TITLE: Fanning the Flames...Oh, Danny is doing more then just fanning, he's completely flamin'! *is smacked*
LOGO: “A symphony of DOOM!”
EPISODE #: 11
SEASON: 1
AIRDATE: October 8, 2004
DIRECTOR: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Hashiguchi
STORY: Steve Marmel
WRITERS: Marty Isenberg
STORYBOARD: Ray Angrum, Chris Graham
ART DIRECTIONS: Bob Boyle
MUSIC: Guy Moon
APPEARANCE: SWAT teams, Principal Ishiyama (1st appearance), Danny and Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Jack and Maddie, Lancer, Valerie, Paulina, Dash, Kwan, bunches of other Casper High students
GHOST APPEARANCE: Ember McLain, Her Band, Klemper, Two ghosts who look like they popped out of the 1800s (1st Appearance)
FENTON GADGET APPEARANCE: Fenton Phones (1st appearance), Fenton Stockage
LESSON: "Remember" is the song that never ends, it goes on and on, my friend, cuz' this is the song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves... (repeat unneccessarily for 50+ times)
SUMMARY: Another visit to the Ghost Zone (the second time since Danny’s first trip in “Prisoners of Love”) and already he’s got his hands full dealing with Klemper, a ghost in pajamas who speaks in a high squeaky voice, demanding to be friends with Danny. Considering he’s like manhandling Danny while he does it, I can see why he doesn’t have many friends. Casper the Ghost he ain’t. Just another daily life in the world of DP as Danny and his friends (upon his suggestions) decides to map out the Ghost Zone. Ahh, good idea, Danny, way to use that noggin'. Tucker complains about the Fenton Phones (designed to filter out ghost noise), two pairs of communicating devices for each ear which he substitute as headphones for music from his PDA, namely the song “Remember” which, I will warn you now, you better like the song because trust me, you WILL be hearing it ALL throughout the entire damn episode. I’m serious. Any who, Sam comments on the Fenton Phones and Danny insensitively declares he should give a pair to Paulina. Yes, because Paulina would LIKE “techno-goth earrings”. Clueless. So, anyone wanna tell me HOW Danny is able to communicate with them considering he DOES NOT have Fenton Phones like the others do? Danny escapes Klemper until he freezes him. Not possessing the freezing ability until “Urban Jungle” instead Ghost Rays himself out, then shoves Klemper behind a refrigerator door that sends him--well, either to the Ghost Zone version of the Artic or the actually Artic itself. Considering the sky isn’t green and purple and the penguin Klemper asks to be his friend isn’t ghostly, I wager it be Earth. Danny destroys the door way so he won’t get out (wow, a bit cruel for someone who only wanted friends, Danny), then flies back into the Specter Speeder where he shivers in cold. Sam warms Danny’s hands by holding his with her’s, and much blushing begins, interrupted by Tucker’s bad singing. They fly away home as two wandering ghosts asks what that “Ghostly Wail” was. Okay, I doubt Hartman and his crew thought of Danny’s Ghostly Wail at that point, but still, it’s funny to see the unintentional foreshadowing.
At Casper High, Danny laments on the sudden increase in popularity over Ember McLain’s musical status as pop diva when she appeared completely out of nowhere. Danny, that’s called the “15 minutes of fame” spotlight. Look what happened with the Macarena. The fact that Danny is cautious over this matter instead of being sucked in proves again that he’s a lot smarter then people give him credit for. Sam however is just bitching at how Ember is “pre-packaged corporate bubblegum preventing true magical artists from being heard.” Tucker doesn’t care, he claims this is his own unique individuality (wearing Ember colored hat and T-shirt and the likes), which is quickly debunked when it seems every single student in Casper High loves and endures anything Ember-related.
Already Paulina approaches the trio and points out Sam’s earrings in insult. Sam stats Danny gave them to her and she immediately proclaims them a couple, one they both deny. Dash further insults them on their closeness and again, they deny it while keeping Tucker from singing Ember’s primary song over and over. Hmm, considering Valerie just became a ghost hunter in the last episode and she hasn’t officially changed so drastically yet, it makes me wonder if she spread rumors of that kiss Danny and Sam shared, causing the others to think that way (although Dash insulted Danny further by calling Sam his “girlfriend” in “Mystery Meat”, but that was purely of an insult level, not assumption), in order to perhaps maybe try and get her life back on track. After all, Paulina spouted “I always knew you’d losers would end up together.” which is basically a word for word on what Valerie herself said last episode.
Later on in school, the Northwestern Nine Standardized testing is coming up and since this means it affects Lancer’s bonus (*snort* Some teacher), the school bought the Cramtastic Mark 5, a giant computerized program designed to help students study more then they probably want to. When Lancer turns it on though, Ember’s face pops up on screen, singing her song for the THIRD time--in only 4 minutes of the show! Damn. Lancer opens the slot to find an Ember DVD inside, then more “Remember” plays (4th time). He cries out in anger for Tucker to turn it down, assuming he’s playing it (he throws the DVD in his direction, what the HELL kind of teacher is allowed to do THAT?!). Tucker cries out it isn’t him though. No, indeed, it’s coming from outside. Anyone want to tell me WHY Tucker and some of the other students are wearing their backpack while sitting in class?
Heading out to the front of the school by the time a trunk rolls in carrying a stage, nearly all the students (or maybe all) gather around as Ember and her band teleport or whatever themselves in. Apparently, I can only assume the children’s excitement and possibly assuming the teleportation is staged cause them to not even remotely care she’s not a ghost. Her flaming hair and pale skin doesn’t faze them either. Okay, the pale skin I can take as celebrities dress up in the weirdest shit ever, but truly is there REALLY something that can actually make someone’s hair look like they’re on fire then it actually is? Or are the students assuming it’s also part of the staging as well? I mean, seriously. Then again, in THIS world, they have a friggin’ jetpack that can take them in space in like less then 30 seconds. Seriously, that would solve a WHOLE lot of space traveling problems if this was available in our own world. As everyone but Danny and Sam cheers, Lancer steps up to stop Ember, but she counteracts with her guitar, turning a knob to one of the symbols on it (pointing to the swirl) and strums her strings, causing the students to be hypnotized by her. They immediately attack Lancer while Danny figures out from there that she’s the ghost (his ghost sense having turned loose earlier). So he turns ghost and saves Lancer from being road kill by making him intangible. He doesn’t get the chance to fight Ember as she suddenly disappears--just like that. JUST LIKE THAT. If the students weren't possessed, I’m sure even THEY’D have figured something weird would have happened…maybe. This town has a tendency to at times suffer Springfield Syndrome of stupidity.
The next day, Lancer is pissed at all the Embers everywhere as he eyes one magazine cover to another, her face gracing every single one. Now it’s personal vendetta at this point. Tucker freaks out Danny and Sam by donning an Ember flaming wig, one which Paulina surprisingly gives a compliment to (she’s donning Ember’s clothes which fits well with Sam’s insult she once said to her, “Evil, mind controlling spirit”, although I assume that was the general joke) to which Sam warns to Tucker beforehand on Ember's abilities. Paulina announces ticket sales at the local music store, so obviously they run the hell over there, Tucker included. Danny and Sam pulls the poor kid away from the exit, stopping only when they find themselves touching each other (much awkwardness ahoy). They later tie Tucker up and strap him to the Cramtastic to deprogram him. Pure torture. Leaving to stop the ghost themselves, Danny reaches for his thermos in his locker while discussing with Sam on why the music never affected the two. Sam theorizes because of his ghost power while Danny theorizes due to her “individuality and intelligence”, leaving off a much blushing Sam. Oh, please, if that were the actual reason, I’d suspect a few more students would have stayed put as well. I DOUBT Sam is the ONLY one in school who strives for individuality. Lancer then steps in to desperately try and get the “lovebirds” (“We’re not lovebirds!”) an education. Of course, Danny holds Sam’s hand and phases their way out, much to the unknowing Lancer who notice they’re missing when he turns to face them at the last minute. Poor guy, he really needs a raise.
And now comes my FAVORITE scene out of the entire episode and one of my all-time favorite scenes in Danny Phantom. Danny and Sam flying the sky as she admires what it feels like to fly as well as Danny herself. But no, that’s not the exact favorite scene that wows me, but the part when the sun shines on Danny. That scene alone is just gold and the music is absolutely beautiful. I’ll rant in happiness over this in the review more, but damn, I love that scene. Shame it’s interrupted when they bump into a giant Ember cardboard when he doesn’t see where he’s going. See? Don’t drink and fly kids, you’ll only hurt the ones you love.
Inside the music store (Song number 5), all the students and them some cheer as Ember throws out tickets for her concert. Sam plays the role of distraction, seeing the people won’t be thrilled to see their idol inside the Fenton Thermos. So she goes to one of the giant Ember cardboards and draws a classic glasses and mustache combo at it. THE CAPTAIN IS HERE!...Where the hell did she get that red marker? Ember decides to fight back, but Danny ends up battling. For some odd reason, none of the people in the crowd seems to give a damn that their idol is in heated battle (his Fenton Thermos knocked near Sam). Must assume it’s staged again. I mean, hell, even when she TELEPORTS onto the rooftop, they don’t seem to mind. Oh, my God, if they weren’t hypnotized by Ember, I’d have declared this Amity Park’s stupidest moments since “Splitting Images”. Danny’s battle with Ember isn’t going smoothly, the people chanting her name makes her stronger and the stronger she is, the more effective in her global conquest for the world. Sam pops in with Fenton Thermos in hand, but Ember one-ups them by keeping Danny and Sam busy, blasting them both with a love spell. Danny turns human from the affect while Sam is just blown away to the near end of the giant Ember cardboard that fell down earlier when Ember smacked Danny towards. Ember leaves the two alone and by the time Sam snaps to, she sees Danny give off a goofy smile and half closed eyes as hearts float around him. He crawls over to Sam, tipping the cardboard over to get close to her, him too love struck (which Sam notices due to the similar expression he gives to Paulina), but is too late to stop him as she falls to her almost doom provided a man from a SWAT helicopter didn’t rescue her in time. Lancer, having bought the team over now places every single student in house arrest. He’s REALLY got a vendetta for that chick. Then Dash and Kwan hug each other. Awww, young love.
The Fenton kids are thrown to Jack and Maddie who are pissed at their rebellious nature and their lack of studying. Yes, that includes Jazz who also got hypnotized by Ember’s music. Hey, even she can be a teenager. That said, I’m rather surprised she was into her music in the first place. I just never saw it as a Jazz thing. Whatever the case be, Jack decides the only way to punish them is in the Fenton Stockades AKA the Iron Maiden. Yep, they actually have that torture device for some reason (are Jack and Maddie secretly masochistic? Does this kink up their marriage or what? Oh, god, possible images of that "backwash" incident...), one which Maddie doesn’t agree upon, instead sticking with grounding. Jazz obviously gives little shit, declaring she’s going to Ember’s concert while Danny is flabbergasted all over Sam.
“Remember” plays for the 6TH BLOODY TIME as an Ember van rides around the neighborhood, causing kids to break their house arrest and sneak out to the concert. Well, okay, not sneak out since they’re practically running and screaming in joygasm fits. Jazz leaves the Fenton House via some Fenton Grappler and swings around like Batman, friggin' Batman! She must REALLY be hypnotized if she’s using a Fenton invention of all things to sneak out of the house. I mean, seriously. That or Hartman is just making foreshadowing comforts of when she really digs the Fenton gears five episodes later. Like parents, like daughter.
Danny meanwhile is busy with his own thing, basically taking everything he has of Sam and meditating to it. Okay, he’s only just got hypnotized to feel emotional, romantic attachment to her, so where the bloody shit did he manage to find used gum chewed by her and strand lock of hair? Did he raid through his trash can or her trash can or what? Danny’s been such a clueless kid that Sam likes him and while he’s had his share of moments where he feels something for him, it has NOT completely set upon the boy. Sam manages to sneak inside Danny’s room via ladder. He lets her in and completely gushes over her while she tries in vain to snap him out of it. Notice how she’s NOT being some jealous bitch here, of course that’s a bit unfair when there really isn’t any girl Danny is oggling at the moment. Even that brief quip with Paulina at the starting intro is small and to the point. Sam eventually figures out the reasons why she was never affected by the love charm was due to the Fenton phones she’s been donning the whole time, filtering out ghost noise. Hrmm, when they mean by ghost noise, do they necessary mean just music, or if the ghost attacks with noisy elements or what? Because if that were the case, you’d think Ember’s talking would have Sam cry out, “WHAT? Speak up, I can’t hear you!” every damn time. Not to mention how the hell can Tucker hear Ember's song at the very beginning of the episode. Doesn't that sorta count as "ghost noise?" I seriously think that they have to be forced into contact of said sound for it to be effective or otherwise Danny and Sam would be swarming with the other kids, hypnotized by Ember's musical goodness--er--badness. Oh, yeah, and something about Tucker and leaving him behind.
What the hell? Do the janitors NOT see that a kid is tied up in the classroom THIS late, especially with that morbid look on his face as he’s stuck shoving all that educational stuff inside his head? Sam and Danny, well, Sam anyways frees him while Danny gawks at her. Tucker is happy the two are together, but Sam declares it’s a spell from Ember. Then comes the hard hitting question when Tucker states if she truly wants to be with him and of course, she struggles with her words, only coming to a “maybe” before switching back to Ember’s concert in which they have only a mere 15 minutes before Ember starts her worldwide concert for global conquest. So they vamoose, Tucker’s knowledge increased from the Cramtastic (“Wow, it really works and I spent the first nine years of my school life actually reading?!").
When they reach the concert, Tucker turns off the power, accidentally speaking into the mike and prompting Ember to send Dash and Kwan (somehow security guards for some damn reason) to “bag ‘em and gag ‘em”. Well, they’re bagged, but they ain’t gagged. Ember’s concert then begins and via satellite goes global as we see some more stereotypes of different cultures since the hillbillies in “PoL”. Where the hell do the Aborigines hook their TV to from out in the middle of the grasslands? Seriously? Is there some unseen power cord we’re missing or what? To add some more annoyance, we hear “Remember” for the 7th TIME. OH. MY. GOD. THIS. IS. THE. SONG. THAT. NEVER. ENDS. Sam, having enough of Danny’s tomfoolery takes a desperate measure to break the spell by kissing Dash. It works wonders as he watches in shock, “Sam, how could you?” Then Dash and Sam cries out in horror (Dash: Ahh! She tastes like geek! Sam: Ahh! He tastes like failure!). Ahah, I love those lines. Dash and the other security guards runs off in horror (I don’t know why the others are running with him) while Sam tries to apologizes to Danny who is PISSED off. Of course, he decides the healthy approach to anger is to hit something--even if it’s another person, namely Ember herself.
Sam watches in admiration as Danny lays the smack down on Ember, sending her flying to one of the giant screens. She comes off looking like a complete mess (her make up more whore-ish then anything else) before the next scene shows her looking the same before. I hate it when animations do that. any who, the two end up kicking each other’s asses, including sword fights with guitars and microphone poles. Obviously all the people in the crowd assume this is staged again, Jazz proclaiming it a “killer light show”. She also approves of “mindless teenage rebellion”. They’re hypnotized, remember, they are hypnotized, not dumb, just hypnotized. Jazz would NEVER approve of that. They ARE HYPNOTIZED! *Hits head* Any who, long story short, Ember gets pissed and traps Danny in a giant pink funnel of sorts due to people chanting her name and making her stronger. Danny uses his brain and orders Tucker to sing in order to horrify people of Ember’s image. So he comes and he sings and man, do I LOVE the fact that he’s giving it his all. Somehow, it’s enough to snap people out of their trance......you’ve GOT to be kidding me. Ember’s powers having faded now that people over the world are annoyed with it (one can only assume they assume Tucker is associated with Ember or something), Ember’s powers weaken and she cries out in agony. Danny then sucks her up and the crowd cheers, obviously thinking this is yet another staged event. He tells Tucker to basically shut up, then flies over to Sam where the two embrace, again quickly releasing themselves out of awkward feelings towards one another.
By school the next day, everyone is subjected to mandatory cram session due to the poor tests scores sans Tucker’s perfect grade (which is good news for Lancer’s bonus). Principal Ishiyama (making her debut here) then excuses Tucker from taking it. He points out the irony and leaves with two, I presume, geeky girls who are absolutely in love with his brief displays of intelligence. Irony, trust me, I know a hell of a lot of things when it comes to irony. I experience it all the damn time and is an element I use often in my stories and art. That said, none of the students aren’t pleased.
As for Ember herself, she wanders around a cold area in the Ghost Zone with Klemper (who somehow found his way back home) who's bugging the shit out her, chanting her name. She bitches at him to stop shouting her name in an--well--ironic twist. HA!
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Article Written in: Feb. 19, 2007
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