TITLE: My Brother's Keeper...Vanity has it's cruel price...
LOGO: “Presented in PHANTOMATION”
EPISODE #: 9
SEASON: 1
AIRDATE: June 25, 2004
DIRECTOR: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Hashiguchi
STORY: Steve Marmel
WRITERS: Sib Ventress
STORYBOARD: Ray Angrum, Chris Graham
ART DIRECTIONS: Bob Boyle
MUSIC: Guy Moon
APPEARANCE: Main Trio, Jazz, Fenton Folks, Lancer, Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Valerie, and a whole bunch of other students
GHOST APPEARANCE: Penelope Spectra, Bertrand (1st Appearance)
FENTON GADGET APPEARANCE: Fenton Ghost Peeler (1st appearance)
LESSON: I will pay anything if I never have to see Lancer cheerlead again.
SUMMARY: Lancer starts of the show by leaping up to the air while cheering for Casper High in front of a worried and weirded out Jazz whom he later confesses to once being a male cheerleader of Casper High. I’m more surprised at the amount of hair he had back then. Any who, Lancer is super special awesome excited for the Casper High centennial event, especially the spirit sparklers. DAMN, the school’s a hundred years old, that’s quite the history of wedgies, bullies, and corrupted teachers right there. Of course, for the moment, this is none of Jazz’s concern. She's concerned over the matters of her little bro whom she feels has been acting in a completely unique manner since the accident, “He’s been acting really strange lately, like he’s not himself anymore. I’d talk to him, but I’m his older sister and he’s just going to think I’m being bossy. And if he doesn’t get some help--if he doesn’t talk to somebody, all that frustrations he’s repressing could come out the wrong way.” While she’s yakking away with Lancer in the school building, Danny spots a green blobby ghost thing invading the office of one Penelope Spectra. Going ghost inside a school locker (wow, amazing how he flawlessly dives in there), he enters said office and battles. Some nice hand to hand combat and a hand-slash later; green blob smacks him with a chair. WRESTLEMANIA! Danny then Ecto Rays the room and trashes the entire office trying to hit him. The blob creature gets away, leaving a frustrated Danny to turn human by the time Jazz and Lancer enters the office. Danny however isn’t shocked at their appearance, but upset over letting the ghost get away.
Penelope Spectra returns to her messy office complete with two prongs Vlad Plasmius-ish hairdo. She doesn’t really seem to mind the mess. In fact, she doesn’t seem to mind a lot of thing as she retains a cheery attitude throughout. Jazz comments on the cold nature of her place when Spectra turns up the air conditioner, stating it keeps the mind “icy sharp”. Ahahaha, cute. Danny is less then pleased on Jazz’s tattletale abilities, calling her a “fink”.
Jazz: Danny, I’m just trying to help. Come on, we used to talk all the time.Danny: Yeah, When I was eight and you weren’t a fink!
The conversation speaks volumes once again on the the level of sibling bond the two currently share--or lack of--as well as hints of how they were close in the past. Lancer dismisses Danny until they can think of a suitable punishment, and then quickly praises Jazz on her intelligence and her current position as speech giver for the Centennial Spirit-O-Thon. Lancer properly introduces Spectra who serve as the school’s motivational speaker/teen therapist, her goal to pump up the pep in the students in time for the celebration. She introduces her assistant Bertrand who merely just glares at Jazz despite the friendly wave she gives. Rude. Spectra then showcases the dominos that spell “Casper Spirit” lined up for the big event (the dominos representing how one person’s spirits affect the next person they touch) and eventually set off the spirit sparklers. She even gets up on the table with lighted batons to show her enthusiastic behavior. DAMN, she’s got a nice set of legs. Jazz, seeing her over peppy nature thinks Danny’s current mood might do good by visiting her, something Lancer agrees and forces it on him as punishment.
Indeed, later on Danny is angrily waiting his turn in Spectra’s office, sitting on the “Happy Chair” despite the boy’s current mood. Spectra opens the door and gives some last minute advice to Paulina (put on a lot of make up as her popularity depends on her beauty), then lures Danny in. Already in and Danny complains about his sister and the way high up AC. Spectra starts off as her "therapy care" by lying, saying Jazz referred to him as a “baby” and a “loser”, insults that obviously pisses Danny off. Spectra then makes some advice towards him, which doesn’t help the poor kid one bit as he leaves the office (not before slamming onto the wall first). When she and Bertrand are alone, Bertrand eyes his partner who is sucking up her wrinkled skin until her face gains youthfulness again, her goal to use teen depression to keep her constantly youthful. Bertrand complains why she’s only wasting time with Danny (Wasting time? I thought this was their FIRST visit) to which she replies he’s like “a walking spa treatment”. Bertrand decides to be a good assistant and up the ante. Revealing himself as the green blob from earlier, Bertrand morphs into a giant green hornet and heads off to deal some damage.
Danny walks off to his next class (I assume) with Sam and Tucker, both obviously noticing the terrible mood he’s in. He reveals the insults Jazz had called him to which an observant Sam states it’s not something Jazz would say. Cue older sister who comes in and makes her opinions known.
Jazz: Danny, I know you’re angry, but I’m worried about you. Ever since the accident-Danny: *irritated* Jazz, I know you think you’re helping and I’m sure when I’m older I’ll appreciate it, but right now, I don’t.
Jazz: You have to talk to somebody, Danny, you barely have any friends-- (Sam and Tucker glares) --besides these two and you have absolutely no extracurricular activities.
Danny: Well, maybe this is me now, huh? Not everybody’s pumped up full of spirit all the time, ya know! *ghost senses let loose, he shivers* Ghost sense? I don’t see anything.
Jazz: Danny, you’re shivering.
Danny: Leave me alone! *runs off*
Jazz: It’s worse then I thought!
So Jazz knows about the accident, so I can only theorize the Fenton Folks do, too. The main question I ask is what was their reaction to the accident? I imagined they were worried; probably did some experiments and test to see if anything happen to their son. Of course, if that were the case, they would have figured he was half ghost, unless his powers didn’t come right off the bat. In "MM", it’s only a month after the accident; though he has already established some of the powers, but have not outright mastered it sans transforming, ghost senses, and flying basically. Any who, his ghost sense comes loose, so he runs off, worrying Jazz further. Strike One. Unfortunately, she gets another set of worries when Bertrand Hornet attacks, causing Jazz to scream and show off a LOT OF mouth. Damn, she’s got a huge jaw. Bertrand hones in on her and slips he’s long tongue around her face in such a manner that I wonder if it’s intentionally sexual or not. Before we could get possible Bug-on-Girl action, Danny Phantom comes to the rescue, telling the ghost bug to back off as he kicks him out of the school through intangibility. Jazz is shocked that she saw a ghost--nay, TWO ghosts in just five seconds. Why the shit are you shocked? You just saw the friggin’ BOX GHOST at the end of the last episode.
Outside, a kid reading a book watches (he doesn’t even run, it’s hilarious) as Bertrand tries to sting Danny. Danny merely just hovers and covers his head as the giant hornet scratches his arm. Danny beats himself up for not going intangible, but manages to save himself by creating a ghost shield when Bertrand hones in for a body slam. Danny whips out the trusty Fenton Thermos (pulling stuff out of nowhere--again), but finds the bug missing, “Gone, another bad guy gets away. Maybe Jazz is right, maybe I am a loser.” Jazz watches from inside as Danny Phantom flies away, dejected. She’s rather impressed that she saw a ghost for the first time instead of being horrified that her parents’ theories and beliefs on ghosts actually exists. Even more so, she doesn’t even notice the Fenton Thermos Danny flies off with which could have worked as a pretty damn big clue on who he is. No, what does Jazz do? She decides to tell her excited event to Danny of all people.
At Fenton Works, Jazz talks with Danny in the kitchen over ghostly related matters. Danny states it only looked like a big bug to him, then further continues his disdain for her. With little choice, Jazz resorts to the Fenton folks who quickly dive in. Maddie is quick to ask what’s wrong with Danny while Jack obviously asks about ghosts. Danny takes that into cue and quickly fabricates a plan saying Jazz saw one. Predictably, the parents immediately shift their attention towards the older sibling and bombards her, the father figure showcasing the Fenton Ghost-Peeler, designed to peel a ghost’s layer off atom by atom. Strike Two, Jazz.
By school the next day (Tuesday), Jazz interrogates Tucker and Sam on Danny’s behavior, even bribing them. Tucker is all too eager for the greens (showing his power corrupt and lust for greed that I always sensed in him--So does that mean Sam has pride as her main Seven Sins?), but Sam retaliates the 20 away and says Danny is fine, despite the things he keeps in secret. Danny nearby takes a drink from a water fountain, Bertrand taking this in cue to latch his backpack to the fire alarm, causing the boy to accidentally pull it as he walks off, drenching the entire school. Fire trunks and one evacuated school later, Danny is given one months’ detention and another session with Spectra despite the kid claiming his innocent. In Spectra’s office later on, Danny dons one of those Baby New Year outfits, much to his dismay. Spectra states it’s to get rid of his fear of being called a “baby”. He counters by saying “loser” is the word he detests, nevertheless, Spectra forces Danny to succumb to the outfit (“You care too much about what people think”) and already he gets less then deserving embarrassment when Dash and some of his football buddies enter the office with boxes of banners for Spectra. Spectra places a reassuring hand on Danny’s shoulder, sucking up his depression in secret.
Later, at an ice cream pharmacy store, Valerie chats with Kwan (I like how these two were pretty close before Kwan ended up with Star and Val fought for Danny’s attention against Sam’s) about how she relies on too much material goods while Kwan, dejected, states “At least you’ll have them, Spectra says I’m gonna grow old, broke, and alone.” Clever, VERY clever that Hartman and his crew decided to foreshadow the irony of Kwan’s words to Valerie considering what will happen to her material goods in the next episode and how her reliance on them causes her to be unprepared at first for the challenges she will face. A very nice touch. Cutting to Danny and friends, Danny basically mulls over how Spectra’s cheery advice does the opposite of what it’s suppose to do, make him even more depressed. Tucker, having taken pictures of New Years Baby Danny on his PDA does nothing to lift his spirit. Jazz enters again to confined in her brother, but he’s still irritated and then fearful when his ghost sense escapes. Danny gazes over to Paulina who is perfecting her beauty to make herself perfect on per Spectra’s advice until Bertrand sneaks behind her. Danny forces Jazz onto his friends to keep her busy, then runs out. Jazz follows after him, worried, with Sam and Tucker giving chase. There she eyes Danny transforming in an alley, and then flying off to fight ghosts. Naturally she’s shocked and cries out to Danny’s friends about what she saw. They both deny it immediately off track. Jazz however remains suspicious as she walks off. Danny meanwhile confronts and does battle with Bertrand where the two basically throw each other around. The enemy then basically cries out that Danny sucks and turns into a puma or some form of a giant cat. Tucker and Sam enter and threaten Bertrand, but backs off when he gets near. Note to self kiddoes, unless you know how the bloody hell to tame a friggin’ giant cat, leave ’em alone. Danny tackles Bertrand away from the two, but the blob ghost gets the upper hand, calling him a loser and then later suffering Danny’s wrath as he kicks him off. Danny then Ghost Rays, but misses. With the entire store a mess, Bertrand flies off, satisfied, Tucker and Sam worries on Danny while Jazz watches again from afar. Danny, completely in insult added to injury mode walks off, “Great, he got away again. Another ringing endorsement for the town screw-up.”
Later that night, Jazz spots Danny having dinner alone, clearly looking ready to write depressing angst-ridden music and mull over his crappy teenager existence. She comes over, examines him, then pinches him, causing Danny to wonder what the heck is wrong with her. She says it’s nothing and basically expresses that even if she is a bossy, pushy person, she cares for her brother, something Danny doesn’t outright believe nor care--well, not that first until Jazz’s words eventually start to sink in. He almost confesses his big secret until a nearby explosion takes place. The siblings spot Jack totaling the couch or some furniture to test his Fenton Peelers for his rampage to destroy ghosts while Maddie states she wants to examine the remains. That cues in on Danny refusing to want to talk with Jazz. Backing up for once, she hovers over her brother and kisses his head before walking off. In one of the most touching scenes of the entire series, Danny gives off a sincere expression of happiness…before he ruins it by saying how gross it is. Aww, come on, Danny. Strike Three.
The next day at school, every single person sans Tucker, Sam, and Jazz are depressed and devoid of life. It makes Danny even more miserable then I think should be physically possible on dramatic teenagers, then suspicious when Tucker laments how he and Sam are the only two who have yet to visit Spectra. Asking for Tucker’s PDA, he's glad and lucky Tucker has yet to delete the pictures of his New Year’s Baby outfit. Danny suspects the cool breath he keeps seeing is not from the AC, but that of his ghost sense. Wait, considering the picture is taken OUTSIDE of Spectra’s office where it’s the ONLY room with high AC, why the hell does he suspect it as ghost sense when logically, it would be his cold breath? Here’s an even more intriguing question. How does Spectra know about ghost senses? Throughout the entirety of the show, the only one whom we EVER see sprout out ghost senses is Danny himself. Not even Vlad had showed any sign he has one (unless he's hiding/suppressing/controlling his). The thing is, as far as I know, I figured this to be merely a half ghost thing or at least a Danny thing. So the theory stands that it’s either something ghosts DO have, but the show never showed or Spectra merely heard about a ghost boy with the ability to sense ghosts with his breath (although that begs the question on how she was not able to figure out who he was when she met Danny Phantom face to face for the first time, but she could have merely only heard of him and not knew what he looked like). Oy, I just raised myself another theory that’ll bother me till the end of time.
Any who, he suspects Spectra is a ghost, showcasing he’s not as stupid as the show often makes it out to be, now if only the writers stuck with that in certain cases. I love smart Danny moments. Sam and Tucker puts this to the test by entering Spectra’s office for a session, then both coming out depressed and moody. Cue Danny Phantom who turns invisible as he watches Spectra suck up Sam and Tucker’s depressions. Bertrand arrives to state the Sprit Sparkler has been hooked up so that when the dominos hits the switch to light up the sparklers, it’ll kill Jazz (which the sparklers are aimed at), causing enough depression towards her to keep them youthful forever. Killing an innocent for vanity, these villains truly are despicably awesome. I mean, come on? They kill for their own selfish, vain reasons. And is it just me or is Bertrand the pinnacle of male gayness in this show or what?
At the Spirit celebration, the cheerleaders give off pathetically bad cheers. Lancer steps in to liven things up by creating his own. Not bad for an out of shape teacher. No one is impressed by his maneuvers due to their depression while again Jazz is weirded out. Meanwhile Bertrand asks Spectra for coffee after this fiasco, interrupted when Danny blasts him away. He hovers over to Spectra and we get some nice interactions between the two.
Danny: I figured it out, finally. You feed on misery, don’t you?Spectra: I’m sorry, can I help you?
Danny: No, I’m sure you can’t (ooh, really love the emotions when he delivered this line), you can’t help anyone except yourself. You find the one thing that a kid’s most afraid of: their future, their looks, their confidences, and you pick at it and pick at it while you’re snippy little ghost assistant feeds on it.
Spectra: Very good, but I fear you missed a few details.
Her eyes glow a mean red and she turns into her true form, a black ghost, in pure dramatic fashion. Both Spectra and now turned Puma Bertrand strikes Danny while Jazz gives her speech before Lancer starts the dominos. Danny is tackled to a tree by Bertrand, but before he could be scratched, he NOW remembers to go intangible, but Spectra steps in and grabs the poor kid--that Fenton Thermos strapped around him AGAIN appearing out of nowhere. What is this? Magic Land? As if I’m already irritated by animations outside of Looney Tunes (or anything related in that particular type of cartoon) who does that. Spectra makes note on how she vows to let Danny take the blame for Jazz’s death and make him even more depressed (Oh, come on, he's already at his critical) so she can suck that up as well, I can gather. Danny’s reaction however isn’t one of mope, “Man, I am SO tired of you dumping on me and I am SO tired of dumping on myself; Jazz never did that, even when I was mad at her and I won‘t let her down!” Releasing himself from Spectra, she sics Bertrand on him who turns into a ninja, shows off some fancy ninja moves, and then gets properly Thermos’ed. Spectra delivers a tackle which Danny evades, then throws her in a dumpster.
Before he can thermos her, he flies over to Jazz as the last domino falls to hit the switch. Seriously, can one small domino be able push a button that looks to require more force then that? Any who, Danny saves Jazz’s life before she is BBQ’ed, flying her to the storage room where the two quickly eye each other. Before anyone can do anything, Spectra grabs Danny and pins him to a wall. There, she basically plays with his mind again, questioning who he is, stating he has "creepy powers". Creepy powers, Spectra? Honestly, he has ghost powers, the same you and a gazillion other ghosts do, not unless she was referring to his half ghost status. Danny doesn’t even get the chance to thermos her as she smacks that away and causes him to second guess who he is, so Jazz enters and saves the day by using the Fenton Ghost Peeler on her, removing her layer by layer. She basically turns from her youthful self to a freakishly old person. While she anguishes over her lost youth, Danny sucks her up, then confronts Jazz who is impressed by the Peeler’s effectiveness, then calls it off as weird. Wait, why does Jazz even HAVE the Fenton Peeler, especially if she declares it weird? Does she feel the need to protect herself or help Danny just incase or is this one of the writer’s Deus ex machina-ish plot? Ya know, if they could have added a small scene of Jazz taking the device for her own reasons, it would have really helped. Jazz pretends to get scared of Danny‘s presence, and then tells him he better make like a banana and split. Again, she does NOT question where she got the thermos. Yes, she knows he is her brother now, but he doesn’t know that and you’d think a smart girl like her would question how he got the Fenton Thermos. Gah, I suppose Jazz is pretty durn confident then that Danny never asks that question. Danny flies off with Jazz concluding, “He can tell me when he’s ready.”
Lancer takes Jazz back to the gymnasium where everyone’s spirits have returned, all of them cheering for Jazz while Danny, back with the other students, casually waves to her.
Lancer: Everybody’s mood is lifted, as though some gloomy malevolence has been shooed away. Your disappearing act worked marvelously, they got their spirits back. Jazz: They’re not the only ones, Mr. Lancer; they’re not the only ones.Jazz concludes as a now confident Danny flies away in the night sky as Jazz watches, definitly one of the most beautiful, touching, and sentimental ending of DP...ever.
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