Funny / Retro Chill

Tropes for the original

• When Calvin bursts into the control room containing Rupert, Earl and Bob. In a moment of desperation of thinking of an escape plan, Calvin screams at one out load leading to:
  Calvin: YOU MORON! AT A TIME LIKE THIS, DO I CARE ABOUT PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICHES?
  Everyone stares at him in silence
  Bob: Are you talking about me?
  • Which then escalates into this downright hilarious moment:
  Calvin: Yes! No! I'm not sure. Did you say something about peanut butter sandwiches?
  Bob: I don't remember. "What did I say?
  Calvin: You said…I can't remember. No, wait! You said that they were slightly higher west of……Mount Rushmore, I think it was.
  Bob: Nope. That wasn't me. I would have said they were made out of peanut butter.
  Calvin stared at him.
  Calvin: Why would you say that?
  Bob: Cause they are. Everybody knows that peanut butter sandwiches are made out of peanut butter.
  Calvin: Right. And if everybody already knows it, why would you bother to say it? And why would you leave out the part about Mount Rushmore? Don't you care about our great presidents!
  Bob. I…I…I…
  Calvin: That's no excuse, and don't argue with me! The point is…
  Alien: (dully) Hi, Bob.
  Bob screams and runs off.
  Calvin blinks and turns to Rupert and Earl..
  Mind message: Hash browns, you dork.
  Calvin looks up Rupert and Earl and gives them a smile.
  Calvin: Hi, guys. Nice evening, huh? You bet! How's the family? Great. Let me go straight to the point, and say that I know nothing about the Fabled Treasure at the West End of the Rainbow.
  • Best part of this is, it's mostly a Shout-Out to a Hank the Cowdog book
• "Space mutants can solve anything," and the entire scenario with the giant mutant goose that happens afterwards.
  • The mere existence of lava eels bears mentioning here.
  • This line not long after the above:
  Suddenly, a laser passed by Sherman's ship.
  Ever see lasers being fired under lava?
  Very weird.
• Hobbes attempting to kill the newly-enhanced Shadowfax with fire only to find out the this kind of Shadowfax actually loves fire instead. His reaction is understandable.
• Calvin attempting to prove that Retro's Actually a Doombot.
• This small line of dialogue shared between Rupert and Evil Calvin:
  Rupert: WHAT DO YOU WANT?.
  Calvin: STOP SCREAMING AT ME OR I'LL DESTROY YOU!
  Rupert: I'M NOT SCREAMING!
• Calvin thinking his Evil Knockoff is gorgeous!
• Earl attempting to give a speech to Bob about how great it is to be evil only for him to run off when he realizes Earl's about to touch him.
• As everyone goes into total panic as the ships fall towards the lava the only oddball out is Socrates, who is calmly reading a field guide and relaxing.

Tropes for the remake

• The alien crew are sent to study Retro, who has just crash-landed on Zok. They're just as effective as ever, as in "not effective at all":
  Lenny: Hi there! I'm Lenny, and this is Carl!
  Carl: Hi! We're here to interrogate you and get some answers!
  Lenny: So! We have questions! First question- are you some kind of waterfowl?
  [Retro remains hanging from the wall, completely silent. The aliens' grins slowly deflate.]
  Lenny: [clears throat] Okay! Excuse us for one moment, please! [They go over to the door] Okay... The usual stuff isn't working. The subject is not responding.
  Carl: That's weird. Do you suppose we've offended him?
  Lenny: How so?
  Carl: Maybe he was expecting some sort of welcoming present for being on our planet. He is a newcomer, after all.
  Lenny: Interesting point... maybe we ought to find something quick? What do you think he'd like?
  Carl: How about a grilled cheese sandwich? Those are popular on Earth, aren't they?
  Lenny: True, true... although, I seem to recall an enthusiasm for a musical forestry commission...
  Carl: Really?
  Lenny: Yeah, it was called Justice Timber & Lake, or something. Always telling you to "buy, buy, buy" his services?
  Carl: Hmmmm... how about a vehicle? They seem to like those planet-polluting doohickeys a lot.
  Lenny: They really do... oh! I've got it! [slithers back to Retro] How would you like a six-wheel planet-polluter driven by a forestry commission with a grilled cheese?
  [Retro remains completely silent]
  Lenny: Hmmmm... guess not.
  [Rupert and Earl enter]
  Earl: Well?
  Carl: [shrugs] Not responding. Doesn't want a grilled cheese. And we still don't know if he's a goose.
  Earl: ...Well, you've clearly done all you can. Leave him to us.
• This exchange.
  Hobbes: That actually reminds me, Socrates - you remember that one time fourteen years ago when you completely broke character and were evil for a little bit?"
  Socrates: Didn't we strike that from canon?
  Hobbes: Did we?
  Socrates: Pretty sure we did. I don't remember at this point. I mean, our how many rewrites has our lore even had?
  Hobbes: Is this conversation even canon?
  Socrates: Is what conversation even canon?
• A Running Gag throughout the fic is Socrates' vlog. He constantly films and posts everything the heroes experience, no matter if it's incredibly terrifying or completely mundane. The other characters absolutely loathe it, treating all other options as preferable to being involved with the vlog. As you can expect, it's pretty funny and provides some levity to a rather dark story.
• The gang call Galaxoid and Nebular to take them to Calvin:
  Sherman: And seeing as how you guys just seem to wander the universe randomly, you're probably already in your ship.
  Galaxoid: I take offense to that. I'll have you know that we spend our time travelling through space to find new and distant worlds, immersing ourselves in new places and cultures, broadening our horizons and improving our minds!
  Nebular: Hey, Galaxoid- I just cued up the latest season of Fargo. You in?
  Galaxoid: Shhhh! Not a good time!