The fourteenth episode of the second season of Garfield and Friends.
Post-Opening Sequence Line: "I can't believe we get away with this every week!"
Basket Brawl
Jon, Odie, and Nermal play a basketball-like game (with an audience of mice watching) as they attempt to pack a picnic lunch before Garfield can devour all the food.
The Origin of Power Pig
Orson tells Wade the story of how he became the superhero known as Power Pig. During this time, Gort, Wart, and Mort attempt to steal Orson's crop of vegetables, and when Roy and Orson get captured, Wade is inspired to be a superhero called Wonder Wade to save them.
Cactus Jake Rides Again
When the local rodeo comes to Jon's neighborhood, Cactus Jake spends the night at Jon's house to prepare. Unfortunately, Jake's horse, Certain Death, becomes sleepy when he eats Garfield's lasagna. Can Garfield get Certain Death back to his normal ornery self and help Jake win the rodeo?
"Basket Brawl" provides examples of:
- Alliterative Title: Basket Brawl.
- Big Eater: Garfield, as usual. In addition to eating all the food during the game, he eats several foods behind Jon's back during "Fight, Fight, Fight!"
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The Danza: Chick Mouse was voiced by Chick Hearn. - No Celebrities Were Harmed: Garfields #1 fan resembles Jack Nicholson.
- Pep-Talk Song: Jon sings "Fight, Fight, Fight!" to encourage his team not to give up.
- Self-Deprecation: After Garfield wins the game, this exchange occurs:Chick: You've devoured an entire picnic. You got to be proud.
Garfield: I am, Chick. Real proud. And I also like to say this is probably the dumbest episode we've done all season. - Unconventional Food Usage: Mice from all over the neighborhood come to Garfield's house to see a basketball-like game; Jon, Odie, and Nermal are trying to pack their picnic basket with food because the last eight times they went on a picnic, Garfield ate their food before they got out of the driveway. The goal of the game is for them to get food into their picnic basket to score, using foods like a grapefruit, a watermelon, and a seven-layer cake as balls, but if Garfield eats said food, then he scores. Despite their best efforts, Garfield wins all of the rounds.
"The Origin of Power Pig" provides examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: During the Power Pig theme song, the singer keeps misnaming Power Pig, calling him Tower Pig, Shower Pig, and Flower Pig.
- Alliterative Name: In addition to Orson's superhero alter-ego being Power Pig, Wade's is Wonder Wade, and Roy's is the Red Rooster.
- Badass in Distress: Orson as Power Pig gets caught in a bag by Mort when he attempts to save Roy, leading to Wade having to rescue them both.
- Bag of Kidnapping: When Orson as Power Pig tries to stop his brothers and save Roy, Mort traps him in a bag.
- Be the Ball: A flashback shows Gort, Wart, and Mort playing croquet, using Orson as the ball.
- Brought to You by the Letter "S": In addition to Orson having a letter P on the shirt of his Power Pig costume, Wade has a letter W on each shoulder of his Wonder Wade costume, while Roy has two letter Rs on his Red Rooster costume.
- Cowardly Lion: When Wade sees Mort trapping Orson in a bag, he briefly considers fleeing. However, when he remembers what Orson said about how anyone can be a superhero if they just believe, he decides to become a superhero named Wonder Wade to save Orson.
- Group Costume Fail: Played for laughs; Orson's brothers get the idea to disguise themselves as giant knockwurst in yet another attempt to steal the harvest. Mort, however shows up in a different outfit, and when Wart says "Hey, that don't look like a giant knockwurst!", Mort replies "I couldn't find a giant knockwurst costume. I'm a Vienna sausage."
- Help, I'm Stuck!: During the Power Pig theme song, Orson chases the Fox into a hollow log when he sees the Fox chasing Sheldon. Orson gets stuck in the log, but uses his super strength to break out."So if you're in a tight spot and need help to save the day,
make sure the spot is not too tight cause' his tummy might get in the way! - Missed Him by That Much: When Roy complains about having to guard the vegetables from Gort, Wart, and Mort, he has his back turned when Orson's brothers sneak past him. He then says "Orson's brothers are miles from here!"
- Unplanned Crossdressing: During the Power Pig theme song, Orson goes into the shed to change into his Power Pig costume, but comes out wearing a bra and panties, much to his embarrassment.
"Cactus Jake Rides Again" provides examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: Jake misnames Jon Arbuckle "Garfunkel".
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: After putting up with Jake living at Jon's house for a day, Garfield tells the viewers; "Enjoy Cactus Jake while you can, folks. This is his last appearance on my show."
- Blazing Inferno Hellfire Sauce: Jake's Texicali Chili so so spicy that Jon's face turns red and he drinks water to extinguish the spiciness.
- Chekhov's Gag: Garfield feeds Certain Death Jake's Texicali chili to get him back to his normal mean, mangy, ornery self.
- Cowboy Episode: A rodeo is being held in Jon's neighborhood, and Jake spends the night at Jon's house to prepare for it.
- Fate Worse than Death: A variant; after being menaced by a horse named Certain Death, Garfield comes across Jake singing Home on the Range off-key. Upon hearing Jake, Garfield remarks "I was safer with the horse."
- Tempting Fate: When Garfield cooks some lasagna that he plans to have for dinner, he says "Wild horses couldn't get this lasagna away from me.", at which point Certain Death runs across him.
- We Want Our Jerk Back!: Certain Death becomes sleepy after he eats several trays of lasagna. Jake is desperate to have him back to his normal mean, mangy, ornery self.
