Episode Review


How's Bayou


Tuesday, November 27, 2001, 1:00 PM - Wednesday, January 2, 2001, 4:16 PM


According to Jeffrey Scott, the order that the Season 1 episodes are listed on his site is the order in which he wrote them. The list says that he wrote "Mr. and Mrs. Mother Brain" second. However, a few years ago, I was e-mailed what is supposedly the original air date for "How's Bayou": Saturday, September 16, 1989. This means that "How's Bayou" aired second. I'm not sure why this was done. Perhaps DiC didn't have "Mr. and Mrs. Mother Brain" finished in time. However, from the looks of this episode, it's obvious that they didn't have "How's Bayou" done in time either.

Here I must provide some explanation. There are two different versions of "How's Bayou". Most of you are familiar with only the second version. The first version, which aired only on Saturday, September 16, 1989, is an unfinished version. I guess it was the episode that was closest to completion, so DiC did a quick edit job and sent the tapes off to NBC affiliaites.

Version 1 is really odd. There are shots / lines in it that are missing from Version 2, and vice-versa. Backgrounds are missing in some shots. Warps are missing. Some background music is different. Characters walk funny. It just looks really cheap.

I'm not going to go into all of the animation mistakes here. You'll find those here. However, I will highlight some differences in this review.

Now that you know of the existence of two different versions of this episode, let's look at the title. It looks like some kind of pun, but I can't be sure what "How's Bayou" is supposed to be a pun of. It's can't be the movie, "Eve's Bayou", since that wouldn't be made for another 8 years. Matt Slater suggested the phrase, "How's 'bout you?" It has a Cajun-like ring to it, so I guess it's possible. Jeffrey also lists the episode as "How's Bayou?" on his website. I'll have to ask him about the title.

Oh, yeah, quite a few episodes in this series are puns. "Kevin In Videoland" obviously comes from "Alice In Wonderland".

Now, let's look at the episode itself. From the first scene, there are already big problems.

According to the visuals at the opening of scene 1, Metroid is still flying fairly close to the Palace of Power. The team has had one week (if you assume the events to take place on the original air dates of the episodes) to re-activate the Palace's defenses and recharge the weapons. Why haven't they done so? And where is Mother Brain's huge army from "Kevin In Videoland"? Just what the heck is going on here?

The narrator says, "Within her lair on the sinister world of Metroid, Mother Brain scans her trillion brain cells in search of a clue to Captain N's weakness." We then see her watching Kevin (who's live-action) playing video games in his room at home.

Mother Brain asks her minions, "Did you see that? It's Captain N...just before he was sucked through the Ultimate Warp Zone into Videoland."

A few problems. First, how can Mother Brain see what Kevin was doing on Earth? Second, the footage of Kevin doesn't match the footage from "Kevin In Videoland". Duke is to Kevin's left, not his right. Kevin is punching buttons on his NES Advantage and rapidly waving his left hand (for some odd reason). Perhaps he thinks he can move his character on the TV screen that way? He also has his mouth open when he does this. Retard.

This footage is replaced with the footage from "Kevin In Videoland" in Version 2. However, the straight forward footage from Version 1 is used (in part) in the theme song to "Captain N & The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3". Now you know where it came from.

Next, we see the game that Kevin's playing. There's some eerie background music in Version 1 and game-like music in Version 2. This game is supposed to be The Adventures of Bayou Billy, but it looks absolutely nothing like it. Even the music isn't from the game. I know this, because I borrowed the game from a friend shortly after I saw this episode (which I actually first saw on The Family Channel after missing it once or twice there). Regardless of the fact that this "game footage" looks nothing like the real game (it's a cheap-looking 2-D platform stage), wasn't Kevin playing Punch-Out!! in "Kevin In Videoland" "just before he was sucked through the Ultimate Warp Zone into Videoland"? Another question for Jeffrey.

Dumb line: Kevin: "Rats! Way to go, Captain Klutz! I just can't figure my way around this swampy bayou!" Captain Klutz? Surely that was coincidental, since Kevin had no idea that he was about to become Captain N.

Dumb lines:
Mother Brain: "That's it! I've found Captain N's weak spot!"
Hippo: "Uh, you mean he's afraid of rats?"
Mother Brain: "No, you rat-brain! Bayouland! He doesn't know his way around Bayouland! I'm not only the most beautiful brain in the world, I'm the cleverest!"
One: King Hippo is an idiot. Two: Mother Brain is delusional.

Mother Brain tells Dr. Wily (who's suddenly one of her minions with no explanation) to make a remote-controlled robo-cat for her.

Dumb line: Eggy: "I've got a better idea, Mother Brain. How about a radio-controlled sweet potato?" WTF?

In Version 1, their lines are reversed, and parts of each are removed, so it makes absolutely no sense.

Great lines:
Mother Brain: "That's very thoughtful of you, but do you know what I'd really like, Eggplant Wizard?"
Eggy: "Uh, what's that, Mother Brain?"
Mother Brain: "An eggplant slicer!"

Mother Brain sends Hippo, Eggy, and Wily off. They're supposed to be walking to the right of the screen, but, due to a weird animation mistake, they move backwards and towards the screen in Version 1.

That's it for scene 1. It's 2:30 PM. I gotta go to work. I'll review the rest of this episode tomorrow.

Okay, it Wednesday, 9:54 AM. Let's continue.

In the next scene, Dr. Wily finishes the robo-cat. Geez, they made Dr. Wily as short as Mega Man. I know they're the same height in the games, but Mega Man isn't supposed to be short either. The game boxes for Mega Man and Mega Man 2 show him tall. Also, they drew Dr. Wily with four fingers on each hand. I know that's a common animation practice to save money, but all of the other humans have five fingers on each hand. So, why not Dr. Wily?

And why is Dr. Wily suddenly one of Mother Brain's lackeys, starting with this episode (or, script-wise, with "Mr. and Mrs. Mother Brain")? Where was he in "Kevin In Videoland"? How did he (and King Hippo and the Eggplant Wizard) come to live on this flying asteroid-ship and serve Mother Brain? Did Mother Brain threaten them and/or kidnap them? A little explanation wouldn't hurt.

Anyway, Dr. Wily has tuned the robo-cat to Mother Brain's brainwaves, allowing her to control it with her thoughts. She tests it out on Eggy by having it tackle him. In Version 1, the robo-cat gives a few cool mechanical "meow" sounds that were taken out in Version 2. Then Mother Brain sends the robo-cat into a "warp zone".

Oh, yeah, in this series, all of the characters refer to warps as "warp zones". This comes from Super Mario Bros. and, later, Super Mario Bros. 3. You know, "Welcome to Warp Zone". Note to the writers: warp zones are the places in the game where warps are located. In fact, if I ever come across as instance in this series where a character refers to it as a "warp", I'll make special mention of it.

Dumb line: Narrator: "At the other end of Videoland, at the Palace of Power, Mother Brain's sinister plot begins to unfold." Excuse me? Didn't scene 1 just establish that Metroid was flying a short distance from the Palace? Videoland must be pretty small.

Also, the sky in the shot of the Palace is a little blue, whereas the shot at the beginning of scene 1 had a black sky. Did scene 1 take place in the pre-dawn hours, and scene 3 is now at dawn? Or did scene 1 take place at night, and scene 3 takes place the following evening? Either way, I'm surprised that it would take Dr. Wily so long to create a robo-cat. I'm also surprised that Mother Brain hasn't lost patience with him.

The robo-cat is walking around in the Palace. How did it get inside? I doubt it could've created a hole in the wall, since the Palace appears to be made out of metal. Perhaps it went through the hole that King Hippo made to get into the Palace in "Kevin In Videoland"? But why hasn't the team fixed it by now? If they have, how did the robo-cat get inside? And if they haven't, why hasn't Mother Brain sent soldiers or monsters into the Palace by now?

Kevin and Lana are in a cool room in the Palace, which we won't see after this episode. Kevin turns on music. He's giving her a dance lesson.

Lana says, "Ah! Oh, I like this." The "Ah!" and "Oh" are missing from Version 1, so Lana just smiles and opens her mouth.

Kevin moonwalks with his Power Pad. At this point, when he says "I've got some pretty cool power moves, too", I can tell that the dialogue was re-recorded for Version 2. I don't know if all of it was or only some of it, but there are differences.

Also, the music in Version 1 is cool. I don't know where it's from, but I love it. In Version 2, the music was replaced (as was most, if not all, of the music) for seemingly no reason. Version 2 has them dancing to the underground music from Super Mario Bros. 2. The change actually fits it well with the night scenes in the episode, but the Version 1 dance music was cool, darn it!

Lana picks up fast dancing very quickly, despite having doubts about being able to do it a few seconds earlier.

Dumb line: Kevin: "Say, why don't we go back to my world? My friend would hyperventilate if they saw me dancing with the Princess of Videoland." So, Kevin's friends know about the Princess of Videoland? Well, I suppose that any friends Kevin has are probably into video games, too. But wouldn't they assume that Kevin was dancing with a girl that's dressed up as a video game character, rather than exclaim, "Wow! Kevin's dancing with Princess Lana of Videoland!"? Perhaps Kevin meant only that his friends would hyperventilate because he's got a hot girlfriend? But then, why wouldn't he say, "My friends would hyperventilate if they saw me dancing with you"?

At this point, Lana replies, and then the robo-cat runs into the room, behind Kevin, and jumps over his shoulder. But in Version 2, Lana's response is cut, and the robo-cat arrives right after he finishes talking. This is what was cut: Lana laughs and replies, "Some other time, Kevin. I've got too many responsibilities here." This line is significant, and I'll tell you why in a later review.

Kevin yells, "Hey!" Duke runs through the room, chasing the cat, and knocks Kevin down on his butt. Kevin yells, "Whoa! Duke, will you stop chasing things!" He looks at Lana and says, "He's been getting me in trouble doing that ever since he was a pup. Sorry if I upset your cat." In Version 2, Kevin's first line to Lana is cut. Lana kneels by him and says, "But, I don't have a cat."

It's 12:57 PM. I'm gonna go do other stuff now and then go to work. I'll write more tomorrow.

Okay, it isn't tomorrow. It's Friday, December 21, 8:18 PM. I've been let go from my job, and relatives from Chicago will arrive tomorrow for Christmas. I've been doing some other stuff for about a month now. Anyway, let's continue.

Kevin and Lana chase Duke into another room. The lid covering a warp zone opens (why would it do that?), and the robo-cat jumps into it. Duke follows. After finding out where the warp zone leads from Lana, Kevin goes in after Duke.

Kevin emerges in Bayouland, a swamp world. Not the bayou in Louisiana, as in the game. Bayouland. Yeah, anyway, Kevin walks around the swamp, calling out Duke's name.

Mother Brain sees this on her viewscreen in her lair on Metroid. How is this possible? Does she have video cameras installed in every world in Videoland? If so, it should be a lot easier for her to gather information and conquer Videoland. She sends Hippo and Eggy to Bayouland to make sure Kevin never comes out of the swamp.

In a scene that was cut in Version 2, Hippo is too big to fit into the warp. After Eggy does a magic spell and lubricates Hippo with vinegar and oil, Hippo chases Eggy into the "pipe" and manages to squeeze through. Yeah, I'll believe that.

A few seconds were added to the beginning of the next scene in Version 2. Lana notes that Kevin's been gone for hours, and no one but Bayou Billy could survive that long in the swamp. She and Simon are watching Bayouland on a viewscreen. I can accept that the Palace of Power can monitor other worlds, but how can Mother Brain?

Great line: Simon: "Oh, he's probably just feeding the alligators...with himself."

Mega Man and Kid Icarus arrive in the room. Mega Man has caught the robo-cat "trying to sneak out of the warp zone". Mega Man has one line in this episode, and Kid Icarus doesn't have any (not that I mind).

Dumb line (Version 2 only): Lana: "Dr. Wily's the only one who could create something like this." I guess Lana's never thought that there might be businesses in Megaland that manufacture robo-cats as pets for children. And even if they don't, surely there are other roboticists that are smart enough to create robo-cats.

Lana decides that she and Simon are going to Videoland to warn Kevin that something's up.

Dumb line: Simon: "Uh! And get my clothes filthy? I'm sorry, but Simon Belmont the vampire hunter never travels in the bayou." So, the terrain of CastleVania is clean?

Next, in Version 2 only, Lana tries to charm Simon into coming along, and he agrees only after she agrees to have dinner with him tonight by candlelight. Why does Lana even keep him on the team?

That bit is missing from Version 1, so Simon saying "She practically begged you" makes no sense.

Lana leaves Mega Man and Kid Icarus in charge of looking after the Palace in Version 2. I think this proves that she doesn't have any other guards.

Simon is "polite" enough to let Lana crawl into the warp first. Yeah, right. He knows that, if there's something waiting for them on the other side of the warp, it'll kill Lana, giving Simon warning and time to escape. This also seems to be a different warp to Bayouland. Why would they have more than one?

A few seconds were added to the beginning of the next scene in Version 2. Lana and Simon arrive in the bayou, and Simon stops Lana before she walks into a mud puddle. In Version 1, the scene starts with Simon putting a red carpet over the puddle for Lana. Well, he was doing it for himself, really.

Lana steps on the carpet and passes over the mud puddle with no trouble. But when Simon steps on the carpet, he falls into the mud puddle. Come on, Lana's not that light!

The next scene shows Duke walking around and running from swamp animals. He's still alive? Darn. Moving on...

The next scene shows Kevin calling for Duke then sitting down.

Dumb line: Kevin: "Duke, you can't be gone. I can't remeber what it's like without you. You're the best friend I've got in the world." I'm not an animal lover, so I can't really understand this. I know a dog is supposed to be "man's best friend", but Kevin's been in Videoland for a week now (if you go by the original air dates). Wouldn't he have become friends with Lana, Mega Man, and Kid Icarus by now? And wouldn't he consider one of them his best friend?

It turns out that the trees in the swamp are alive (complete with mouths) and out to get Kevin. If the game is truly like that on Kevin's Earth, wouldn't he have known about the trees and not sit on one? Oh, wait, that's right: Kevin sucks at this game. Kevin jumps over a tree using Up on the cross key on his Power Pad.

Dumb line: Kevin: "Whew! It's a good thing I'm a whiz with the old Power Pad, or I'd have been in deep...quicksand!" Kevin is a whiz with the Power Pad after having it for one week? Okay, perhaps. But how is the Power Pad old to him? Perhaps he means the Nintendo controller he has on Earth, but that doesn't make him a whiz at using it to move himself. Okay, Kevin has become a whiz at using the Power Pad to move himself in one week, and the Power Pad is old to him because he used it to move characters on his TV screen on Earth. Yeah.

It's 10:10 PM. I'm gonna take a shower. I'll be back in a while.

It's 10:50 PM. Let's continue.

So, Kevin falls through the quicksand and lands in a cavern below. Um, how can quicksand by suspended over thin air?

A badly-voiced alligator (probably Gary Chalk, King Hippo's voice actor) spots Kevin and advances towards him. Kevin tries to pause it but is unable to. In Version 1, the background for the alligator is missing.

Dumb line: Kevin: "Oh, great! The quicksand's drained my power!" How can quicksand drain power?

Now, the guy that originally taped my copy of Version 1 (I got the copy from him) may have accidentally hit Pause here, but the scene suddenly skips to Bayou Billy holding the alligator's mouth shut. In Version 2, Kevin regrets not practicing "this bayou game more". Then Bayou Billy arrives.

Great line: Bayou Billy: "I didn't save you. I saved him. He gets awful indigestion from eatin' strangers. Keeps me up all night."

It's 12:08 AM. I'll write more later today.

Okay, it's Tuesday, January 1, 1:36 PM. I'd like to get this review up on my site as a New Year's update. Let's get on with this.

Bayou Billy has a blue beard or a skin infection on his lower face. I have no idea why they drew him that way. It looks dumb. Incidentally, that's the same way he appeared in the "game footage" on Kevin's TV screen earlier, but he most certainly does not look like that in the real game. If they had drawn him with a normal-colored face, he'd look okay.

Kevin and Billy talk for a bit (there's a bit more footage and dialogue in Version 1), and then Billy agrees to help Kevin find Duke.

Dumb line: Billy: "When Bayou Billy's done teachin' ya, you'll be able to track down your dog's fleas!" This is so dumb. No tracker, no matter how good, can track fleas without the aid of sophisticated technology the likes of which Billy certainly doesn't have.

Billy also has a pet alligator, Loafer. It was probably insired by the alligator on the game box.

The next scene shows Billy walking around with Kevin.

Dumb line: Billy: "Now, the first thing you gotta learn about trackin' in the bayou is that footprints don't float. So, you gotta look for other signs, like these here broken tulips. Your dog was here, mmmm,...I'd say about an hour ago." How the heck can Billy determine 1) who or what broke the tulips and 2) when they were broken? We can't even see the tulips that Billy points at. I can't suspend my disbelief here. This line is too unbelievable.

Kevin wants to find Duke, but Billy tells him they need power items first. Billy gets a whip from inside a tree. Is a whip really a power item? Version 1 doesn't include the part where Billy hands the whip to Kevin, so we see Billy taking the whip out of the tree then taking it away from Kevin. Billy attacks a metallic buzzard with the whip and destroys it. Yeah, sure. There are no metallic buzzards in the game either. Why couldn't the writer use actual game enemies in this story?

Suddenly, a giant frog leaps out of the swamp. Billy calls it the Frogman. The Frogman is an enemy from the game, but he's not a giant frog. Kevin's Power Pad seems to suddenly work again. When and how did he recharge it? Billy doesn't help Kevin. Kevin curls the whip around a tree branch, breaks it, and brings it down on the Frog Man's head. The Frog Man slightly rubs its head and hops away. There are several weird video and audio edits in this scene in Version 1.

Kevin wants them to go find Duke now.

Dumb line: Billy: "Don't rush it, kid! You still gotta learn about this here bayou!" Don't rush it? Duke could be in danger right now and dead by the time Kevin and Billy find him! Not that I personally mind, but still. Also, why does Billy feel that he needs to teach Kevin how to survive in the bayou? He knows that Kevin is from another world, and, once he gets Duke back, he'll leave.

We then get a montage of scenes where Billy is teaching Kevin about the bayou, including how to cook. Yeah, that's really helpful. The featured song begins. In this episode, it's "Born on the Bayou" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but it's not performed by them here. In addition, Version 1 uses a different recording than Version 2. Version 2's recording is better.

Kevin then wants them to go look for Duke. Billy says he can't come with Kevin, because he has to "rustle up some poachers", but he assures "Bayou Kevin" that he'll do fine on his own. Some help Billy is. Rustling up poachers isn't even the point of the game.

Mother Brain sees this on her viewscreen, and she asks Dr. Wily about his new robot, a swamp creature. This robot looks like some kind of fish with legs. It's brought to life by a bolt of lightning that hits Metroid ala Dr. Frankenstein's nameless monster. It's programmed with only one purpose - "to destroy Captain N". Dr. Wily sends it into the bayou warp zone. In Version 1, the giant monster kind of disappears and is zapped through the warp. So, why did King Hippo have trouble earlier? In Version 2, it makes a hole in the wall. So, how'd it get through the warp?

The swamp creature comes out of the swamp and is able to yell only one thing: "Captain NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!"

In the next scene, Lana and Simon are looking for Kevin. Well, Lana is, anyway. Simon pretends to show concern for Kevin, but it's so fake it's laughable that Lana doesn't pick up on it (or perhaps she does and just doesn't say anything).

Simon claims to have picked up the trail. He follows paw prints to a tree (and walks right into it and falls on his butt). He climbs the tree. Lana then tells him that dogs don't climb trees. In Version 1, Simon asks, "They don't?" Simon finds a mountain lion in the tree. You know, because mountain lions are native to the bayou. Simon gets knocked off the tree. He tied up the lion with his whip.

Great line: Simon: "It's a good thing for you I'm an animal lover. Now scoot, before I change my mind and make fur underwear out of you."

The mountain lion runs off. Lana criticizes Simon.

Dumb line: Simon: "An honest mistake. Mountain lions are related to dogs, you know." What an idiot.

Lana informs him that mountain lions are related to cats.

Dumb line: Simon: "Ah-ha. I always suspected Duke was part cat." Is he just trying to cover up the error in his previous sentence, or is he really this stupid?

Lana decides to do the tracking from now on. They walk off, and the swamp creature comes out of the water.

Then there's a short scene where Duke finds a snake, picks it up in his mouth, throws it, and runs away. Yeah, I was definitely held in suspense, because I care deeply that Dukes stays alive. Sure. The next scene shows Kevin seeing the prints in the dirt and realizing that "Duke tangled with a snake". Uh-huh.

The next scene shows Hippo and Eggy searching for Kevin. Hippo throws Eggy on the ground, But the truly funny moments are when Hippo jumps in an airboat and breaks it in half and when Eggy attaches the boat parts to Hippo's body and uses him as a boat.

Great line: Eggy: "If we don't take care of Captain N, Mother Brain will brain us."

In Version 2, Eggy starts the motor and drives the Hippo into a rock.

Great line: Hippo: "I'm gonna scramble your eggplant when I get my gloves on you!"

Eggy spots Kevin and gives chase. There's a cute moment where there's a frog on Kevin's head. Kevin spots an alligator and jumps on it with the Up button on his Power Pad. He puts the whip in the alligator's mouth, creating an "alligator jet ski". He presses the B button and takes off. Hippo and Eggy give chase. I'll note here that Kevin's Power Pad still reads that it's at full power.

In Version 2, the underground music from Super Mario Bros. 2 plays here, fitting in wonderfully with the near-night scene. In Version 1, the music is different. Also, Hippo's great line is placed here instead of earlier. So, he rides into a snake then has a frog on his head when he threatens Eggy.

In the next scene, Lana finds Kevin's footprints. Video and audio are edited differently in Version 1, and some lines are missing. Simon kisses his toes. I share Lana's reaction: "Yuck!" Simon also shows his lack of concern for Lana and Kevin and his concern for his feet.

When Simon confronts the swamp creature in Version 1, he yells something that I can't understand. It sounds like "To the sun!" He also yells as he runs away, since his toes hurt.

Simon yells, "If you promise not to eat me, I'll take you to Captain N!" Lana doesn't like that. Mother Brain see this on her viewscreen, including Simon pushing Lana behind him (towards the swamp creature) and taking the lead. Lana should throw him of the team for that, but, unfortunately, she doesn't.

Lana and Simon reach a dead end, since Hippo and Eggy are there. Hippo and Eggy hold Lana and Simon in place as the swamp creature advances on them.

After the commercial break, we're given a scene with some missing backgrounds in Version 1. Version 1 also has the Highway music from The Adventures of Bayou Billy playing during this scene. It's out of place, but at least they used music from the game. Version 2 doesn't have it.

Great line: Kevin: "Let 'em go, or there's gonna be french-fried eggplant and hippo burgers for everyone."

Eggy ties Kevin up. In Version 2, Lana gets mad at Kevin for wondering what she and Simon are doing here.

Billy arrives in his vehicle. Version 1 has a few seconds of the swamp creature pulling the vehicle to it. It rips the roof open. Billy tells Kevin that he found Duke. Kevin tells Duke to untie them.

The swamp creature splashes Kevin and gets "swamp guck" in his Zapper. Billy tells Kevin to get the "crash star" (an item not in the game). The swamp creature is blocking it, so Billy tells Kevin to remember what he taught him. Hippo and Eggy stop attacking Billy long enough for Billy to turn his head and tell Kevin all of this.

Kevin does some jumping, flipping, and swinging and gets to the crash star. I guess Billy's training helped Kevin out after all. Kevin throws the crash star and destroys a bunch of creatures, including the robot. Hippo and Eggy run to the warp to get away from the star. Simon holds a matador's cape in front of the warp zone. Background Music A plays during this scene in Version 1.

Great line: Simon: "Toro! Toro! No, I mean Hippo! Hippo! Olé!"

Hippo and Eggy go into the warp, followed by the star. They arrive in Mother Brain's lair on Metroid. Mother Brain, Hippo, Eggy, and Wily blip and disappear. Mother Brain says, "When I redigitize, I'm going to dedigitize you two - for good!" So, they've all been killed by the crash star, but they'll eventually come back to life again? How many times can this happen? Why does Mother Brain not dedigitize Hippo and Eggy for good (they're back in the next episode)? In Metroid, once Mother Brain was killed, stayed dead for quite a while. How can Mother Brain even talk while she's dedigitized? That is so dumb.

The final scene starts with some eerie music in Version 1. Kinda cool. It's a candlelight dinner, as Lana promised, but Billy's pet alligator, Loafer, is curled around Simon. Lana says that she always keeps her promise (even if it's not what the other person had in mind).

In Version 2, there a part where Simon offers Loafer a whole chicken. Loafer eats it and leaves only the skeleton in Simon's hands. How can Loafer eat just the meat and not the bones? How did he avoid eating Simon's hand?

Duke chases something into a tree, which turns out to be Loafer's nest. Duke runs away from the baby alligators and jumps into Kevin's arms. Kevin thinks that Duke has finally learned his lesson.

That's the end of the episode. Now for my observations.

Lesson: Each episode seems to have some kind of lesson to be learned from it. With "Kevin In Videoland", it was learning to work together as a team. With "How's Bayou", it's learning new ways to do things and not relying too much on old ways of doing things.

As for the plot, I don't see why the writer couldn't have read the instruction manual, played a bit of the game, and then written the episode based on that. Kevin should've been helping Billy defeat Gordon and his minions and rescue Annabelle. She definitely would've added a lot to the enjoyment of the episode. ^_^

Aside from not following the game's plot, this episode was also completely pointless. The entire thing was set in motion by 1) Mother Brain somehow gaining knowledge about Kevin with no explanation as to how she got it and 2) Duke chasing things. There was also no one native to Bayouland that needed Kevin's help. Billy certainly wasn't in any danger. If Duke hadn't jumped after Kevin into the Ultimate Warp Zone, the events of this episode never would've happened.

It's 11:52 PM. I've got more to write, but tonight is not the night. Tomorrow!

Okay, it's 2:14 PM. Let's finish this.

However, I suppose that, if the episode just had to be written with that set-up, some things could've been removed. Duke's solo scenes, running at 19 seconds and 20 seconds, could've been done away with. They add nothing to the story. Removing them would've freed 39 seconds, which would've been used better by Kevin or Lana. The mountain lion scene was completely out of place. Removing it would've freed an additional 1:36. Simon should've been left back at the Palace. He didn't do anything useful except scare away the mountain lion (which he led them to through his error, and, as I've said, could've been ellimidated) and momentarily distract the swamp creature (which only found them because Simon just had to stop to kiss his toes). The writer could've given Lana some athletic skills, and she could take care of herself. Removing the remaining scenes and moments that deal with Simon going to Bayouland - 15 seconds, 3 seconds, 19 seconds, 1:14, 5 seconds - would've freed an additional 1:56. So, in total, 4 minutes and 11 seconds were wasted. Those 4:11 could've been given to Kevin and Lana, and the episode would've been much better.

Usefulness ratings:

Kevin: 5 (hitting the Frog Man, whipping a bird, killing a snake, causing Hippo and Eggy to crash, killing the swamp creature)
Lana: 0
Simon: 2 (scaring off the mountain lion, slowing down the swamp creature)
Mega Man: 1 (catching the robo-cat)
Kid Icarus: 0
Duke: 0

The running total useful ratings so far are:

Kevin: 8 (2 episodes)
Lana: 1 (2 episodes)
Simon 3 (2 episodes)
Mega Man: 2 (2 episodes)
Kid Icarus: 1 (2 episodes)
Duke: 2 (2 episodes)

That's the end of my review of "How's Bayou". I know this review is longer than the review of "Kevin In Videoland", probably because of the multiple versions. I'm gonna finish watching my "Bubblegum Crisis" DVDs now. Next up: "Mr. and Mrs. Mother Brain"!


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