Recap / Pinky And The Brain S 1 E 5

Episode: Season 1, Episode 5
Title: Brainania
Directed by: Jon McClenahan
Written by: John Mc Cann
Air Date: November 12, 1995
Previous: Pinky & the Fog / Where No Mouse Has Gone Before / Cheese Roll Call
Next: TV or Not TV
Guest Starring: Tress MacNeille

"Brainania" is the fifth episode of the first season of Pinky and the Brain.

The Brain's latest goofy scheme for world domination involves shocking everyone in the world with static cling, until the human race submits and makes him the leader. This, naturally, requires a gigantic clothes dryer, one which will cost $14,000,000,000.59.

Where to get fourteen billion dollars and fifty-nine cents? The U.S. government, of course! Through foreign aid! Brain picks an out-of-the-way South Pacific island, christens it "Brainania", assumes the identity of the Prime Minister, and shows up in Washington DC to ask for aid.

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Tropes:

• Advanced Tech 2000: The gargantuan clothes dryer that Brain wants to build to inflict static cling on the world is called the "Titan Cycle 4000".
• Appease the Volcano God: The Brain's plots to turn the island into the nation of Brainania displeases the island's natives, who accuse the Brain of believing himself to be greater than their volcano god. The Brain gains the natives' approval by claiming to be a devotee of said volcano god.
• The Big Board: General Odin claims that Brainania is on "the big board" at the Pentagon but eventually has to admit he doesn't know where it is.
• Bland-Name Product: "Punchline", a goof on the ABC late-night news digest Nightline. Pinky and the Brain are interviewed as war between the United States and Brainania looms.
• Chekhov's Hobby: To keep Pinky busy and stop him from being annoying, the Brain makes him learn origami. At the end Pinky folds their check into the shape of a bird. That wouldn't be so bad, except that a frustrated Brain grabs the bird and rips it to shreds.
• Chekhov's Volcano: The island that Brain colonizes has a volcano. Naturally, at the end of the episode the volcano erupts and sends Pinky and the Brain out into the open sea, adrift.
  The Brain: I sense life has taken another sardonic twist.
• Consolation Backfire: After the natives bug out, leaving Pinky and Brain without a workforce to help build the dryer, Pinky tells Brain that "at least [they] still have Brainania". It's then that the Chekhov's Volcano starts to rumble.
• Egopolis: The Brain christens his fake country "Brainania", and hoists a flag with his face on it. He also names several natural landmarks after himself, with one named after Pinky to placate him.
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: The natives leave Brain a note saying they were hightailing it off the island because their volcano god was 'blinkin' mad'. Just after he finishes reading it, the volcano begins to rumble.
• Global Ignorance: No one has any idea where Brainania is; most assume it's one of the former Soviet republics (or part of the Canada).
• Have a Gay Old Time: This show was made in 1995 so it has to be intentional when the receptionist at the State Department says "You foreign folks sure have your own queer little ways."
• Hollywood Natives: The natives of Brainania fit the description, except that they speak fluent English and aren't impressed with Brain's show of technology. When Pinky shows that he can blow spit bubbles, they immediately accept him as an emissary of their volcano god.
• Inherently Funny Words: While naming local landmarks, Brain names one the Fjord of Pinky. Pinky likes the sound of "fjord" and incorporates it into his repertoire of Verbal Tics.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Fred Floppel is a parody of Ted Koppel, and "Mr. Secretary" is a caricature of Warren Christopher, the then-current US Secretary of State
• Shout-Out: The War Room is taken from Dr. Strangelove, complete with The Big Board and General Odin drawn to look like George C. Scott.
  • Brain references Helen of Troy and Yogi Berra.
  • The boat uses to reach Island X is the S.S. Fatty Lumpkin, named for Tom Bombadil’s pony.
  • Bisque references short-lived '80s sitcom What A Country!.
  • "Punchline" is a parody of Nightline, the long-running ABC news program.
• Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: When the Brain is forced to improvise a patriotic Brainania song about their supposed war with the island of Yap.
  "Spears in hand, we sail for Yap/We will wipe them off the... front porch."
• This Is My Boomstick: Subverted. The Brain flicks a lighter and claims he can "make fire out of a box." He then whips out a mirror and claims that he can capture the tribesmen's souls. They are utterly unimpressed. But when Pinky shows he can blow spit bubbles, all the tribesmen bow down in worship.
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Parodied. Pinky accidentally declares war on the U.S. The U.S. immediately capitulates because they don’t know where Brainania is, and they can't go to war with a country they can't find.