- "Don't forget to floss!"
Airdate: December 24, 1999
"Spin Fun Knowin' Ya!" is the first episode of the first (internet) season of Happy Tree Friends.
The episode begins with a group of small woodland animals (Cuddles the rabbit, Giggles the chipmunk, and Toothy the beaver) playing on a merry-go-round spun by a tall moose (Lumpy). One of the critters asks the moose to spin it faster, and he obliges. Soon enough, the moose begins spinning the merry-go-round faster and faster, making the critters happy until they get launched out from the ride one by one. The first to be launched away is Toothy, who ends up crashing into a tree, breaking his back and planting his teeth into said tree. Giggles goes second after trying to hold on to the ride, only for the bar she's holding onto to break off, sending her to a tree stump that cuts off her body. The merry-go-round's bar then impales her upper body. Cuddles is the last to go after having his hands torn off from trying to hold on to the high-speed merry-go-round, launching him into an idle airplane's engine, shredding him to bits. The unaware Lumpy soon gets exhausted from spinning the merry-go-round and finally stops. Once the ride stops spinning, he notices Cuddles' hands still hanging onto one of the bars. Realizing what he has done, he simply walks away whistling while Cuddles' hands slide down the merry-go-round's bar.
"Spin Fun Knowin' Ya!" provides examples of:
- Accidental Murder: Lumpy has no intention in killing the smaller critters at all. He's just unaware of what he's actually doing until the deaths have happened.
- Caption Humor: Its "Special Pop Corn Video" version.
- Cruel and Unusual Death:
- Toothy breaks his back after crashing into a tree at high speed.
- Giggles is cut in half horizontally after being launched into a tree stump.
- Cuddles has his hands torn off and his remaining body shredded by an airplane engine.
- Debut Queue: In order, Cuddles, Giggles, Toothy, and Lumpy make their first debut in the regular series (not counting "Banjo Frenzy").
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Despite looking more distinct compared to "Banjo Frenzy", this episode still contains some oddities compared to later HTF episodes.
- Giggles lacks her triangular (later diamond-shaped) marking on her head. However, despite "Helping Helps" finally adding her marking, her introduction pop-up still leaves her without it.
- Toothy had two stray hairs on his head. Similar to Giggles' case, Toothy's stray hairs are retained in his introduction pop-up in later episodes.
- The Caption Humor rerelease version is referred to as "Special Pop Corn Video" instead of "BlurB!" that fans have grown accustomed to. Additionally, the Caption Humor presentation itself looks different compared to the BlurB!s. Notably, it retains the show's thematic "Countryhouse" font instead of using a more general-use font like in the latter's case.
- Establishing Series Moment: For the regular internet series, if not counting "Banjo Frenzy". The episode begins with an innocent-looking moment involving cuddly characters, only to go wrong and end with a bloody mess. This is the episode that establishes the series' reputation right off the bat.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Giggles' fate.
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Licensed Game: A Java mobile game called Spin Fun is based on this episode. - Mood Whiplash: Starts out innocent, with Cuddles, Giggles, and Toothy actually enjoying the increased speed of the merry-go-round. But then Toothy gets launched away...
- Not-So-Innocent Whistle: Lumpy does this after noticing Cuddles' hands still hanging onto the merry-go-round's bar.
- Oh, Crap!: Giggles' reaction after seeing Toothy being launched away. She has a second one right before her own death, letting out an "uh-oh" right before the bar she's holding onto gives way.
- Pun-Based Title: "Been fun knowin' ya!"
- Spectacular Spinning: What Cuddles, Giggles, and Toothy think when the merry-go-round they're on is spun faster. How wrong they are...
- Turbine Blender: Cuddles ends up dying this way with an oddly placed plane.
- Updated Re-release: One of the early episodes to be part of "Classics Remastered" releases, which re-releases early HTF episodes in HD.
- Although Blast to the Past (a TV series episode), almost plays this episode scene from scene when they find the merry-go-round to play in the park. In that episode, there are more details and more fluid animation.
- "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: In-Universe and Played for Laughs in the "Pop Corn Video" version of this episode.Cuddles has gone on to star in a series of straight-to-video Ninja movies called "Paws of Fury". Toothy is currently wanted in 7 states for impersonating a dentist. He was last seen in Ohio. Giggles has written a tell-all autobiography called "Tears Behind the Giggles". Lumpy went on to sponsor a bill in the Senate banning the parking of commercial planes near playgrounds. To this day, 5 lives have been saved. [Beat] 6 Lives — shown after "Spin Fun Knowin' Ya!" ends but before the credits sequence.
