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"The Shiner" is the ninth episode of the third season of Recess, which was first broadcast on November 6th, 1999.

Plot[]

Summary[]

T.J. gets a black eye, and the kids in the playground treat him like a hero by making false assumptions.

Main Story[]

The episode begins with T.J.'s parents driving him to school, talking about how his friends will be amused by what happened to him over the weekend. T.J., holding a steak over his eye, does not seem to be thrilled over the idea. His dad asks for the steak before he goes into school and T.J. meets up with his friends. They are horrified to see him with a huge black eye. When they ask what happened, T.J. refuses to say what and walks away. The gang tries to figure out what happened, coming to the assumption T.J. got it while acting as a hero for some unknown cause. Randall overhears and spreads the word to a kid. Soon, all the kids have their own version of what happened to him.

During class, some kids ask if what they heard was true, and T.J. denies knowing what they're talking about. Miss Grotke sees his eye and asks about it but is told one of the stories by a classmate, telling T.J. to "fight the power". At lunch, the lunch ladies have cooked up a huge pizza for T.J. (which his pals gladly take to share) as thanks for one of the heroic acts T.J. is said to have done. Gelman then shows up looking for T.J. thinking he is going to get beat up, T.J. surrenders himself, only to be given triple chocolate cookies. T.J. decides to take credit for being a hero and begins to reap the rewards, including immunity in a game of Bombardment in Gym class. The Ashleys give T.J. imported lemonade in their clubhouse and a dip in their 'candy spa' (a small inground pool filled with candy). When the tetherball line is too long, T.J. clears his throat, and all the kids step aside for the gang to play. King Bob then shows up and has T.J. on his knees. The gang thinks T.J. is going to be punished, but instead is knighted 'Sir T.J. The Brave' and given his own day starting the next day.

T.J.'s parents drive him to school again, seeing a change in T.J.'s mood about his black eye. When T.J. arrives, there is a large poster of him hanging above the front doors. When he arrives on the playground, all the kids are waiting for him, and he takes a seat next to King Bob on the jungle gym throne. He is then given several gifts by various students- Diggers Sam and Dave give him a 1970s era quarter they found while digging, Hustler Kid gives him a Swiss crafted Beany McChimp watch (made in China). Guru Kid gives T.J. the shirt off his head, and Cornchip Girl gives T.J. her prized corn chip--- which is in the shape of Abe Lincoln's head. King Bob then asks T.J. to recount his story of getting a black eye. T.J. starts to make up an exciting story, before he hears the Abe Lincoln corn chip starting to talk to him, asking him to tell the truth. T.J. decides the truth is best, and tells the kids he cannot accept the gifts, as he is not a hero. He then recalls what actually happened- over the weekend he was participating in a Youth Group his mom signed him up for, and it was the day of the Big Hoedown. The kids had learned to square dance for the event, and as T.J. was dancing, he accidentally ran into another dancer, knocking him to the ground and giving him the black eye.

The students are shocked, but then laugh as they do not believe the story--- as they think T.J. would never square dance. They still hail him a hero as T.J. tells the corn chip "I tried Abe, honest."

Goofs[]

  • Animation/consistency error: When Butch sees T.J. right after getting his black eye, the streak in his hair is missing.
  • Animation/continuity error: When the Ashleys hear about the black eye, they run in pairs to tell others. Ashley T. and Ashley B. run together in one direction while Ashley A. and Ashley Q. run together in another. After the perspective changes to aerial view, Ashley Q. is missing; Ashley T. and Ashley B. are far apart from each other.
  • Animation/consistency error: When Gus is shocked to see Gelman coming, his watch is drawn incorrectly (sideways). This is visible while Gus is saying "I just knew it!".
  • Animation/continuity error: While Vince is trying to calm Gus down by saying "don't worry Gus!", he shakes his hands and one of his hands appear in front of Gus for a frame, despite being farther away.
  • Animation/consistency error: When Gus is shocked to see Gelman coming, there are more wooden tables beside Gus. When the perspective changes to show Vince talking, there is another wooden table behind Vince. After T.J. gets up, they are beside a metal serving table instead. Afterwards, T.J. hesitates to take the cookies, then, the wooden tables reappear behind him again. Finally, when the perspective changes to an aerial view, it's shown that they were sitting on the last wooden table.
  • Animation/continuity error: While T.J. is getting up from the table to talk to Gelman, Spinelli, Gus, and Mikey disappear from the table. After Gelman shows the cookies, they reappear yelling "cookies!". Afterwards, T.J. accepts being a hero and the perspective changes to an aerial view, Spinelli is missing from the table again.
  • Animation/consistency error: While Gelman is talking to T.J., the freckles on Gelman's face lack consistency, causing them to vary in quantity and positioning.
  • Animation/continuity error: When T.J. is invited to sit on the armchair beside King Bob, there is a servant with balloons beside the armchair. Later, the servant and the balloons disappear while T.J. is receiving gifts. After T.J. tells the story and everyone laughs, the servant and the balloons reappear.

Trivia[]

Regular[]

  • The music playing in T.J.'s parents' car is the same music played over the phone in "The Story of Whomps" when Principal Prickly calls the Board of Education.
  • According to this episode, T.J. is part of a youth group his parents signed him up for, and Butch is in the same group.
  • The "Swing Your Partners" song (along with the sound and dialogue effects during the part) was heard in the Recess Gag Reel.[1]
  • After Randall overhears the conversation at the beginning he was not seen again for the rest of the episode.

Continuity[]

  • This is the first time T.J. gets a black eye; "Prince Randall" will be the next.
  • This is the first episode where T.J. is shown wearing a bathing suit (And the only time he is shown wearing his red swim trunks); he will wear one again in "Lax", an episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, however, it will be a different one.
  • This is the first episode where Justin Jon Ross voices Cryer Kid.

International Information[]

Cast[]

Gallery[]

Photos The Recess Wiki has a collection of images about The Shiner
  1. Recess Gag Reel: 4:14-4:21
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