Big City Greens is back, and they have one of the most ridiculous yet philosophically thought-provoking stories while later, it’s the return of the big bad while the Greens try to escape.
Fortune Feller
I know it’s been a while but remember, this is season four so at this point, the Green family bounces between Big City and Smalton and this half of the episode takes place in the latter.
It’s time to go to the carnival, and Cricket wants nothing more than to ride the big swinging attraction, “Snortin’ Donkey’s Hand.”
However, the family gets distracted by Zalmar, a vintage fortune teller machine at the end of an alleyway. Each member of the family goes up and receives a fortune but Cricket’s is especially cryptic. Where other members had clear fortunes that are going to obviously come true at the carnival, Cricket’s suggests that at some point in the evening he is going to be the recipient of a big stinky slap. But how? And Why?
It’s overwhelming for the poor boy who just wanted to ride the ride but is now stuck dwelling on what will happen to him.
Elsewhere, Nancy is trying to figure out an obviously rigged carnival game that her own father, Nick, is running and Tilly is taking Bill to an exotic animals show – which is especially interesting considering the first thing she sees is some alligator wrestling, and she immediately thinks that the alligator is in danger and being harmed. Obviously, this causes Tilly to revolt.
Back on the midway, Cricket is panicking wondering how someone or something will give him that big stinky slap and decides that he must take matters into his own hands and starts asking those in the crowd to smack the heck out of a little boy with a trash-soaked sock.
Gramma, who has been downing funnel cakes like potato chips, is now fully invested in this and plans to watch what will become of Cricket with this spectacle. He finally sees Ernie, who gave the dog mayor a big hug and now smells like a stinky wet dog, and chases him down begging him to slap him.
Over in Elrod’s tent with the exotic animals, Tilly jumps on Elrod to see if he likes how it feels to be wrestled. While she has the keeper occupied, outside Cricket has Ernie cornered and in a chaotic chain of events, the pair accidentally cut the power to the whole of the carnival.
This blackout and Tilly’s distraction inadvertently lead to a creature from Elrod’s collection get loose and run amuck among the carnival. Turns out, the creature is a bush baby, named Slappers, that has hands and an affinity to attack.
Cricket is unaware of this and has a heartfelt moment with his grandma, who tells him that he needs to live life and can’t just be tied down because of something that might happen in the future.
This leads to Cricket taking a stand and going toward the one ride he wants to ride, where Slappers is hiding out and ready to attack. And yes, he gets slapped multiple times.
Back with Elrod, Tilly and Bill learn that Elrod has never put the alligator he was wrestling in any harm and demonstrates that this is all for show, and really the “wrestling” is more like giving the alligator a big hug that shows how much he loves the creature.
After chaos is reigned in (and Nancy learns that the game is rigged with magnets), everything is back to normal and Cricket has more questions. Was he fated to be slapped like the fortune teller said, or did he create how own fate by seeking the slap that in turn released Slappers?
We ask ourselves similar questions everyday, Cricket. Everyday.
Escape Room
It’s Green family night at a Big City escape room, and Bill is trying to get a new song about sticking together to, well, stick. In the lobby of the escape room though, we learn that the family is taking part in a Croblins-themed Halloween Escape Room experience.
However, due to the escape room’s intensity combined with Gramma’s advanced age, she is asked to sign a waiver. Fans of the show know how well this went over.
Also, the attendant in the lobby (in full Croblins regalia) takes a phone call and shares how he is busy helping a family who has no chance of getting through the escape room because they are too dumb. This lights a fire under Cricket’s behind to prove them wrong, and break the record (of an hour) to get out.
This may be especially challenging though, as Bill is terrified of every part of this experience, Tilly is trying to role-play to get into the idea of how a Croblin might think, and Gramma is still fuming from her experience in the lobby.
But apparently, this is all going to plan.
Wait, what?
Turns out, there is a mysterious shadowy figure in the control room watching the Greens every move, and this person seems to know everything about the Greens and how they would act. Devotees probably already know exactly who this is.
Cricket is basically left on his own to figure out how to get out of this room, and he does. He finds a series of puzzles that he solved with ease and was able to get to the key and unlock the door – BUT – as anybody who has ever been to an escape room can tell you, this is not the end of the game. Behind this door is ANOTHER room that the family has to figure their way out of.
In actuality, there are four doors, one for each member of the family. A special Croblins puppet drops down and explains that each room represents a different family member and their flaws, with each of the four rooms looking exactly like a different room in the Green household.
But who would know how to create such an escape room specifically targeted for each member of the Green family while simultaneously implying that they could be trapped in the room forever?
Chip Whistler of course, and that Croblin in the lobby was Wholesome Greg making those fake phone calls.
However, Chip has one generous offer for the Greens. In each room is a single button that will allow them to get out of the room – but if one person leaves, the rest are locked forever. So if one selfish person in the family tries to get out, nobody else can. But nobody in the Green family – who have a song about sticking together – would do that, ri—-oh Cricket just totally did.
But it wasn’t actually him! Chip hired a (possibly non-union) actor to portray the youngster in pre-recorded footage of him running out of the room that the rest of his family saw. But Cricket didn’t leave at all.
So he devises a plan, knowing that the only way out is together. Singing Bill’s song, Cricket climbs into the rafters and roof of the escape room, going room to room and rescuing each family member while singing the song. Alas, the group finally gets out and lands back in the lobby.
Similarly to how we asked the same question moments ago, they too wonder who would build this, knowing so much about them? Their questions go unanswered though as when they step into the control room, everybody else who had been in the building is now gone.
This episode of Big City Greens is now available on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW website. It is slated to arrive on Disney+ next week, where you can catch up with earlier episodes and seasons of the hit series.
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