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"Tattletale Heart" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of Recess, which was first broadcast on September 22nd, 1999.

Plot[]



Summary[]

After a savage food fight occurs in the cafeteria, the entire student body is interrogated individually by Miss Finster as a way to find the culprit. Somebody tattles and the blame goes to Gus as he knew who started it, but he did say that he refused to tell Miss Finster out of fear he would have been labeled a tattletale.

Main Story[]

Gus is in the lunchroom with his friends enjoying his chocolate milk. Mikey tells him that maybe he should not have finished his milk first and saved some for when he eats his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Once Gus takes a bite out of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, he gets thirsty, so he went over to look for more chocolate milk. That is when somebody threw some mashed potatoes at him, which hit Jeffrey who complains about his shirt being ruined and throws his portion of liver. It hits Ashley A. and prompts Ashley B. to return fire with noodles that hit King Bob.

A massive food fight then ensues, and when it is all over, Gus emerges from the dust of the battle and tells his friends that he saw who started the food fight. Just then, Miss Finster arrives and punishes the kids by making them clean up the mess and taking away their recess until she finds out who is responsible for starting the food fight. While Gus is cleaning, he tries to tell the gang that he can end it if he just tells Miss Finster, but the kids warn him that it would make him a tattletale, which is against the Kids' Code of Honor, and that the delinquent person would have to stick his/her head in a garbage can.

Later, while sweeping, Gus consults with Guru Kid about telling on the kid and he tells him the same thing. Soon, Finster starts interrogating the kids individually. When she gets to Gus, he is really nervous and cannot say a word. By the time it is all over, Finster announces that the investigation is closed, and that the culprit is none other than her own snitch, Randall Weems. Miss Finster orders the hall monitors to arrest Randall and sent him to detention as punishment for starting a food fight in the first place. Randall was upset at Gus, thinking that he had tattled on him, which made the angry kids go and attack Gus, until Finster stops them and explains that Gus and his friends had told her nothing in the investigation and that she suspected Randall, took his fingerprint, matched it with the one found at the scene of the crime, and caught him.

Gretchen said that her explanation was not good enough, she asked what made Randall the prime suspect. Finster explains that though Gus and his friends did not tattle, they were the only ones who did not do it and that everyone else had tattled on Randall. King Bob pardons everyone by royal decree due to a shortage of garbage cans. Gus then asks how everyone else knew since he was the only one who had a clear view on Randall. Everyone looks at Guru Kid, who confesses that he told everyone else about Randall starting the food fight.

Quotes[]

  • Miss Finster: "Hmm. In a loyal mood, are you? Well, I can be loyal, too. Of course, for those who won't be loyal, I can make things rough; Recess cancelled for the slightest drizzle, weed patrol, mandatory maypole celebrations in traditional Scandinavian Attire..."
  • Mikey's voice: "Think chocolate... Use it... Use it..."
  • Miss Finster: "I can outlaw hallway passes forever." (Turns into a chocolate bar) "Mmm.. Chocolate. The nurse could keep her thermometer in the refrigerator-- Yummy, Yummy Nougat. I could force you to-- delicious. Play Bridge. Milky-- Trim the Hedges. Smooth and oh-ho-ho, so Luscious." (Pounds on the table) "Sorry. There was a fly on the table."
  • Guru Kid: "As the river flows, so inexorably flows the truth. Okay, so I blabbed."

Goofs[]

  • Animation/continuity error: While the gang is cleaning and stopping Gus from tattling, Phil appears multiple times as a background character, putting him at 3-4 places at once.

Trivia[]

Regular[]

  • When Miss Finster was calling each kid in alphabetically by their last name, she called Cornchip Girl (Teresa LaMaize) before Gus Griswald. While this may be seen as a goof, Cornchip Girl was not given a full name at the time of the episode's airing.
  • This episode shows that despite his acting as her partner/snitch, Miss Finster will punish Randall just like she would any other student if the situation calls for it.

Continuity[]

  • Adam Abel is mentioned by name for the first time in this episode.
  • This is the final episode where Jeffrey has a speaking role.
  • This episode marks the first and only credit of the writer, Matt Rosenberg (not to be confused with the journalist of the same name), who wrote this episode solely.
  • This is a rare time Guru Kid talks in his normal voice.

Cast[]

Gallery[]

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