Comedy of Errors

"You told them all of our private business, Jason. Just to make them laugh. Kevin's cereal, my little private...musical tastes.
And Michelle's song, the one we promised not to share."

— Midgel and Fidgel

Comedy of Errors
Directed by	Tod Carter
Written by	Kirby Atkins
Released	January 19, 2008
Runtime	23 minutes
Previous episode	Practical Hoax
Next episode	Compassion Crashin'

Comedy of Errors is the seventh episode from the second season of 3-2-1 Penguins!, which teaches a lesson in keeping secrets. It is the thirteenth episode overall.

Plot

At nighttime, Michelle is watching a scary television show called Dr. Pimento's Scare Fest. She gets frightened, runs away, and sings a song to herself. Jason asks what she was doing. Michelle, embarrassed to admit she was singing, replies that she was just looking for dust on the floor. Jason states that she was hiding, but he doesn't know why she was singing. Michelle tells Jason that the song comforts her whenever she's scared. Her brother, however, thinks it's funny. Grandmum later explains to the two that sharing other people's secrets can hurt someone. Jason, however, doesn't see the big deal. Jason and Michelle eventually get galeezeled aboard the Rockhopper because there's a new comedy act at the Comet Lounge.

While the Rockhopper is flying to the Comet Lounge, Zidgel expresses his excitement at seeing the new routine. Jason decides to tell the Penguins about how scared Michelle got and asks them if they know what she does when she gets scared. Michelle begs Jason not to tell them. Kevin and Fidgel tell Michelle to tell them. Michelle hesitates because she thinks they'll make fun of her. Midgel assures her that they won't and asks her what she does when she's scared. Michelle tells them that she sings a song. Jason tells Michelle to sing it for them. At first, Michelle feels too embarrassed to sing it. She only decides to sing it after the Penguins urge her to do so. She lets them know that she'll hide in a hole the rest of her life if they tell anyone. After she sings her song, the Penguins are unsure how to react at first. Fidgel thinks her song was sweet. Midgel thinks her song was cute and assures her that her secret is safe. Zidgel finds it embarrassing. Kevin likes the song.

Later, Michelle is starting to wish she hadn't shared her song. Midgel tells her that the way he relaxes is listening to Barry Liteweight's music. Jason can't believe this. Midgel replies that sometimes he needs to listen to something soothing. Fidgel assures him that since they're friends, their secrets are safe with each other. Zidgel decides that now is the best time to tell his crew about his imaginary friend, Mr. Waddlebottom.

Once the Rockhopper crew arrives at the Comet Lounge, Ventrilomatic and Rusty are performing their new stand-up routine. Zidgel finds it funny, but Jason thinks the jokes found on gum wrappers are better. When Zidgel asks him if he thinks he can do better, Jason replies that he should see him in his classroom. Ventrilomatic and Rusty are about to tell their second joke when they break down. Zidgel sees this as a great opportunity for Jason to show how funny he can be. Jason gets shocked at first, but he eventually goes up there to make the audience laugh.

After a while, the audience starts to fall asleep due to Jason failing to make them laugh. Zidgel is the only one in the audience who actually laughed. Sol appreciates Jason trying to help out, but he needs to fix his robot soon. Jason asks if he can go up there one more time. Sol can't believe what he just heard. Jason and Zidgel end up begging him to let Jason go back up there. Sol reluctantly agrees only if he can't find someone to repair Ventrilomatic. Sol advices the rest of the crew to come up with some jokes for Jason.

In Michelle's room, the rest of the crew prepare to brainstorm for the best jokes that Jason can use. Michelle hands out some pencils and notecards to the Penguins. Midgel doesn't really know why they should be doing this. Michelle points out that this is what friends do. Zidgel and Fidgel suggest different jokes that Jason can use.

The rest of the crew give the notecards to Jason. Sol introduces Jason to the audience before Jason comes up there. He tells a couple of jokes that succeed in making the audience laugh. However, he starts to tell them his friends' embarrassing secrets to make them laugh harder, like Kevin's taste for Fishy Marshmallows, Midgel liking Barry Liteweight's music, Zidgel's imaginary friend, and even his sister's song which he sings out loud.

As soon as Jason finishes his act, Gordon Shtick arrives to give him a chance to perform in the Comedy Hole in Sector 12. When Jason goes aboard the Rockhopper to find out about the rest of the crew's opinions on his act, they turn their backs on him. Midgel confronts him about telling their embarrassing secrets just to make the audience laugh. Jason doesn't see why they're so upset. He asks where Michelle is. Midgel answers that she's locked herself in the closet. Jason goes to the closet and tries to talk to Michelle. Michelle asks him how he would like it if she told everyone his secret. Jason replies that is different. Michelle retorts that it's the same thing.

Behind the stage at the Comedy Hole, Jason takes out his blanket and sucks his thumb when no one's looking. When Gordon Shtick lets him know he has five minutes until he gets out there, he notices Jason sucking his thumb. Jason tries to explain what he's doing by saying it's a new joke he came up with. Gordon is about to tell the audience when Jason begs him not to. Gordon assures him he won't tell anyone because he knows how much that would hurt him. Gordon introduces Jason to the audience. Jason starts out his act by admitting he has a blanket from when he was little and when he is sad, he holds his blanket and sucks his thumb. He apologizes to Zidgel, Kevin, Midgel, and Michelle. He then continues his act by telling a few jokes. When Jason goes aboard the Rockhopper, the rest of the crew congratulates him.

Back at Grandmum's cottage, Jason and Michelle hear some music from downstairs. They see Grandmum dancing with a broomstick. She explains she does this because she and Granddad used to dance every Saturday night. She tells them not to tell anyone about the broomstick. She tells them the verse, "He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals the matter." Jason correctly interprets the proverb. Grandmum invites Jason and Michelle to dance with her.

Quotes

Suddenly, the black hole doesn't seem so black.

- Fidgel

Not to mention Mr. Waddlebottom. And he's not speaking to you either!

- Zidgel

Fun Facts

Trivia

• Big Idea released this episode on DVD as a sampler when purchased from the official website or Christian bookstores.
• The verse quoted is "Proverbs 11:13."
• This is the first episode of a few things:
  • The first episode since Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt where Midgel yells "BONSAI!!!"
  • The first time in the series where Ventrilomatic and Rusty appear in an episode rather than just the segments before a song. It is also the first episode where they have separate voice actors.
  • The first episode to have a different piece of music play during the credits.
  • The first 3-2-1 Penguins! episode where the term "Christian" is used.
• According to some newspaper articles, Zidgel was going to be the one telling jokes and hurting his friends by telling everyone their secrets instead of Jason. This implies that Zidgel was likely intended to be the lead character in this episode before swapping roles with Jason. Had this been unchanged, this would have been the first (and possibly only) episode to focus solely on one of the penguins instead of one of the twins.
  • These articles also state that Michelle sings her song to lull herself to sleep, but in the actual episode, she only sings her song whenever she is sad or scared.

Remarks

• When Michelle and the Penguins are about to write jokes for Jason's act, Midgel picks up a pencil with his right hand, in contrast to him using his left hand to give an autograph in Spaceship Drivin' Man. One possible explanation for this is that he's ambidextrous.
• Fidgel is not known to have any secret.

Goofs

• It is nighttime at the beginning of the episode, but after Jason says "Why not? It's funny?", it suddenly changes to daytime.
• Some shots featuring Jason talking into the microphone have the microphone flipped around, leading him to speak into the wrong end.

Inside References

• The way that Michelle got scared when watching a scary T.V. show is similar to how Junior Asparagus got scared before in Where's God When I'm S-Scared?.
• At the beginning of the episode, Grandmum is seen stirring the same bowl of jelly she used at the beginning of Runaway Pride of Lightstation Kilowatt.
  • Zidgel making lightbulb-related jokes is also a callback to that episode.
• When Jason messes up his lobster joke, he says "That's not right." This was one of Archibald's lines from Lyle the Kindly Viking.
  • Later on, after his friends give him notecards with their idea for jokes, he says "Thanks, guys," which is also one of Junior's lines from the same episode.
• Sol's line "You gotta be kidding me" is similar to what Larry said in Gideon: Tuba Warrior, as is Jason's line "Why not? It's funny."
• Kevin saying "Beans!" is a callback to Lazy Daze.

Real-World References

• Dr. Pimento's voice is similar to Igor.
• The title shares the same name with one of William Shakespeare's plays.
• Jason holding a hankie and sucking his thumb is similar to Linus holding a security blanket and sucks his thumb from Peanuts.
• One of Jason's jokes is based on the song, When the Saints Go Marching In. Jason even sings an excerpt of this song as he performs this joke.
  • A cover of this song was previously featured in O Veggie, Where Art Thou?

Episode Transcript

• Transcript

Gallery

3-2-1 Penguins! episodes Season 1 Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn | The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka | The Amazing Carnival of Complaining | Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt | The Doom Funnel Rescue! | Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie! Season 2 I Scream, You Scream! | The Green-Eyed Monster | Lazy Daze | More is More | Give & Let Give | Practical Hoax | Comedy of Errors | Compassion Crashin' | Wiki Tiki | Invasion of the Body Swappers! |Git Along Little Doggies! | Wise Guys | Hogs and Kisses Season 3 12 Angry Hens | Kennel Club Blues | Oh, Mercy! | Promises, Promises | Do Unto Brothers | Between an Asteroid and a Hard Place | In the Big House