Jack, the Woolies and the Chritchellites
Episode numeral: IV
Original air date: 8/13/01
Jack's travels in search for a way to return to his own time and undo Aku's tyranny bring him in contact with the Chritchellites, a diminutive people who ride large beasts called Woolies. Jack is initially only bothered by how cruel the Chritchellites are towards their beasts of burden, but Jack soon finds that the Woolies are not merely simple animals, but an enslaved people.
Tropes:
- Blatant Lies: The Critchelites are pathological liars who tell Jack a completely made up history of their people to paint themselves as heroic survivalists whose ancestors turned a barren wasteland into a beautiful oasis. In reality, they are recent arrivals who simply conquered an already prosperous village and forced it's inhabitants into slavery due to their technological advantage over them.
- They also paint the Woolies as dangerous animals that need to be subjugated for the Critchelites' safety, with one obnoxiously claiming the Woolies "nearly drove them (The Critchelites) to extinction." In reality the Woolies were a peaceful and eloquent people who enjoyed a picture perfect life before the Critchelites swept in like a plague and stole all they worked for.
- The Dog Bites Back: After Jack and one of the Woolies manage to destroy the Orb that controls the remainder of the Woolies they immediately turn on the Chritchellites invaders and beat them so soundly that they all turn tail and run back to their spaceships.Woolie: Your weapons are worthless now. This is our home!
- Early-Installment Weirdness: When Jack uses his hairpin to pick the lock on the Woolie enclosure, his hair is let down and it only barely reaches his shoulders. Later episodes would make Jack's hair much longer than it looks, going down to the middle of his back.
- Flashback: When the Elder Woolie describes to Jack what life used to be like in the village and how the Chritchellites enslaved them.
- Flat "What": Jack when he finds the Woolies can talk.
- Hairpin Lockpick: Jack uses the pin holding up his Samurai Ponytail to pick the lock on the enclosure where all the Woolies are kept by the Chritchellites.
- Made a Slave: The Elder Woolie tells Jack that, long ago, his kind roamed the land living in peace and harmony with nature but the Chritchellites arrived in spaceships and used their advanced technology to subjugate his people and turn them into slaves.
- "Not So Different" Remark: One of the Chritchellites likens how they treat the Woolies to how humans treat horses, which admittedly gives Jack pause.
- "Oh, Crap!" Smile: The Woolie that accidently wakes up the Chritchellites gives one of these.
- Pain-Powered Leap: Jack utilizes this by poking the Woolie to get it up the remainder of the Orb's tower.
- Restraining Bolt: The Chritchellites control the Woolies via the use of a object known as the Orb, which controls a collar of energy that forces the Woolies to walk on all four legs like animals. Jack destroying the Orb is what allows the other Woolies to fight back.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Once the Orb is shattered, the Chritchellites realise that they can't hope to subjugate the Woolies anymore and decide to high tail it back to their spaceships and get off the planet.
- Sequel Hook: At the end of the episode the Elder Woolie tells Jack that, if he wants to find a way back home, he should go north, which leads into the season's sixth episode.
- Space Jews: The Woolies are an alien race with large noses who wear what look suspiciously like yarmulkes, and are held captive by cold, uncaring oppressors who believe they are naturally superior to other races. Does This Remind You of Anything?
- Wham Line: Jack gives the Woolie some food and pets him. He's about to walk off when...Woolie: Help me.
- You Can Talk?: Jack initially believes that the Woolies are mistreated animals and, while disturbed by their treatment, doesn't want to judge his hosts on how they live their lives. Upon closer inspection of the buildings, he sees that they are strangely large for such small people. Then the Woolie that he inadvertently got captured asks him to help him and Jack realises that something is very wrong.
