Airdate: September 21, 1993
Newsreel of the Stars
Tower Escape: The Warners literally flush themselves out of the tower
Opening Line: "Here's the show's name-y"- Dot
Piano Rag: While fleeing from Dr. Scratchensniff, Hello Nurse and Ralph, the Warners sneak into a piano recital and disrupt the proceedings.
When Rita Met Runt: A smarmy cat named Rita and a dull-witted dog named Runt team up to escape an animal shelter.
Tower Return: Wakko pulls an extending chair from his gag bag.
Tropes found in Piano Rag
- Buxom Beauty Standard: When the Warners are stopped by Hello Nurse with her net, the camera shows their POV, highlighting her bosom.Yakko: Goodbyyyyyeeee, Nurse!
- The Cameo: Rita and Runt cross the street during the Warners' chase.
- Distracted by the Sexy: When giving orders, Dr. Scratchensniff is briefly distracted by Hello Nurse, but quickly regains his composure.
- Extended Disarming: When Wakko is forced to give up his candy.
- Gratuitous German: Upon discovering Tympannini in the sack rather than the Warners, Scratchensniff says, "Was ist das?", which is German for "What is this?"
- Handy Feet: Dot plays piano with her toes.
- Insufferable Genius: the pianist, Tympannini.
- Mocking Sing-Song:Warners: Lally Dally Lo, Lally Dally Lee! You can't catch us, we're the Warners Three!
- On Second Thought: The Warners were going to leave the recital, but with Scratchensniff and co. watching the exits, they have no choice but to stick around.
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: When the Warners mistake Tympannini for a magician, Wakko calls for him to "pull a rabbit of [his] pants."
- Slasher Smile: Ralph, Scratchensniff, and Hello Nurse flash these before finally capturing the Warners (or so they think).
- Squick: Dot's reaction to Wakko chewing gum he found under his seat.Dot: Dee-sgusting!
- Who's on First?:Yakko: Very Peter Townshend-esque.Dot: Who?Wakko: Exactly.
- Your Mom: After the usher seats Scratchy, Ralph, and Hello Nurse, Scratchy mutters under his breath, "Your mother used Pampers."
Tropes found in When Rita Met Runt
- Berserk Button: As Rita finds out, Runt hates cats, and if someone mentions a cat to him, he'll try to find it and tear it to pieces. It is for this reason that she decides to let Runt call her a dog from that moment on.
- The Cameo: The Warners and Ralph's literal Running Gag continues, with the Warners dancing in the rain to a lawyer-friendly version of the title song from Singin' in the Rain.
- Freudian Excuse: Rita's Jerk with a Heart of Gold attitude and her distrust of humans are explained by her backstory, as revealed in the song "Humans Ain't What They Seem to Be." Apparently, she's had various bad owners, who lost interest in her when she wasn't a kitten anymore, neglected her, smacked her when she misbehaved, and always eventually returned her to the pound.
- Dogs Are Dumb: It is revealed in this short that Runt's previous owner had to give him away for peeing on the carpet (he spent $700.00 trying to get Runt to pee on the paper), and for chewing many of his expensive possessions to pieces. Runt also mistakes Rita for a dog when he first meets her, and continues to do so for the rest of the series.
- Everyone Meets Everyone: Heck, it's right there in the title.
- The Faceless: Neither Rita nor Runt's original owners are seen above the neck. Averted with the dogcatcher.
- Mistaken for Dog: When Runt first meets Rita, he thinks she's a dog. When Rita tells him she's a cat, he reveals that he hates cats and will tear one to pieces if he finds it. From then on, Rita decides to let Runt call her a dog so he can remain friends with her.
- Origins Episode: This is the one for the Rita and Runt shorts.
- Pounds Are Animal Prisons: Rita and Runt meet when both are taken to the pound and speak to each other through the walls to plan an escape, and it's portrayed very much like a prison.
Closing Tower Gag: "Goooooodbye, Nurse!"- Yakko, Wakko, and Dot
