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Recap / VeggieTales Episode 15 Lyle the Kindly Viking

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Lyle the Kindly Viking
Episode number: 15
Original release date: 3/24/01


Countertop Intro

Bob and Larry are on the Countertop once again, explaining that they've gotten a lot of letters asking questions regarding the subject of sharing. However, Archibald Asparagus shows up and asks Bob and Larry let him host the show for a change, in an attempt to want to add culture and class to the show. Bob has no other choice now but to let Archibald take over the show. Archibald, now accompanied by Jean-Claude and Phillipe, attempt to retell the classic story of "Hamlet", but Jean-Claude explains to him that they couldn't find "Hamlet" anywhere, so they decided to substitute with a very similar story entitled "Omelette". As Archibald protests, Bob asks from offscreen if everything is going all right. Despite his insistence that this is not the right story, Archibald has no other choice now but to present "the no-so classic story, Omelette".

Omelette

In the kingdom of Denmark, two servants (played by Jean-Claude and Phillipe, respectively) approach the baker Horatio (played by Scooter Carrot) and explain to him that Prince Omelette requests his daily eggs "cooked light and fluffy". Horatio tells them that he has the last eggs in the entire kingdom and is worried that the prince won't share his eggs with his starving people, but proceeds to cook the eggs anyway. Meanwhile, Omelette (played by Jimmy Gourd) laments about the trouble of his country running out of eggs and that his people are starving. Horatio then approaches Omelette, bringing him his eggs "cooked light and fluffy", before telling him that they're the last eggs in the kingdom. Omelette then says, "Alas, poor yolks, I'll chew them well, Horatio". After Horatio leaves, Omelette then makes note that Ophelia has come, but off-stage, Mr. Lunt, dressed in drag, does not want to do it because it's embarrassing. Archibald tells him that in Shakespeare's day, all the women's roles were played by men, before pushing Mr. Lunt on-stage.

Ophelia (played by Mr. Lunt) explains to Omelette that the people of Denmark are starving and that there aren't enough eggs to go around while he feasts on eggs everyday. When Ophelia suggests to Omelette that he share his eggs with the people, Omelette is outraged, saying that if he does, then he won't have any, before Ophelia tells him that God likes it when we share our blessings before leaving. After Ophelia leaves, Omelette then performs a spoof of the famous "To Be Or Not To Be" speech, asking whether or not he should share his eggs. A young lad (played by Percy Pea) then shows up while playing a game of battleship, and asks Omelette to play with him, which Omelette agrees to. The young lad then notices Omelette's plate of eggs and asks if he would try a bite. At first, Omelette is hesitant, but he finally permits the young lad to try his eggs. Once the young lad takes a bite, Omelette realizes that he just shared and that it feels pretty good, before the young lad tells him that the things we do for others usually make us feel good as well.

Because of this generous act that he just committed, Omelette gathers everyone in the town square and announces to everyone that he has decided to share his eggs with everyone. Horatio then tells Omelette that there aren't enough eggs to go around before Polonius (played by Jerry Gourd) asks Omelette where they could find these eggs. Omelette answers, "You know, they're the little white round things that come out of chickens", which shocks Polonius, saying that he thought that they were ping-pong balls, before cutting to a ping-pong table that is messy with eggs. Omelette then proclaims for everyone to have eggs cooked light and fluffy. This gives Horatio an idea, deciding to name these light and fluffy eggs after Omelette, calling it the "Omelet". Ophelia then asks Omelette where to get some toast, and Omelette answers, "Get thee to a bakery!" After the play ends, Larry the Cucumber and Junior Asparagus are in the audience, asking each other if they understood what any of the players said.

Silly Songs with Larry

We are about to cut to a Silly Song with Larry dressed as a clown, when Archibald suddenly stops the song, and instead has it changed to "Classy Songs with Larry". The song in question is "Larry's High-Silk Hat", where Larry is sitting on a bench while waiting for a trolley, wearing a beautiful high-silk hat on his head and holding a box of chocolates in his lap. Art Bigotti and Mr. Nezzer show up, as Larry brags to them about the dapperness of his hat and the deliciousness of his chocolates. However, the sun starts beating down on him, so he places the chocolates on the bench right next to him and puts his hat on top of them. However, a large gourd (played by Apollo Gourd) then shows up and sits on the hat and chocolates, squashing them. The trolley then shows up, but Larry doesn't board, before a park cleaner (played by Scallion # 1) shows up. When Larry asks the Scallion what his name is, he replies that they never gave him a name.

Lyle the Kindly Viking

Archibald then explains to the viewers that he has reason to believe that the famous composers Gilbert and Sullivan have composed one more musical before their deaths, before it could ever be staged. Jean-Claude and Phillipe then bring in the book, which is entitled "Lyle the Kindly Viking". Archibald then narrates, explaining that there once lived a band of vikings who lived by the sea. Two women named Mabel and Penelope show up, asking each other how the other is doing, before wondering where their husbands are. The two then sing about how they married vikings, "the terrors of the sea". Soon, the vikings, consisting of the leader Olaf (played by Mr. Nezzer), Ottar (played by Bob the Tomato), Sven (played by Larry the Cucumber), Harold (played by Jimmy Gourd), Erik (played by Jerry Gourd), and Bjorn (played by Mr. Lunt) return from their expedition of pillaging a bunch of stuff, before they also start singing about how as vikings, they enjoy plundering a bunch of stuff, such as "gold and jewels and a shiny suit and a giant screen TV to boot".

Archibald then narrates that what the vikings are actually doing is taking stuff from others, also adding that their boats were so fast that no one could be able to catch them. Then, he also explains that not all of the vikings were involved in this unfortunate practice, there was actually one in particular, named Lyle. Lyle (played by Junior Asparagus) then goes out on his own expedition on the sea, which confuses the other vikings. Olaf then starts singing about how Lyle does not fit the style of the vikings, telling Harold and Erik that for a long time, the law of stealing stuff from others has been made clear. After Olaf finishes his song, he then hops off while followed by Harold and Erik after that. However, Sven and Ottar decide to follow after Lyle, being careful not to get too close to him. Lyle then returns to the exact same monastery that the vikings raided before, to which Sven and Ottar witness Lyle sharing a bag of potholders and a bag of money that the other vikings gave him with the lead monk (played by Pa Grape) and his group of pea monks. The pea monks then thank Lyle in song for sharing with them.

This confuses Sven and Ottar very much, before they return home to wait for Lyle. When Lyle returns home, Sven and Ottar confront him and tell him in song that he should stop what he's doing and that vikings rule the sea and never give things back. Lyle then explains to them in song that when he shares, he gets his share of friends. After Lyle finishes singing, Sven and Ottar realize that Lyle's method may be a lot better than Olaf's method after all, before realizing that Lyle would be in big trouble if Olaf learned what he was really doing. Because of this, Sven and Ottar vow to keep Lyle's secret safe, which according to Archibald is easier said than done. The next day, when the vikings are heading out to raid the monastery once again, Ottar discovers that Lyle is already at the monastery before they are, and that he and Sven have to distract Olaf before he discovers what's going on. Ottar then distracts Olaf by telling him through song that there is a fish with a bunch of pretty colors all over his scales. Sven then sings to Olaf that there is a turtle wearing pink pajamas while riding on a llama and chasing a herd of giant squid. Unfortunately, Olaf doesn't believe him, before he and the other vikings discover Lyle leaving the monastery, as well as the potholders and the money that he gave to the monks. This angers Olaf, just a storm starts up.

Lyle continues rowing, until he is confronted by Olaf, who angrily asks Lyle what he's doing, before he starts to tear up the sails on Lyle's boat and throws away the oars, which leaves Lyle drifting away in the sea. However, a large tidal wave, which had been brought up by the storm, knocks over the vikings' boat, which causes them to fall into the sea. Another wave also knocks over Lyle's boat, knocking him into the sea as well. The monks then throw a life ring out into the sea to save Lyle, which the vikings witness, as they begin to realize that Lyle's method is better than theirs. Lyle then has the monks help him to save the rest of the vikings from the storm, bringing them to safety. The storm then clears away just as the vikings have been brought back to shore. The vikings then thank the monks in song for saving them from the storm, and that from now on, they will share with others instead of taking from others. After the vikings finish singing, Sven asks if they can't be vikings anymore, but the lead monk tells him that it won't be necessary, but they will have to change their song. As a result, all of the vikings then sing a reprise of the "We're Vikings" song, but this time, singing about sharing with others and that they are known as "the sharers of the sea". Sven then sings that he needs to go to the bathroom, before Ottar tells him that he can just talk, before the story ends.

Countertop Outro

After Archibald closes up the book, he discovers that the story was actually written by Gilbert Jones and Sullivan O'Kelly, instead of the real Gilbert and Sullivan. This angers Archibald very much before he starts chasing after Jean-Claude and Phillipe in an attempt to catch them, while running past Bob and Larry, who are now standing next to Qwerty. When Bob explains that they're with Qwerty to talk about what they've learned today, the "What Have We Learned" song starts up again, before Larry asks Bob if Archibald and the French Peas will be alright, to which Bob replies that they'll be just fine. The song then starts up again after that. After the song ends, Bob explains that Prince Omelette learned that when we share, it makes us and the people around us feel good, while Larry also explains that Lyle taught all the vikings that even though sharing doesn't get you more stuff, it gets you even more friends, which is even better. Qwerty then brings up the verse, which is "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16". After that's over, Bob and Larry then prepare to sign off, before a crashing sound is heard, as a plate with an omelette on it rolls by, before the episode ends.


Character Introductions: Apollo Gourd


Tropes:

  • Alas, Poor Yorick: Parodied in "Omelet," where the titular prince receives the last remaining eggs cooked light and fluffy.
    Prince Omelet: The last poor yolks! I'll chew them well, Horatio.
  • An Aesop:
    • God wants us to share our blessings and it can make us feel good.
    • Even though sharing doesn’t get you more stuff, it will get you more friends and that lasts a lot longer.
  • Art Evolution: This is the first episode to use new graphics, due to the staff working on Jonah at the time.
  • Binocular Shot: Happens in "Lyle the Kindly Viking", when Sven is seeing what Lyle is doing with the monks. Quickly turns humorous when Otar tries to use the binoculars himself and argues with Sven about it (complete with the binocular view bouncing around the screen), eventually cutting to a tug-of-war over the binoculars.
  • Calling Your Bathroom Breaks: At the end of "Lyle the Kindly Viking"...
    Sven: [singing] I need to go to the bathroom!
    Ottar: Uh, Sven, you can stop singing now.
    Sven: Oh, right.
  • A Day in the Limelight: Archibald Asparagus is the host of the episode.
  • Dragged into Drag: Mr. Lunt as Ophelia in the "Omelette" segment. He complains that it's embarrassing (and is unimpressed by Archibald's retort that it's Shakespearean tradition); Archibald has to push him onto the stage and he declares before starting his lines that he thinks this will draw angry letters. Once he's offstage again, the viewer can hear him asking if he can take off the get-up.
  • Iris Out: Happens at the end of "Lyle the Kindly Viking".
  • Literal-Minded: Sven doesn't always quite get the message that in a musical, you don't sing every single word all the time.
  • Look Behind You: Sven and Ottar both attempt to do this to distract Olaf from discovering Lyle sharing with the monks. Subverted that Olaf does not fall for it and then spots Lyle.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: More like "my people doth protest too much", as Lyle is the only Viking to not be involved in stealing from others, but instead sharing with others.
  • Mythology Gag:
    • Lyle uses a Stuff Mart shopping bag.
    • One of the viking shields has Larry-Boy's silhouette.
  • Rage Against the Author: "They've never given me a name. I've been around since show one, and I still don't have a name!"
  • Repeated Cue, Tardy Response: After receiving an omelet made from the kingdom's last eggs, Prince Omelette declares that he hears Ophelia. After a pause, he does it again, whereupon the camera cuts to show Archibald having to shove Mr. Lunt, unwillingly Disguised in Drag, towards the stage inch by inch.
  • Save the Villain: After the monks save Lyle, he asks about the other Vikings. The head monk answers that they treated them poorly, and Lyle answers that he's pretty sure God's rules about treating others kindly apply to enemies too. The head monk admits his point and saves all the Vikings, leading to a mass Heel–Face Turn.
  • Separate Scene Storytelling: "Lyle the Kindly Viking" is shown this way.
  • Triumphant Reprise: Lyle's song about sharing and the Vikings' "I Am" Song are both reprised spiritedly towards the end, with the latter now altered to reflect the Vikings' more generous worldview.
  • Virtue Is Weakness: Olaf becomes very threatening when he catches Lyle sharing with the monks, setting him adrift while saying that he'll see that no one ever benefits from giving things to others. He realizes he was wrong when he sees the monks save Lyle because of his kindness to them.

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