"Let’s see how YOU like getting bullied!"


TITLE: Splitting Images: The one with Danny in a pink dress
LOGO: "It came from Locker 724!"
EPISODE #: 5
SEASON: 1
AIRDATE: April 24, 2004
DIRECTOR: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Richard Bowman
STORY: Butch Hartman, Steve Marmel
WRITERS: Marty Isenberg
STORYBOARD: Erik Wiese, Chris Graham, Ray Angrum, Butch Hartman
ART DIRECTIONS: Bob Boyle
MUSIC: Guy Moon
APPEARANCE: 1950’s Bullies, frogs (1st appearance), Danny, Sam and Tucker, Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Lancer, Fenton Folks, Jazz
GHOST APPEARANCE: Sidney Poindexter (1st role), Box Ghost
FENTON GADGET APPEARANCE: Fenton Ghost Gauntlets (1st appearance)
LESSON: Casper High: Mad population of Books for Dummies carriers

SUMMARY: Disgruntled Danny and Tucker starts off the episode carrying boxes of mechanical frogs on Sam’s behalf. She vows to end frog dissections in biology class for a more humane alternative: dissecting anatomically-correct robotic frogs—complete with voiceover. For once I’m on her side, because I’m a pussy who can’t see the inners of any living being without involuntary vomiting following afterward.

Their little rendezvous is cut short when one of their boxes glow, revealing the Box Ghost. In a fit of revenge (probably as retaliation for that harsh beat down the last time he met Danny) he sends boxes of scalpels Danny’s way. He fortunately phases through them. Box Ghost thinks fast and tackles him, causing him to phase several rooms before landing on the backstage of the auditorium. He then sends several clothing from the school play of the Broadway classic, "My Fair Lady" before he exits stage left. At this point, Sam, so clearly devastated over the amphibians to stay and support Danny’s battle, approaches the assembly stage podium. She cries out her radical concerns, but the minute the curtains open, the kids ignore the giant "Save the Frogs" sign for a better, more entertaining endeavor: Danny coming out of the pile of clothes, dressed like some country beauty from the South (sue me if I don’t recognize the character, I have yet to see musical). Sam is annoyed while Tucker is visibly amused, "Take it offffffff!" You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

Sam expresses her concern over Danny the only way she can, by being a pretentious bitch who blames him for messing up her campaign. Yes, because clearly the ghost that attacked Danny first had nothing to do with it. Bitch. Danny doesn’t care as much as he’s worried over his new locker change (Oooh, because that’s a cause for alarm!) after the old one was wrecked by Box Ghost earlier. His new assigned locker is 724, a rusted, dirty, soulless piece of junk of a storage. Damn, Lancer really hates Danny, doesn’t he? Immediately Tucker and Sam gasp in fear to a puzzled Danny. He opens the locker to find the inside looking just as ridiculously dirty...except for a sole mirror on display; a really, REALLY clean mirror. I’m talkin’ spit shine-sparkling-dusts-never-even-touched-this-thing mirror Ecto-coated 409s?

Before Tucker or Sam could explain the locker’s presence, Dash sneaks up from behind and violently smacks the My Fair Lady hat/wig on Danny’s head, then stuffs him in the locker. Tucker then laments the locker is cursed. Gee, thanks for the forward warning. A pissed Danny hides behind his friends to go ghost, then overshadows Dash, causing him to run into numerous lockers and finally into the janitor’s bucket of dirty water. He and Tucker celebrate the little bout of karmic revenge while Sam cries disdainfully like she’s his second mom. Oh, you can’t complain! You laughed along with Danny and Tucker in last episode’s little ghostly prank! The trio walks off, leaving Locker 724 to get all eerie and glowy as a boy’s voice rings deep in ghostly goodness, "Bullies...BULLIES..."

Fenton Works, Jack and Maddie immediately gets news of Danny’s haunted locker and makes it clear they will be checking it out during normal school hours. Because they don’t wanna...break in or something? Jazz quickly leaps out and vetoes her support. "Danny’s at a very critical stage on the development of his peer group; he’s already considered a clumsy nerd, the last thing he needs is you two confirming it!" Danny sums it up best when his sister is saying anything but in a comforting tone, "Nice defense, Jazz, total confidence builder." Really, I think Jazz is just as peeved that it’ll embarrass her as much as it would him. Her protest does little to faze Jack as he tries out his new Ghost Gauntlet. Jazz makes a quip before she leaves, causing a dour Danny.

Bullying rapidly continues in school grounds, though Danny remains an irritated observant then involuntary hacky sack for them. And it’s not just the football players, popular bitch Paulina takes part as well. When one of the football players hits Danny’s locker, the mysterious voice echoes. Having had enough of this bullshit, Locker 724 sends a wave of ectoplasm to catch the jerk jocks and prissy populars with their own just desserts. By lunch, all the kids talk about are the possibility of the school being haunted. Sam shoots dagger eyes at Danny who only gives off an impish smile, protesting he didn’t do any form of ghastly retaliation, except the one he does after: phasing Dash to drop food all over Paulina. I get him tormenting Dash, but why take it out on Paulina, the girl he likes and respect? Sam berates Danny some more, but halts all mood swing the moment she sees Lancers shiny, bald head. She dashes off to do something.

Tucker remains the opposite of her and praises Danny’s efforts, justifying it as comeback for poor Sidney Poindexter. After Danny asks who he is, Tucker relates the tale of Locker 724. *throws dust in the camp fire* A student of Casper High from 1954-1958 (according to Tucker’s PDA anyways), Sidney was a young nerd who got picked on more times then anyone at Casper High, enough to the point where it was a required graduation project. Dude, that’s harsh. He was stuffed inside his own locker, number—wait for it—724 (GASP!) so much, it is rumored his spirit haunts it to this very day, something we the viewers already were aware of. Why couldn’t he be like the other teenage mental cases and start shooting shit up?*

Sam returns, now holding a box of live frogs that she managed to smuggle while Lancer was away. Despite breaking the rules, she spares no expenses dishing out the lectures after Dash and his crew throws enough food to make a literal hoagie on the tempted Danny. He eyeballs the frogs for his next set of revenge, but Sam does declare, "Ah never will let y’all hurt them frogs!"

Danny somehow manages to get the frogs regardless in the next scene for no on-camera reason. He turns invisible, gives Dash a wedgie, and then stuffs the frogs down his pants. The blond idiot cries out in pain while Danny laughs victorious. It’s bad timing for our hero as Locker 724 glows some more; its mirror popping Sidney out. Happy to be free for reasons also unexplained, he quickly spots Danny and goes all Sam on him. Oh, great, there are two of them. For his bully-ish mischievousness, Sidney goes on the offense despite Danny’s denial, but he’s face-to-face with a blind eye. Sidney’s eyes glow red and he does his best Carrie impression by disturbing several rooms in the school. Hey, Sidney, word of advice, tossing foods at students who doesn’t deserve to be bullied counts as bullying, you clod. Also, despite his impressive display of power here, why is he so ridiculously clumsy with Danny’s ghost powers later on?

Elsewhere in Casper High, Jazz desperately tries to point Jack and Maddie in the other direction, saying everything is honky-dory. Rounds of screaming, scared students bolting school grounds suggest otherwise. It’s like all the Fenton kids are riddled with bad timing. Reason enough to investigate, the Fenton folks dive right in, much to a chagrin Jazz.

Meanwhile, Sidney floats more school supplies aggressively, then eyebeams him with his glasses, causing Danny to phase through a row of bookshelves at the school library before landing in another hallway. See? Powerful attacks and he sucks with Danny’s body. Is it merely fueled by Sidney’s anger that he’s so damn good? Words didn’t work, so Danny takes off his Obedient Good Boy cred and gets fisty. Underneath the ensuing chaos, Sam busies herself with her frog collections until Sidney and Danny bumps into her. Really? REALLY?! The entire school is in danger and you still care more about the damn frogs?! Look, I like animals, too, but holy shit, girl! I’ll give her this: she’s an admirable determinator .

Sidney introduces himself to the trio as the defender of bullies from nerds (he points to an offended Tucker) and other students suffering under their wrath. More fighting occurs with Sidney releasing another new power. What? Shapeshifting blade arms? Ecto dragon breath? No, a pen and ink. Yes, the kid with EYE BEAMS uses a fuckin’ pen to blind Danny. Damn, if there ever was a cry for the phrase, "The Pen is mightier then the sword", this is it. Danny tackles Sidney into the boiler room after, accidentally turning human in the process. This prompts Sidney to get all gaspity and declare him the "halfa", half a boy, half a ghost. And thus a phrase launched a thousand fanfics. Sidney is impressed he gets to meet such a rare legend, but is quickly displeased when he finds Danny is using his abilities for "evil". News flash, Sids, you’re not doing a bang-up job yourself. Danny shrieks and said he was merely possessing Dash— "Wait, you can possess people?" Sidney asks. Yes, the kid who shoots EYE BEAMS and shake the very core of an entire school does not know this. A light bulb flashes and Sidney deviously concocts an idea. He quickly possesses Danny. Somehow, Sidney managed to throw Ghost Danny out of his human body, taking his place inside the mirror, the world Sidney was stuck in previously. WHAT?! Just how much power or lack of does this guy have?! It’s like they go back and forth with Sidney’s level of competence! Make up your freakin’ mind! With that anger retort said, Sidney is now in control of Danny’s body, easy to mistake except the gray eyes and voice. Danny meanwhile retains Sidney’s looks except the voice and green eyes. Hey, animators, human Danny does not possess green eyes.

The Fenton folks come running in, Lancer following behind, asking Tucker and Sam if they’ve seen a ghost. Cue Sidney-in-Danny's body who phases his way, Tucker blocking him from the parents and Lancer's eyes on that blatant disregard for secret identity. Sam makes it clear no ghosts were seen, just her frog campaign, is all. Jack and Maddie make haste and Lancer follows suit, the latter not at all caring about the frogs Sam has. What the hell? Meanwhile Danny-in-Sidney gets to live (or die?) the day his "Grandpa Fenton" once walked, a [black and white] 1950’s Casper High. Immediately he gets bullied three times...in a role...under a minute! Danny has had enough of this bullshit and scrambles, but finds the only way out involves going down. Way down. He can’t fly out for some reason. Argh! This episode could have used some SERIOUS ‘splaining!

Sidney is enjoying his new and colorful life, especially over the fact that he has friends. They don’t recognize his gray eyes, but they do question his voice (he claims it’s puberty). He spots Dash trying to work the soda machine, so secretly using his powers; he gets one out for him. I know Dash is a doofus, but how in the world didn't ANYONE question how Sidney got the drink out in THAT position? There is no knob or section that leads inside the machine from the side of it! Gah! I hate this episode! I hate this episode! I hate this episode! Impressed, Dash asks for more soda to give to his buddies and Danny easily compiles. Sam cries out he’s stealing (yes, because you weren’t doing the same with the frogs), but Sidney makes a confident response over the cries of stolen quarters from bullies. If I were Sam or Tucker, I’d respond with a "Dude, soda machines cause like two bucks now." Ahhh, the 50’s. Sam may be critical, but everyone else cheers for Sidney.

Back in George McFly Land, Danny heads to Locker 724 and sees his own present time world through the mirror, witnessing Sidney getting all chummy with the people he always failed at. Kwan cheerfully invite Sidney for a little game of touch football. Sidney's response is a cringeworthy, "Pos-a-loutely, ab-so-livelity" (I can’t even tell if I spelled that correctly!) Kwan however sees it as a sign of humor. Danny shouts for Tucker and Sam, but Sidney quickly closes the locker. Then, Danny gets bullied some more.

Though accepted as one of them, Sidney gets tackled by all the other players on Dash’s command. However, he phases out with football in hand. Reaching the goal, Sidney pulls off hilariously stupid dance. He...He phased in front of everyone...and no one noticed. NO. ONE. NOTICED! ALL THEY SAY IS "FENTON’S GOT GAME!" AHHHHHHHHHHHH! *FALCON PUNCH!* Meanwhile, Danny tries his hand on Ectoplasmic waving and sends a means of contact to his friends, writing on the ground just below them. He gets yet another case of bad timing when the Fentons block Tucker and Sam’s view, covering the written message with dust as they trace the ghost with the Fenton Finder. It keeps pointing at their son, but as per usual, neither parent believes it. They gonna be staking all night, so Jack takes this excuse to dish the Ghost Gauntlets to Tucker to use the bathroom. I’m only writing this pointless note because it’s important later. Thankfully not the bathroom part. Dash declares a party at Danny’s house, a name Sidney is utterly clueless on despite repeatedly being called "Danny" multiple times. *groans* Tucker is the one who notices Danny is off, but Sam takes advantage of his brief popularity and promotes her "Save the Frog" campaign by declaring "it’s the latest rage". Sidney likes the badge, so it sets off a tangent of other populars clamoring for their own.

Sam takes Tucker to get more badges, finally getting some progression on her just cause, but they’re stopped by Danny who proceeds to tell him he’s the real D-Man. To prove it, Danny brings up an incident in 2nd grade where Tucker threw up in Sam’s lunch box, but had pinned the blame on some kid named Ricky Marsh. "What?! I kicked him off the monkey bars for that! It was you?!" *guffaws* I love that line. Reality sets in for the two; both realizing that the Sidney they see is indeed, Danny. Unable to get out, Sam suggests they can get Sidney in, so they devise a plan.

Another unexplained scene cut later, Sam drags Sidney, crying out a nerd is in of help. Assuming it’s Tucker, Sidney goes ghost when he reaches Locker 724. Tucker’s there, but he’s not in any danger; he IS the danger! Using the Ghost Gauntlets, he shoves Sidney into the mirror. Danny demands his body back, but refusing to give up without a fight, Sidney flies and smacks him with his...ass. Butt sex? He flies again, this time, really, really awkwardly (it’s very painful to watch), but doesn’t get a successive second shot. He doesn’t get in even one punch as Danny calmly watches him make an ass of himself. It’s so goddamn pathetic that I can’t even feel sorry for him. After all the physical displays of ghostly awesome in previous scenes, Sidney, for unknown reason, can’t work Danny’s own ghost powers. I mean, he has EYE BEAMS! Danny doesn’t even have that yet! There’s a theory I propose in the review portion of this that may explain a justification, but otherwise, this episode has been a mess of inconsistent within Sidney’s limitation.

Danny’s smooth sailing gains the attention of the other passerby who in their eyes thinks it’s Sidney besting the "halfa". By the way, I don’t use this word outside of this episode. Enough lollygagging, Danny grabs the mirror and threatens to break it, trapping them both unless they switch back. It works like a charm and not a moment too soon, reenters his home. Sidney bitches over the trickery, but gets over it when the other students offer praise for standing up to Danny. Not everyday a meek kid like him can take on a powerful legend.

Danny’s return has him landing right on Lancer who had just taken the frogs back. They end up free while a satisfied Sam watches. Lancer gives chase as Tucker asks if Danny is the real him. He lets it known by apologizing for his actions, promising not to do that again. Then he does it again. Danny ends it by breaking the mirror. As if he possessed some kind of a sixth sense, Lancer catches Danny, blames him for damaging school property, then proceeds to assign him a new locker. Why would a broken mirror signify a locker change?

Danny’s newest locker is close to the Band Room, something Dash and Kwan takes great pleasure in letting Danny know for future bullying. His meetings with a couple of band geeks do nothing to savor this moment. Also, Danny quips how he missed the popularity despite the lesson he learned last episode. *groans again* Sam is grateful that she got her own closure; enough popular votes have caused the biological frogs to be replaced with the mechanical ones. He and his friends then run into the Box Ghost. Trying to mold a new image, he becomes the Mechanical Frog Ghost, but quickly returns to his old ways when one of them malfunctions on him. He again makes villain exit stage left. "Now there’s a guy who knows exactly who he is."

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*Casper High does not endorse school violence. Don’t do it!.