Bye, Bye Birdie is the first segment of the first episode in the third season of Rocko's Modern Life, and the 50th episode overall.
Summary[]
Rocko and Heffer look after Filburt's pet bird, but Heffer accidentally kills it.
Plot[]
Rocko is at his house washing his car until he notices a flock of birds surrounding his house. He orders Spunky inside the car and gets in to drive to avoid one of the birds relieving itself on it. But a yellow stain falls onto it and Rocko looks up to find Heffer sitting on the wires eating his lunch. Filburt and Dr. Hutchison then come around to ask Rocko to babysit Filburt's pet bird Turdy and offers him a book of instructions to take care of it while he’s in the hospital for a few days. Filburt and Dr. Hutchison then leave, leaving the bird under Rocko and Heffer's care.
Rocko and Heffer read the instruction manual and stare at Turdy, who does nothing. Heffer says that the bird is boring, but Rocko denies this, feeling that Turdy is lovely, that is until the bird bites him in the ear and attacks him. Rocko runs for mercy and slams into the door right before Heffer sprays him with the fire extinguisher. Rocko then notices that Turdy has left his cage and finds the bird in the kitchen attacking Spunky. Rocko puts Turdy back into his cage and watches television with Heffer. Rocko then notices that Turdy has left his cage again and finds him at the Bigheads' yard, where the bird rips off Bev's bikini top while she's sunbathing. Rocko chases after the flying bird inside his house and into his bedroom, where Turdy has demolished half of the walls of. Heffer attempts to grab the bird and accidentally causes the top half of Rocko's house to fall apart. A hog later comes around and demands Rocko to keep Turdy away from his pet monkey.
Rocko and Heffer continue to watch TV with Turdy inside his cage and hear a knock on the door. Rocko answers it and finds that it's the hog again, who tells him once again to keep the bird away from his pet monkey, despite the fact that Turdy has been in his cage the whole time. The hog, however, pokes the wallaby in his eye and leaves. Soon, Rocko gets a number of complaints from everyone in town, all involving the bird. In order to keep Turdy from causing any more trouble, Rocko handcuffs the bird to his nose while he watches The Fatheads. As Turdy attempts to fly, a furious Rocko yells at him for being a nuisance and the bird responds with a bite to the finger.
Later, Heffer comes out of the bathroom and sits on the couch, accidentally sitting on Turdy. He runs outside hysterically and Rocko pulls the bird off the steer's rear end to find that Turdy is now dead, panicking when he knows how Filburt would feel when he finds out about this. However, Heffer denies the bird's demise and tries to keep him moving. But he eventually acknowledges Turdy's death and begins to cry. Rocko shows him a chapter of the manual that shows how to tell if a bird is dead. Heffer reads the book and concedes the bird's death. Suddenly, Filburt arrives, and Rocko is about to tell him the bad news when Filburt surmises that Turdy is dead. Filburt tells him that the bird belonged to a species named Tirdius Minimus, a rare sub family of myna with a 3-week life span, meaning that Turdy's life was meager. Filburt say's he's surprised Turdy lived longer than 3 weeks. Heffer then comes out of the door, asking Rocko if he told Filburt that he sat on it.
On top of Filburt's trailer, Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt bury Turdy in the sky (a fake cloud supported by a ladder). Heffer recites a childish poem ("Beans, beans, they're good for your heart. The more you eat-"), but Filburt stops him before he can finish and Rocko gives a succinct eulogy ("Turdy was a...bird.") of Turdy and Filburt weeps over it. Filburt then thanks Turdy for the memories left for him and decides that he and the other two should get some tacos. Heffer accidentally tilts the ladder over and he, Rocko, and Filburt tumble down and crash on the roof of Filburt's trailer. The hog then comes around and offers them a box of baby monkey birds (implying that Turdy had secretly had intercourse with the monkey). Filburt thanks Turdy in the process.
Later, Filburt is seen on the swings with the monkey bird and Dr. Hutchison pushes him while the turtle continually says his catchphrase "I'm nauseous".
Characters Present[]
- Rocko
- Spunky
- Heffer
- Filburt
- Dr. Hutchison
- Turdy
- Bev Bighead
- Gordon
- Monkey Guy
Trivia[]
- The title is a reference to the Broadway musical and 1963 movie of the same name.
- The opening scene is a parody of the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds.
- The song on the record player Heffer puts the bird on is "Hang Ten" sung by Stiles Fitchly.
- The scene where Heffer dresses Turdy's corpse in a bathing suit and sunglasses and perches him on a small surfboard placed on a surfer rock record is likely a reference to the song "Surfin' Bird" by the Trashmen.
- According to Martin Olson, this was based on a true story. George Maestri was asked to pet sit for a neighbor's bird when he was 12 years old, and the bird died two days later.[1]
- This episode is slightly similar to the SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Wormy".
- Heffer's final words for Turdy are a variation on the schoolyard poem "Beans, Beans, The Musical Fruit".
- Turdy's species is referred to as "Turdus minimus", possibly a parody of "Turdus maximus", which is the scientific name of the Tibetan blackbird, which looks similar to Turdy.
- Beginning with this episode, Jeff Hutchins takes over the sound effect design/editing for the remainder of the series, and so the sound effects get noticeably wackier. Jeff Hutchins would also go on to do the sound effects for Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling.
Goofs[]
- When the mustard stain first falls on Rocko's car, it’s clearly yellow. But after the camera comes back to Rocko after showing Heffer eating his hotdog, the stain is brown.
- The size of the bird increases somewhat throughout the episode.
- Turdy's legs and feet turn black when Heffer try's to make it look like he's alive.
- When the view is inside the spinning cage and Rocko is talking, Rocko's mouth doesn't move when he says "This is something". When he says "accept" and when Heffer is crying out in horror, his mouth is frozen in the open position.
- Filburt rips off the hospital bracelet and spits on it. In the next scene, it's gone.
- Filb says that Turdy belongs to the species "turdus minimus", but the book says "turdius minimus".
- When Filburt is exclaiming over the monkeybirds, his eyes turn purple.
Quotes[]
- (Rocko notices Heffer sitting on the telephone wire.)
- Rocko: Heffer, what are you doing up there?
- Heffer: I'm eating my lunch.
- Filburt: I'll be in the hospital for a few days while they run some tests. (whispering) I'm pretty sure it's something serious this time.
- Dr. Hutchison: (deadpan) It's a rash.
- Filburt: She's in denial. Poor thing.
- Heffer: Hey, Rock, you wanna move to France.
- Rocko: Not really.
- Heffer: Naw. Me neither.
- Monkey Guy: I thought I told you to keep your bird away from MY MONKEY!!!
- Fire Dog: Is this yours?
- Rocko: No! I mean yes.
- Fire Dog: Well, it seems "Polly" here got into a gas pump.
- Rocko: Oh?
- (Turdy opens his beak and fire comes out followed by a fire hose.)
- Gorilla: He scared my kid!
- Dog: He ruined my car!
- Rabbit: He chewed my garden!
- Pig: He pecked my customers!
- Cowboy: He ate my pony!
- (Turdy burps and a horse's whinny is heard.)
- Gordon the Foot: He ripped my socks.
- Rocko: Filburt! Hello.
- Filburt: Oh, Rocko, terrible news.
- Rocko: Oh?
- Filburt: The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with me! Fools!
- Rocko: Filburt? This is... heh heh... This is hard for me to say.
- Filburt: The bird is dead, isn't it?
- Rocko: Eh, yes.
- Filburt: Oh, Rocko!
- Rocko: Now, Filb, please...
- Filburt: I should've said something before I left. Turdy belonged to a species known as "turdus minimus", a rare subfamily of mynah with only a three-week lifespan. I'm surprised he lived as long as he did. Sure, he was like family. And I'm gonna miss that. But life goes on.
- Rocko: But, Filburt, you see...
- Filburt: Don't worry about it.
- Heffer: Did you tell him I sat on it?
- Filburt: (after his eulogy for Turdy) Let's get some tacos!
References[]
|