"Keen on Keane" is the first episode of season 5 of The Powerpuff Girls and the 85th episode overall.
Being the first episode produced after The Powerpuff Girls Movie, and also of season 5, it features the character designs and visual aesthetics from the movie.
It was one of three episodes produced in 2002, seperately from the rest of season 5 in 2003 (when production resumed in 2003, the show changed its art style yet again).
It premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on December 6, 2002 as part of the Premiere Premiere Show on Cartoon Cartoon Fridays.
Plot[]
Professor Utonium and Ms. Keane go out on a date set up by the girls, though Ms. Keane and Professor get distracted from using the hotline so much that Mayor can’t reach the girls.
Synopsis[]
The episode starts at Valentine's Day in Pokey Oaks Kindergarten. Ms. Keane is looking at Blossom's card, which appears to be a heart-shaped, colorful city skyline. A moment later, Bubbles comes running with her smaller card with Cupid’s arrow. Buttercup shows her next card with plenty of glue, then returns to play with Mitch Mitchelson and a black-haired girl. Three other girls are talking about dates, which causes Mitch, Buttercup and the black-haired girl to do nonsensical actions (especially Mitch), but Ms. Keane puts a stop to it. Blossom asks her that who's her "sweetheart" but Ms. Keane says that she doesn't have time for dates. The girls become worried.
The Powerpuff Girls are watching a romantic movie with a scene of engagement of Derek and Gabrielle. Professor Utonium calls the girls for dinner and shows a special dish which he made: a large, heart-shaped meatloaf with a caption "Be Mine". Blossom asks Professor where he is going out for dinner. Professor doesn't understand the question and Buttercup begins to poke fun. Bubbles asks him who's his "sweetheart", but the Professor says that he doesn't have time for dates. It turns out that the Professor and Ms. Keane are singles and the girls get an idea.
Professor Utonium and Miss Keane's awkward first date.
At Ms. Keane's house, Ms. Keane is writing something in her notebook and her cat named Valentino is peacefully lying next to her. The doorbell rings, and she goes to answer. Her cat trails behind her. She opens the door, looks out at the welcome mat and notices a red rose and a note addressed to Ms. Keane. She quickly starts to read the note. The same thing occurs with the Professor and he also reads it. The note says that Professor Utonium and Ms. Keane have to meet each other "at the finest restaurant in Townsville, at the corner of Amore Avenue and Passion Parkway." This restaurant, as it turns out, is a Chuck E. Cheese's-esque family fun center, complete with ball pits and pizza on the menu. Professor Utonium and Ms. Keane soon realize that the girls set them up, and take the girls home. The Professor appreciates what the girls tried to do for them, but points out that he and Ms. Keane don't share that much of an emotional connection. However, it is at that point where Ms. Keane is walking home and nearly trips, having the Professor catch her in time. Looking at each other for a brief moment, they both blush, showing progress in the girls' plan.
The next day, Bubbles shows excitement in the Professor and Ms. Keane becoming a couple, thinking they could get married. The problem is that it distracts the two from their duties, with Professor working out and neglecting the girls, as well as Ms. Keane looking her best with makeup while ignoring the kids in the class. At this point, they decide to go on more dates with each other and become sickening sweethearts. Hogging the Powerpuff Hotline, this did not go as planned for the girls. Soon, a monster attacks the city, near the Mayor's office, and the Mayor tries calling the girls, but after hearing Professor Utonium and Ms. Keane on the hotline, he doesn't interrupt them and lets them hog the hotline, and refuses to listen to the alerted Ms. Bellum. All the while, the girls run late for the attack ahead since the Professor failed to alert them. Eventually, the Mayor sneezes and Utonium and Ms. Keane realize what they're doing, and they apologize for using the hotline. They all realize that the girls' delay was their fault. The two mention how they've been neglecting their duties. When Ms. Keane mentions her cat, the Professor becomes nervous since he had a bad experience with a cat. Ms. Keane doesn't believe his story, and the two break up, putting the girls back on track. In the end, the Narrator says that the day is saved, thanks to Valentino.
Characters[]
Major Characters[]
Minor Characters[]
- The Mayor of Townsville
- Ms. Bellum
- Valentino
- Mitch Mitchelson
- Clara (debut)
- White Kitty (indirect mention)
Trivia[]
- Moral: Being in a relationship is fun, but you have to remember your life and responsibilities outside of it.
- This episode reveals that Ms. Keane has a cat named Valentino. It's also the only episode that features her house and appears to live by herself.
- The restaurant Pete’s-A Pizza a parody of Chuck E. Cheese, complete with ball pits, pizza on the menu and an arcade.
- Bubbles was served meatloaf for dinner despite being revealed to be a vegetarian in episode "Collect Her". However, it never showed if she actually ate her dinner.
- The "love notes" between the Professor and Ms. Keane imply that it was actually the Girls who wrote them, due to the latter matchmaking the two.
- When early recess occurs at the school, Harry Pitt is seen running around naked.
- This is the second time the Girls set the Professor up on a date after "Mommy Fearest".
- When the Professor was exercising, his shirt read "no pain, no pain", a pun on the expression "no pain, no gain".
- Although this episode is set during the Valentine's Day season, it first aired on December 6, 2002 (a few weeks away from Christmas). It is unknown why Cartoon Network didn't air the episode closer to Valentine's Day.
- This is the second episode where "The city of Townsville..." opening at the beginning is spoken by Ms. Keane.
- This episode was disliked by majority because they claim that Utonium and Keane are better off together.
Connections[]
- The "really bad experience" that the Professor had with a cat, which made him "jump off a building" refers to the season one episode, "Cat Man Do".
Goofs[]
- On the note to Ms. Keane, the fragment reads "this eve of love" instead of "the eve of love".
- When Ms. Keane removes her sunglasses and a bandana, her gold bracelets disappear for a moment.
Production Notes[]
- This was the first episode produced exclusively under Cartoon Network Studios. Thus, it is the first episode to end with the Cartoon Network Studios logo.
- This was the first episode produced in 2002 according to the credits.
- It was also the first episode produced after The Powerpuff Girls Movie.
- This episode, along with "Not So Awesome Blossom" and "Power-Noia", are the only episodes to air in 2002 to also be produced that year.
- This episode was finished in August of 2002.[1]
- This was also Lauren Faust's first episode as the show's supervising director.
- This episode and "Not So Awesome Blossom", premiered the same night as the Cartoon Cartoon, Codename Kids Next Door premiered.
- This episode premiered after the rerun of the first two episodes of Codename Kids Next Door.