The twelfth episode of Tiny Toon Adventures.
The episode begins one night at ACME Looniversity, when Bugs Bunny shows the viewers a top-secret video about Dr. Gene Splicer. One a certified bioengineer, Splicer is now classified as a certified loony. Splicer was kicked out of the ACME Hospital for his animal mutation experiments, and now hiding out in his laboratory, Splicer continues his experiments. As the video ends, Bugs tells the viewers that somebody's got to stop Splicer and save the captive animals, and they're just the person for the job. Bugs is then revealed to have been talking to Buster, and informs him that if the assignment doesn't turn out funny, Warner Bros. will disavow any knowledge of the episode and blame the writers. Bugs then tells Buster that he needs a team of rugged professionals to help him, and unfortunately for Buster, all he has is his regular cast of screwballs. Buster then thinks about how he can convince Babs, Plucky, and Hamton to assist him on his mission.
A few minutes later, Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton are all dressed in fancy attire, and riding a taxi. Babs, Plucky, and Hamton are excited to be going to the Emmy awards, but then Buster tells the viewers that he had to lie to his friends to get them to come along with him. The camera moves up a tall mountain, up to a castle with a mad scientist saying, "It's alive, it's alive!", implying that castle is where Splicer lives, until Buster points out that Splicer actually lives in a mundane-looking office building at the bottom of the mountain. The taxi stops outside Splicer's laboratory, and Plucky begins to suspect that he, Buster, Babs, and Hamton are not actually at the Emmys, since there are no photographers. Unfortunately, his suspicion doesn't last long when he gets struck by lightning. Babs also begins to suspect that she, Buster, Plucky, and Hamton aren't at the Emmy's, since they're not in Hollywood. Buster informs Babs that the Emmys are actually being hosted elsewhere this year.
Inside Splicer's laboratory, Splicer is on the phone, as his order for an insane bird brain has been cancelled, and he is not happy, as he needs an insane bird brain to continue his experiments. Splicer then overhears Plucky outside, and decides that his experiments will proceed as planned. Plucky bangs angrily on the front door, until a trap door under the welcome mat opens below him. Babs then asks Buster where Plucky went, and Buster assures her that he must have gone inside, and leads her and Hamton inside.
Plucky lands near Splicer, who tells him he has something he wants. Plucky, assuming that Splicer is an usher, asks Splicer where the other Emmy nominees are. Splicer is confused, and Plucky tells him, "This guy could use a brain!". Splicer then says, "As a matter of fact, I could", and Plucky asks him where he's supposed to go. Splicer, deciding to play along with Plucky, tells him that the nominees are wanted in makeup. Upon hearing this, Plucky tells Splicer about the time he played a mutant from outer space, with big, bulging eyes, suction cup tentacles, and green slime dripping from every pore. He climbed up the hero's body and kissed him, as it was a love story. Splicer then leads Plucky to a room behind a door that says, BRAIN SURGERY, telling him it's the make-up room.
Inside Splicer's lab, various pictures of Splicer's animal mutation experiments are shown as Buster tells Babs and Hamton that Plucky is with the other Emmy nominees. Upon seeing the pictures, Babs suspects that she and the boys are not actually at the Emmy awards, and asks Buster to confess. After Hamton confesses that he stole a fig newton from the cookie jar when he was three years old, Babs tells him that she was talking about Buster, and asks Buster if they're not at the Emmys. Buster then confesses that they're at Splicer's laboratory to save some captive animals, and now Splicer has Plucky and is probably experimenting on him. Upon hearing this, Babs asks Buster if he didn't trust her, Plucky, and Hamton, thinking they'd be so self-centered, that they wouldn't risk their lives to save some helpless animals. Before Buster can answer, she admits that he was right, but it's still no excuse. Hamton then asks Babs if it means there's no awards banquet, and Babs snarks, "You're sweet" as she pulls on his cheek. She then vows that she, Buster, and Hamton have to save Plucky before he gets turned into a weirdo, and Buster tells her that while it's years too late for that, they're going to save him anyway. He tells her and Hamton to follow him, but Babs refuses, not wanting to help someone who doesn't trust her, and tells him that she'll find Plucky by herself. Buster then realizes that he just made a huge mistake.
In the surgery room, Splicer secures Plucky onto a chair, and Plucky asks him why he's doing it. Splicer tells Plucky, "We don't want any Emmy winners to fall out of the chair and hurt themselves!". This excites Plucky even more, and after Splicer secures him, he draws a dotted line on his head with chalk. Splicer is about to dissect Plucky with a chainsaw, when the chainsaw suddenly slows to a halt. Splicer looks back and sees that his chainsaw has come unplugged, and he needs an extension cord to run it again. As he leaves to find it, he yells at Plucky not to move. Plucky finds this rude, and tells the viewers he's going to give Splicer a piece of him mind when he comes back. Buster and Hamton find Plucky and as Buster tries to tell Plucky he has to get out, Plucky refuses, telling him that he's jealous over not being nominated for an Emmy like he was. Hamton tries to tell Plucky he's in danger, but Plucky silences him and tells Buster that he's got talent. Buster tells Plucky that if he doesn't listen to him, he won't have it for long, since Splicer's gonna nab his noodle. This, of couse, upsets a hungry Hamton. Buster and Hamton then overhear Splicer's footsteps, and hide in a room. Unfortunately, they don't notice the sign on the door that says, FAILED EXPERIMENTS KEEP OUT. Hamton then asks Buster, "What's big and hairy, has the head of a dog, and wings of a bat?". Buster tells Hamton he doesn't know, then overhears a roar and is about to find out.
In the second act, Melvin the Monster, one of Splicer's failed experiments, looms over Buster and Hamton. Melvin has the head of a bulldog, the horns of a bull, the body of an orangutan, the wings of a bat, the legs of a pig, and the tail of an alligator. He growls at Buster and Hamton, then barks. Buster and Hamton run for their lives as Melvin chases them.Meanwhile, Splicer is still looking for his extension cord as he empties his closet. As he does this, Plucky wonders what award he will recieve first; comedy, drama, or a combination of the two; Dramedy. Splicer returns and tells Plucky that he couldn't find his extension cord, but he did find a handsaw. Plucky, thinking that he's going to get an award for his musical talents, takes the handsaw from Splicer and plays it dreadfully, breaking several beakers, as well as a lamp, which falls and knocks Splicer out. Plucky, thinking Splicer is asleep on the job, decides to face the public by himself.As Plucky walks away, Babs finds him, and he tells her that he's about to win an Emmy. Babs tries to tell Plucky he's in danger, but he doesn't believe her. Buster and Hamton charge past Plucky, and Buster tells him to look out. Plucky thinks Melvin is a fan asking for an autograph, and Melvin runs over him, flattening him. Buster catches up to Babs and tells her to run from the monster, but Babs refuses, as she doesn't trust him. Buster tries to tell her he's telling the truth this time, but she doesn't believe him, and runs into Melvin. She looks up and is not amused as Melvin roars at her. Buster and Hamton flinch in fear, as does Babs, until Melvin hands her flowers and chocolates. Babs looks up and sees hearts in Melvin's eyes, indicating he has a crush on her. Babs tells Buster that Mevlin isn't her type, and asks him what she should do. Buster tells Babs to play along, as it will distract Melvin while he and Hamton rescue the captive animals. Babs then tries to let Melvin off easy, telling her she never dates outside her own species. She's looking for a guy with culture, breeding, a real He-Man at heart, yet sensitive and artistic. Melvin tries to prove it to her, but she then tells him that she could never date a guy in a tutu, and pushes him away. Unfortunately, she pushes him into the path of Splicer, and overhears Splicer insulting Melvin as he takes him away. Babs, now having seen Melvin as more than a monster, feels sorry for him.
Buster, Plucky, and Hamton find the Animal Experiment room, where all the captive animals are held. Plucky mistakes them for the Emmy losers, but Buster tells him that the animals are poor, wretched, and mistreated. Plucky still believes it an honor just to be nominated, and wishes the animals better luck next year. Just then, Hamton finds the switch that opens the doors to the animals' cages, and Buster pulls it, setting the animals free. The animals happily run away to continue their lives just as Babs catches up to the boys. She tells them that they still have one more animal to rescue. Hamton asks her which one, and points out the many that they saved. Babs tells him that they still have to rescue Melvin. Buster asks Babs why she'd want to save him. Babs points out that Melvin can't help what Splicer did to him, as he's a prisoner, too. Buster refuses to help her, and tells her that nothing can keep him in Splicer's laboratory. Just then, all the windows shut and all the doors lock. Splicer then appears on a monitor, and asks them a riddle, "What do you get when you cross two bunnies, a duck, and a pig?". Buster tells him, "I don't know.", and Splicer tells him, "Neither do I, but we're gonna find out!" and laughs wickedly. As the screen irises out, Plucky tells the viewers, "Sheesh. What a guy has to go through for a little statuette."
In the third act, Buster tells Babs that because of her wanting to save Melvin, they're trapped. Babs tells him it could be worse, but then it is revealed that they, along with Plucky and Hamton, are hanging over Splicer's gene pool. As Plucky continues to believe he's at the Emmys, Splicer tells the four that they're about to partake in a revolutionary experiment. After a dip into their gene pool, they'll be combined into a new species, with the brains of a duck, the head of a pig, and the feet of a rabbit. After Buster jokes about being turned into a quacking strip of bacon that brings good luck, Splicer reveals that he has used a mind-control helmet on Melvin so that Melvin will help him carry out his evil plan. Splicer leaves to get his camera, then briefly comes back and asks the viewers if they've noticed how bad guys always leave at these critical moments. After he leaves again, Babs tries to convince Melvin that he's the only one she cares about. Babs' crush manages to get through to Melvin, overriding the mind control and getting Melvin to feel remorse for his actions. He stops the winch just before Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton fall into the Gene pool, then turns it back the other way.
After Melvin unties them, Buster now sees Melvin as the sweet, gentle monster that Babs was talking about, when he overhears Splicer returning. Hamton asks Buster what they should do, and Buster spies a lab coat on a hook. Since Splicer is expecting him, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton to look a monster, that's exactly what they should do. When Splicer returns, he sees Melvin wearing the lab coat, with Buster's head sticking out the right sleeve, Babs's head sticking out the left, and Hamton's head and Plucky's arms sticking out the neck. Splicer thinks that he's created a new species, and Hamton acts like a monster, demanding food. Splicer pulls out his camera, about to take a picture. This gets Plucky's attention, and he exposes the disguise. Splicer now realizes he's been fooled, and pulls out a hose. He tells Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton that one squirt of his gene juice will spit every atom in their body like an overripe nectarine. Buster, Babs, Plucky, Hamton, and Melvin all run onto a bridge above the gene pool for their lives as Splicer chases them, but he catches up to them from the other side. He then tells them it's time for a shower, but Buster walks up to him and tells him he already had a shower this morning as he pulls out the Warner Bros. Logo to use as a shield. Splicer squirts the shield, destroying it. Splicer then pulls out his remote control and activates Melvin's mind-control helmet to get Melvin back under his control. Babs then tells Melvin not to listen to Splicer, as she's his friend. Once again, Babs' crush gets through to Melvin, but Babs and Splicer soon argue over who he should help. Melvin briefly breaks character and says, "I feel so torn.", then pounces at Splicer. He pushes Splicer off the bridge and the two fall. Splicer grabs a chain, but the chain soon breaks, and Splicer falls into the gene pool. Melvin lands just outside the gene pool, and Babs runs up to him. She felt that Melvin had given his life to save her and the boys, and kisses him. As Buster pulls out a sign that says, "Heartwarming isn't it?", Melvin awakens and gives Babs a hug. Hamton hugs Buster as he tells him that he loves happy endings, but Plucky tells them there's only one way this episode can have a happy ending.
Later that night, Buster takes Babs, Plucky, and Hamton to the real Emmy awards to make up for lying to them. Buster and Babs apologize to each other, and Buster promises Babs that he will never lie to her again... just before teasing about there being a spider on her shoulder. The Award Presenter then announces the winner for Best Supporting Actor in a Cartoon. Plucky walks up to the stage, ready to accept the award, when the Award Presenter gives the award to Melvin. An outraged Plucky says, "I tell you, there's no justice!", and Splicer, whose head is on a rooster's body, tells him, "You said a beakful!" as the episode ends.
This episode provides examples of:
- Accidental Misnaming: When Babs tries to convince Melvin that she loves him, she accidentally calls him "Marvin". Buster corrects her, and when she tries again, she gets through to Melvin.
- Acquired Situational Narcissism: When Buster tricks Babs, Plucky, and Hamton into going with him by telling them they're going to the Emmys, Plucky spends the rest of the episode believing it and thinking Splicer is an usher.
- Assumed Win: At the end of the episode, Plucky assumes he wins an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Cartoon and walks towards the stage. The Emmy goes to Melvin instead.
- Bait-and-Switch: The camera moves up to a castle atop a tall mountain, with a mad scientist saying, "It's alive! It's alive!". Buster then interrupts and says, "No, no, no! Wrong show! Splicer's lab is back there!", and the camera moves down the mountain to a rather mundane-looking office building.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Splicer lampshades this as he leaves to get his camera.Splicer: Do you ever notice how bad guys always leave at these critical moments? Oh, well.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: This exchange from Plucky:Plucky: Gee, I wonder which award I'll get first! Comedy? (Hits himself in the face with a pie) Mmmm! Banana cream! Yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk yuk! Or drama? (Begs on his knees and cries) Please! Don't take Lassie away from the children! Or, a combination of the two; Dramedy! (Begs on his knees and cries) Please, don't make Lassie into... a pie! (Hits himself in the face with a pie again.)
- Credits Gag: Dr. Splicer's stand-in - Doug McCarthy.
- Disney Death: Melvin gets knocked out after he pushes Splicer into the gene pool and lands outside it. Babs' kiss awakens him.
- Disney Villain Death: Splicer falls off the bridge when Melvin pushes him towards the gene pool. He grabs a chain, but the chain breaks, and he falls into the gene pool. Melvin also falls off the bridge, but lands outside the gene pool and gets knocked out.
- Dreadful Musician: Plucky when he attempts to play Splicer's handsaw.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his very first scene, Splicer is described by Bugs as a certified loony who performs deranged animal mutation experiments.
- Feud Episode: Babs gets into a feud with Buster after he lies to her, and this lasts for the rest of the episode.
- Fourth Wall Psych: At the beginning of the episode, Bugs shows a video of Splicer, and the dialogue implies that he is talking to the viewers. However, he is revealed to really be talking to Buster.
- Go-Karting with Bowser: At the end of the episode, Splicer (whose head is now on a rooster's body) attends the award ceremony alongside Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton.
- Gratuitous Laboratory Flasks: There's a panning shot of what appears to be Splicer's Mad Scientist Laboratory, with a bunch of spiraling glass tubing and oddly-shaped chemistry equipment (flasks, beakers, etc.) in the foreground... only for the pan to continue and reveal it's just a painting, titled "Dad's Place." Splicer's actual laboratory is a surprisingly mundane office building (the giant vat of "gene juice" aside).
- Hypno Trinket: Splicer uses a mind control helmet on Melvin to help him turn Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton into a single species. Babs uses Melvin's crush on her to override the helmet and later help Melvin turn against Splicer.
- I Resemble That Remark!: This exchange when Buster confesses to Babs that he lied to her, Plucky, and Hamton to get them to help him stop Splicer:Babs: How could you do this to us, Buster? Didn't you trust us? Do you think we'd be so self-centered that we wouldn't risk our lives to save a bunch of furry animals?
Buster: Well...
Babs: You were right, but that's no excuse. - Impact Silhouette: Buster and Hamton leave holes shaped like their bodies as they run through a door after Melvin scares them.
- Interspecies Romance: Melvin has a crush on Babs, and given his various animal parts, this could count as a multi-interspecies romance.
- Logo Joke: When Splicer is about to squirt his gene juice at Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton, Buster pulls out the Warner Bros. logo to use as a shield. Splicer's gene juice destroys the shield.
- Mad Scientist: Dr. Gene Splicer.
- Meaningful Name: Dr. Gene Splicer specializes in making Mix-and-Match Critters.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Babs' crush on Melvin, as well as Splicer's abusive treatment towards him help Melvin turn against Splicer and knock him into the gene pool.
- Mix-and-Match Critters: Melvin the Monster has the head of a dog, the horns of a bull, the body of an orangutan, the wings of a bat, the legs of a pig, and the tail of an alligator. The pictures in Splicer's lab indicate he wasn't the only monster Splicer worked on, and Splicer tried to make Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton into a single species as well.
- Running Gag: Throughout the episode, Plucky continues to believe he's at the Emmy awards, despite Babs and Hamton finding out the truth.
- Shout-Out: Splicer says, "Here's Genie!" as he catches up to Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton.
- Squashed Flat: Happens to Plucky when he mistakes Melvin for a fan and is about to give him his autograph. Melvin flattens Plucky by running over him.
- Suddenly Voiced: Melvin speaks mostly in growls, roars, and the occasional woof. When Babs and Splicer argue over who he should help, he briefly breaks character and says, "I feel so torn.".
- Talking with Signs: Buster pulls out a sign that says, "Heartwarming, isn't it?" as Babs' kiss awakens Melvin from his Disney Death.
- Tempting Fate: When Babs tells Buster, Plucky, and Hamton that they have to save Melvin, Buster refuses, and tells Babs, "Nothing, absolutely nothing is gonna keep me in this creepy clinic". Just then, all the windows shut and the doors lock.
- Totem Pole Trench: After Melvin rescues Buster, Babs, Plucky, and Hamton, the five do this to look like they've been fused together by wearing a lab coat. Their cover was blown, however, when Plucky got too enthusiastic over Splicer taking their picture.
- Trap Door: Splicer sends Plucky into his laboratory through one of these.
- Who Writes This Crap?!: Bugs tells Buster that if the episode doesn't turn out funny, Warners would disavow any knowledge of this episode and blame the writers.
- Wingding Eyes: Melvin's pupils turn into hearts when he has a crush on Babs.
