreauxgard: Hey, there, Mister Strong Bad! Well, I'm fine, past couple days though...

Over at Bubs Concession Stand, we see The Cheat has gotten the last laugh by tricking Bubs into taking his pencil shavings as payment for a boy's hobby kit from Hollerin' Jimmy's. Then Strong Bad comes in as Doreauxgard, claiming that he's from "the collection agency".

Doreauxgard: You missed your last payments. Gonna have to bust your kneecaps if you don't pay up!
Bubs: Oh, dag! You found me! (slams down the gate on the concession stand, revealing some graffiti reading "SB wa5 HeRe". The Paper comes down.)

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Tropes:

• Bavarian Fire Drill: The Cheat gets Bubs to accept pencil shavings as legal tender by altering his sign listing approved forms of payment, and Bubs goes with it because "it's on the sign".
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Bubs accepts payment in "Cash, Money, or Cash Money".
• Companion Cube: Strong Bad makes the cantaloupe The Cheat stole for him into a puppet he names Doreauxgard.
• Continuity Nod: Strong Bad mentions the implied threat of The Cheat getting taped to Pom Pom again.
• I Owe You My Life: Discussed, Steve wonders if the reason The Cheat is such a diligent lackey to Strong Bad is "you saved his life one time and now he has to repay you?"
• Lame Pun Reaction: In an Easter egg, Homestar offers Doreauxgard a job on his variety show... as "produce-er". Doreauxgard's reaction is to say "Forget you, Whitey! I'm going solo!" and walk away.
• Lampshaded Double Entendre: Parodied with Strong Bad's gratuitous use of quotation marks when he describes, in increasingly explicit terms, why The Cheat is such a good lackey.
  Strong Bad: The Cheat is a good lackey because he "knows what's best" and "doesn't want to get left by the side of the road during a thunderstorm" or "taped to Pom-Pom again."
• Letters 2 Numbers: The grafitti on Bubs' Concession Stand reads "SB wa5 HeRe"
• Malaproper: When The Cheat goes on his assignment, Strong Bad describes him as "So excited, so knave."
• Noodle Implements: The slogan on the box for Hollerin' Jimmy's Hobby Kit outright admits "We Have No Idea What's In This Box!"
• Oh, Crap!: Bubs' reaction to Strong Bad (as Doreauxgard) trying to collect money he owes him is to hastily shutter the concession stand.

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Strong Bad: Whoa! Forgot about that one! I mean... (speaking as Doreauxgard) Sure is some nice graffiti!

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Announcer: The Homestar Runner and Doreauxgard Show! Brought to you by Hollerin' Jimmy Hobby Kits!

Homestar: Hey, Doreauxgard! We've got our own show!

Doreauxgard: Boy, I'll say! I'm gonna be a star!

Homestar: Nope. I'm afraid there's only one job for you on this show!

Doreauxgard: Well, lay it on me!

Homestar: You have to be... the produce-r! (canned laughter is heard)

Doreauxgard: Forget you, Whitey! I'm going solo! (leaves)