Recap / Dr. Crafty Season 3 Month 6: Hero Month

Dr. Crafty Recap Index
Season:
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4
Month:
#1: Season 3 Premiere Month | #2: Valentines Month | #3: Season 3 Commission Month
#4: Cartoon Month | #5: Disney Month | #6: Hero Month
Bonus Content:
Season 3 Patreon Episodes | Season 3 Promotional Videos

Airing Range: 8/1/19 - 12/27/19

Everything has been thrown into disarray once Mindstein shows up in person. The cohosts are all captured and Crafty has been sent all the way across the globe. Now he's left before UA High School, and without any other option, Crafty requests help from Class 1-A and plots to save not just his castle, but his friends. Nurse, meanwhile, has to deal with her mother's ambitions and what part she plays in fulfilling them. Between plot breaks, Crafty works on a poster commemorating the finale, by far his biggest piece on the show yet.

Tropes Applicable to the Month as a whole:

• Art Shift:
  • To tell its story, this finale makes liberal use of new artwork, with some of it being created by justZazie (then credited as NewtAfterDark). The story segments are presented in a motion-comic format, with the character's typical sets of reuseable poses only being used a handful of times outside of the art commentary segments.
  • This month introduced Skittlezjuice's thumbnail art, and she has since worked backward to replace most of the thumbnails from the preceding months. Her art is very distinct from the show's usual art style, especially with its use of smaller outlines and softer color combinations.
• Cerebus Retcon: Crafty's Nigh-Invulnerability is a regular Running Gag throughout the series. No one questions the logistics of it until this season finale, where it's a significant plot point. It allows him to go toe-to-toe with just about every attack that comes his way. The final part explains what gives Crafty such immense defensive prowess: Mindstein recognizes an Infinium Heart glowing from within his chest. And unlike the one she installed in Nurse, this heart is the real deal.
• Dope Slap: Throughout the month, Mineta is openly perverse whenever talking about the Crafty Crew's ladies (or women in general). Tsuyu uses her tongue to deck him in the face every time he says something out of line.
• No Fourth Wall: During the art commentary segments, the students of Class 1-A nonchalantly discuss their own series as if they're simply actors.
• Stacked Characters Poster: For this month, Crafty works on a poster—depicted above—commemorating the finale's events. Everyone from Dr. Mindstein to Class-1A and the Crafty Crew is on display. The poster is so elaborate that it takes all four of the main show's episodes to complete.
• Why Won't You Die?: Crafty's surprising durability is a huge plot point in this finale. Class 1-A tests how he fares against things that would normally kill most other people, while Mindstein and Screw question his toughness themselves during the final confrontation.

---

Spin-Off Special (Chara-Cafe E12 / Top Ten Tub E12 / Questionable Qloset E6)

Air Date: 8/1/19

The imprisoned spin-off cohosts decide to finish off their shows this season one by one while they await rescue. This leaves the twelfth episodes of the Chara-Cafe and Top Ten Tub, which respectively create a My Hero Academia OC and list Crafty's favorite superheroes, as the only ones not hosted by Crafty. Pepper, Messibelle, and Crystelle interchangeably fill in for him. For the Questionable Qloset, it's business as usual.... with some surprises.

This episode's Top Ten List list contains the following:

• 10. The Question
• 9. Hellboy
• 8. Doctor Fate
• 7. Tony Stark/Iron Man
• 6. Thor
• 5. Kamen Rider W
• 4. Kamen Rider Fourze
• 3. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
• 2. Batman
• 1. All Might

This episode's questions for Crystelle are revealed on the following three cards:

1. The Fool (Crafty): "I've heard rumors that Crafty has a private aquarium where he has a mermaid assistant for underwater research. Are these rumors true?"
2. The Empress (Human Sasha): "Other than apparently being a director in film, what else has Sasha been up to since she disappeared from Crafty's younger life? Supposing you can see what she's been up to..."
3. The Hermit (Disgustilda): "Do you believe Disgustilda will truly be an enemy that Crafty should worry about in the far-off future, or do you think her threats to overcome Crafty are completely groundless and absurd?"

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Cards of Power: For the special, Crystelle draws the Fool (Crafty), the Empress (Sasha), and the Hermit (Disgustilda). There doesn't seem to be an explicit tie to the monthly theme until the last question, whose answer opens up further questions and raises the show's stakes—in a finale month already filled with intrigue and high-stakes. Crystelle deems the last card and its question anticlimactic, but her answer—thanks to her terrified reaction to it—proves to be anything but.
• Crossover: All three of the Season 3 Dr. Crafty spin-off shows—the Chara-Cafe, the Top Ten Tub, and the Questionable Qloset—cross over with each other for a spin-off special this month. Episode 12 of the Chara-Cafe cooks up a My Hero Academia OC with a water-centric teleportation quirk, the Top Ten Tub counts down Crafty and Messi's top ten superheroes, and the Questionable Qloset has a question with some unsettling implications for the future of the show.
• Cliffhanger: As Messibelle says her goodbyes to the audience, the entire castle rumbles a few times. As "I Need A Hero Academia" Part 3 establishes, that rumbling comes from the giant Neutro, who is moving into position for Crafty's castle raid plan.
• Emotional Regression: The Top Ten Tub segment's list finishes off with All Might, who Messi praises for being such an effective father figure. The moment she makes the remark, Messi starts missing Crafty—her father figure. The stress of the situation finally catches up with her, and Messi starts calling out for Crafty in a manner similar to a frightened little girl. While not the first moment where she calls him her father, it's the first time in which the appellation is treated seriously. As she sobs, Messi cuddles up against a concerned Pepper, crying into her as if she were her mother.
  [The final hero on the list is All Might, and Pepper and Messi are wrapping up their discussion on him.]
  Messibelle: You get to see frailty to his character, yet the desire to keep what he believes in alive, by fighting as best as he can despite his condition. I think a lot of us relate to not only working ourselves to death in the name of our passions, but All Might is such a strong inspiration as both a hero and an all-around good person. He's everyone's favorite ‘dad' character, and...
  [Messi suddenly starts to choke up; Pepper picks up on the change in mood immediately.]
  Messi: ... And........
  [Messi completely breaks down sobbing.]
  Messi: I want my daddy......!
  [Pepper hurries over to Messi, catching her just before she crumples down to the floor and letting Messi sob into her.]
  Messi: I miss my daddy............!
• "Eureka!" Moment: When the hosts' discussion turns to how Mindstein planned her attack, Messi remarks that their webisode series gave their attacker a lot to work with. The mention of the show suddenly gives Pepper an idea:
  Pepper: Hey, there's an idea!
  Messibelle: Huh?
  Pepper: I mean, it's not like we have much else to do right now, and it's been a while since we got to hang out with each other. So... why don't we do a show together?
  Messibelle: Together?
  Crystelle: All at once?
  Pepper: Y-yeah! It'll be like a big crossover special!
  Messibelle: It would beat sitting around and moping, that's for sure.
  Crystelle: Very well. Let's do it.
  Pepper: Yay! Well, if nobody else minds, I'll go first. It's time for the Chara-Cafe... or um... the... Dungeon... Deli?
  [Pickles raspberries in disapproval.]
  Pepper: Oh, come on. I know it was bad, but...
  [Pickles raspberries in disapproval again as the scene fades to black before the Chara-Cafe intro plays.]
• Freak Out: Crystelle has a vision too intense for her to handle for her final question, with glimpses of Sasha and Disgustilda seen among the static.
• I Want My Mommy!: Messibelle ends her segment crying about how she misses the doctor, calling him daddy the entire time. It is entirely Played for Drama.
• Mundane Solution: Pepper, Messi, and Crystelle discover that their prison counters all of their escape methods available to them without outside help. They wonder how Mindstein could be so meticulous, then suddenly realize she's simply been watching their very public web show.
• Noodle Incident: Pickles suggests that Pepper use a "boil" ability to free themselves and the accompanying cohosts. Pepper objects; she promised to never use that skill after some untold past event.
  Crystelle: Our captors must have carefully planned this attack.
  Pepper: What're you saying, Crystelle?
  Crystelle: They know how to precisely circumvent my clairvoyance, and how to counter Messi's malleable form. Whoever did this must've been watching us for a long time, and planned accordingly.
  Messibelle: How do they know so much about—
  [A piano hit plays as everyone silently comes to the same worrying conclusion.]
  Messibelle: Oh, wait. We have an online show. Heh... right...
• Team Mom: Pepper gets to showcase her motherliness in this crossover, who owes its existence to her. To minimize conflicts between themselves, she gets the idea for her and the cohosts to finish off their respective spin-off episodes to pass the time. Later, when things prove to be too much for Messi, she lets her sob in her lap. She has Crystelle lie in her lap as well after the shock of her last question.
• Wham Line: The Spin-Off Special's Questionable Qloset segment ends with a peculiar question: whether Disgustilda will ever become a legitimate threat to Crafty. As Crystelle gazes into the future for an answer... she begins wordlessly screaming in terror before fainting.
• Who's on First?: The Top Ten Tub segment starts with The Question at the #10 spot. When Messi tries introducing the character, Pepper assumes she's asking her a question. There's some confusion between the hosts that lasts until Crystelle magically swaps places with Pepper to move things along.
  Messi: Starting us off at Number Ten: The Question!
  Pepper: What's the question?
  Messi: Not what. 'Who.'
  Pepper: Who's the question?
  Messi: No, I was asking about The Question.
  Pepper: That's what I asked! What's the question?
  Messi: I already said it's who, not what!
  Pepper: And I already asked, who's the question?!'
  Messi: THE QUESTION!!
  Pepper: Y-yes! What is it?!
  [Crystelle teleports Pepper away and takes her place.]
  Crystelle: Uh... Maybe I should cover this one, being the queen of questions, after all.

---

Main Show E71: "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 1

Air Date: 10/18/19

Crafty makes the difficult decision to consult the Hero Acadamy for help, recognizing that, without Nurse and the others, there's no way he'll be taking Mindstein down alone. The students there take interest in not only his plight but his peculiarly incredible endurance. Meanwhile, Nurse, locked in a massive containment device, has a one-on-one discussion with Mindstein, and is forced to dig up her buried past...

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Abusive Parent: Mindstein sees her daughters as nothing more than tools. She harshly slaps Nurse and subjects her to electrical torture for stepping out of line and for escaping captivity so long ago.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Nurse's flashback helps her remember why she's so loyal to Crafty: he saved her life and helped turn it around for the better. Despite Crafty's faults, his antics are leagues ahead of Mindstein's depravity.
• Fan Disservice: The first shot of Nurse in the ending story segment has her in nothing but her underwear while being restrained against her will, being physically and mentally abused by her evil mother, and left tearfully begging for Crafty to save her. Suffice to say, the scene is utterly Played for Drama.
• Foreshadowing: Nurse's flashback carries a few bits building up to plot points in future parts of this special:
  • Nurse remembers Crafty finding her in the grave she fell in on the night she ran away from home. His first reaction upon seeing her is "HOLY HELL!" Since the scene is shown through Nurse's perspective, what Crafty is reacting to isn't clear until the very next part, and it turns out to have had a profound effect on him.
  • Just before her fall, Nurse is shown unconscious inside a giant test tube. Memories of Crafty cause her heart to overflow with energy, upon which she breaks free and uses her newfound speed to escape Mindstein's facility. This scene foreshadows her Infinium Heart's abilities in the final part.
• Gondor Calls for Aid: Launched all the way to Japan and left with no other option, Crafty begs U.A. High School Class 1-A to help take back his castle from Doctor Mindstein. The class is hesitant at first because Crafty has no useful intelligence on Mindstein to help plan an attack, and Crafty advertises himself as a villain. However, Crafty's determination to save his friends wins over All-Might, whose reasoning convinces Class 1-A to help as well.
• Greater Need Than Mine: All throughout the episode, Crafty's sole concern isn't himself or his home: it's the well-being of his fellow Crewmates. He doesn't have full context for what is going on or why Mindstein and Screw attacked in the last episode, but by this point, he's just willing to accept any help he can to save his friends. His intentions aren't terribly clear to Class 1-A until Todoroki presses him on the matter, upon which Crafty demonstrates his selflessness through an anguished speech:
  Todoroki: I have just one question, Dr. Crafty, the most important question that we've yet to have any answer to: why were you attacked? From what you've told us, and the information we've been able to find out, there doesn't seem to be any logical reason for why a villain would attack you. You're asking us to charge into unknown territory to take down a villain we know nothing about. I'm not saying we don't want to help. I'm just wondering if it's wise to, given the circumstances. If there's anything you're not telling us—
  Crafty: [eyes cast to the floor] Honestly? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I've... never been much of a good person. I'm bitter, narcissistic, egotistical, selfish and cowardly! And a lot of less than pleasant things. But... my friends. Nurse Worse. They've done nothing wrong except stick around with me. I was... powerless to do anything. And somehow, I know this is my fault. So... I'm not asking you to help me. I'm begging you to save them.
  [Crafty looks up at the class before him, genuine tears welling in his eyes.]
  Crafty: Please...! Just save them...! Save my friends!
  All-Might: Young Crafty... we'll—
  Deku: We'll do it! We'll help you save your friends!
  Hanto: Yeah, your show's pretty cool!
  Yuga: I'll gladly lend my twinkle to your stage~!
  Rikido: I wanna get some recipes from that Pepper girl!
  Mina: I wanna hug the slime girl!
  Mashirao: That Nurse of yours has some fine techniques, too!
  Crafty: [with tears flowing] ... Thank you...!
  Todoroki: If we're going to do this, there need to be some conditions. We're gonna need to know everything—about you, your castle, any defenses it has that could be used against us, and anything you can tell us about our enemy here: names, powers, anything and everything! We're not gonna run into this fight blind.
  Crafty: I'll... I'll give you as much as I can.
  [Crafty and Todoroki seal the deal with a handshake.]
  Todoroki: We appreciate the cooperation.
  Crafty: I appreciate you not kicking my ass!
  [All-Might places a gentle hand on Crafty's shoulder to grab his attention.]
  All-Might: All right, now that we're in agreement, you should rest. We have a medic who can help you with your injuries young Bakugo caused...
  Bakugo: [off-screen] F(beep)k off.
  All-Might: ... Then, once you're all patched up, we can start your training.
  Crafty: 'Training?'
  All-Might: That's right! As of this moment, young Crafty, you are an honorary student of Class 1-A!
  Uruaka: Aww, yeah! Do the cheer! Do the cheer!
  Crafty: H-huh?!
  [All-Might whispers something into Crafty's ear to clarify what Uruaka meant. Then, Crafty forms a confused, yet triumphant fist.]
  Crafty: Ohhh, um... Plus... Ultra?
  Most of Class 1-A: PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA! PLUS! ULTRA!
  [Crafty, though still puzzled, can't help but flash a thankful grin.]
• Last-Second Word Swap: When All-Might greets Crafty, Crafty nearly introduces himself as Colin before defaulting to his stage name and epithet: "Dr. Crafty, Internet Villain Extraordinaire." He almost ruins what little credibility he has for Class 1-A by doing so. But All-Might reciting his philosophy about helping everyone—villain or not—and Crafty's heartfelt call to action soon after earns Crafty the heroes' help.
• Lobotomy: As their conversation ends, Mindstein implicitly vows to tamper with Nurse's mind to instill the loyalty that she always wanted from her daughter. Through some chilling visual storytelling, it's implied that Screw went through the very same process:
  Mindstein: ... Now that I have you back, I can finally correct this little mistake that you became. And my plans... can finally continue.
  Nurse: Plans...? What plans...?
  Mindstein: Oh, you don't need to worry yourself with that. You won't have a mind to worry about anything, soon enough...
  [As Mindstein exits the lab, she passes by an awaiting Screw in a doorway. As if to illustrate her mother's point, Screw blankly stares at Nurse for several uncomfortable seconds. The sisters lock eyes, with the implications of Mindstein's threat slowly dawning on Nurse... Screw finally leaves, at which point Nurse breaks down.]
  Nurse: Crafty... Help me... I need you...!
• No One Could Survive That!: Unfortunately for Crafty, the first person Crafty meets and addresses in U.A. High is Bakugo, who tries blasting him into oblivion with an explosive punch. When the smoke clears up, Bakugo and everyone else watching the scene is bewildered to find Crafty charred, but very much alive. Despite the severe pain that Bakugo put him through, Crafty only whines in protest, to which Bakugo incredulously attacks him again and again with the same result. After some staff members and schoolmates finally restrain Bakugo, Crafty is left cartoonishly begging to not be hurt anymore.
• Polite Villains, Rude Heroes: When Dr. Crafty arrives at U.A. high school, he introduces himself to the first student to approach him. Unfortunately, that student is Bakugo, who decides to blast him. Fortunately, the other classmates are polite to the doctor, but Bakugo remains cold.

---

Main Show E72: "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 2

Air Date: 10/25/19

Class 1-A puts Crafty through hell to test out his sturdiness, not only for the sake of study but to also prepare him for the upcoming castle raid. The class also tests Crafty emotionally; they want to make sure he's being earnest about his concerns so they can trust him. Meanwhile, as their forces strengthen their hold on Crafty's castle, Mindstein elaborates on her ambitions with Screw.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• An Arm and a Leg: When asked what Nurse means to him, Crafty recalls his chance first encounter with Nurse; the flashback is identical to the last part's, only from his perspective as Colin. We see what he reacted to so strongly: Nurse not only fell into an open grave, but she was moving so fast that the impact of her fall broke her apart. Thankfully, she was still conscious enough to call for help.
• Driven to Suicide: In the past, Crafty almost attempted suicide a second time after Sasha mysteriously disappeared from his life. The only reason he didn't go through with it was that he heard a badly injured Nurse's cries for help, and he wasted no time repairing her. Nurse indirectly saved Crafty's life while he directly saved hers, and for that, Crafty will do anything to ensure her and the cohosts' safety.
• Early-Bird Cameo: During the ending sequence, Screw fingers through a document on her tablet detailing various things about Crafty’s castle. Among them are a schematic of the castle hinting at upcoming spin-off segments (The Shake-Up Salon, the Talky Tower, and the Blending Bar], and some robot blueprints from Rob Otto, one for Crafty, Nurse, Pepper, and Messibelle, respectively.
• Laser-Guided Karma: As she and Screw approach the Infinium Door beneath Crafty's castle, Mindstein tries to caress the door in admiration. The door, recognizing that she doesn't have all the keys to unlock it, shocks her in response, badly enough that Mindstein briefly goes limp in Screw's arms. This happens after Mindstein spent the previous episode torturing Nurse with electricity.
• Punch Catch: Deku tests Crafty's resolve to save his friends by swinging a devastating punch at him, fully expecting Crafty to catch it if he cares so much about his goal. Luckily, Crafty does, and he's still standing, if a little battered.

---

Main Show E73: "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 3

Air Date: 12/6/19

Crafty and Class 1-A finally reach Florida and prepare to set up their battle plans. Before they do, they realize they need assistance from someone who is intimately familiar with the castle. So many characters have broken into the place before, but none have done more so than... Disgustilda.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• …But He Sounds Handsome: When Crafty and Ida arrive in Minnesota to retrieve Neutro from Linkara, Pollo does nothing to stop them. He reports to Linkara about the theft and makes a point to mention how wonderful Crafty's voice sounds—no doubt because both characters are voiced by Alex Tansley.
• The Cameo: Linkara appears in person for the first time in the main show's continuity. As he's about to start an episode of Atop the Fourth Wall, Crafty and Ida make off with Neutro to serve as a distraction for the castle raid.
• Enemy Mine: Despite wanting little to do with Crafty, Disgustilda decides to help him reclaim his (originally her) castle. She does so because she enjoys his cohosts and because, thanks to Sasha, she's slightly eased her opinion on Crafty.
• Humongous Mecha: Crafty requires a distractive powerhouse as the final element of Disgustilda's plan. He immediately goes after someone who fulfills both needs: Neutro, who is currently under Linkara's possession. Needless to say, Linkara is not happy about Crafty taking his robot without asking.
• Not Helping Your Case: When Crafty and Class 1-A visits her, Disgustilda reveals that Crafty stole her castle—the very same one he's lived in since the start of the show. Crafty retorts... but not about the credibility of her main accusation:
  Iida: IS THIS TRUE, CRAFTY!?
  Crafty: No, of course not!... My mustache was much larger!
• The One Thing I Don't Hate About You: Because he stole her castle, Disgustilda isn't fond of Crafty at all. However, it turns out that she's quite fond of his friend group—moreover, she admires Crafty’s devotion to them. Both are the reasons that she decides to contribute to the rescue operation.
• Wham Line: In the last part, Mindstein correctly assumes that Crafty's castle was never his, to begin with. This part explains exactly who that castle used to belong to:
  Disgustilda: NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! So, you've come crawling back into my home looking for my help, is that right, boy?
  Crafty: Yes, yes, I realize it's a cruel and unusual irony. But you're the best hope I've got of getting back into my castle—
  [Disgustilda prods Crafty on the nose with an accusatory finger.]
  Disgustilda: 'YOUR' castle?! That's rich coming from you, you gangly-lookin' plonker! We both know that was my castle!
• What the Hell, Hero?: Crafty and Class 1-A are forced to come to Disgustilda for help. After they make some arrangements, Disgustilda sends her visitors off to bed, and they set up camp outside of her cottage for the night. Now alone, Disgustilda calls to someone hiding in the closet. It's Sasha, still rooming with Disgustilda since "LoveCrafty," and she just cowered away from what could possibly be the last time she'll ever see Crafty in person again. Suffice to say, Disgustilda is not happy, and she dresses Sasha down with a quite a harsh speech that questions if Sasha's concerns for Crafty are genuine. It's a surprisingly strong argument, one that convinces Sasha to cast her fears aside and help however she can.
  [Crafty and Class 1-A have left Disgustilda's cottage. The next panel focuses on a door behind Disgustilda.]
  Disgustilda: You can come out now, poppet.
  [Sasha exits Disgustilda's closet, looking very ashamed.]
  Sasha: I'm sorry... I... just couldn't—
  [Disgustilda interrupts by pointing a finger at Sasha]
  Disgustilda: I ain't happy with this! You're gonna have to face that boy sooner or later!
  Sasha: But... I... I was scared that—
  Disgustilda: Scared of what?! That you’ll hurt 'im again? Or are you really scared of bein hurt, if he rejects ya?!
  Sasha: I... no... That's—
  Disgustilda: That there boy’s probably scared half to death right now. You think he's hidin', though? Nahhh, mate. He’s runnin' in there, guns blazin'. I’d actually respect 'im a little if I didn’t already hate 'im as bloody much! And you say you love the boy! Well, if you do, you've got a funny way ah showin' it, mate!
  [Tears well up in Sasha’s eyes and she starts conceding to Disgustilda’s argument.]
  Disgustilda: With what that lad's tryin' to do right now, he'll be lucky if he makes it out alive. If I was you, lass, I'd start havin' a good, long think about what that boy means to you. Now, if you excuse me, I got a strategy to conjure up!
  Sasha: W-WAIT!
  [Disgustilda pauses.]
  Sasha: ... L-let me help you... with the battle plan. It's the least I can do to help him.
  Disgustilda: I suppose it's for the best. If you went with him right now, it'd just be more drama. Not the time for those kinda theatrics at the moment.
  [Disgustilda flashes a thumbs up at Sasha, who looks on with eager anticipation!]
  Disgustilda: Alright, Sasha, me girl! Let's get this done!!
  Sasha: R-Right!!
  [The two friends set right to work. Judging by her hand gestures, Sasha is already directing Disgustilda with some ideas.]

---

Main Show E74pt1: "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 4 (Part 1)

Air Date: 12/13/19

A despondent Nurse receives a message from Crafty and company—they are finalizing their plan and will be striking by nightfall. To pass the time, Crafty finishes up his poster for the month and touches base with the remaining few Class 1-A students, including his least favorite of the bunch.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• He Will Come for Me: The moment Crafty delivers a letter to her giving instructions for what to do while she's imprisoned, Nurse regains her lost confidence and prepares to sing "I Need a Hero" at nightfall as part of the plan's distraction phase.
• Humble Pie: As Crafty finishes up the poster, Bakugo storms in and demands Crafty's opinion on him. Crafty, who had spent much of the finale being pushed around by Bakugo, verbally tears into him and his egregious flaws like nothing else. Bakugo is left utterly stunned; unable to form a proper comeback, he sternly, silently returns to his position offscreen. It later turns out he had taken Crafty's speech to heart. When the plan is put into action, Bakugo sacrifices a chance to confront Mindstein to buy Crafty time to reach Nurse's prison.
• Powers as Programs: Deku temporarily gives Crafty a lock of his hair so he can have access to the One for All quirk's powers until Mindstein is defeated.
• Title Drop: The finale's title comes into play during this part, with Nurse singing an even more intense cover of "Holding Out for a Hero" as Crafty launches his attack to save his friends and the castle.

---

Main Show E74pt2: "I Need a Hero Academia" Part 4 (Part 2)

Air Date: 12/27/19

The final showdown with Dr. Mindstein has arrived, and it will undoubtedly put everyone involved through a gamut of emotions, especially Crafty and Nurse.

Tropes Found in This Episode:

• Actually a Doombot: The Mindstein that Crafty, Nurse, Todoroki, and Deku defeat is an advanced Doc-Drone, whose wrecked body projects a hologram of the real Mindstein to taunt the heroes from the safety of her lair. Todoroki prepares to trace the message's signal, but the robot self-destructs before he can do so.
• Big Damn Heroes: Listening to the final battle from below, Messi soon realizes that she, the other cohosts, and the accompanying Class 1-A students must do something to help Crafty. She quickly, confidently takes charge and directs Crystelle, Kyoko Jiro, and Pepper to use their abilities to help pinpoint Mindstein's exact position above them. When she has a location, Messi stretches her arms through the castle's piping so she can restrain Mindstein, allowing an otherwise beaten and tired Crafty to deal the final blow.
• Card-Carrying Villain: Frustrated with where Nurse's loyalties lie, Mindstein loses her cool and goes on a rant. She not only reaffirms her lack of shame about her villainy, but she flat-out says that she expects Nurse to follow in her exact footsteps. She even calls out Crafty for merely playing a villain rather than actually being one.
  Mindstein: How DARE you! I. Gave you. EVERYTHING! I birthed you! I raised you! I gave you a form that's powerful beyond comprehension! I spent so many years crafting you, planning to make you my greatest creation! One that would surpass all others! And you're throwing it all away for... for... That wretched waste of skin and bones over there?!?! He's not even a true villain!! Just an ignoramus playing dress-up for his stupid show!
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Screw obliterates almost all of Class 1-A single-handedly, and even the only members left standing—Deku, Todoroki, and Crafty—are in critical condition.
• Die or Fly: The Infinium Hearts (both Crafty's genuine one and Nurse's artificial one) are activated through a body's natural fight-or-flight response. The emotional duress both Crafty and Nurse go through throughout this part kicks their hearts into overdrive.
• Friendship Moment: Nurse finally fends off Screw for the time being, and as she stands still to catch her breath from the fight, she reveals to Crafty her full name. She also confirms his suspicions that she was the one who had been checking up on him after Sasha disappeared.
  [After an intense fight with Screw, a tired Nurse hunches over, breathing heavily.]
  Nurse: Crafty... I remember everything now.
  [Nurse stands tall as the smoke around her clears.]
  Nurse: ... I am Greta Franzisca Wunderwurse! I told you I'd check up on you, didn't I? Heheh...
  [Crafty realizes that the girl who helped him in his youth and Nurse are one and the same. Tears well up in his eyes, and he can only whimper happily in response.]
• I Will Only Slow You Down: Screw effortlessly mops the floor with most of Class 1-A, and while Todoroki and Deku put up a greater fight, they too are downed with little effort. Only Crafty is left to save Nurse, who sobbingly urges him to retreat. Crafty overconfidently chooses to stand his ground, and while he ultimately makes the right choice, he's put through further hell for it.
  [Crafty, now facing Screw and Mindstein all alone, is frozen in fear.]
  Nurse: Crafty! Please!! I beg of you! Just leave me and RUN! You can't win this! Get out of here! Run already!!
  [Crafty grits his teeth...]
  Crafty: You say run...
  [Crafty clenches his fist.]
  Crafty: But... I refuse.
  Nurse: .... Crafty.... You idiot....
  Mindstein: First thing I've agreed with you on in your entire life, Greta. How exactly do you plan to win, Doctor? My creation, Screw, was designed and built to be superior to Greta in every way that matters. She's stronger, faster, and unbreakable obedient to my every command.
  Crafty: Honestly? I have no idea... But that's never stopped me before! I'll save Nurse! Because she's my her—HURGH!!
  [Screw decks Crafty hard, sending him sailing away and exploding upon impact with the nearest wall.]
  Nurse: CRAFTY!!!
  [Thankfully, Crafty's still alive, but now he's beaten, bloodied, and coughing a ton.]
  Screw: I don't know how you keep surviving my attacks, but I'm going to find out how many it takes before you eventually stop breathing.
  [Screw starts beating Crafty to hell and back, with him far too incapacitated to defend himself. Mindstein watches on with sadistic glee; Nurse sobs even harder. The shot of Nurse in anguish is occasionally interrupted by the image of Screw landing yet another punch on Crafty.]
  Nurse: Please... stop this! STOP IT!! Let him go! PLEASE!
• Leave Him to Me!: With a beaten and bloodied Crafty at her mercy, Screw prepares to finish him off so he'll stop interfering with Mindstein's plans. However, Mindstein calls her off for a moment so that she can finish Crafty off herself, wanting to dissect him to find exactly what makes him so durable. She takes her sweet time readying herself, giving Deku and Todoroki enough time to fully recover. The two Class 1-A students defend Crafty just in time, with Deku launching Mindstein aside and Todoroki briefly immobilizing Screw with his ice abilities.
• Punch Catch: In a Call-Back to part 2, after Screw overwhelms his classmates, Deku tries ending Screw with the same punch that he tested Crafty with. He's clearly not expecting his target to catch the punch, but unfortunately for him, Screw does. And unlike Crafty, she still has more than enough power left to retaliate.
  Deku: One-For-All: one-hundred percent!
  [Deku charges for Screw, who sternly waits for him to draw near.]
  Deku: DELAWARE! DETROOOIT! SMAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!
  [Deku's punch explodes upon impact. The smoke clears to show Deku wincing from the exertion. His eyes light up in horror when his target suddenly speaks.]
  Screw: Gotta give you credit...
  [The camera zooms out to show that Screw has caught Deku's fist. Her hand is visibly bleeding from the damage, but she's otherwise unharmed.]
  Screw: ... That one hurt.
  [With a manic look in her eyes, Screw crushes Deku's hand with her own as Deku howls. She readies a retaliatory fist...]
  Screw: This is going to hurt more, though.
  [Screw's uppercuts Deku in the gut, with him screaming one last time as he sails past Crafty, who watches in horror as the rescue operation crumbles before him. The captive Nurse watches from her imprisonment as well, and she's lost almost all hope.]
  Nurse: Crafty.... RUN!!!!
• Pyrrhic Victory: Mindstein name-drops the trope through her holographic message. Although Crafty and Class 1-A won, they didn't actually defeat Mindstein, only a robot clone. And as the real Mindstein points out, they may have defeated Screw and her Doc-Drones, but now she knows the true potential of both Crafty and Nurse. This makes them both high-priority targets for Mindstein's plans, not to mention how she still has two of the Relics necessary to open the Infinium Door.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: While she doesn't verbally retort against her mother, the Infinium-Heart-powered Nurse first defies her mother in a subtle, effective way. In response to her mother's offer to join her villainous cause, Nurse doesn't respond... but instead calmly walks over to check on the weakened Crafty, carefully setting him aside next to Deku and Todoroki before Screw continues her assault. A clearly disappointed Mindstein orders Screw to fight Nurse as she goes to take care of Crafty herself.
  [Mindstein eyes the powered-up Nurse in disbelief, then smirks. Electricity bursts forth from her body as she laughs triumphantly.]
  Mindstein: AHAHAHA, YES, GRETAAA!! That's it! VERY good! Do you see it now, Greta?! Can you FEEL it?! This is the beginning of a new stage of creation!! With my genius and blood in your veins, you'll surpass me... You'll live up to the reason I CREATED YOU!!
  [Nurse remains silent. She can't bring herself to look Mindstein in the eyes... Instead, much to Mindstein's dismay, Nurse walks over to Crafty, squatting down to gently clasp his face and look him in the eyes instead.]
  Nurse: It's okay now, Crafty. Why? Because I am here.
• A Tragedy of Impulsiveness: During the final showdown, Mindstein slaps Nurse into silence when she urges Crafty to be careful. Outraged, Crafty immediately closes in for an attack, to which Mindstein merely flashes a wicked smile, fully ready to punish him for his recklessness. Thankfully for Crafty, Ida grabs him and hurries him back to safety before Mindstein can retaliate.
  [Using his speed, Ida lifts Crafty off the ground and carries him away from Mindstein on his shoulder.]
  Ida: Careful there, Doctor! [He sets the very confused Crafty back down on his feet.] As a villain, Mindstein is willing to use every dirty trick in the book to win.
  Deku: Again, Ida's right, Crafty. As long as Nurse is trapped inside that machine, Mindstein has the upper hand. Let’s focus out efforts on freeing her first.
• We Need a Distraction: A cowed Mindstein pieces together exactly what Crafty's plan was. A combination of Neutro's assault on the castle and Nurse Worse's singing was meant to scatter the Doc-Drones, while the co-hosts were freed from the dungeon and the strike team infiltrated the drawbridge.
• Wham Line: After Deku and Todoroki briefly stave off Screw and Mindstein, Todoroki urges Crafty to make the most of what little time he's been afforded. What Crafty says next catches everyone off-guard, and it's pouring with nothing but love and care for Nurse—love and care that allows her Infinium Heart to power her up for the first time in the series.
  Crafty: NUUUUUURSE!!!! Help me, Nurse! Please... I need you! I never told you, but... The night we met. You saved my life without knowing. Every stupid mistake I've made since... You've been there for me when I would've been alone. I thought I could save you myself. But I have to be selfish and ask you... to save me again. I NEED YOU, NURSE! I NEED MY HERO!!!
• Xanatos Gambit: Since she isn't directly involved in the fighting, Mindstein is able to observe everything that both Crafty and Nurse can do with their Infinium Hearts. Even though she fails to turn Nurse into her slave, she can now properly plan her approach to opening the Infinium Door with this newfound information.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: After an incredibly advantageous start to their plan in the part's first half, Crafty and Class 1-A's progress is handily undone the moment Screw squares off with them. Deku urges Uruaka to get most of their classmates to safety, leaving only him, Todoroki, and Crafty standing; each of them has seen better days.

---