Slave the Day

Slave the Day
General Information
Original broadcast	October 8, 1999
Details
Season	2
Episode	11
Pun	The phrase ”Save the Day”.
Credits
Written by	John McIntyre
Storyboarded by	Genndy Tartakovsky
Directed by	Genndy Tartakovsky Craig McCracken
Episode Guide
Previous episode	Down 'n' Dirty
Next episode	Los Dos Mojos
Links
Gallery
Transcript

"Slave the Day" is the eleventh episode of season 2 of The Powerpuff Girls (1998 TV series), and the 35th episode overall.

It premiered on Cartoon Network in the United States on October 8, 1999.

Plot

After being saved from a rushing train by the Girls, Big Billy defects from the Gangreen Gang and pledges his loyalty to the Girls. But due to his clumsiness and stupidity, the girls (specifically Blossom) start turning against him.

Synopsis

The Gangreen Gang is at an underground subway, where all of the Gang soon get up after seeing an oncoming train, except for Big Billy. Due to his weight, he is unable to get up. Suddenly, the Powerpuff Girls come and rescue Billy from sudden death. The next day, Professor Utonium announces that the Girls have a visitor---Big Billy, who has switched sides following the incident. Suddenly, the phone rings, and the Mayor has a call stating a bank robbery is in place. Thanks to Big Billy's weight, the robbers get away. The cop informs another call, this time to explain an art theft at the Townsville Museum. Big Billy destroys valuable and irreplaceable art to avoid the thief from escaping. However, at the third call, a giant monster is attacking Townsville. However, when Big Billy destroys the monster, he ends up destroying Townsville. This proves to be the final straw for Blossom. Bubbles and Buttercup see her and ask if she is ok. Blossom furiously flies to, scolds, and yells at Big Billy for letting the bank robbers getting away, destroying irreplaceable art, and now destroying all of Townsville, states that he "does even less damage as a member of the Gangreen Gang", and orders him to leave. Saddened by the message, Big Billy obeys her order and returns to the Gangreen Gang, where they stage a plot to get revenge. The Gang are back at the underground station, where they try to trick the Powerpuff Girls into going down there. Suddenly, Big Billy traps all of them in a steel bar, but comes later and rescues them upon hearing the word "choo-choo". However, the Powerpuff Girls then give each Gangreen Gang member a beating, indicating that "crime doesn't pay".

Characters

Major Roles

• The Powerpuff Girls
  • Blossom
  • Bubbles
  • Buttercup
• The Gangreen Gang
  • Ace
  • Snake
  • Big Billy
  • Lil' Arturo
  • Grubber

Minor Roles

• The Mayor of Townsville
• Professor Utonium
• Salami Swami
• Bank Robbing Gang
• Horned Cyclops Monster
• Narrator

Quotes

Ace: Ha ha! The train’s comin’, girls, and you are— (Grubber raspberry spits) Well put Grubber!
Professor: Oh, girls! You have a visitor waiting for you upstairs.
Lil Arturo: Yeah! That choo-choo is chuggin’!
Narrator: The Mayor’s dumb (it's actually stinks)?…Say, that’s just rude! Who’s responsible for this?
Ace: Hey, where’s Billy?
Buttercup: Wait. We’re not gonna save him again?
Buttercup: And Batman has a butler.

Trivia

• Moral: When somebody pulls you out of the fire, persistently trying to help them out with anything you can in return when there’s nothing to be helped might cause more problems - problems that get you on their wrong side. Instead, just show gratitude any way you see fit so that it can be chalked up to “even Steven” and you can part ways on the best of terms.
• This is the first time the girls did a huddle. The second being Slumbering with the Enemy.
• Running gag: Billy willing to help the Girls and saying "Billy help".
• Buttercup still hates broccoli, it's possible that she hasn't gotten over eating it so much in Beat Your Greens.
• When Billy finishes off his story on how the girls asked him to leave, he finished with "I came back here." He mostly speaks in the third person.
• The line that Ace says when Big Billy is about to save the girls 'Don't be a hero, Billy' is a reference to a popular anti-war song by Paper Lace. "Billy, don't be a hero" is also said in the Justice Friends segment's episode "Valhallen's Room" on Dexter's Laboratory.
• The train has the same driver as in the episode Major Competition.
• The scene where the Powerpuff Girls gets trapped by Billy on the rails is made as a homage to classical silent movies.
• This counts the first time any member of The Gangreen Gang were nice to the PPGs.
• This is the second time Batman is mentioned. The first was in "Stuck Up, Up, and Away" and the next one will be in "Equal Fights".
• When reading the girls a book, Billy reads his book upside down.

Allusions

• Batman - Buttercup mentions that Batman has a butler who of course is Alfred Pennyworth.

Errors

• The narrator reads the graffiti inscription of the mayor as "The mayor's dumb", when it actually reads "The mayor stinks".
• One of the Professor's plates disappears when he serves dinner.
• One of Grubber's cards presents an ace of spades with the spade and one of the letters upside down.

Moral

• Crime does not pay.