Recap / Odd Squad S 2 E 28 Villains In Need Are Villains Indeed Happily Ever Odd

"Well well well. If it isn't Jamie Jam, Noisemaker, and Mr. Lightning. How dare you break into my Squad. SEIZE THEM!!"

Villains in Need Are Villains Indeed

Airdates: March 28, 2018 ^note PBS Kids premiere, January 14, 2018 ^note TVO Kids premiere

Jamie Jam, Mr. Lightning, and Noisemaker need Odd Squad's help to stop a giant malfunctioning robot.

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Tropes:

• A.I. Is a Crapshoot: The villains programmed the robot wrong, and because of it, it's turned into a Killer Robot with intent to squish whatever is in its path — up to and including human beings.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: A Running Gag in the episode revolves around Olympia, Otis and Ms. O getting calls from citizens of the town. Done Rule of Three style, the first two calls are from agents, but the third call is from a villain who will say something to the person at the other end of the line that isn't regarding the robot.
• Big "WHAT?!": The Main 3's reaction to Jamie Jam telling them that the villain's giant robot will flatten Headquarters.
• Butt-Monkey: Poor Otis is having a rough time with all three villains.
• Call-Back: The three villains enter Precinct 13579 the same way the Noisemaker and Jamie Jam did in "Flawed Squad". However, instead of the Shapeshifter using a drill she shapeshifted out of her hand to get inside, Mr. Lightning uses his lightning powers. Similarly, this is Jamie Jam's and Noisemaker's second time breaking into the precinct's headquarters (although not Mr. Lightning, as he wasn't in the group in "Flawed Squad").
• Card-Carrying Villain: Both Jamie Jam and Mr. Lightning know they're villains, and they're not afraid to bring it up to the town's citizens, treating the act of committing odd crimes as a provided service.
• Continuity Nod: Remembering their adventure from "Otis's Day", the Noisemaker teams up with Otis once again to get inside Benny and try to reprogram him.
  • Mayor Mackelmore is having another cheese festival. The Movie previously confirmed that he has quite a lot of cheese festivals.
  • "Win it All For the Win" plays as BGM while Jamie reminisces about building and caring for Benny.
• Didn't Think This Through: While the villains knew what they were doing when making Benny for the most part (right down to the power source), they programmed the robot incorrectly. While they initially programmed him to run over Precinct 13579's HQ, they didn't think he'd run over their lairs. They were wrong.
  • Otis suggests that Mr. Lightning call Jamie Jam when the villain mentions there's something he forgot regarding the robot. He responds in kind by pointing out that they're underwater, where there's no signal.
  • Every single time the villains forget something essential about Benny, it falls under this trope.
• Enemy Mine: The episode revolves around Jamie Jam, the Noisemaker, and Mr. Lightning requiring Odd Squad's help to destroy a robot named Benny, of their own creation. While Ms. O is initially (and rightfully) hesitant, once it's revealed that the robot will destroy Headquarters, she agrees to help.
• Failed a Spot Check: Mr. Lightning tells the agents that he and the other villains would have used the precinct's front door, but there is no front door. Apparently, he forgot about the automatic double-doors that lead into the bullpen, which function similarly to front doors. (And even if they don't, Headquarters is an Elaborate Underground Base. Check your surroundings, Mr. Lightning.)
• Filling the Silence: While the show is often filled with sound except at moments where Rule of Funny is in effect, this episode opens up with near-silence save for the sound of Ms. O sipping juice. Other than that, there is no noise or dialogue up until Olympia (who is watching her with Otis) asks if something odd has happened.
• Flat "What": Olympia in particular has this reaction when Jamie Jam tells them that the robot will attack Odd Squad in an hour.
• Geographic Flexibility: The show is filmed in Toronto, Canada, and was indirectly confirmed to take place there in The Movie. However, this episode introduces a volcano, a desert, and prairie and flatland districts, none of which are located in or around Toronto. Looking at a wide view of the map shows that Toronto also looks very small, almost like a small town — when in reality, it's a rather large city.
• Giant Equals Invincible: Benny is invincible to everything, and we mean everything. Water can't short him out, and neither can lava. Not even the battery inside of him or his solar panels can run out of power. He's essentially destined to be active forever.
• Good-Times Montage: One occurs with the three villains hanging out inside of Benny, but it becomes cut off by Otis (who had walked out of the room and had been lying down in Benny's ear) telling her that they have to get back to HQ.
• Hidden Depths: Jamie Jam, the Noisemaker, and Mr. Lightning have a little bit of Gadgeteer Genius in them for them to be able to build a giant robot. Too bad that programming the robot itself doesn't go over so well...
• Humongous Mecha: Benny is huge. So huge that it towers over both the villains and the agents, with a method of flight (or in the agents' case, the Sticky-Hand-inator) required to get inside of him.
• Idiot Ball: The Noisemaker is a bit more idiotic in this episode than in past episodes, with Mr. Lightning and Jamie Jam being leagues above him in intelligence.
  • Mr. Lightning fails to remember what is important about the robot that Odd Squad should know about (Benny is invulnerable to lava).
• Immediate Self-Contradiction: When Olympia and Otis are ordered to detain the villains, Jamie Jam stops them, stating that they didn't break in...before making an Aside Comment to the Noisemaker that they did, indeed, just break in.
• Iris Out: The episode ends with one in the shape of a heart.
• Irony: The previous episode's name would make one think that the episode revolves around a slow day at Odd Squad — in reality, it's a literal slow day for three clients. What does this episode open up with? A slow day at Odd Squad, with Ms. O making casual conversation with Olympia and Otis up until three villains break in.
• The Leader: Although it's subtle, Jamie Jam appears to be the leader amongst the villains, being rational and still retaining a sense of villainy despite the Enemy Mine situation. She veers more towards the Levelheaded type.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Jamie Jam and Mr. Lightning invoke this, as they don't tell the Noisemaker things due to his inability to keep secrets. This bites not only them, but also Precinct 13579 in the butt later on when the Noisemaker gets wind that Benny is...well, everything-proof.
• Never Say "Die": Once again, it's played straight — any instances of death are referred to as being "squashed" or "destroyed".
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A villainous example — Jamie Jam, the Noisemaker, and Mr. Lightning have built a giant robot they named Benny. However, it's set to destroy their evil Supervillain Lair (including their underwater one).
• Non-Human Non-Binary: Averted — Benny is explicitly referred to as male, as the villains use male pronouns when addressing him.
• Nose Nuggets: When heading into Benny's head for the third time, Otis is forced to go through his nose, and ends up with snot on his jacket as a result.
• Precious Puppy: The Noisemaker gifts one to both Jamie Jam and Mr. Lightning for Christmas.
• Precrime Arrest: Ms. O sics Olympia and Otis on the three villains, ordering them to seize them before they can wreck Headquarters, but they don't get very far before the villains stop them and state their reasoning for breaking in.
• Pre-Mortem One-Liner: The Noisemaker comes up with one using a Portmanteau of his and Otis' names, "Time to put Benny on notice!" ^note "Notis" is the preferred spelling. Otis doesn't find it to to be badass in the slightest.
• Robot Buddy: The villains made a Humongous Mecha capable of destroying everything in its path, and treat it like it's their best friend, having the name "Benny". Jamie Jam in particular has a very strong attachment to Benny, and asks Otis for a moment alone with him.
• Series Continuity Error: Throughout the episode, Precinct 13579's Headquarters is treated as though it is above ground, and not underground — if it were above ground, Benny would roll right over it and flatten those inside of it, like what the villains are warning Ms. O and the other agents about. However, numerous past episodes have shown that Precinct 13579's Headquarters in particular is underground, meaning that there is no way Benny could roll directly over them. Essentially, Benny poses very little threat to the precinct and its agents as a whole. ^note The most logical threat Benny could pose to Headquarters is that he could cause the ceiling to collapse, but Headquarters has been shown to be deep down underground, and thus, Benny couldn't do a thing to them (unless he has the ability to dig, which he isn't seen as having at any point in the episode). In addition, while Precinct 13579 was shown to originally be above ground in "Fistful of Fruit Juice", it has since been moved underground.
• Status Quo Is God: Ms. O may realize how much good can come out of an Enemy Mime situation, but of course, it's right back to the same old routine by "New Jacket Required".
• Supervillain Lair: Apparently, the villains all have one that they all share. However, we don't get to see it, and Mr. Lightning asks the Noisemaker why he would bring up that they all have an evil lair to begin with.
  • The villains also have an underwater lair that we don't see.
• Tempting Fate: Otis tells Ms. O that he's sure things will pick up in the precinct soon, with Olympia adding that if she knows anything about Odd Squad, an agent can be doing nothing one minute, and the next minute, boom, something will happen. Cue a very loud "boom" coming from a nearby hallway, where Mr. Lightning breaks in along with Jamie Jam and the Noisemaker.
• This Is Gonna Suck: Whoo boy, is Otis not happy that he has to team up with the Noisemaker again. Considering what happened on their last adventure, it's a rightful reaction.
• Tranquil Fury: Otis has a brief moment where he takes out the Sticky-Hand-inator and tells the Noisemaker to hold on. The villain decides to lean down and hug him, only for Otis to angrily clarify that he meant the gadget, not himself.
• Villainous Friendship: Jamie Jam, the Noisemaker, and Mr. Lightning are all shown being friends with each other, hanging out inside Benny. Though there is conflict that ensues, they all form a competent Big Bad Duumvirate.
• Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Every time the agents believe that Benny is destroyed for good, someone will pipe up that the robot is indestructible and has made it through whatever threat the designated agent and villain has steered it toward (water, lava, etc.).
• Villains Out Shopping: When not trying to destroy Odd Squad, Jamie Jam, Mr. Lightning and the Noisemaker are shown to hang out inside Benny, celebrating birthdays and other holidays.

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Well, isn't this wedding a little...unconventional.

Happily Ever Odd

Airdates: March 28, 2018 ^note  PBS Kids premiere, January 14, 2018 ^note  TVO Kids premiere

Odd Squad accidentally loses someone in headquarters.

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Tropes:

• Apes in Space: This episode has a variant, with Oona sending Donnie — in the form of a red rabbit — up into space to be the first rabbit to land on the moon. However, he isn't the first rabbit to land on the moon, as another rabbit manages to get there first.
• Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: As a result of eating 5 of Oona's lab carrots, Donnie grows to be taller than the ceiling. It doesn't stop him from serving as best man at Ronnie and Bonnie's wedding, though.
• Beyond the Impossible: Coach O managed to make a Donkeyball team that captures the attention of sports fans, scores talk shows and interviews for his team, scores advertising for his team, and he wins the world championship...in the span of a day. Even Olympia has to question how that's possible!
• Big "WHAT?!": Ronnie gives one when Dr. O says that Donnie has turned into a donkey.
• Bland-Name Product: The "Shmumberade" bottles that Coach O has are obvious rips of the Gatorade or Powerade bottles.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: Otis, Olympia, Ronnie and Bonnie all recite the "go" part of Ms. O's Catchphrase.
• The Bus Came Back: Ronnie and Donnie return after having last been seen in "Best Seats in the House", save an appearance in "First Day" via a video playback.
• Calvinball: The aptly-named Donkeyball, a sport that Coach O makes up on the fly. For how nonsensical it sounds, it manages to capture the attention of a ton of sports fans, and Coach O manages to win the world championship with the team he coached.
• Cold Open: Surprisingly, this episode has one, compared to other Season 2 episodes that open without one (with the show seemingly retiring the tradition).
• Comically Missing the Point: Coach O sees a sad-looking donkey walking towards him. The way he cheers him up is by making him an athlete...and offering up sports that normally require opposable thumbs to play, like football and catch.
  • Oona also misreads Donnie's upset emotions, and to cheer him up, she sends him into space.
• Continuity Nod: The Odd Squad Western Theme is used as BGM again, after appearing in "Fistful of Fruit Juice".
  • To shrink Donnie, Olympia suggests using the Shrinking Potato, but realizes that it will take too long to get.
• Creator's Culture Carryover: Oona's story about Donnie being an astronaut takes heavy inspiration from the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union. The show takes place in Toronto, which is in Canada, and had no involvement with the Space Race.
• Don't Celebrate Just Yet: As Bonnie asks Dr. O what Donnie turned into, Dr. O says "A don". Bonnie and Ronnie begin celebrating...before Dr. O says he read the paper wrong, stating that he turned into a donkey.
• Fluffy the Terrible: While she quickly realizes that she never owned a rabbit, Oona claims to own one that glows a bright red color. Sound terrifying? Well, she decided to name it, of all things, Brian.
• Good News, Bad News: When Dr. O looks at his notes and tells the couple that Donnie is back to normal, they ask him nervously if there's bad news. Dr. O says that of course there is — the bad news is that Donnie has grown to gigantic proportions.
• Gratuitous Spanish: Otis and Olympia engage in this in the Cold Open. Oddly enough, there are no translations provided, either onscreen in the episode or in closed-captions — so unless you speak Spanish fluently, it's hard to translate what they're saying.
• Hero of Another Story: Coach O starting a Donkeyball team and winning the world championships. What we do see are brief snippets.
  • Oona helping Donnie while he is a glowing red rabbit also qualifies. Like with Coach O's story, we only see snippets of what happened.
• Iris Out: Just like the last episode, the episode ends with one of these in a heart shape.
• It's Personal: Coach O reacts this way when Donnie drinks his Shmumberade bottles.
• Lohengrin and Mendelssohn: This episode puts a unique twist on "Lohengrin" by combining it with Coach O's musical Leitmotif.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When Dr. O is set to treat Donnie's cabbage head issue, he realizes that he forgot one ingredient. He leaves the Medical bay to get it, causing Donnie to panic and eventually leave the room. Had he stayed put as Dr. O instructed, the conflict would have been avoided.
• No Hugging, No Kissing: Played with. The episode revolves around two side characters, Ronnie and Bonnie, getting married, not two main characters. However, the wedding at the end of the episode doesn't play out like a traditional wedding — Coach O is the officiant, and only the bride, groom and best man are present. However, what's most alarming of all is that Ronnie and Bonnie don't kiss at the end; they hug. Whether this was to avoid tipping off the Moral Guardians or it's meddling from PBS Kids is unknown.
• Tears of Joy: Donnie sheds these during the wedding. Unfortunately, since he's large, his tears come off as rather large raindrops. Luckily, Ms. O has the couple covered with an umbrella.
• invoked Technology Marches On: In-universe examples happen twice, and are played for laughs.
  • The first example is inverted when Otis starts to open up his watch to generate an equation, only for Coach O to tell him that they're going "old-school", which involves him writing the equation on a whiteboard.
  • The second example is played straight with Oona telling Otis that his watch is old-fashioned, and upgrading to the more advanced technology of throwing a screen with the equation and having it remain in mid-air.
• Tempting Fate: When Dr. O explains the situation to the Main 3 and the soon-to-be couple, Ms. O asks, "How hard can it be to find a guy with a cabbage head?" She begins to assign Otis and Olympia the task of finding him...just before Dr. O pipes up by saying that he's not a cabbage head anymore.
• Theme Naming: Ronnie's fiance's name is Bonnie.
• Time Skip: When Olympia and the others race out of Coach O's office to find Donnie in the form of a glowing red rabbit, she stops mid-run and suggests that everyone stay in the office since someone will run in with a clue. 2 hours later, that clue comes from Oona.
• Wedding Episode: The episode focuses on a wedding between Ronnie and his fiance, Bonnie. While it takes nearly the entire episode to find Donnie (the best man) and bring him to the wedding, the end of the episode has the wedding being held in the bullpen of Precinct 13579, with all of the Main 4 and some background agents in attendance.
• Worst Wedding Ever: Ronnie and Bonnie's wedding is nearly ruined by Donnie, the best man, going missing after being afflicted with an odd illness. Once they do find him, they realize they will miss their wedding since Donnie is unable to get out of Odd Squad HQ due to his large size, and decide to get married at Odd Squad instead.

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