The Lady of the Lane shows Dag what it would be like if he had never been born.
Episode Summary[]
During an afternoon of movies in the dam, Norb shows off his latest film titled "Citizen Norb." Everyone is impressed, except for Dag who is eating a bag of sleep-inducing cookies. Norb then shows off one final video, a tape titled "Dag-nificent Moments" which consists of several of Dag's most embarrassing moments. Dag takes offense, but Norb tells his brother to lighten up, with Treeflower adding that they're laughing with him, not at him (except for Truckee). Dag retorts that they wouldn't be able to laugh at or with him if he weren't there to laugh at or with. Norb suggests that he is running away, a suggestion Dag happily takes up.
Dag soon sets off on his own. After a brief struggle with nature, he stumbles across Laverta Lutz's campsite. She offers to show him how things would be if he had never been born, shoving her inhaler over Dag's snout. As the smoke clears, Dag thinks that nothing has changed and tries to return home. Losing his way, he spies a fancy house with a sign outside reading "Chez Condo du Norberé" and goes inside to ask for directions.
Inside the house, Dag soon finds himself surrounded by a crowd of guests. A fancily dressed Norb soon arrives and introduces himself as Monsieur Norberé. He explains to Dag that the entire gathering is in honor of his housemate Stump, who has grown into a giant redwood tree. Looking around the house, Dag begins to realize that everyone's life is better off without him: Barry is an international action film star, Bing is just as annoying as ever, Truckee is the eloquent and polite owner of a trucking company, and Norberé is a wealthy hairdresser who is also in a relationship with Treeflower. This last fact has Dag convinced that everyone is playing a trick on him, and he begins to destroy everything in the house to prove it. He chews through Stump, causing him to come crashing down on the house.
As Dag runs away from the carnage he has caused, he comes upon a fit young Laverta Lutz jogging along the side of the road. He begs her to return him to the present, but she refuses. However, after being hit by traffic and reverting to her present appearance, she agrees to send Dag back. Dag wakes up back in the dam at the kitchen table, the entire experience having been a dream brought on by the sleep-inducing cookies he was eating earlier. Norb comments that he knew Dag wouldn't really run away, and Dag gives his brother a big hug.
Production Information[]
- This episode uses re-used footage from "Gonna Getcha," "Sans-a-Pelt," and "Norberto y Daggetto en El Grapadura y el Castor Malo."
Trivia[]
- Second episode in the title card to have in black and white (the first being is "Food of the Clods").
- Second episode in the title card where the main characters were featured one by one itself. This episode in the title card can be only featured Norbert without Daggett (the first being in "Omega Beaver", which was featured by Daggett only in the title card).
- This episode takes place after "Born to Be Beavers," "Bummer of Love," "The Bing That Wouldn't Leave," "Gonna Getcha," "Sans-a-Pelt," "Norberto y Daggetto en El Grapadura y el Castor Malo," "Long in the Teeth," and "Alley Oops."
Gallery[]
The image gallery for It's a Spootiful Life may be viewed here. |
Allusions[]
- It's a Wonderful Life - The episode, both the title and plot, is a reference to the 1946 American fantasy comedy-drama film.
- Citizen Kane - Norb's film Citizen Norb is a spoof of this 1941 Orson Welles film.
- "Walk on the Wild Side" - An instrumental version of this 1972 song by Lou Reed is heard when Dag meets Laverta Lutz in his vision.
Cast[]
- Nick Bakay as Norbert
- Richard Horvitz as Daggett
- John Garry as Barry
- Mark Klastorin as Truckee
- Victor Wilson as Bing
- Kate Donahue as Laverta Lutz
- Cynthia Mann as Treeflower