After a disastrous failure at attempting to brainwash all children at Halloween, an extremely frustrated Brain declares he’s tried everything to take over the world, short of selling his soul—unwittingly summoning a supernatural “Proprietor of Wayward Souls” named Mr. Itch. While Brain resists his desire to be helped by the Devil, Pinky sells his own soul so that Brain can take over the world. With all humans, as well as archenemy-turned-jester Snowball at his disposal, Brain has to decide whether to rescue Pinky from Hades or enjoy his dictatorship.
Tropes:
- Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: With Pinky stuck in Hades with Mr. Itch, Brain tries this bit with Snowball but he doesn’t play along very well.Brain: Snowball, are you pondering what I’m pondering?
Snowball: Oh, Brain, I certainly hope so. - Armor-Piercing Response: When asked why he made a deal with Mr. Itch, Pinky reminds Brain of how he called him a feckless screw-up in the pumpkin patch.
- As Himself: As a nod to him providing commentary during the gymnastics events at the 1996 Olympic Games, John Tesh guest stars as the commentator for the rhythmic gymnastics competition between Brain and Mr. Itch.
- Berserk Button: Pinky’s wacky words are each this for Mr. Itch, especially when the demons start saying them.
- Big "NO!": Mr. Itch in response to his own lawyers saying his failure to provide Pinky with a “radish rose whatchamawhozits” cancels out the contracts.
- Big "YES!": Brain lets one out when he’s gained entry to Hades by telling the clerk in front of the infernal entrance that he’s a recently deceased Rush Limbaugh... only to realize that getting to Hades isn’t actually something to celebrate.
- Booing Crowd: As Brain enters the stadium for the rhythmic gymnastics competition, the demonic audience begins booing and hissing.
- Brick Joke: Early in the episode, Mr. Itch mentions how Brain trained rigorously for a rhythmic gymnastics competition but wasn’t allowed in due to not meeting the height requirement. Brain later challenges Mr. Itch to a rhythmic gymnastics challenge in order to win back Pinky.
- Chekhov's Gun: The “radish rose whatchamawhozits” Pinky asks for at the beginning of the episode ends up being what gets him out of his contract with Mr. Itch, as he can’t fulfill his end of the bargain because he has no idea what a “radish rose whatchamawhozits” is.Pinky: [after Mr. Itch produces the wrong gadget twice in a row] Do you know what? I’m beginning to think that you don’t even know what a radish rose whatchamawhozits is.
Mr. Itch: Of course I do! It’s a little thingy... you know, with a round part and a... a serrated doohickey and the other... up-or-down. - Cool and Unusual Punishment: One of the ways Mr. Itch tries desperately to torture Pinky is by putting him in a can on a paint shaker.Mr. Itch: [turning off the shaker] Had enough?
Pinky: No! Again! - Covered in Gunge: Chocolate splattering on Brain’s Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter causes all of the pumpkins to explode, including the ones surrounding the two mice. They both get covered in pumpkin guts.
- Deal with the Devil:
- Sick of all his plans to take over the world failing, Brain is tempted to make a deal with Mr. Itch in exchange for his soul. He decides not to, but then Pinky ends up selling his instead in order to make Brain happy and so he no longer feels like a burden to his friend.
- To get Pinky back, Brain challenges Mr. Itch to rhythmic gymnastics and states his terms. After Brain signs this contract, however, Mr. Itch points out the fine print specifies that no matter what the outcome, he will be forbidden from even trying to conquer the world again (though Mr. Itch does offer him a chance to back out before the competition). While Brain scores a 10 for his routine, Mr. Itch simply burns his ribbon and gets an 11 — claiming that he won because the rules didn’t say that he couldn’t cheat.
- Department of Major Vexation: Snowball, who knows “people in low places”, gives Brain a map to Hades. The entrance to Hades turns out to be a Trap Door in front of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Evil Laugh: Mr. Itch does one paired with Dramatic Thunder as he’s about to manipulate Pinky into signing his contract.
- Evil Lawyer Joke: Mr. Itch, the Devil, apparently loves lawyers.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: Except they call it Hades.
- Fireball Eyeballs: When he’s trying to get Brain to sign the contract to sell his soul, Mr. Itch’s pupils turn into flames to show his true devilish nature.
- Game Show Appearance: The Devil turns Brain’s decision about whether or not to save Pinky into a game show, complete with a Lovely Assistant and a Studio Audience.
- Giving Someone the Pointer Finger: Brain jabs his index finger against Mr. Itch’s nose when challenging him to a rhythmic gymnastics competition.
- Got Me Doing It: Mr. Itch’s demons start picking up Pinky’s “Narf!” catchphrase. Mr. Itch gets so irritated by this that his face turns red and steam comes out of his ears.
- Halloween Episode: Pinky and the Brain try to take over the world yet again... but this time, on Halloween!
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Brain deeply misses Pinky and wants him back, but he insists it’s only because Pinky knows where the food pellets are.Snowball: Then, Brain, why don’t you go to Hades?
Brain: What?
Snowball: Uh... to ask Pinky where the food pellets are. - Hope Spot: In the competition against Mr. Itch, Brain scores a perfect 10, so he anticipates victory. Too bad this isn’t a fair competition.
- Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: On Halloween night, Mr. Itch appears to the mice and offers Brain a chance to sell his soul in exchange for world domination. When Brain refuses, Mr. Itch convinces Pinky to sell his soul so Brain can rule the world.
- Hulking Out: Mr. Itch turns into a Big Red Devil when Pinky and the Brain outsmart him and get out of his contract.
- Human Doorstop: Mr. Itch, while watching Brain’s rhythmic gymnastics performance, is using one of the demons as a footstool.
- I Got a Rock: Three kids are trick-or-treating and one of them ends up getting a bowl of soup. He’s even dressed up in Charlie Brown’s classic Bedsheet Ghost costume from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
- Lonely at the Top: After Pinky sells his soul, Brain gets everything he’s ever wanted. However, he realizes that he misses his best friend, though he won’t admit it.
- Magically Binding Contract: Mr. Itch’s contracts, with Pinky selling his soul so that Brain can be ruler of the world. Brain later signs another contract to try to save Pinky, but the deck is stacked against him. However, Pinky’s original contract included a provision that he receive a “radish rose whatchamawhozits” as part of the deal, and it turns out that Mr. Itch doesn’t know what it is and thus can’t provide one. Pinky’s contract is rendered null and void, which in turn means Brain’s no longer applies.
- Mind-Control Eyes:
- The kids listening to the Brain’s message being transmitted through jack-o-lanterns get swirling blue eyes.
- Brain gets the same ones later when Mr. Itch is trying to convince him to sign his soul contract.
- Mundane Wish: As proof of his powers, Mr. Itch offers the mice “one trial wish, with no obligation to buy”. Pinky asks for “one of those neat little whatchamawhozits you can make radish roses with”.
- My Card: The Devil gives Pinky and the Brain his card, which says “Mr. Itch, Proprietor of Wayward Souls.”
- My God, What Have I Done?: After the Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter scheme literally blows up, Brain denounces Pinky as a screw-up. Pinky later says this is why he made a deal with Mr. Itch, leaving Brain guilt-ridden and depressed for much of the episode.
- Never My Fault: Brain blames Pinky for getting chocolate on the Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter, even though Brain was the one who threw the candy at Pinky, and at the transmitter in the process.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: Mr. Itch almost manages to woo Brain into selling his soul in exchange for world domination, but then he adds, “No one will ever again call you a failure.” Brain gets so irritated at Mr. Itch’s calling him a failure that he rips up the contract and storms out.
- Noodle Incident: Brain almost gave up his world domination schemes for a career in rhythmic gymnastics. Despite his skill, though, he got rejected because of the height requirement.
- Oh, Crap!: Brain, upon realizing that Pinky sold his soul for him.
- Outrun the Fireball: When the contract magically burns to ashes, due to Mr. Itch’s being unable to give Pinky a “radish rose whatchamawhozits”, Mr. Itch turns into a Big Red Devil and tries to use his fire Breath Weapon on Pinky and the Brain. They just manage to outrun the flames, then get blown out of the DMV as it explodes.
- Parting-Words Regret: Just before he meets Mr. Itch, Brain blames the pumpkin failure on Pinky and denounces him as an incompetent hindrance. Pinky later reminds Brain of this after it’s revealed he made a deal with Mr. Itch to help him. Brain is quite remorseful in response.
- Pet the Dog: For the closing tomorrow night line, Pinky asks if they’ll be getting a “radish rose whatchamawhozits” this time. Brain says they’ll look into it.
- Pyrrhic Victory: Brain finally gets to rule the world, like he’s always wanted, but it’s cost him the soul of his best friend.
- Read the Fine Print: Mr. Itch gives Brain a magnifying glass so he can read the fine print of the contract, which states if he wins Pinky back, he can never try to take over the world again.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder:
- When the Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter explodes...Brain: Why do I even bother getting up in the morning?
Pinky: To prevent bed sores? - Later, when Brain learns that Pinky has just sold his soul in exchange for Brain’s becoming the ruler of the world...Brain: Pinky, what have you done?
[Beat]
Pinky: Is that a trick question?
- When the Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter explodes...
- Right on Queue: To get into Hades, there’s a super long line leading to an Obstructive Bureaucrat secretary.
- Running Gag: Mr. Itch calling in his lawyer correspondents to explain to the mice the terms of his multiple contracts.
- Shout-Out:
- One of the trick-or-treaters seen in the beginning is dressed as Fred Flintstone.
- Three others are dressed as Yakko, Wakko and Dot.
- Three others are dressed as a lion, a witch and a wardrobe.
- Brain’s reaction to chocolate splattering on his transmitter (“No! Pinky, you got chocolate on my Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter!”) and Pinky’s response (“You got Jack-o-Lantronic Transmitter on my chocolate! Yummy!”) is a reference to an old advertising campaign for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- The name “Mr. Itch” is based on one of many euphemisms for The Devil, “Old Scratch”.
- The statue of Brain that gets built after he becomes ruler of the world is based on the statue of Michael Jackson from the album cover of HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I.
- The rhythmic gymnastics tournament is held at Mile Down Stadium, which is a parody of Mile High Stadium.
- Special Edition Title: The ending theme is sung by the demons from Hades, followed by Pinky’s various catchphrases—much to Mr. Itch’s annoyance.Demons: [singing] They’re dinky, they’re Pinky and the Brain, Narf, Zort, Troz, Poit!
Mr Itch: STOP THAT! - Take That!: The entrance to Hades is at the DMV.
- Tears of Remorse: After losing the competition and apparently Pinky forever, Brain tears up over inadvertently driving him to this fate and failing to save him.
- This Cannot Be!: Snowball says this on seeing that Pinky and the Brain have just returned from Hades.Brain: Hiya, Snowball. We’re back.
Snowball: What? You? It can’t be! I’ll speak to that Devil. Promises were made! [storms off]
Pinky: I’ll bet he doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in—[Beat] Hades! - Too Kinky to Torture: Mr. Itch tries subjecting Pinky to various tortures (e.g., shoving him in an ant hill, putting on the rack, burning him alive), but it all makes Pinky laugh himself silly.Pinky: Oh, I don’t mind telling you, you certainly know how to spoil a guest. I mean, that sauna with the really hot rocks was to die for.
Mr. Itch: [frustrated] That was a barbecue. Isn’t there any kind of torture you don’t like?
Pinky: [sniffs] The only real torture... is being away from my best friend. - Torture Is Ineffective: Mr. Itch tries to torture Pinky, but he just ends up having fun.
