Darkwing Duck discusses the origins of one of his strangest nemeses, a plant-powered duck named Dr. Bushroot. The doctor was trying to make sure his funding doesn't get cut. To do so, he experimented on himself and turned into a plant-duck hybrid.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Beware the Nice Ones: Bushroot was a pretty nice guy, all things considered. Then he becomes one of Darkwing's most formidable foes.
- Damsel in Distress: Bushroot captures Rhoda, planning to turn her into a Plant Person so they can be together.
- Didn't Think This Through: After believing that Bushroot will go after Dean Tightbill next for defunding his experiments on plants, Darkwing and Launchpad immediately board up his office so Bushroot can't get in. Once they're done, Launchpad asks Darkwing how they're going to get out.
- Dirty Coward: Bushroot's bullies are okay with bullying him before and after his transformation, but when he demonstrates his plant manipulating powers on them, they're reduced into whimpering heaps before their deaths.
- Disney Death: It appears that Bushroot dies from the lawnmower. Then a bud of him reappears and starts to recuperate.
- Entitled to Have You: After he gets changed into a Plant Person, Bushroot acts this way toward Rhoda. She's creeped out after his He Who Fights Monsters moment.
- Even Nerds Have Standards: Bushroot's bullies are fellow scientists.
- Framing Device: The story plays out as Darkwing narrates the case from one of his many files.
- Gory Discretion Shot:
- We don't see what Bushroot's vines do to his bullies.
- The audience is spared the sight of the lawnmower chopping up Bushroot.
- He Who Fights Monsters: After the Jerkass scientists make fun of him, and Bushroot discovers his powers, he decides to get rid of them via "accident". After the plants engulf them, the police and Darkwing are bewildered by the topiary silhouettes left behind.
- I Will Show You X!: Bushroot replies, "I'll give you dangerous!" in response to Darkwing's catchphrase, "Let's Get Dangerous!" and has his cactus shoot needles at Darkwing.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Bushroot goes straight from being an idealistic scientist and Friend to All Living Things to kidnapping and murder upon finding out that he has superpowers.
- Nerdy Bully: Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson are even nerdier than Bushroot, but they're also bigger, more confident, and more successful, and they bully him mercilessly.
- No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup: Averted; Bushroot has the same machine that transformed him to use on Rhoda.
- Now You Tell Me: Combined with Not Now, Kiddo, Darkwing is using vines to make a disguise to catch Bushroot, only to be informed by Rhoda that he's using poison ivy.
- Oh Wait, This Is My Grocery List: At one point, Darkwing ends up reading Launchpad's laundry list while going over the case file.
- Plant Person: Bushroot becomes this. He plans to do the same to Rhoda.
- Professor Guinea Pig: Bushroot tests his machine on himself to make sure his funding isn't cut.
- Punny Name: Bushroot's female colleague is called Dr. Rhoda Dendron.
- Shout-Out:
- This episode's title is a reference to the French fairy tale, Beauty and the Beast. This episode was also released the same year as Disney's own animated film adaptation.
- The two bullies are named Dr. Gary and Dr. Larson. They are also designed similar to characters seen in The Far Side.
- Slices, Dices, and Makes Julienne Fries: When attempting to prune Bushroot with a weed whacker, DW proclaims, "It dices! It slices! It... runs out of gas!"
- Sympathy for the Devil: Darkwing and Rhoda have this for Bushroot, even as they oppose him.
- Transflormation: A non-fatal example happens to Bushroot himself, turning him into a duck-plant hybrid. By contrast, what happens to his two bullies is (implied to be) a fatal example of this trope, with the two transformed into inanimate plants.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Darkwing just straight up executes Bushroot at the end. Yes, he can regenerate, but this is the first time fighting him so Darkwing wouldn't have known that yet.
