"King Gus" is the ninth episode of the first season of Recess, which was first broadcast on October 11th, 1997.
Plot[]
Spoiler Warning: Plot twists, ending details, etc. are included in the plot. You have been warned.Summary[]
After King Bob felt ill, he appoints Gus as substitute king until his return, with disastrous results.
Main Story[]
King Bob felt ill with Tonsillitis, which results in him not being able to lead. To which he appoints Gus as a substitute King of the Playground during his absence. Under Gus' tenure, he enjoys his role as the King although soon tyrannizes the playground as he becomes more forceful for the students and organizes time for students to meet him, including the gang, more so than Bob.
After solving a dispute between two first-grade girls, Gus starts acting more and more like King Bob, even having his hot temper and bossiness. He even institutes a cookie tax and imprisons all students who refuse or are unable to pay it and anyone who criticizes or even tries to reason with him. Because of this, more and more students are imprisoned which they then realize that Gus has turned into a tyrant. The prisoners escape and decide to dethrone him, although a battle ensures from the rebels against his guards. It is abruptly cut as Bob has returned, presumably recovered, to regain his rightful place. Subsequently, he regains his royal powers from Gus, leaving him to be a regular student again. The gang quickly forgive him despite his cruel orders to them included among the students of the playground. Then King Bob asks Spinelli to be Lord Emperor of the West Playground, much to her exhilaration.
Goofs[]
- Dialogue/grammar error: Spinelli mentions becoming Lord Emperor of the West Playground. As she is a female, the correct title would have been "Empress", though this could be just a deliberate mistake, (or possibly a comedic effect since she is a tomboy).
- Dialogue/animation/consistency error: When Gus asks for apple juice, he is given an orange juice instead.
- Animation/continuity/coloring error: T.J.'s highlights are missing three times.
- When T.J. says to Gus that if he does not know "anything about being a king, ask [the gang]", as well as Vince saying that [the gang] will be with him in every step of the way before Gus thanks to him.
- When T.J. tells the gang they should congratulate King Gus.
- When several students are shown protesting King Gus.
- Animation/coloring/continuity error: When the second time of "T.J.'s disappearing highlights error" happens, Lily's shirt has yellow stripes.
- Coloring/continuity error: When several students are shown looking at King Bob and Gus, Spinelli's ski hat is lighter than usual.
- Animation/continuity/consistency error: In some scenes, various kids either replace one of the kids, move from spot to spot, or do both of these options. A student can also appear and/or disappear randomly during these scenes.
- Animation/continuity error: When Gus is about to become a king, several students are close to the jungle gym, but when the gang are trying to walk in to congratulate Gus for being a king for a few days, the students does not appear in this area anymore, meaning the gang are walking in the wrong position.
- Animation/continuity/consistency error: When Spinelli thinks that Gus being a monster (king) is the "nice way of putting it," one of her eyebrows is missing.
- Animation/continuity error: When the gang are shown being shocked about T.J. being taken away by the guards, Spinelli has nostrils. This also happens every time she raises her head while she is repeating that she will rule the world.
- Similarly, when Spinelli stares at Gus while she thinks that the members of the gang are "a bunch of wimps", Spinelli has one nostril during half of the scene. This also happens when she answers one of its questions from one of King Bob's guards for a frame.
- Animation/continuity error: At times, while Spinelli repeats that she will rule the world and follows one of King Bob's guards, her lash lines become darker than usual.
Trivia[]
- Moral: Power can corrupt anyone who's unaccustomed to it.
Regular[]
- Bob said Gus would not "think for himself", although in "The New Kid", Gus stood up to Bob for making the other students call him "the new kid".
- This episode was shown before the 1997 re-release of The Little Mermaid.
- Along with "Big Brother Chad", the 1985 "Rainbow Disney Castle" logo for Walt Disney Television introduces a variant where the background is dark purple at the end of the credits.
- When Mikey, Spinelli, and Gretchen gets kicked out from King Gus, Spinelli's "Ah!" is heard, which was previously heard in "Jinxed".
Continuity[]
- This is the first time we see someone other than King Bob rules the playground.
- This is the third appearance of King Bob.
- This was the first episode to be written by Peter Gaffney.
- Peanut Butter Kid makes his first appearance, though he is unnamed.
- Jordan and Jerome, King Bob's lackeys, make their first appearances in this episode.
- The boy dressed up as a wizard also makes his first appearance.
- It is also the only episode where he speaks; in other episodes, he just remains a cameo character.
Allusions[]
- The two girls fighting over one doll (possibly a property from school as it's seen in school premises in future episodes) is a reference to The Judgement of Solomon, though accidentally, Gus lets the girl who agreed to the idea of cutting the doll in half keep it.
- Battleship Potemkin is referenced at the end of the episode with the baby carriage falling down the stairs.
- The Bridge on the River Kwai is referenced with Mikey saying "Madness".
- Mikey's statement "Uneasy [is] the head that wears [the] crown" is a direct quote from the Shakespeare play Henry IV, Part II.
- Mikey's other statement "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is a famous quote from Lord Acton.
Foreign Dub Titles[]
- Dutch: "Koning Gus" ("King Gus")
- French: "Le roi Gus" ("King Gus")
- German: "Der neue König" ("The New King")
- Italian: "Il nuovo Re del cortile" ("The New King of the Playground")
- Polish: "Król Gus" ("King Gus")
Cast[]
- T.J. Detweiler - Ross Malinger
- Vince LaSalle - Rickey D'Shon Collins
- Ashley Spinelli - Pamela Segall-Adlon
- Gretchen Grundler/First Grade Girl #2 - Ashley Johnson
- Mikey Blumberg - Jason Davis
- Gus Griswald - Courtland Mead
- King Bob - Toran Caudell
- Jordan/Jerome/Eric - Justin Shenkarow
- Wizard Boy/Adam Able - Michael Shulman
- Peanut Butter Kid - Ryan O'Donohue
- King Bob's Unnamed Mother - April Winchell
- Boy #1 - Erik von Detten
- First Grade Girl #1 - Anndi McAfee
Transcript[]
Gallery[]
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