Fish-N-Chumps is an episode of Season 3 of Rocko's Modern Life.
In this episode Rocko, Heffer and Filburt go fishing in the ocean.
Plot[]
Heffer and Filburt are standing outside at Rocko's front lawn, where Filburt is showing off his new glow-in-the-dark watch to Heffer, at five o'clock in the morning. Heffer casts his fishing rod to Rocko's bedroom window and ends up grabbing a number of objects in Rocko's room right before hooking onto Rocko's bed, sending it crashing through the window, waking the wallaby up in surprise as Heffer reminds him of their fishing trip.
At Two Patch Crappie Jack's dock, a sea captain named Crappie Jack leads the three friends to the boats. But ends up getting in the wrong boat and sails off, leaving the three friends on a Life Strike boat to fish on their own. While in the middle of the ocean, Rocko demonstrates the technique of fishing to his friends by impaling a worm's midsection with the fishing hook. The worm suddenly comes to life and writhes around in pain. So Rocko replaces the worm with a jar of cheese for bait. But a giant squid emerges from the water and takes the cheese off of Rocko's hands. Rocko then uses a wiener in place of a bait and casts off his fishing line. He then finds a fishing line with a wiener bait falling onto the boat behind him. Rocko reels his line back in to find that the bait behind him is gone. When he repeats the process again, he is convinced that he hasn't cast his line well and casts it again with all his might. When the wiener line hits him from behind, Rocko notices that it is another line when he reels his line back in, and the mysterious fishing line is reeled back into the ocean. Later, Heffer comes across a lunch box and the three friends eat sandwiches. When Rocko asks who made the sandwiches. the friends soon discover that the sandwiches are used as bait for fishing lines. Rocko and Filburt let go of their sandwiches, but Heffer has his sandwich stuck to his mouth and is promptly dragged to the edge of the boat. Filburt uses a violin (played by a random violinist) to smack Heffer on the backside, causing the steer to spit out his sandwich. Rocko decides that it is time for him and his friends to head home. He puts on a life vest and reaches to pull up the anchor. Heffer and Filburt watch in horror as a fishing line is hooked onto the back of Rocko's vest. Rocko takes notice as well and tries to put the vest off from over his head, only to get dragged to the edge of the boat. Luckily, he narrowly frees himself and the vest is seen dragged underwater, revealing a Fish and a Shrimp named Frank and Edgar fishing on their boat. Back above the ocean, Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt toss out everything that look suspicious to them. Unfortunately, Heffer stupidly pulls off the engine to the boat and tosses it in the water, leaving the three friends stranded in the middle of the ocean. Filburt then tells Heffer to ask him what time it is, which an annoyed Heffer responds by slapping his wrist away, sending Filburt's watch into the ocean. Rocko later uses the radio transmitter to call for help, oblivious to the fact that it is operated by the Fish and Shrimp from underwater, who tell the friends to abandon their boat. Meanwhile, Filburt notices his watch emerging from the water and (off-screen) retrieves it. When he shows Rocko and Heffer, they both stare in horror as they get a glimpse of the fishing line hooked onto the watch. Filburt is then dragged away and Rocko and Heffer hold on, sending the boat riding around the ocean. As it comes to a stop, they notice Crappie Jack sailing his boat. The three friends call to him for help, but the captain continues to sail away, oblivious to the friends' danger. Heffer then loses his balance and the three friends are about to fall into the ocean until the giant squid grabs them and asks for more cheese.
Back at Rocko's house, the three are satisfied that they are back on dry land and walk into Rocko's house. Back underwater, Frank the Fish (still in the boat with Edgar the Shrimp) casts away his fishing pole and hooks onto Rocko's house, dragging it through the streets as Filburt is heard telling Heffer to ask him what time it is.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The episode title is a play on "fish and chips", a popular British dish that is also popular in New Zealand.
- On the title card, Rocko is standing on Heffer as their boat sinks.
- Running gag: Filburt keeps telling Heffer to ask him what time it is.
- It's implied that in the Rocko's Modern Life universe, fish eat animals like cattle, turtles, and wallabies. Albeit, it isn't certain whether they intended to eat them or not.
- The worm disappears after its seen with a bandage.
- This is one of the many times something happens to Rocko's house.
- This entire episode is a parody of the 1975 thriller film Jaws.
- The Spongebob Squarepants episode "Clams" is similar to this episode, including a particular brief joke about dramatic bass music at sea.
- Also, this episode is reminiscent of the Ren & Stimpy episode "Bass Masters".
- The dialogue where Crappie Jack is talking about the "monkeys" and their lockers was improv by Tom Kenny.
- Crappie Jack refers to "Davy Jones' Locker", which would typically refer to the depths of the sea. However, in this case, he also refers to the musician and actor of the same name who was a member of the 1960s band The Monkees". This is furthered along when he mentions "Peter Tork's Locker" and "Mickey Dolenz' Locker" before just outright saying "all the Monkees had lockers". (The only one not mentioned is Michael Nesmith.)
- Goof: At the end, Rocko's house is pulled away by the fish, but there is another house behind it. This must be because the normal painted background had his house there and they forgot to make a background without it when the animation of the house moving was put in. This implies that the house that’s in the background has Rocko, Fliburt, and Heffer in it, while the house that’s being pulled has a tape player that says “Ask me what time it is.”
Quotes[]
Filburt: Hey Heffer, guess what.
Heffer: What Filb?
Filburt: I got the new Glow-in-the-Dark Sea Hunter Dive Watch. Wanna see it?
Heffer: Yeah, okay.
Filburt: [turns on watch light] Isn't she beautiful?
Heffer: Whatever, Filb.
Filburt: [turns off watch light] Ask me what time it is.
Heffer: It said 5:00.
Filburt: No, no. [turns on watch light] Ask me what time it is. [turns off watch light]
Heffer: What time is it Filb?
Filburt: [turns on watch light] It's 5:00.