Original air date: 11/13/2021
Production code: 108a
Molly discovers that Brighton's founder, Ezekiel Tugbottom, doesn't live up to his heroic reputation.
Tropes:
- Accidental Misnaming: Ezekiel keeps calling Scratch things like "Stretch" and "Stitch".
- Art Shift: Bottoms Up and The True History of Brighton are printed as children's stories resembling Little Golden Books, meaning that the flashbacks are done in limited animation and have even more of a painted quality to them than usual, to mimic storybook illustration.
- Bookcase Passage: There's one in the library leading to the town's secret archives. Lampshaded by the title of the book that opens it, "Secret Levers 4 Secret Doors."
- Broken Pedestal: Molly is disappointed to meet the ghost of Ezekiel Tugbottom and find he was a lazy, selfish Fake Ultimate Hero. It becomes a literal one when Ezekiel's own jealousy, anger and selfish pride cause him to throw a tree at Molly and miss, knocking his statue and pedestal to rubble.
- The Cavalry: After literally getting blown into the Ghost World, Scratch tracks down the ghost of Sally Tugbottom (and her bear companion) to help beat Ezekiel.
- Conspicuous Trenchcoat: A shady figure in a fedora and trench coat appears at the unveiling of Tugbottom's statue, and later follows Molly to the library. It turns out to be Libby, who's also investigating the truth behind Ezekiel Tugbottom.
- Dramatic Curtain Toss: The Mayor unveils the monument to Ezekiel Tugbottom, and the tarp falls over him. It happens again when he unveils the new statue dedicated to Sally Tugbottom.
- Egopolis: Ezekiel thinks Brighton can be revived by renaming it and everything in it after himself.
- Foreshadowing: At the end of the episode, Libby comments that she's been investigating supernatural occurrences around town (which Molly brushes off as she's busy "basking"), hinting at a future episode where she discovers Scratch's existence.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Ezekiel's monument is dated 1872 and Molly mentions the town had been fooled for "160 years", thus this could place the series' timeline in 2032.
Word of God later confirmed this to be an error
. - Full-Name Ultimatum: When Ezekiel's sister Sally shows up to help, she does this while grabbing his "ear" and berating him for his actions.Sally: Ezekiel Jeremiah Whipplethorn Tugbottom! You have disgraced the proud Tugbottom name!
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: The rhyming song that tells the true story of Ezekiel and Sally Tugbottom says that Ezekiel's heroic tales are "a bunch of bull!". Knowing what "bull" in this context is short for* , it's amazing that got through in a family-friendly show like this.
- I Will Show You X!: When Scratch calls the ghost of Ezekiel a blowhard, the latter responds "I'll show you 'blowhard'!" before unleashing a strong gust of wind and blasting Scratch away.
- I Would Say If I Could Say: Scratch says he'd rather die "again" than miss his afternoon nap.
- The Münchausen: Scratch says that Ezekiel is known in the ghost world as "Tug the Tornado" because he's a blow-hard who's always bragging about his exploits in the living world. Sure enough, he's actually a phony who stole the credit from his sister Sally.
- One-Winged Angel: When Molly threatens to reveal the truth about him, Ezekiel turns into a tornado monster. The form is helpless against his sister's ghostly lasso, though.
- Replacement Pedestal: Once the truth is out on who the real hero is, the town puts a statue up for Sally Tugbottom where Tug's statue once stood.
- Shout-Out:
- Ezekiel's theme song sounds like the one from Davy Crockett, and he (allegedly) wrestles a tornado like Pecos Bill.
- The song begins with a title card that says “Produced by Molly Media Productions”. This card resembles the “Buena Vista Productions” card that would accompany older Disney releases.
- The story book is designed to resemble a Little Golden Book.
- Skewed Priorities: Molly first realizes Ezekiel is not the hero she thought he was when a fire breaks out in the Brighton Historical Society and Ezekiel flies in to rescue his portrait, completely ignoring a woman's calls for help.
- Spit Take: Scratch spits out the Dagwood Sandwich he just ate when he sees Ezekiel Tugbottom's ghost.
- Stalker Shot: After the Mayor invites everyone to the post-unveiling potluck and Scratch decides to join them, a shadowy figure in a fedora and trench coat pops out from behind a tree and then goes back into hiding. It's later revealed to be Libby.
- Tall Tale: Ezekiel Tugbottom has a reputation as a larger-than-life folk hero who wrestled a tornado and befriended a bear, among other things. It was actually his sister Sally who did those things, along with leading the rebuilding of Brighton after the tornado.
- Would Hurt a Child: Ezekiel shows no hesitation about attacking Molly, a pre-teen girl, when she becomes a threat to his legacy.
- Written by the Winners: Ezekiel Tugbottom's sister Sally was the real hero of Brighton, but Ezekiel used his influence to paint himself as the hero.
- You Need a Breath Mint: As Ezekiel literally blows him away, Scratch quips "Have you ever heard of mouthwash?"
