The twelfth episode of the second season of Rocko's Modern Life.
Snowballs
Rocko takes Heffer with him on a business trip, and the pair are side-tracked by a trip to a ski resort.
Frog's Best Friend
Bev adopts an ill-tempered bulldog named Earl, who proceeds to torment Ed whenever he can get away with it.
"Snowballs" provides examples of:
- Absurd Altitude: The mountain top Rocko and Heffer go up for the ski jump is so tall it goes above the clouds and satellites are flying by.
- Ambiguous Syntax: The sign for the ski resort says "Everything $5", but after he pays to enter and is asked to pay again to use the amenities, he is told by the employee that "every thing is $5."
- Allegedly Free Game: The ski resort advertises that everything costs $5- i.e., each service costs $5.
- Bittersweet Ending: Rocko ends up hospitalized from going off a ski jump. Luckily, he won a prize doing so, which Heffer uses to complete Mr. Smitty's errand in Rocko's stead. Unfortunately, the episode ends with some trees claiming to be Rocko's parents...
- Nature Tinkling: When the owner of the pay toilets charges Heffer $10.00 to use them, Heffer says "Forget that!" and signs his name in the snow.
- Ski-Resort Episode: Heffer gauds Rocko into taking a side trip to a ski resort.
- Thermometer Gag: When Rocko ends up hospitalized at the end of the episode, Heffer comes to visit him, and asks "Did the nurse give you the thermometer yet?". Rocko says "Uh-huh." uncomfortably.
- Watch Out for That Tree!: novice skier Rocko runs into a few trees at first. Which leads to...
- When Trees Attack: After Rocko takes out his frustration with running into trees out on a sapling, some trees uproot themselves to chase after him. They even track him down to the hospital he's staying at!
"Frog's Best Friend" provides examples of:
- Butt Biter: Earl does this to the delivery boy after the latter brings Bev her delivery of flies.
- Diet Episode: Bev has Ed on a diet. For dinner he gets a single curd of cottage cheese. Later, Ed is angry that Bev is giving Earl a feast, while all he gets is a double portion of curds.
- Ennio Morricone Pastiche: The stand-off between Mrs. Bighead and Earl is accompanied by a Pat Irwin arrangement of the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
- Fluffy Tamer: Bev manages to tame and befriend Earl, the vicious stray dog that always terrorizes Rocko (And now Ed).
- Medium Awareness: One of the adjectives Ed uses to describe Earl is "poorly-drawn".
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Ed dresses as Earl in an attempt to get his food.
- Shout-Out:
- The scene where the Fairy Dogmother rescues Earl from his cage if he promises to be good is a reference to a similar scene in Pinocchio where the Blue Fairy does the same thing for the titular character.
- Earl and Mr. Bighead take part in a chase montage that parodies Pac-Man, Bullitt, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Godzilla.
- The following Mrs. Bighead scene ends with a reference to Gone with the Wind.
- Talking with Signs: After Earl destroys a car and chews on one of its tires, the car's driver holds up a sign that says "HELP".
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Earl's fairy dogmother releases him, believing he had learned his lesson and will reform now. Next thing we know, Earl's picking his teeth with her wand.
