"...son of an emerald whore, STARTING AGAIN!"
—Cell, after his first attempt at creating a ring for the Cell Games leads to one of the tiles being green
Original Airdate: August 22, 2016
The #CellGames are on their way. Trunks struggles to come to terms with Cell's power level and the gang gathers to hear what Cell has in store. Will Goku and Gohan ever make it out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?
Well, quack quack, big guy! Any friend of these tropes is a friend of mine!
- Achievements in Ignorance: Cell is somehow completely unaware as to how his second ring formed a perfect circular shape. Or why one of the blocks is green.
- Adaptational Heroism: Chi-Chi's protectiveness of Gohan is portrayed with more restraint and nuance than it usually is in the source material. She admits that she might be single-minded in making sure her son finishes his studies, but it's because she just wants him to be able to build a future for himself where he can survive on more than prize money and his grandfather's stature. She also very plainly affirms that she will make every one of the Z Warriors suffer if Gohan dies under their watch.
- A God Am I: Cell says that Earth's people may want to pray to God for help at some point in the next few days, then casually notes that he himself won't be listening.
- Aside Glance: Cell gives a snide one in his announcement while describing the Earth's potential fighters as "champions".
- Brick Joke: When Vegeta greets Bulma's mother as "MILF", she tells Vegeta to call her "GILF" since she's a grandmother now, which confuses him. At the end of the scene, Master Roshi and the rest of the Kame House inhabitants show up at Capsule Corp. with the former shouting "What up, where my GILF at?"
- Bring It: Cell borrows the World Martial Arts Tournament rules for his "Cell Games", with the stark difference that it will be more of everyone versus him until he is defeated or the opposing team is, with the fate of Earth on the line. He treats the upcoming event as this since he feels he will likely win.
- Call-Back:
- As he did in the previous episode, Krillin tries to get Trunks and Vegeta to drop the bravado when discussing their defeats against Perfect Cell.
- Upon Trunks replying in response to Krillin's Odd Friendship with 16 that he hopes that Krillin "
doesn't try to screw this (android)," Vegeta chuckles and replies "No robo", a reference to his "No homo" Pre-Mortem One-Liner before killing Zarbon. - During a previous interaction with Goku, Mrs. Briefs mentioned that everyone simply calls her "MILF". Here, Vegeta uses it to greet her, and she replies that, now that she's a grandmother, he should call her "GILF" instead.Vegeta: Your culture is so confusing.
- The reveal that 16's original programming has nothing but "Kill Son Goku" running through his brain (complete with video of demonic fire laid out over Goku's face and the words "KILL KILL KILL") was something that 17 previously alluded to during his fight with Piccolo as something that all of the Cyborgs/Androids were exposed to.
- As shown above, during one of Cell's tries at crafting a tournament ring, he confusingly realizes that all his square tiles have somehow made a circular shape.
- Future Trunks tells Krillin he checked out the country music channel and found out it sucks, harking back to when he heard country music and didn't recognize it (owing to the fact Android 18 apparently destroyed the genre in the future).
- The Hetap commercial's claim that it's so good you would kill someone for it is a nod back to an earlier episode, where Krillin drank the last one, prompting an angry Vegeta to declare he'd kill whoever did so.
- Dr. Briefs discovered that Android 16 is missing an extensive chunk of data. Back in Episode 38, the computer in his pod was in the process of installing over 1,000 updates before Android 18 aborted the process. There was also the fact that he suffered severe cranial damage by Cell back in Episode 48.
- Vegeta brings up Yamcha getting impaled to the chest by Dr. Gero while he was off-planet. Yamcha fires back by bringing up how Cell took him out with a hard elbow to the spine.
- Cell tells the people to blame the cartographers if they can't figure out the location of where the Cell Games is taking place, referencing his frustration with the conflicting town names on the map at the beginning of Episode 44.
- Chiaotzu says that Nappa, Vegeta's "dumbass friend" is busy "making movies or some shit". The finale of Season 2 revealed that, following his revival, Nappa had started collaborating with this new actor, "Mark Satan" (soon to be renamed "Hercule"). At The Stinger of this episode, he reappears, conversing with Hercule on the phone and telling him to start preparing for the Cell Games.
- Nappa also tells Hercule to do "push-ups, sit-ups, and pull plenty of buses", referring to Vegeta's (false) claims of becoming a Super Saiyan through "push-ups, sit-ups, and plenty of juice."
- Call-Forward: Cell making his tournament an open invite would attract other characters to take him on in the Cell Vs. crossover spinoff. A few would actually give him a run for his money, though it's ultimately non-canon.
- Comically Missing the Point:
- Bulma isn't quite able to understand how Cell, Trunks, and Vegeta all made it out of the fight alive, wondering if Cell's boredom with the fights means that they actually won.
- Later on, her attempts to talk with Trunks fail to take account of his actual age.Bulma: You okay, sweetie? I heard about everything! Do you need a snack? Maybe a juice box?
Trunks: Mom, I'm 18.
Bulma: Oh, right. Um, stiff drink?
Trunks: Mom, still 18!
- Continuity Nod: Krillin tells Trunks that he should be lucky Cell did not kill him when he had the chance and he, Roshi, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Vegeta all acknowledge that they had died before. This shocks Trunks as he grew up in a future where Shenron no longer exists and so revival isn't possible. Vegeta was killed by Freeza. Roshi, Krillin, and Chiaotzu died once back in the original Dragon Ball at the hands of Demon King Piccolo or his minions. Yamcha was killed by a Saibaman, though he never explicitly say it. Both Krillin and Chiaotzu died again by Freeza and Nappa, respectively.
- Damned by Faint Praise: Trunks' reaction to Krillin pointing out that at least he's still alive. Krillin was being perfectly sincere, as you aren't always so lucky in their line of work.
- Delayed Reaction: 16's circuits appear to have been fried enough that, when asking to be friends with Krillin, he briefly forgets that Cell absorbing 17 and 18 was the reason for their disappearance. When it hits him again, he lets out a deflated "Oh."
- Description Cut: Master Roshi reminds everybody that Cell is still out there, and they "have no idea what insidious plot he's brewing." Cut to Cell confused about how the square tiles in his latest arena attempt have somehow made a circle.
- Double Entendre: Much is made about 16 playing with Dr. Briefs' pussy(cat).
- Do Not Adjust Your Set: Cell takes over a news channel to announce his Cell Games to the world, and disrupts several other channels with programs in progress on his way to the top floor.Cell: (while strangling a reporter) The following contains violence, coarse language, and adult situations not suitable for minors. (in a darker tone) Viewer discretion is advised. (snaps reporter's neck)
Chiaotzu: Whoa, brutal!
Cell: Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls and that technicolor rainbow in-between, I am Cell. - Enemy Mine: 16 offers his assistance and friendship to Krillin after losing his Android allies to Cell. One reason was because of his promise to 18, and the other because he identifies Krillin as a "Space Duck".Krillin: Well quack-quack, big guy.
- Exact Words: Chi-Chi clarifies that she only agreed to allow Goku to train with Gohan. She never said anything about their son getting involved in another dangerous fight.
- Fight for the Last Bite: In the Hetap commercial, a guy shoots his friend for taking the last Hetap without asking. When the commercial's narrator closes with the line "Come on, you've killed for less" Vegeta (who 20 episodes earlier threatened to kill Krillin for drinking the last Hetap), notes that is "not untrue."
- Freudian Slip: In Gohan's nightmare, when Cell breaks off Chi-Chi's rant over Gohan not attending his studies by slapping her:Gohan: Oh, thank god— I mean, OH MY GOD!
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: If you pause at the right time when the tiles for Cell's first arena are being sent through the air, you can see the green one flying among the other ones.
- Get a Room!: In a rare bonding moment, Trunks and Vegeta's response to Krillin own bonding with 16 is very nearly this.Trunks: What am I watching?
Vegeta: I don't know but I hate it.
Trunks: Well. Hopefully, he doesn't try and screw this one.
Vegeta: Ha! No robo! - #HashtagForLaughs: Cell tells the world that they can follow the Cell Games on Twitter at #CellGames. According to Yamcha, he's trending almost immediately.
- Hope Spot: Cell: "I am leaving the planet forever!" (Krillin: "WOOHOO!") "After I blow it up!" (Krillin: "OH NO!") "Unless..." (Krillin: *Gasp!*)
- Hypocritical Humor: Upon seeing Trunks rage out over his failure to defeat Cell, a frustrated Vegeta says that he should "find some honor in defeat". Krillin immediately lampshades this.Krillin: (under his breath) View must be great from that glass house of yours...
- Immediate Self-Contradiction: Cell's attempt to go with the flow falls flat—Cell: How did all these squares make a circle?! I just—no no, it's fine, it's fine. it doesn't bother me, it doesn't bother me, it bothers me, it bothers me a lot... AND THAT ONE'S STILL GREEN!!
- Implied Death Threat: Chi-Chi with a warning to the Z-fighters:Chi-Chi: Now, I know that I can't stop [Gohan from fighting Cell], but if he fights and gets hurt—or, God forbid, dies—and any of you could've stopped it, there's no Dragon in this Universe that will save you from me.
- Right before that, she lays down the law to Vegeta. It gets a nervous grunt and averted gaze from him.Chi-Chi: I'm a fighter too, ya know! How do you think I landed the strongest man on the planet?
Vegeta: Arguably.
Chi-Chi: DO NOT MAKE ME COME OVER THERE, I WILL RIP YOUR WORLD A-F***ING-SUNDER!
- Right before that, she lays down the law to Vegeta. It gets a nervous grunt and averted gaze from him.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Having screwed everyone over by letting Cell transform, Vegeta spends most of this episode getting burned by everyone, from Cell to Krillin to Yamcha to Mrs Briefs.
- Late to the Punchline: Krillin takes a second to realize that Vegeta's comment about joining him and Yamcha at the gym was sarcastic.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Given the immense weight associated with death in his timeline and how the Dragon Balls no longer existed by the time he was of an able mind (thus making them more of an abstract concept to him growing up), Trunks is taken aback when it's revealed that just about all of the Z Fighters have actually died before and were then brought back to life (some more than once).
- Little Guy, Big Buddy: True to Android 18's request, Android 16 becomes friends with Krillin.16: You are the pluckiest duck. Together, we shall be the Bird and the "B". The "B" stands for—
Krillin: Bro-bot!
16: Yes. - Mama Bear: Everyone, including Vegeta, sees how terrifying Chi-Chi can be, as far as her son's well-being is concerned.
- Medium Awareness: Cell begins humming along with the background music (the overture of The Barber of Seville) as he goes about building his arena.
- Metaphorically True: Vegeta gleefully fact-checks Yamcha's claim that he died "on his feet, like a man". Considering Yamcha was blown up by a Saibaman shortly where he stood, immediately after his Rousing Speech, Vegeta admits he's half-right.
- Mood Whiplash: Cell makes an announcement to the world that he plans to blow them all up in one week if no one is able to defeat him, then departs ominously. The Z Fighters, watching from Kame House, can only stare at the television static, frustrated and helpless. Cut to the channel changing to a hentai, with Krillin reprimanding Roshi and the latter responding that he's getting all he can out of the time he has left.
- Mythology Gag:
- Another Faulconer remix, this time of Perfect Cell's distinctive theme music.
- One of the cities Cell mentions visiting during his broadcast is Penguin Village, the setting of Dr. Slump, which had a Crossover with the original Dragon Ball during the Red Ribbon Army arc.
- Nappa's comment in The Stinger to Mr. Satan to "pull plenty of buses" references Hercule's introductory scene in the original anime, which showed him pulling a giant bus.
- Odd Friendship: Between Krillin and 16. Largely because of their mutual ties to 18, their relatively upbeat attitudes at this point in the episode, and 16 continuing to think of Krillin as a bird. It leaves Trunks and Vegeta severely confused.
- Parents as People: As overbearing as Chi Chi is, she confesses that all she wishes is for Gohan to live a normal life instead of relying on welfare and fighting like Goku has.
- The Perfectionist: True to his "perfect" character, Cell has some difficulty making the perfect arena, always ending up with a small imperfection (two attempts end up with a green tile, and his second attempt making a circle from the square tiles). He feels like his third attempt works, only to find a small hole. He eventually gives up and just patches it offscreen.Cell: ...Let it go, Cell. You have shit to do.
- Poor Man's Porn: Roshi is still shown to enjoy watching women's aerobics shows for less-than-innocent reasons, which Oolong lampshades.Oolong: You know there's actual porn on the internet, right?
Roshi: Pig, you gotta be able to appreciate the classics. It's what separates the perverts from the connoisseurs...- Following Cell's announcement, Roshi quickly subverts this to change the channel for something more "explicit".Roshi: He said one week! I'm usin' it!
- Following Cell's announcement, Roshi quickly subverts this to change the channel for something more "explicit".
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: Cell gives one before killing the newscaster in the form of Content Warnings:Cell: The following contains violence, coarse language, and adult situations not suitable for minors, (dark tone) viewer discretion is advised (snaps reporter's neck).
Chiaotzu: (watching on TV at Kame House with the other Z fighters) Whoa-ho-ho, brutal! - Room Full of Crazy: "All training and no play make Gohan a dull boy. All training and no play make Gohan a dull boy. All training and no play make Gohan a dull boy."note
- Running Gag: Cell's repeated attempts to craft the perfect tournament ring for the Cell Games. His first try is perfect, except for one of the tiles turning out green. The second one we see makes the shape of a circle instead of a square (and there is still a green tile). The third and final attempt reveals that one of the tiles is only half as wide as it should be, leaving an empty space near the end of the ring. At this point, Cell decides he has other things to focus on.
- Sanity Slippage: Not only does Gohan have that horrifying nightmare (which Goku's been having daily for a week), there's also the Room Full of Crazy-styled reference to The Shining.
- Schiff One-Liner: Cell's final comment when making his announcement of the cell games, only proceeded by a long Beat...:Cell: -Also, feel free to pray to your god. but spoilers... I won't be listening.
- Shout-Out:
- The discovery of the "All training and no play make Gohan a dull boy" markings on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber walls is a reference to The Shining.
- Cell constructs his first attempt at an arena to the score from The Barber of Seville.
- The first images Dr. Briefs discovers in 16's systems include gameplay of Flappy Bird, Big Bird talking and the Falconzord attacking, all played to "Surfin' Bird."
- The two guys advertising a soda are from episode 14 of Mobile Suit Gundam. As well, the guitar player is Duke Fleed of UFO Robo Grendizer.
- The aerobics instructor that Roshi lusts over manages to reference the theme song for Space Jam with the phrase "Work your body, work your body. Make sure you don't hurt nobody!"
- As mentioned under Mythology Gag, one of the cities Cell mentions previously absorbing is Penguin Village.note
- Cell instructs the Earth's citizens to go crazy during their last few days on Earth, telling them to "get a purge going!"
- Nappa's ringtone during The Stinger is the Minions' ringtone.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Mixes in with Odd Friendship above. Krillin and 16 click more-or-less immediately, instantly getting one another's jokes and understanding one another's turns of phrase. This is likely a manifestation of 18's request for 16 to "take care of the little guy."
- Took a Level in Badass: For once, Yamcha lands a cutting verbal blow against Vegeta. If only briefly.Yamcha: You know, if you're going to skulk around, you could at least try to not be a total dick about it.
Vegeta: Oh, you're right! Allow me to try again. (ahem) Hello, earthling. How's that gaping chest wound?
Yamcha: Just fine! How's your spine?
Vegeta: (Beat) I'm giving you a five minute head start.
Yamcha: (without skipping a beat) Thank you! I'm going to need it. You're very fast. - Twisted Echo Cut: Android 16 asks Dr. Briefs if he can lick his pussy(cat). We then cut to Chi-Chi giving a Big "NO!" to the rest of the Z-Fighters on the possibility of Gohan fighting Cell.
- Your Mom:Cell: And much like Vegeta's mother, I will accept all comers.
Vegeta: HOW DARE—
Krillin: ...why'd you take off your shirt? - We Are Not Going Through That Again: When Bulma's mom appears a little flirty towards Future Trunks, Krillin decides to stop another potential Relative Error since it was funny enough the first time when Bulma did it three years ago.Krillin: Grandkid from the future. Leave the "swingin'" for the park.
Panchy: Phooey. - Your Days Are Numbered: Near the end of his broadcasted announcement for the Cell Games, Cell gives the entire world one week to do... whatever, as he feels confident that no one will stand a chance against him. As he demonstrated to a nearby city, his victory means the destruction of Earth.
"Hello?"
(indistinct chatter)
"Oh yeah, I saw it. I've already got my promo team on it. We'll have you on a plane tomorrow. You just do some push-ups, sit-ups, and pull plenty of buses...Champ."
(indistinct chatter)
"Oh yeah, I saw it. I've already got my promo team on it. We'll have you on a plane tomorrow. You just do some push-ups, sit-ups, and pull plenty of buses...Champ."
