One of the latest episodes of Hamster & Gretel shows us another villain that Gretel must contend with before getting into a juicy story arc that could see something happen between Kevin and Lauren/The Destructress.
Who’s In Charge?
It’s a rainy day at the Grant-Gomez house, and Gretel and Bailey are so bored, they’re ready to watch a movie on a VHS tape. The film, dating back to 1987, was found in the lair because, as fans may recall, the lair was once a video rental store.
Thanks to a little help from Hamster, the girls learn how to use a VHS player to watch the film, which contains a serious fourth-wall breaking moment. A character from the film, who isn’t from the film at all, Felix, is begging for help.
You see, he’s trapped in the video tape. Something that happened back in the 80’s when he tried to have a pizza delivered but he was a few feet outside of the delivery zone. Angered by the situation, and instead of just going to a neighbor’s house, Felix invented a belt that would zap him down as an electrical charge so that he can transfer himself through the wiring, conduit, appliances, and devices all connected to the electrical grid so that he can get to his favorite pizzeria, Pizza Peninsula, whenever he wanted.
However, when doing this, he beamed himself into this movie and his cat inadvertently shut down the player and TV, trapping him inside the video tape. Now, Feliz wants to break free and destroy the modern ways that people watch movies. That’s when Bailey explains that movies are now ready and available for all thanks to the Internet.
Thanks to a musical number, we follow Felix as he now bounces via wiring throughout the Grant-Gomez household in search of a way to get to the internet. Gretel and Bailey refuse to tell him how to get to the internet, and Felix finally gets angry enough to beam Bailey into the wiring with him, holding her hostage until Gretel explains to him how to get to the Internet.
Finally, she gives up and explains that he has to get into the laptop and access the Internet from there. Once he gets to the laptop, Gretel uses a bit of Drag & Drop technology on the laptop to wrangle Felix, remove his belt to save Bailey, and then trap him on a USB Flash Drive. Problem solved.
There was also a B storyline that features Kevin and Dave playing paper football and other games, but the very fact that I’m mentioning it now shows us how relevant it played into the main story of this episode – which is to say not at all.
Fools of Engagement
A few episodes back we were introduced to Footkicker, the new sidekick of FistPuncher considering his sister, Lauren (formerly The Destructress) has decided to make a turn to be good, instead of evil. Devotees may recall that this is against the original instruction given to her and her brother back when the series began that they may only use their powers for evil. So, we’ll see how this goes in the future.
In jail, we see Fistpuncher and Footkicker in jail still, coming up with a plan to escape, terrorize the city, and steal Limburger King’s giant cheese wheel. Also as part of their plan, get Lauren fired from her new job, just because.
Elsewhere in the city, Kevin and Gretel are at the mall, home to the Limburger King wheel of cheese that is soon to be unveiled, and a store that Kevin wants to check out – Irony Outfitters – which just so happens to be where Lauren started her new job.
While there, Lauren excitedly greets Gretel (who she knows from past babysitting gigs) and Kevin, helping them find their overpriced but cheap-looking clothing. Alas, Kevin thinks she’s up to no good and invites her to lunch to “get to know her”…read: interrogate her.
Even Gretel realizes that there’s a chance that Lauren has given up being evil, but sticks around for the increasingly awkward lunch. Making it especially awkward is the fact that Lauren is misconstruing the interrogation is flirting, and even asks a nearby pretzel vendor to keep an eye on the situation to make sure she is reading it right. The pretzel vendor agrees, Kevin is definitely flirting and it’s exactly what Lauren was hoping for.
At the mall, after realizing that Footkicker is not afraid of heights when flying, but rather the unknown of flying through clouds, the evil duo arrives at the mall, and begins to terrorize the store where Lauren works – even though she’s currently on her lunch break. Instead, they decide to do a little shopping for a new outfit for Footkicker, who totally plans on stealing the outfit he picks out, because he’s a bad guy after all.
Outside, the unveiling of the cheese wheel is taking place, and the two attempt to steal it as Lauren, Kevin, Gretel, and Hamster step outside to watch. Embarrassed by her brother’s presence, Lauren claims she’s running to the bathroom but is obviously going to suit up. Gretel thinks she might have been wrong, and Lauren has not made the switch to being good after all. The Destructress arrives and is attempting to stop them, but Hamster and Gretel are now suited up and tell the three of them that they are all going to jail.
Lauren, clearly not participating in any of the evildoing, is a bit taken back – but that’s when our song begins as we see everyone battling to stop the stealing of the wheel of cheese.
However, Kevin isn’t very prevalent, and when the giant wheel of cheese is tossed in his direction with Hamster and Gretel too distracted fighting to stop it, it’s Lauren/The Destructress who saves Kevin’s life as the wheel would have crushed him.
This proves that she is no longer evil, and is spared when Hamster and Gretel return Fistpuncher and Footkicker back to jail. Earlier in the episode, we learned that Footkicker got his powers from the aliens too, after being a science subject to increase the strength in his feet, making one substantially larger than the other. The aliens made the strongest foot his weakest one, and since the aliens gave him the powers much like everyone else in the series, all he has to do is that little twirl and he has his villain outfit already.
Back between Lauren and Kevin though, there is a very flirtatious moment once she is out of her Destructress suit having saved his life. Remember, Kevin knows who she really is, but the moment was very intense and hopefully we see more of this new pairing and crush in the future. Clearly Lauren likes Kevin, and now it seems that Kevin likes Lauren too. We’re here for this storyline.
This episode of Hamster & Gretel is now available on Disney Channel and the DisneyNOW app. You can also catch up with earlier episodes and the first season streaming now on Disney+.