Recap / Tiny Toon Adventures S 1 E 2 A Quack In The Quarks

The second episode of Tiny Toon Adventures.

The episode begins in Acme Looniversity as Plucky tells Foghorn Leghorn's students about his weekend, which turns out to be a bunch of tall tales. His monologue puts everyone to sleep, and when he is finished, they suddenly wake up. As Plucky returns to his desk, Buster asks Plucky if he laid on his stories too thick, and to risk tipping the plot, Babs warns Plucky that someday, all his bragging will get him into trouble. Plucky tells them to relax, and speeches like his have to be colorful.

Just then, two green ducks in hats walk in. The male one hands Foghorn a note, informing him that they are Frank and Ollie, new transfer students who need to get acquainted with the Looniversity. Foghorn asks them where they're from, and they point up. Foghorn then asks which student will give Frank and Ollie the grand tour, and Plucky volunteers. With that, Foghorn sends Plucky, Frank, and Ollie on their way, relieved to be away from Plucky and his his mallard motor mouth.

Plucky shows Frank and Ollie around the Chemistry Lab, and Frank and Ollie take notes. Plucky then mixes up a potion and drinks it, and it briefly turns him into various monsters. Plucky then notes that the potion has a root beer-like aftertaste.

Plucky concludes his tour at the stadium, and shows Frank and Ollie a pole vault performance from him. The pole vault launches him into the air as Frank and Ollie take notes. Meanwhile, class is dismissed, and Furrball, Dizzy, and Calamity run home. As Buster, Babs, and Hamton follow behind them, Buster asks Babs and Hamton where Plucky is, and wonders if he's going to meet up with them so they can walk home together. Babs tells Buster that Plucky is probably still giving Frank and Ollie a tour of Acme Looniversity. Buster then becomes suspicious, knowing that even one of Plucky's tours doesn't last this long. Plucky lands headfirst in the bleachers and tumbles down them. When he reaches the ground, he asks Frank and Ollie what they think of him. Ollie tells Plucky that she and Frank think he's perfect, and they remove their hats, revealing antennae underneath. Plucky is shocked when he finds out that Frank and Ollie are aliens from another planet. Frank tells Plucky that their planet sent them to bring back the bravest, strongest, and fastest Earthling alive, and Ollie tells Plucky that he is the one they've been looking for. Plucky backs away nervously, when a giant spaceship shaped like a duck inner tube flies over the stadium. Buster, Babs, and Hamton enter the stadium and witness the spaceship carry Plucky, Frank, and Ollie away in its tractor beam and fly away.

Frank and Ollie take Plucky into space, and Frank apologizes to Plucky for tricking him earlier. Ollie then adds that Plucky is her and Frank's only hope. Frank adds that since their people lack courage, they need a brave leader like Plucky. A flattered Plucky accepts Frank and Ollie's praise as the spaceship flies towards Planet X. It lands at a space station there, and Frank and Ollie introduce the few citizens there to Plucky, who is now dressed like Luke Skywalker. The citizens cheer, and Plucky compliments the citizens for their praise of him. He then trips and falls down the walkway. Frank is confident that the Elders will be pleased with him and Ollie for finding Plucky so he can help them save Planet X. Ollie adds that it's going to take all of Plucky's bravery to conquer Duck Vader, the evil space tyrant. Unknown to them, Duck Vader has been watching everything.

In the second act, Buster, Babs, and Hamton are on their break, drinking coffee, eating donuts, and discussing Plucky's salary. The director then tells them that the second act is about to start, and the three get into character. Buster tells Babs and Hamton that Plucky has been ducknapped by spacement, and to meet him in the prop department. As Babs and Hamton leave, Buster assures plucky that no matter where he is, they will save him.

Back on Planet X, Plucky is in a space simulator shaped like a giant paddleball. Frank and Ollie are with the Planet Elders, and Frank assures Plucky that the hero tests he and Ollie are putting him through are simply to prove to the Planet Elders that he qualifies as their new leader.Frank activates the simulator, which bounces Plucky around, until Ollie shuts it off. When Plucky gets out, his head bounces back and forth like a paddleball, and a nervous Ollie tries to assure the Alien Elders that Plucky will measure up to their expectations. Frank decides to begin the next test, and Ollie asks him how good he is at lifting weights. Plucky is about to answer, when he gets crushed by a giant weight. Plucky's beak then emerges from under the weight, and Plucky says, "I'm the best darn weight-lifter in the universe!". By this time, the Alien Elders have seen enough, and Plucky is relieved. Ollie begins to suspect that something is wrong, as Plucky said he was the best Earthling back on Earth. The Alien Elders order the guards to take Frank, Ollie, and Plucky away. Plucky asks Frank and Ollie where the guard are taking them, and Frank tells him, "You don't want to know!".

Back at Acme Looniversity, Buster, Babs, and Hamton search the prop department for the rocket used in the 1953 Daffy Duck cartoon, "Duck Dodgers". Hamton eventually finds it, and Buster brings a ladder and tells him and Babs to stand clear. He climbs to the top of the box and opens it with a mallet, revealing the rocket inside. The three board the rocket, and inside, Buster is now dressed like Han Solo, whilst Babs is dressed like Princess Leia, and Hamton is dressed like R2-D2. Buster starts up the rocket, which flies into space and past the moon, which looks at it in confusion.

The alien guards take Plucky, Frank, and Ollie to a spaceship shaped like a magnet. As one of the guards tosses Plucky inside, Frank asks the Elders to reconsider. Ollie adds that on Earth, she and Frank saw Plucky perform amazing feats. The Alien Elders tell them that they shouldn't mind joining Plucky on his ultimate chance to prove himself. The Alien Elders toss Frank and Ollie into the spaceship, and it sets off on its way. As it flies through space, Plucky tells Frank and Ollie that their tour had better be good. He then spies what looks like a beanbag chair and sits down on it, but Ollie tries to warn him that he's sitting on Chewcudda, their alien bull. Chewcudda roars at Plucky, and the force of his roar pushes him into a wall. Ollie introduces Plucky and Chewcudda to each other, but Plucky sticks out his tongue and blows a raspberry. This angers Chewcudda, who charges into him. Ollie then tells Plucky never to show Chewcudda anything red, not even your tongue. Frank tells him it's a bull-like instinct, and Plucky wearily assures him and Ollie that he won't stick his tongue out at Chewcudda anymore. Just then, the spaceship rumbles, and Frank and Ollie worry that Duck Vader has arrived. A giant spaceship shaped like a cheese wedge flies over Frank and Ollie's spaceship, and a giant arm emerges from it and pulls it in. Duck Vader then appears and asks Plucky, Frank, and Ollie who dares stand in his way of destroying Planet X. Frank nervously assures Vader that Plucky is their leader. Ollie tells Plucky to show Vader who's boss, and Plucky, plucking up courage, walks up to Vader. Plucky swats at Vader, who zaps him with his finger.Meanwhile, Buster, Babs, and Hamton are still looking for Plucky. Buster worries about how they're going to find Plucky, since he didn't expect outer space to be so big. Babs tells Buster that she has an idea. She nabbed one of Plucky's feathers during the scene of the abduction, and is going to insert it into the rocket's computer. Babs does so, and tells the computer to find Plucky. Unfortunately, Plucky's feather tickles the computer, causing the rocket to fly out of control.

In Duck Vader's spaceship, two Stormtwoopers secure Plucky onto a table, and Plucky asks them why they're called Stormtwoopers. One of them waves a piece of foil, which makes a thunderclap sound, and another pours water from a watering can onto Plucky. Plucky regrets asking them, and Frank assures Plucky that he and Ollie know he's allowing himself to be captured to lure Duck Vader into a false sense of security. Ollie then asks Plucky if it's time he walloped Vader. Vader then shushes Frank and Ollie, and shows Plucky his Intergalactic Zapper Ray, which he intends to destroy Planet X with. Before he does, he decides to test it out on Plucky. The laser begins firing, and Plucky becomes nervous.In the third act, Vader asks Plucky if he has any last words before he's turned into goat cheese. Plucky then says he's allergic to goat cheese, and destroys the laser and frees himself with several Li'l Sneezer-type sneezes. He then knocks himself into the Stormtwoopers that are holding Frank and Ollie back, and the other Stormtwoopers aim their guns at them. Plucky, Frank, and Ollie run away as Vader recovers himself from the laser's rubble and tells the Stormtwoopers to follow Plucky. The Stormtwoopers chase Plucky, Frank, and Ollie and fire their lasers at them, until Plucky, Frank, and Ollie come to an elevator. They board it just in time as the Stormtwoopers continue firing at them. As the elevator goes up, Ollie asks Plucky why he told her and Frank that he was the best Earthling, and Plucky tells her and Frank that he was only having fun, and never expected them to be in this kind of situation. Frank tells Plucky that he lied to him and Ollie, and Ollie adds that because of his lie, they'll all be destroyed by Duck Vader and his Stormtwoopers. Plucky assures Frank and Ollie that he's not running another step. Just then, the elevator stops, and when the door opens, more Stormtwoopers are on the other side, aiming their guns at him, Frank, and Ollie. Plucky changes his mind, and he, Frank, and Ollie run through the wall, with the Stormtwoopers chasing after them.

Meanwhile, the rocket continues flying out of control, and Buster is having a hard time trying to slow it down. He asks Babs if she has any ideas, and she whispers in his ear. As the computer continues laughing, Buster, Babs, and Hamton all pull out onions and peel them. This causes them to cry, and eventually, the odor of the onions causes the computer to cry as well. The computer regrets having sent the rocket flying out of control, and Buster puts on a space helmet so he can open the hatch and find out where they are. He looks around, then bumps his head on the bottom of Vader's ship. Hamton checks the radar and tells Buster that Plucky's onboard Vader's ship. Buster then drives the rocket into Vader's spaceship's parking lot. Buster tells Hamton to stay behind and look after the ship while he and Babs look for Plucky. He then tells him to call him and Babs he needs their help, and tells Babs to remember that they're parked in row A5.

Meanwhile, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie, having lost the Stormtwoopers, hide out in a vault. Vader then appears on a television screen and tells the Stormtwoopers to report to the ship deck, as in two minutes, they will destroy Planet X. Frank and Ollie worry that they'll never be able to stop Vader from destroying Planet X, but Plucky tries to encourage them not to give up through various metaphors. Just then, the door to the vault begins to open, and Plucky continues his metaphors as he pushes Frank and Ollie towards the vault door and tries to sneak away. Frank and Ollie are ready to fight Vader, but Buster and Babs are revealed to have opened the door. Frank and Ollie fight them, but Plucky, having witnessed, tells them to stop. Plucky tells Buster and Babs that he's glad to see them, and as Ollie combs Babs' right ear, Plucky tells Buster and Babs that Vader is about to destroy Planet X.

Inside the rocket, Hamton is passing the time by reading an issue of Porks Illustrated magazine, when he hears what sounds like Buster calling for help. Unfortunately, when Hamton opens the door, he finds Vader on the other side, having disguised his voice to sound like Buster. Vader grabs Hamton and takes him to the ship deck.

At the ship deck, the Stormtwoopers aim the reconstructed laser at Planet X, and have tied up Chewcudda, who spits at two of them, knocking them down. As Vader counts down, Buster, Babs, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie hide in the air vent, and Buster pulls out a can of sleeping gas he conveniently started carrying around. He, Babs, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie all hold their noses as he sprays the sleeping gas, which puts the Stormtwoopers to sleep, causing them to be too tired to follow Vader's instructions to fire. Buster, Babs, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie climb down a rope, and Plucky says, "I'd like to see that clod, Duck Vader stop us now!". Vader then appears and tells Plucky to be careful what he wishes for. Babs asks Vader if anyone ever told him he smells exactly like thirty-weight motor oil, angering him. Thankfully, Buster pulls her away just in time as Vader tries to zap her. Vader then tells Buster, Babs, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie that they're going to step on the platform the laser is pointed at under his orders. They all refuse, until Vader reveals that he is holding Hamton hostage, and will zap him if they don't change their minds. Buster, Babs, Plucky, Frank, and Ollie talk amongst themselves, and decide that they will stand on the platform after all, pleasing Vader. In a tight spot, Frank and Ollie try to remember Plucky's metaphors, but none of them encourage them to come up with a solution. Ollie then tells Plucky never to show Chewcudda anything red, not even your tongue. Frank likes this idea, and he and Ollie jump off the platform, screaming as they run from Vader, who tries to zap them. Vader ends up zapping his refrigerator, revealing a bottle of ACME ketchup inside. Frank takes the bottle and tosses it at Vader, covering him in ketchup. Chewcudda sees this and charges angrily at Vader, knocking him into the control panel, setting the computer from DESTROY GOOD GUYS to DESTROY SHIP. The laser destroys Vader's ship, launching Buster, Babs, Plucky, Hamton, Frank, Ollie, and Chewcudda into the air, and Vader into a jail cell.

Later that day on Planet X, the Alien Elders proclaim Frank and Ollie their new leaders as a reward for saving Planet X. The Alien Elders then leave to play golf. Plucky is jealous of the fame and attention Frank and Ollie are getting, but Frank and Ollie thank Plucky for helping them save Planet X, as they couldn't have done it without him. They agree that they really did pick the best Earthling for the job after all. Plucky begins to boast again, but Buster, Babs, and Hamton stop him. Plucky tells him that, "If I'm lyin', may a laser strike me!". Buster, Babs, and Hamton flee as many lasers are now aimed at Plucky and fire at him as the screen irises out, ending the episode.

This episode provides examples of:

• Animated Actors: At the beginning of the second act, Buster, Babs, and Hamton are out of character, drinking coffee, eating donuts, and discussing Plucky's salary. They're told by an off-screen director to get into places, and when he says, "Action", they get back into character and vow to save Plucky from space aliens.
• Anvil on Head: Plucky gets crushed by a giant weight during his hero tests.
• Bull Seeing Red: Chewcudda charges into anything colored red. Ollie warns Plucky never to show him anything red, not even your tongue. This ends up being the key to defeating Duck Vader when Frank tosses a ketchup bottle at him.
• Conveniently Close Planet: The planets are really close to each other and it doesn't take very long to make it to Planet X.
• Credits Gag: Secret of Quality Animation - Lotsa Shadows.
• Death Trap: Plucky becomes a victim of Duck Vader's laser when he is tied to a table. He escapes it with a few sneezes of doom.
• Elmuh Fudd Syndwome: Duck Vader pronounces his "L"s and "R"s like "W"s.
• Ice-Cream Koan: Plucky's inspirational speech to Frank and Ollie, which includes such gems as "Let the force be... your umbrella" and "A stitch in time saves... a lot of embarrassment."
• Impact Silhouette: Plucky, Frank, and Ollie all leave one when they run through the elevator wall, on the run from the Stormtwoopers.
• Knockout Gas: Buster uses a can of sleeping gas on the Stormtwoopers to stop them from destroying Planet X.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Played literally at the end of the episode. Buster and Babs try to stop Plucky from boasting again, when he says, "If I'm lyin' may a laser strike me!". Cue many lasers being aimed at him and firing at him as the screen irises out.
• May the Farce Be with You: This episode is an obvious loose parody based of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, with Duck Vader being based on Darth Vader. Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton also dress like several of the Star Wars protagonists, namely Plucky as Luke Skywalker, Buster as Han Solo, Babs as Princess Leia, and Hamton as R2-D2.
• Motor Mouth: Plucky, when he tells the students of Acme Looniversity tall tales about how he spent his weekend. Foghorn sums him up best:
  Foghorn: That duck spits out more words than a dictionary in a garbage disposal!
• Nap-Inducing Speak: Happens with the students of Acme Looniversity at the beginning of this episode when Plucky tells tall tales about how he spent his weekend. Buster awakens when Plucky finally stops talking.
• Onion Tears: Buster, Babs, and Hamton try to find Plucky by inserting one of his feathers into their rocket's computer. However, it starts tickling the computer making their rocket go out of control, so the gang have to peel onions in order to make it cry and go back to normal.
• Shout-Out:
  • The entire episode is a Whole-Plot Reference to and Affectionate Parody of Star Wars.
  • Frank and Ollie, the alien ducks, were named after veteran Disney animators, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.
  • When Frank and Ollie first introduce themselves to Foghorn, "Who Watches the Watchducks" can be seen on the blackboard, a reference to the comic book, Watchmen.
  • The telepathic duck elders are a parody of similar alien creatures that appeared in the original pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series.
  • In Vader's spaceship's parking lot, the TARDIS from Doctor Who is amongst the parked vehicles.
  • At one point, Hamton is reading the swimsuit issue of Porks Illustrated, a clear parody of the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated.
  • Plucky being strapped to a table as Vader tries to slice him in half with a laser references the famous torture scene from the 1964 James Bond movie, Goldfinger.
• Sneeze of Doom: Plucky uses sneezes to escape from Duck Vader's Death Trap.
• Trash the Set: Near the end of the episode, Chewcudda knocks a ketchup-covered Duck Vader into the control panel for his laser, setting it from DESTROY GOOD GUYS to DESTROY SHIP. Guess what happens next.
• Who Writes This Crap?!: This exchange when Foghorn sends Plucky to give Frank and Ollie a tour of Acme Looniversity;
  Foghorn: That duck spits out more words than a dictionary in a garbage disposal!
  Buster: Uh, speaking of garbage...
  Babs: What?
  Buster: Who wrote today's script?
  Babs: Be nice!
• X-Ray Sparks: Happens to Plucky when Duck Vader zaps him.