As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.
- Cowboy Bebop had several moments when not being made of awesome, but for pure, silent character comedy, nothing tops Spike attempting and failing to light his cigarette with a flamethrower in the episode Toys in the Attic.
- The look on his face after incinerating 90% of the cigarette seems to just say "and now this." It's like a visual "anything else want to go wrong today?"
- And after he burns this cigarette to a crisp, he goes back into the toxic gas-filled chamber to retrieve the rest of the cigarettes that he had dropped in there.
- Spike pulling out various remedies for Jet's injury, each more disgusting than the next:Jet: Don't you have any real medicine that's just for sores and wounds?Spike: That would be this. (Holds up a dried-out lizard)Jet: Ugh! That heals wounds?Spike: Yep. Squish it up and boil it in three cups of water, and when it turns green and goopy, you drink it.Jet: Spike, isn't there something more, you know...different?Spike: Oh yeah, I got it.Jet: Yeah, gimme that! (Spike holds up a dried-up scorpion) Ugh! I'll take the other thing.
- Spike running a cross-check of viruses on the Bebop's computer to see what might have infected Jet:
Spike: I'm checking the files for some similar toxins. Cryptosporidium?...No, that's not it. Cholera? (Jet winces) Nope, it's not that. (Jet sighs in relief) Ebola virus? (Jet winces again) Nope. - Spike's closing narration:So that's the story. And what was the real lesson? Don't leave things in the fridge.
- Stray Dog Strut.
- The Laughably Evil researchers doing illegal experimentation on Ein in The leader is a subdued Large Ham, dramatically declaring they'll have to use the "Dog Whistle." Not even a minute later:
Researcher 1: Is it on? I can't hear it.Researcher 2: That's because it's so high-pitched that only animals can hear it.(Beat)Researcher 1: I knew that. I was just testing you.- The only notable thing the other researcher next to him says in a disinterested tone, time and time again while the leader pretty much spouts exposition about their plans?
"(subtitles) Is that so? / (dub) Seems that way."- Spike's bounty target Abdul Hakeem—who stole Ein in the first place, bringing the evil researchers into the plot—makes his way to the episode's climax by hijacking the car that a married couple are about to drive off to their honeymoon in. The groom tries to ask him what he's doing and Hakeem just punches the guy in the face without even looking and drives off.
- This scene from Jamming with Edward:Spike: Jet, do you know that there are three things that I particularly hate?Jet: (disinterested) Really?Spike: Kids, animals, and women with attitudes.(camera switches to outside view, showing a MASSIVE smiley-face spanning across South America)Spike: So tell me, Jet...why do we have all three of them neatly gathered in our ship?!
- The first episode with the fight that ended up with Spike kicking someone off him on top of a car?
- And Jet spelling out exactly how Spike's recklessness while bringing in their last bounty cost them all the reward money, as Spike's Oh, Crap! expression gets bigger with each item.
- Cowboy Funk.Andy: Now, why don't we drink to me, and my reflection in your lovely eye?
- Cowboy Andy rides a horse everywhere and has his own background music that plays whenever he's about to show up. Spike hates him because he's a complete moron who's a walking lampshade hung on Spike's cool, badass image.
- "HORSES CAN'T PLAY CHESS!!!"
- Onyx is responsible for at least two Funny Background Events during the episode: When TB is about to blow the fountain Spike and Andy are about to fight in front of, Onyx can clearly be seen moving away before the explosion (meaning she saw the bomb coming before Spike or Andy did), and then in the end she arrives to pick up Andy... On top of a skyscraper... By using the elevator? The chess part is starting to sound alarmingly plausible.
- Jet's disguise in the masquerade scene. He looks pretty ridiculous with tiny shades and luxurious hippie locks, but then a wider shot reveals his marijuana leaf t-shirt.
- The Teddy Bomber's Motive Rant constantly getting interrupted. Even when he sends it in as a letter to "Big Shots", the episode has to end before Judy gets a chance to read it.
- Next episode: Brain Scratch.. er.. Andy's Counterattack!
- The absolute best bit, though, is the massive Brick Joke at the very end. At the beginning of the episode, Faye and Jet say they'd be more inclined to believe Spike's story of being held if perhaps Cowboy Andy had been a samurai instead. Towards very end, Andy decides to give up being a cowboy, handing his hat off to Spike and declaring him the true cowboy (even using the Every Episode Ending as he walks off.) The last thing we see in the episode? Andy has, in fact, decided to become a samurai, and he rides off in full regalia into the sunset. But that's not even the best part—the end text changes to "See you space samurai" to accommodate.
- Another Brick Joke: Spike declares that he refuses to eat food with Andy's face on it...even while he and the crew are broke, and Faye went out of her way to basically mooch off of him and get the canned food to eat dinner with. After their 'fight', with Andy leaving, the next scene cuts to Spike happily eating the canned food, and declaring that Andy wasn't such a bad guy after all, but then digs in that he's obviously cooler and a better fighter than him. Jet, having seen and heard enough of the rivalry, is somewhat disinterested of hearing about it.
- The food itself is rather ridiculous when you pay attention. For starters, it's called "Cowboy Andy's Son Of a Gun Stew!" And then there's the stew part: It's just broth with three or four tiny bits of meat and shriveled veggies floating around. Calling it soup would be generous, if you were Carl Weathers.
- Speak Like A Child is one of the greatest Shaggy Dog Stories ever after a dangerous and arduous quest to get an appropriate tape player to view a Beta(ish) cassette which could contain the answers about Faye's past, it turns out they snatched a VHS player instead. Then a Beta player arrives in the mail anyway. More specifically, when Spike and Jet take the cassette to an absolute nut job of an old movie fan, which would be funny enough. When the video doesn't work however Spike kicks the video player, destroying it in the process and absolutely freaking out the store owner. Even better, after the first few times Spike starts kicking the VCR, Jet tells him that kicking it won't help. Spike ignores him and continues kicking until after it breaks, upon which Jet's words finally register to him.
- The episode that became the Trope Namer for Mushroom Samba?
- Especially that bit with the coffin being run over by a truck.
- Early in the episode when the crew is complaining about their lack of food, and Ed tries to sneak a single nut to herself. It then pans out to show Spike, Jet, and Faye all towering over Ed with devious looks on their faces. Ed screams and drops the nut, and then Ein eats it.
- The crew are inspecting a piece of damaged equipment when Ed looks in.
- Also the shroom sequences are all amusing, but nothing will ever be as hilarious as Ein hopping around like a wind-up toy dog.Frog: Hey, mister. This here is the stairway to heaven. You know that, don'tcha?
Spike: Obnoxious little frog. - Ein thanks a cow for blocking the railroad tracks. It's that kind of episode.
- Faye: (in Jupiter Jazz Part 1) "Which one are you?!"
- From Ballad of Fallen Angels:Faye: Oh, you're finally up, huh? You slept too much, you've been asleep three days. Yeah, I was starting to worry about you. Hey, you should be grateful to me for staying here.
[Spike beckons her over]
Spike: You sing off-key.
[Spike screams in pain and Faye angrily storms out of the room]- When Rocco realizes he's standing next to Piccaro while he's peeing in the bathroom. Then Piccaro's henchmen show up, claiming that they lost Rocco.
- Waltz For Venus
- Faye is looking for Piccaro and has a lead. She busts down the door of the apartment of the guy with said lead, and, without skipping a beat, says "I want to know where Piccaro is, a quick answer would be nice." While shoving her gun into his mouth. While he's in bed with and very much on top of his male lover. Bit of a double meaning there, and this is followed up with a second chuckle when he tries to mumble the answer out while her gun is still in his mouth, only for Faye to say, "What was that?" with a confused look on her face.
- Spike's Helium Speech. Especially the way he reacts to it.
- Ed taking a nap by unwittingly using Ein as a headpillow. Ein's reaction is priceless.
- Brain Scratch"
- Jet and Ed pretending to be father and daughter (the latter wearing an adorable pink dress) while trying to get information on a hospital patient. The only thing funnier than Jet's sob story getting the guard in tears, is Ed constantly clinging to Jet while cheering "Papa!"
Ed: (outside the hospital, tugging on Jet's shirt) Papa!Jet: (Groans in annoyance) Not now.Ed: Papa!- Then during the above story.Guard: She's an unusual-looking child. Is she a girl?Ed: (Clings to Jet) My Papa!
- The "bimbo" co-host's reaction to abruptly learning, on-air, that her bounty-hunter program has been canceled. She ends up ditching her Southern Belle accent in rage.Punch: I have something else to tell you, Judy, and it's kinda important.Judy: (all bubbly and excited) Really?? What is it, Punch?Punch: Well...Judy: Oh boy, I can't wait!Punch: (increasingly agitated) This here is the very last broadcast of Big Shot! We're cancelled shucks howdy. (hauls out a "THE END" sign) Happy trails and all that!Judy: (dropping her bubbly demeanor) What??Punch: (tearing up) Our ratings sucks and they're taking us off the air!Judy elbows Punch out of the frame; he goes down like a bowling pinJudy: (screaming into the camera) MY AGENT WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS!
- The look on Spike and Jet's faces when they spot Faye on TV.
- When Spike tries to use beer as a substitute for milk on cereal.
- The part of Ganymede Elegy where Spike's statement about how not all women are like Faye is immediately proven right by Ed.Faye: Ya know, [Jet's] kidding himself if he thinks his old girlfriend still carries a torch for him.Spike: And you're kidding yourself if you think every woman's like you. They're not, ya know.Ed: Duty calls! 3 o'clock tea!Faye scowls.
- Almost every next episode preview in the English dub is hilarious. Especially when they feature Ed, and especially when they feature some wangsty musing by one of the crew, which someone immediately lampshades.
- The Bebop's crew reacting towards Meifa in Boogie Woogie Feng Shui.Ed: Are you his girlfriend?
- Cue Spit Take.
- Also this exchange:Faye: I wonder if she's a new girlfriend.Spike: For that, she's rather young.Ed (who is walking around on all-fours): [sing-song] Hotdog bun, not too young!Faye: Maybe she's the secret love child?Spike: 'Fraid she's too old.Ed: Oldy, moldy, history, mystery!
- From the same episode, Jet notices some goons following him and Meifa, and drags her into a bar to get a bottle of whiskey. He then uses it to ambush and beat the hell out of both of the goons without trouble. He grabs the conscious one and wants to know who they work for. The goon says he'll never talk. Jet tightens his headlock and the goon *immediately* breaks and tells him.
- Pierrot le Fou:
- When Faye is trying to read the message on the screen that Ed is carrying around on her head, she has to lift Ed off the floor by the head to stop her from continually moving the screen around; and then, while Faye's reading the message, Ed's still swinging from side to side and waving her arms.
- While Spike's laid up in bandages (again) and barely capable of moving, he's laboriously trying to reach an orange on the table nearby. Faye saunters in, treats Spike to a lecture about why he ends up in these situations over his incomprehensible interjections while eating the orange, and then leaves the peel on Spike's face as she exits. He just looks so defeated.
- Spike's reaction when the men on Calisto accuse him of being Vicious can only be described as, well, vicious.Spike: You think I'm Vicious?! You don't know what vicious is! (curb stomping ensues)
- Also his reaction to the leader of the thugs after the fight has become a small meme on its own.
Thug: I just wanted to get my hands on the money!Spike: Take a look! Do I really look like I have money?! - Spike getting angry at one of the criminals in the beginning of the film for taking too long to take a shit.
- The fight with Ed's dad, by virtue of subverting every other serious fight scene in the series. Spike has mopped the floor with mafia mooks, fought for his life against a creepy clown and gone toe-to-toe with Vicious; but for all his fancy Jeet Kune Do, Spike can't so much as make Ed's dad trip. Spike brushes this off as not expecting a challenge and they never really conclude the fight, but the effect of Spike's flurry of offense and technique being beaten by a palm strike from a man who's barely paying attention is hilarious.
- Almost every scene in which the recurring trio of senior citizens show up. They're usually drinking or playing a game together, while reminiscing about the old days. What makes them hilarious is just how utterly normal they and their conversations (however half-senile) are in comparison to their setting and the situations they end up being bystanders to. Also the fact that they somehow manage to end up in various places across the Solar System despite clearly being migrant workers at best and pensioners at worst.
- In the preview for Wild Horses, Spike is complaining about always doing the previews and wanting someone else to do it instead. Cue Ein hopping in and telling us what happens next with his barks and howls. Ein then says the episode's title, leaving Spike astonished that he was able to speak.
- The sequence in Gateway Shuffle where Jet's police contact tells him about the eco-terrorist group's bioweapon, warning him that it's an extremely dangerous virus. Cut to Spike repeatedly smashing a vial of the stuff into a table while the eco-terrorist leader sits tied to a chair, trying as hard as possible not to react.
- At one point Spike sets it down and shoots it and the camera cuts to the terrorist leader, who looks terrified for a moment before realizing it's still intact.
- On the way up the elevator in Honky Tonk Women Spike starts smoking. Jet taps the 'no smoking' sign... and Spike eats the cigarette. When they get to the casino proper, he then retches it up and spits it into an ashtray.
- Faye telling Ein that she gets food priority over him because women like her are delicate and require pampering... immediately before devouring a can of dog food in seconds and chucking it behind her.
- In "Hard Luck Woman", Faye is flying off with Ed strapped to the side of her ship. With Ed all the more enjoying the ride.
