"My Fair Gretchen" is the eleventh episode of the first season of Recess, which was first broadcast on October 18th, 1997.
Plot[]
Summary[]
After being told of Principal Prickly's plans to move her to Oppenheimer after scoring exceptionally well on a test, Gretchen worries she might not see T.J. and the others again and attempts to sabotage her application.
Main Story[]
The episode begins with Miss Finster talking to the kids about an achievement test they are about to take. She dramatizes the test which cause T.J. to say that she should really stop watching so many Clint Eastwood films. Miss Grotke reassure the students that it is a non-graded test, and so they shouldn't worry about it which causes Miss Finster to call her a wimp.
Whilst the other members of the gang struggle with the test, which Mikey gives up on and has instead drawn a smiley face, Gretchen has already finished before five minutes has passed. Gretchen is waiting outside and is eventually joined by the rest of the gang who complain about the test. Gretchen says she meant not to have gotten every question right, but she thinks she did well, however T.J. says that that's what Stinky Peterson thought.
Gus asks who Stinky Peterson was and T.J. tells us that Stinky was a really smart kid just like Gretchen who burned through his test so fast that everyone was sure he did ace it, however, two days later, he gets dragged out of class by Miss Lemon who took him to the principal's office, and he was never seen again. Gretchen says that some kids say that Stinky did so poorly that he was moved all the way back to kindergarten.
Two days later, in the same way as Stinky Peterson, Gretchen is pulled out of class and taken to the principal's office by Miss Lemon. Gretchen is brought to Prickly's office where she begs to be able to take the test again, still thinking she did badly, however it turns out she turns out to have gotten a perfect score, a score the school has not seen since Stinky Peterson, who turns out to have been a genius. Prickly says she is a genius and that he's sending her to Oppenheimer, a school for the extremely gifted, all she has to do is pass the review board. Prickly plans that if there’s one more student in Oppenheimer his middle school principal job is all his.
Gretchen tells the gang (especially Mikey), who are upset to lose her and try to suggest different ideas of how to get out of it, but Gretchen says she just wants to be alone. Gretchen arrives home where the rest of the gang are waiting for her with an idea of how to stop her being transferred - act dumb. Gretchen is unsure but the gang school her in being a dumb kid, but she keeps answering their questions correctly. She eventually gets the concept of answering incorrectly and starts dressing differently.
Gretchen arrives at the panel and manages to answer all the judge's question wrong but is unable to stick to it and blurts out all the answers in quick succession one after the other. The judges ask her why she is hiding her genius, and she confesses that she does not want to go to their school as she will have to leave her friends. Gretchen and the panel talk in private and agree that she can stay at Third Street School. The judges also suggest that the school use Gretchen as a resource, which Prickly think means kids teaching kids. It turns out that she is teaching the teachers (and him and Hank) instead.
Goofs[]
- Audio/editing error: On one of the scenes, Ashley Q.'s line is sped up for unknown reasons.
- Animation/color error: When the crowd gasps as Gretchen finished the test in five minutes, Gordy's shirt has only a stripe and his cap's back color is the same as the front.
- Animation/continuity error: While the students are taking the test, their positions vary several times between scenes.
- Animation/continuity error: While the students are shown taking the test, there are two rows of tables behind Gretchen. Afterwards, while Gretchen says "sorry" for finishing the test too soon, there is only one table row behind her.
- Animation/continuity/consistency error: When Gretchen says "sorry" for finishing the test too soon, her test paper is much larger than the others'.
- Animation/continuity error: While Stinky Peterson is shown writing on the test paper, some of the circles and dots disappear. They reappear after he finishes the test.
- Animation/consistency/continuity error: When Miss Lemon arrives to summon Gretchen, her right wrist is not wearing anything. Once Miss Lemon points to Prickly's door, there is a bracelet. It is possible that the scene was flipped instead.
- Animation/consistency/continuity error: When Gretchen goes home by herself, the front door is closed with its handle on the left side. After the rest of the gang opens the door and greets her, the door is shown open behind them with the handle on the right side.
Trivia[]
Regular[]
- The students take the Arkansas Elementary School Achievement Test, hinting that the show may take place in Arkansas, which is not hinted again for the rest of the series.
- One of the judges at the panel resembles Albert Einstein.
- Gus is shown writing with his left hand at the beginning of the episode, he is never shown writing again, so it can be inferred that he is left-handed.
Continuity[]
- This is the first time Gretchen is seen without her glasses.
- This is the final episode where Camille Winbush voices Ashley T.
Allusions[]
- The title and some of the plot reference the musical My Fair Lady, which revolves around making a flower girl pass for a lady. The "Again. - New York City. - I think she's got it" dialogue parodies the "Rain in Spain" scene from the musical.
- Miss Finster's opening monologue is an allusion to Dirty Harry (1971).
- Stinky Peterson is also the name of a character from Hey Arnold!.
International Information[]
- The French dub has one of Gretchen's intentionally wrong answers he "Dr. Jekyll" instead of "Dr. Seuss", likely because Dr. Seuss is difficult to translate and therefore barely known in Europe.
Foreign Dub Titles[]
- Dutch: "Geniale Gretchen" ("Ingenious Gretchen")
- French: "Gretchen la surdouée" ("Gifted Gretchen")
- German: "Gretchen, das Genie" ("Gretchen the Genius")
- Italian: "L'esame di ammissione" (The Entrance Exam")
- Polish: "Stępić Gretę" ("Dull Gretchen")
Cast[]
- T.J. Detweiler - Ross Malinger
- Vince LaSalle - Rickey D'Shon Collins
- Ashley Spinelli - Pamela Segall-Adlon
- Gretchen Grundler - Ashley Johnson
- Mikey Blumberg - Jason Davis
- Gus Griswald - Courtland Mead
- Miss Finster - April Winchell
- Miss Grotke - Allyce Beasley
- Miss Lemon/Teacher #2 - Tress MacNeille
- Principal Prickly - Dabney Coleman
- Ashley Boulet - Francesca Smith
- Ashley Quinlan - Rachel Crane
- Ashley Tomassian - Camille Winbush
- Tracey - Anndi McAfee
- Teacher #1/Teacher #3 - Tony Jay
- Boy - Klee Bragger
Transcript[]
Gallery[]
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