- "It isn't my strength that's gonna help my people. It's God's. And since God called me to do this, He'll supply the strength I need."
- — Moe/The Lone Stranger
Moe and the Big Exit | |
---|---|
Directed by | |
Produced by | |
Written by | |
Music by | |
Distributed by |
Genius Products |
Released |
2006 |
Runtime |
52 minutes |
Previous episode | |
Next episode |
Moe and the Big Exit (originally titled The Lone Stranger) is the thirtieth episode of VeggieTales.
It is a retelling of the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus and a parody of The Lone Ranger, as well as a sequel to The Ballad of Little Joe.
Plot
Opening Countertop
Bob and Larry are on the Countertop greeting the kids once again, though this time, Larry is now sporting a black cowboy hat and a red neckerchief. Larry then asks Bob if he remembers The Ballad of Little Joe which Bob does rather hesitantly, before Larry asks him, "Wasn't that a great show?" with Bob answering that it was terrific. Larry then says, "You just gotta love Westerns, don't ya?" to which Bob then says that you don't have to, but he does enjoy a good Western every now and then. Because of this, Larry then pulls out a letter written from Wesley Thomas from Carlsbad, New Mexico, asking if they could do a sequel to "The Ballad of Little Joe." Bob then tells Larry that the letter he got is nice, but they only answer letters from kids "with moral and ethical dilemmas," which Larry is confused about before Bob explains to Larry that he means questions about right and wrong and what the right thing to do is. Larry then says that the sequel to Little Joe is the right thing to do, before Bob asks Larry if Wesley's letter says anything about problems with listening to his parents or losing interest in school, with Larry saying that it doesn't, before saying that he also got a letter from Mr. Sammy Tidwell from Brentwood, Tennessee, which tells Bob and Larry about low-interest rates. Bob then asks Larry who's screening his mail, to which Larry answers that he doesn't know, before Bob tells him that a sequel to "The Ballad of Little Joe" would be nice, and then Bob tells Larry to listen to the letter that he received. Bob then reads a letter from a girl named Elise, who explains that she constantly gets into fisticuffs with her brother. She then says that she learned from church that week that she is supposed to be using the fruits of the spirit. She knows that God wants her to use all that towards her brother, but isn't sure what she is supposed to do because she doesn't have enough power to use all that. Of course, Larry then comes up with an idea, saying that he has the perfect story for Elise, which is the story of "Moe and the Big Exit," or as the Indians called it, "The Lone Stranger." He then tells Bob, "Either way, it's 'Little Joe Part 2'. Roll film!"
Moe and the Big Exit
Three cowboy carrots and one sombrero-clad gourd are gathered around the campfire playing different musical instruments and singing a song about the legend of "The Lone Stranger." The lead carrot then tells the viewers that to tell the tale of "The Lone Stranger," they'll have to start with the first big hero of Dodge Ball City, which would be Little Joe. The viewers are then treated to a flashback, depicting the story of Little Joe and about how his brothers sold him to some bandits who then took him to Dodge Ball City, where he was treated as a celebrity, thanks to his ability of interpreting people's dreams with God's help, as well as saving his own family & forgiving his brothers for their wrong-doing. Of course, times changed, with the descendants of Little Joe and his brothers multiplying like prairie dogs, with the new Mayor of Dodge Ball City (played by Mr. Nezzer) worried that the people of Dodge Ball City would be overrun by Little Joe's descendants. Because of this, the Mayor's Taskmaster, Wyatt (played by Mr. Lunt), sent all of Little Joe's descendants to work to paint the Painted Desert, dig the Grand Canyon and build Monument Valley in order to keep them down, all while still singing about "The Lone Stranger."
While the peas are still working hard in building the Grand Canyon, the Mayor and Wyatt oversee everything, with Wyatt asking the Mayor if something is wrong. The Mayor tells Wyatt that there's too many workers, which Wyatt is confused about, telling the Mayor that a lot of workers is a good thing and that they can't dig the Grand Canyon, build Monument Valley and paint the Painted Desert with just a few guys. The Mayor then asks Wyatt, "And what happens if they decide all at once that they're no longer interested in working for free?" to which Wyatt then sees his point. When Wyatt asks the Mayor what he should do, the Mayor answers with, "Thin the herd," which confuses Wyatt, before the Mayor explains to him to make sure that there aren't so many workers, something which Wyatt is not so sure about, but the Mayor tells him to "gather up all the baby boys and send 'em up the river." This surprises Wyatt when he hears the Mayor tell him this, but he does as the Mayor asks. The lead carrot then narrates that the Mayor thought that his plan was awfully clever, at the same time that a bunch of baby baskets are floating down the river, before also saying that God kept His eye on one special boy He was going to use to turn the whole mess around.
A single basket then floats away from the others before floating towards where the Mayor's daughter is standing on the edge of the river while panning for gold before she notices the basket in front of her. The Mayor's daughter then picks up a baby cucumber, which she finds to be really cute, so she gives it a name, first naming it "Nugget," which the baby does not like, so she names it "Moe," which apparently means "looking for gold and finding a baby" in an Indian language. At the same time, the band then sings a song about all that happened to this young baby. The young woman then takes Moe home, at the same time that the Mayor is having his secretary write a message in Morse Code. When the Mayor's daughter enters the house, the Mayor asks her if she had any luck, before his daughter answers that she found a baby, which surprises the Mayor. As time went by, Moe grew up with his three older zucchini brothers. By that time, Moe (played by Larry the Cucumber) has gotten pretty good at throwing dodge-balls, which he does to knock three tin cans off the fence. Moe then pulls out a card, spits on it, then throws it forward before throwing a dodge-ball that strikes the card dead center. Moe then notices a fly on a nearby cactus needle so he also throws a dodge-ball that knocks the fly off the cactus needle. By the time Moe becomes an adult, he then joins his three older brothers on their duty to keep the workers in line, just as the song ends after that.
In the Grand Canyon, Moe is making sure that all of the workers are doing their job, before an old scallion worker (played by Charlie Pincher) pushes a wheelbarrow full of rocks, but is not strong enough. Even when Moe offers to help Charlie, the latter just brushes him off, saying that he doesn't need his help. When Moe insists that he was just trying to help, Charlie berates him for treating the rest of his kin like dirt, something which Moe is confused by. When Moe asks Charlie how he knew that, Charlie explains that everyone's been talking about it, before telling Moe, "You're the spittin' image of Little Joe himself! 'Course, he'd be spittin' if he saw you wearin' that badge!" When one of Moe's adoptive brothers, named Bill, asks Moe if everything is okay, Moe hesitantly says that everything's fine, before Charlie tells him "Everything's fine when the Mayor's your Granddaddy! Your rightful place is down there!" Bill then pushes Charlie's wheelbarrow, pushing Charlie backwards, with Moe trying to stop Bill from harassing Charlie, but Bill pushes Charlie near the edge of the canyon, threatening to send him over by placing a few extra rocks into his wheelbarrow. Fortunately, Moe tells Bill to stop before throwing a dodge-ball that strikes Bill, knocking him over the edge of the canyon and into the river below as he gets swept downriver. When the peas are surprised that Moe sent Bill up the river, Moe tries explaining himself that Bill was going to hurt Charlie. When the other two zucchini brothers ask what's going on, this causes Moe to make a run for it in order to escape the wrath of the Mayor's minions. Because of this, wanted posters of Moe have been posted up all over Dodge Ball City, with the Mayor telling Wyatt, "If you find him, bring him to me! This time, I'll see to it myself he goes up the river!"
The lead carrot then narrates that Moe was able to retreat to the mountains in order to escape from the Mayor and his flunkies. However, upon arriving in the mountains, Moe finds himself getting chased by a bear, until he gets tired. Thinking that he lost the bear, Moe is proven wrong when the bear returns, so he quickly runs towards a nearby well before falling down the well down at the bottom. The bear then looks down into the well before leaving, as Moe then starts singing "Home on the Range" while still down in the well. The next morning, an Indian girl named Sally (played by Petunia Rhubarb), and her pet buffalo, Zippy, approach the same well where Moe is still trapped down below. When Sally tries bringing up water from the well, the bucket is unusually heavier than before Moe is brought up, surprising Sally into letting go of the crank as Moe falls back into the well once again. Sally apologizes to Moe before bringing him back up from the well once again. Sally then gives Moe back his hat before asking him what he was doing at the bottom of the well, with Moe answering, "Bear," before a loud crash is heard as the bear returns once again. This time, Moe is prepared to face off against the bear so he goes over to a nearby tree stump and pulls off a branch which he uses to whack the bear on the nose, driving the bear off after that. After the bear leaves, Moe then says, "I'm gonna hang on to this," while Sally compliments Moe for being so brave, before she introduces herself and Zippy to Moe, and then he introduces himself to Sally and Zippy.
Another song then starts up about how love has found both Moe and Sally. Sally then asks Moe if he would like to join her and her parents for dinner, which Moe accepts as he follows Sally and Zippy back to their camp. The lead carrot then narrates that some matches are made in phosphorous factories while others are made in Heaven, saying that either way, it all starts with a little chemistry, before the song resumes once again. Sally then brings Moe to her camp where she introduces him to her parents (played by Pa and Ma Grape). The lead carrot then narrates that Sally and her parents were thankful to Moe for saving her from the bear, while Moe was thankful to Sally and her parents for feeling appreciated. After some time has passed, Moe and Sally have now gotten married, as well as having a child of their own, whom they name Gherkin. Because of this, Moe has abandoned his heritage of guarding the canyon as he spends more time with his son and wife. Gherkin wants to play dodge-ball, but Moe just throws away the dodge-ball before instead having him play yo-yo instead, which Gherkin is shown to be skilled at doing. Sally then has Moe take Zippy out for a walk after that, just as the song then ends. Soon, Moe then sets out with Zippy and Sliver (his stick that he got the day he met Sally) before walking out deep into the forest.
Moe and Zippy then approach the well before a loud rustling sound is heard from behind a tree, which catches Moe's attention. At first, Moe thinks that whatever is hiding from behind the tree is a bear, before a tumbleweed then rolls out in front of him and Zippy. Seconds later, the tumbleweed suddenly catches on fire, surprising both Moe and Zippy as they try to escape, but whichever way they go, the burning tumbleweed rolls in front of them. The tumbleweed then sprouts arms, revealing that God is using this burning tumbleweed to speak to Moe, telling Moe that he had a job for him to do, also telling him that He heard the cries of Little Joe's family and that He was sending Moe to go to the Mayor and demand he let them leave Dodge Ball City. Moe tells the tumbleweed that he can't go to the Mayor because he's puny, saying that he used to be pretty good with a dodge-ball but he put them behind him. God then tells Moe that He would help him and that He would be Moe's strength, before Moe also asks God, "What if the people don't believe me when I tell them it's you who sent me?" God then says, "Tell them, 'I am who I am.' Tell them, 'I am has sent me to you,'" before Moe then repeats the last statement, but he is still in disbelief if the people will believe him or not. The tumbleweed then points at Sliver that Moe is holding, before telling Moe to put Sliver on the ground, which Moe does. Seconds later, Sliver then turns into a rattlesnake, surprising Moe, and scaring Zippy so much that he climbs up into a tree before falling back down to the ground again. When God tells Moe to pick up the snake, Moe is reluctant to do so, because it's a rattlesnake, but when he picks up the rattlesnake, it turns back into Sliver again. Because of this, Moe is now convinced that he can stand up to the Mayor to let the people go, before telling God that he's not very good at public speaking before God tells Moe that He would have someone waiting for him outside of Dodge Ball City to help him out with his public speaking. After the tumbleweed burns out & it rolls away, Moe and Zippy then go back home, with Moe explaining to his family that he needs to go back to Dodge Ball City "on a business trip."
The next morning, Moe thanks Sally for the new outfit, with Sally telling him that he's gonna need it, also saying that it would be best if the Mayor doesn't recognize him. Soon, Moe comes out from the tent while wearing his brand new outfit (which is similar to the one worn by The Lone Ranger), with Sally telling him to be careful. Moe then tells Gherkin to listen to his mother, before he mounts on Zippy and rides off towards the direction of Dodge Ball City with Sally, Gherkin, and Sally's parents saying goodbye to Moe. After traveling for a while, Moe and Zippy approach a sales wagon run by a buckskin-clad asparagus named Aaron (played by Archibald Asparagus). Moe then approaches Aaron and tells him "Howdy," before asking him if he's good at public speaking, which Aaron confirms non-verbally. Moe then jumps off Zippy and when he removes his mask, Aaron is able to recognize him, which Moe is confused about before Aaron tells Moe that he's his biological brother, something that confuses Moe even more before Moe realizes that Aaron is his "brother." Aaron then tells Moe that his wanted poster is still up all over town and that everyone within a hundred miles knows his name, before telling Moe to keep the mask on, which Moe does. Moe then tells Aaron about everything that God had sent him to say and about all the signs that God had demanded for him to perform. Moe then throws Sliver onto the ground, as Sliver turns into a rattlesnake again, surprising Aaron and scaring Zippy for the second time, before Moe picks up the snake, turning it back into Sliver again. Aaron then repeats what Moe told him, which Moe confirms, before Aaron asks if he won't have to sell rubber tomahawks anymore, with Moe answering, "Not unless you want to." Because of this, Aaron then accepts before joining Moe and Zippy on their journey to Dodge Ball City, though Moe asks Aaron, "Don't you get bored out here?" before Aaron answers, "Oh, dreadfully! But it beats working in the canyon. You know my sensitive skin, it doesn't hold up."
In Dodge Ball City, two carrot cowboys are playing checkers, when they notice Moe, Aaron, and Zippy coming into town, as everyone starts talking amongst themselves about who this masked man is. After approaching the Mayor's office, Moe then opens the door before noticing the Mayor and two of his flunkies, which immediately makes him nervous, before he imagines them in their underwear. Aaron then hops up next to Moe, before Moe whispers to Aaron what he needs to say. The Mayor then asks Aaron who this strange man with him is, before Aaron answers that he is 'The Lone Stranger', with the Mayor asking Moe if he knows how to talk, before Aaron tells him that he's a bit shy, preferring to have Aaron speak for him. The Mayor then asks Moe and Aaron what they want because he doesn't have all day, so Aaron tells him that the Lord told them to tell him to let the people go. This only angers the Mayor, before Charlie is then brought before the Mayor after that, with one of the Mayor's zucchini flunkies explaining to the Mayor that Charlie was only hauling 20 wheelbarrows an hour and that 30 is the minimum, even when Charlie tells him, "I can't do 30, I'm 80!" When Charlie tries talking back to the zucchini guard, the Mayor angrily tells him that the minimum is 30, threatening to have Charlie sent up the river, before Charlie is taken away. Seeing some dodge-balls, Moe throws Sliver aside before he gains possession of a dodge-ball, even with Aaron telling him that God gave him directions. However, before Moe can throw the dodge-ball, he is suddenly struck from behind by another dodge-ball, before Wyatt approaches him, saying, "Nobody throws a dodge-ball in the Mayor's office but me!"
Because of this action, the Mayor decides to have the people haul double the amount of usual wheelbarrows (making it 60 wheelbarrows an hour instead of just 30) and making them dig without picks or other tools, so Moe and Aaron then leave the office sadly after that. Because of this, the people of Little Joe have been forced to work double time with the amount of work, much to the frustration of two pea cowboys (played by Jean-Claude and Phillipe Pea). Moe, Aaron, and Zippy watch everything, before Moe decides to go home, saying that he just made things even worse for the workers. Aaron tells Moe that he can't leave now, but Moe tells him that they're better off without him, even with Aaron telling him that when you just rely on yourself and on your own strength, before reiterating God's plan to Moe. Aaron then also tells Moe that he must rely on God's own strength and the directions that he gives in order for things to come together, which Moe begins to understand. Aaron then starts singing a lively song, telling Moe about the different events that happened in the Bible that God did, before Moe finally understands what Aaron is trying to say to him. Because of this, Moe, Aaron, and Zippy then head back towards Dodge Ball City again in order to stick to the plan that God gave them.
Silly Songs with Larry
- Main article: A Mess Down in Egypt
Act 2
Back in the Mayor's office, the Mayor is admiring his great-grandson, when Moe and Aaron enter his office once again. The Mayor then asks Moe what he wants, before Aaron tells him that they've come back to assure him that God means business, explaining to the Mayor that if he does not set the workers free, "you will face dire consequences." When the Mayor is confused, Moe then places Sliver on the floor, causing Sliver to turn back into a rattlesnake again, which frightens the two zucchini flunkies. The Mayor then asks Moe if he'll turn all their sticks into snakes, before sarcastically saying that he's so scared, then has Wyatt do a snake trick of his own. Wyatt then brings out a smoke pack and lights a match before lighting the smoke pack, which causes a spiral of smoke to come out from the pack in the shape of a snake, but Moe's rattlesnake bites the smoke snake without any problems, though it does cough a few times. The Mayor then tells Wyatt, "That's the sorriest snake I've ever seen. You couldn't do better than that?," before Wyatt tells him that he was on the spot. The rattlesnake then turns back into Sliver when Moe picks it up again before the Mayor tells him, "Big deal! So you're better at snakes! I'm still not letting anyone go! Get back to your souvenir shack, and take what's-his-name with you, before I lose my patience!" Moe and Aaron are then pushed out the door by the zucchini flunkies, while Aaron asks Moe what's next, though Moe is still determined to stick to the plan.
The next morning, the Mayor has approached the riverside to take a little bath, when Moe and Aaron approach him. When the Mayor notices Moe and Aaron spying on him, he becomes surprised while hiding behind some brush, while Aaron bids him good morning. The Mayor is angry to see the duo again, before Aaron tells him, "God has sent me to tell you, let my people go!," but the Mayor still refuses to grant the request as he calls out for his guards. Moe then dips Sliver into the water, which causes the water in the river to slowly turn into a dark red liquid, much to the surprise of the Mayor and his guards. When one of the zucchini flunkies ask what it is, the other one tells him, "It's... tomato juice!," before a tomato cowboy (played by Bob the Tomato) faints, while the band sings about how the river turned red, but still the Mayor didn't listen. Later, the Mayor is now playing golf while Moe and Aaron approach him again with the same statement, but he still refuses. This time, Moe then has a bunch of prairie dogs surround the entire golf course (as a shout-out to Caddyshack), while the band sings about the prairie dogs coming up. The Mayor is at a restaurant, where he is served a sandwich with fries by Aaron, who once again tells him "Let my people go!" When the Mayor still refuses, Moe then has a bunch of grasshoppers appear as they devour the Mayor's sandwich before the grasshoppers then infest the entire city. Moe and Aaron then hop past the Mayor's office again, as this time, Moe then has a plague strike the cattle, which causes them to fall over dead. The next morning, the Mayor is in the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror, when Moe then has the Mayor break out in purple pimples. Moe and Aaron then approach the center of town before Moe has a huge windstorm blow up in town. The carrots and gourd then sing about all of the plagues that happened in Dodge Ball City, but the Mayor still refused to listen to Moe.
The lead carrot then narrates that Moe and Aaron had done everything that God had asked, though there was still one more plague, which was a flood caused by the water level of the river rising. The flood causes a bunch of baby baskets to float out from the doors, but the flood does not reach the houses that have life rings placed on the doors. Among the babies that were carried away by the floodwaters was the Mayor's grandson. The next morning, Moe and Aaron go to see the Mayor, who is mourning about his grandson being taken away by the flood the previous night. Because of this, the Mayor finally grants Moe's request to let his people leave Dodge Ball City. Soon, Moe and Aaron then lead all of the people of Little Joe out of Dodge Ball City, following God's mark in the form of a pillar of smoke and clouds. The Mayor and Wyatt watch as the people leave Dodge Ball City, with the Mayor saying that they'll have to figure out who's going to do all the work now. The Mayor then asks, "Who was that masked man?," before Wyatt tells him that it's Moe because he just took off his mask. When the Mayor hears and realizes that the Lone Stranger was Moe in disguise the whole time, he tells Wyatt to round up the posse, as he's got a score to settle. Moe and Aaron then lead the people to Death Valley, but the people are hesitant about crossing Death Valley, fearing that they'll be barbecued. One of the pea cowboys then look to see that there's trouble following them, before trying to warn Aaron that danger is approaching, but Aaron keeps brushing him off before noticing the danger. It is revealed that the Mayor and Wyatt, accompanied by the zucchini flunkies and three carrot cowboys have been following after them.
When Moe and Aaron realize that the Mayor and his posse are after them, the people are worried, fearing that they'll get caught by the Mayor again without a way to cross Death Valley. Fortunately, Moe has a plan to cross Death Valley safely, before calling out for a snowstorm that snows in only one area of the valley, creating a path of snow that allows Moe, Aaron, Zippy, and the people of Little Joe to cross the valley without any problems, much to the surprise of the Mayor and his posse. Soon, Moe and the others then cross into Death Valley on the snow path, though the Mayor and his posse are still chasing after them, as they too cross onto the snow path. Once all of the people have safely made it to the other side, Moe and Zippy then make it to the other side as well, which causes the snow cloud to disappear after that. The Mayor and his posse realize that they are now stuck in the middle of Death Valley as the hot sun causes the snow to melt, leaving the Mayor and his posse at the mercy of the hot desert sun. The people then cheer for their victory after that, before a reprise of the "Oh, Lone Stranger" song from the beginning then plays after that. Moe is then met with Sally and Gherkin and Sally's parents, with Sally congratulating Moe for doing what God told him to do. Now that Moe has led the people out of Dodge Ball City, everyone then heads on through to start their new lives, just as the song and the story then ends after that.
Closing Countertop
Back on the Countertop, Bob is amazed with the outcome of the story, telling Larry that he was right, because it was the perfect story for Elise about God's strength and following directions, which confuses Larry. Larry was thinking that Elise could use a stick to teach her brother a lesson, but Bob corrects him that that's not what the story meant, before saying that it's time to talk about what they've learned today. The Western-style version of the "What Have We Learned" song then plays again, with Larry saying that if a stick won't work, then a dodge-ball would. Bob is about to stop Larry, before the song plays again. After the song ends, Bob tells Larry that that was the perfect story for Elise because it was about God's strength and following his directions, before explaining that when Moe did things his own way, he just made things worse, and that to free his people, Moe had to rely on God and follow his plan. Larry finally understands what Bob meant by that, before Bob says that they should see if Qwerty has a verse for them. Qwerty then brings up the verse, which is, "The lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. Psalm 28:7a." Larry then says that we can call on God to help us & follow his directions knowing that we can't do it by ourselves, just like Moe. Bob then tells Elise that she's right about the fact that she is not powerful enough to do everything God asks her to do and neither was Moe. But, just like Moe; God can give her the strength to do what He asks, and if she just lets God be her strength and if she follow His directions, she'll be amazed at what He can do through and for her. Larry then tells Wesley that since he asked for a sequel to Little Joe, he got it, which is a 2 for 1. Bob then tells Larry that Moe's story reminded him a lot of the story of Moses in the Bible, which Larry agrees with, but he says that it was a little different, in a Western kind of way. Bob and Larry then sign off after that, finishing the episode.
Characters
- Bob the Tomato
- Larry the Cucumber (Moe, Little Joe (Flashback))
- Archibald Asparagus (Aaron)
- Petunia Rhubarb (Sally-Moe's wife)
- The French Peas
- Zippy
- Mr. Nezzer (Mayor of Dodge Ball City)
- Mr. Lunt (Wyatt)
- Charlie Pincher
- Narrator
- Zucchini Brothers
- Bill
- Mr. Lunt
- Mayor's Daughter
- Gherkin
- Pa Grape
- Junior Asparagus (Silly Song only)
- Jimmy Gourd
- Scallion #1 (Picture Cameo)
Songs
- VeggieTales Theme Song
- VeggieTales on TV Theme Song (TV version)
- Mail Song (part one of tv version only)
- Oh Lone Stranger
- The Boy That We Call Moe
- Birds and the Bees
- God Did
- A Mess Down in Egypt
- He Still Wouldn't Listen
- Oh Lone Stranger (Reprise)
- What Have We Learned (Western Version)
Production
Big Idea had wanted to tell the full story of Moses and the Exodus after only retelling the story of Miriam and Moses, however they weren't sure how to retell the story. They considered retelling it as a space opera or an 80s sitcom (the theme song of the latter eventually being re-used as the silly song), but eventually realized that the story of Moses has connections to the story of Joseph. Because they had already told the story of Joseph as a western, they decided to use this genre for retelling the story of Moses as well.
Having been inspired by the storytelling techniques of the western music group Riders in the Sky, writer Mike Nawrocki decided to create a group of singing narrators to come back to every now and then. Mike originally provided the voice of the main narrator, Specks, himself. However, because he sounded too much like someone trying to imitate a cowboy, they brought in Babe Humphrey of the Bar J Wranglers to re-record his lines. Because of this, all the vocals for the backup singers had to be re-recorded, since Babe sung them a few octaves lower than Mike did.
Home Media
- Main article: Moe and the Big Exit/Home Video
Features
Trailer Appearances
Fun Facts
Moral
- When we have a problem, it is always best to listen up and trust God's strategy and just allow him to be our strength rather than us dealing with it ourselves.
Trivia
- This is the first episode for a few things
- The first episode to use the 2007-2009 intro.
- The first episode to be distributed by Genius Products after the closure of Sony Wonder. However, the next main episode was distributed by Warner Home Video.
- The first episode to not have Jerry Gourd since Duke and the Great Pie War.
- This is the last episode for a several things:
- The last Fullscreen episode to feature Petunia Rhubarb, Mr. Nezzer, and Cucumber Woman
- The last episode to not feature Madame Blueberry until Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving
- And the last non-Holiday episode to not feature her until Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men
- The last episode David Pitts produced until 'Twas the Night Before Easter
- The last episode Allen Sarafian, Woojin Choi, Daniel Hornick, Mike Demur, Marnie Goodman, Max Lazzarin, Kang Sub Lee, Jeff Russell, Jerry Seguin, Mark Bodanis, Mike Sepulveda, and Bruce Wethey worked on.
- The last episode to include an enclosed Chapter List.
- The last episode to feature the "Big Idea Presents" at the top of the DVD Cover.
- The last episode to be released underVeggieTales on TV.
- The last episode to be dubbed in German.
- This was the last episode to be released in Spanish.
- The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's was actually the last episode to be dubbed in Spanish but it wasn't released.
- There were a few differences between pre-production and the final product:
- Originally, this episode was going to be titled "The Lone Stranger." However, they changed it because young viewers wouldn't get the joke, though it is still referred to as such in the countertop segments as what the Indians call it. (See Real-World References)
- The songs Moe was going to sing when he fell in the well were "The Happy Wanderer" and "Kumbaya," but they weren't public domain yet.
- When Moe was about to throw the ball at a card, Moe was originally going to lick the card but they decided to have him spit on the card so that the animators wouldn't have to make a tongue.
- The line, "Moe and Sally got hitched and started a family," was going to be in a different place. However, this made the scene with Moe and Sally coming out of their teepee with the baby imply that they weren't married yet.
- When Moe is riding towards Aaron tiredly, the background music was going to have yodeling, but the producer, Paula Marcus, decided against it.
- The pea with Jean Claude was going to be a different one voiced by Brian Roberts but he decided to change, as he thought it would be better as Phillipe.
- Phil Vischer designed a machine gun for Wyatt that could shoot dodge-balls, but scrapped as it would've been too difficult to build.
- Brian Roberts wanted Babe Humphrey to be added to the western What Have We Learned song, but because the day he recorded the songs was incredibly long, he couldn't find time to record the lines.
- Some of the characters in the story and their biblical counterparts include:
- Moe — Moses
- Aaron — Aaron from the same Bible story
- Mayor of Dodge Ball City — The Pharaoh
- Wyatt — One of the Pharaoh's guards
- Bill — The Guard that Moses kills
- Charlie Pincher — The Israelite that was getting tortured
- Moe's two other brothers — The Pharaoh's guards
- Sally — Zipporah
- Gherkin — Gershom
- This and An Easter Carol were split into two parts during the VeggieTales on TV era.
- This episode can be featured in Heroes of the Bible!: A Baby, A Quest, and the Wild, Wild West!.
- This is the first time Larry plays a character who dies in a story. This will happen again in another episode.
Other Languages
- Mo dhe eksodi i madh (Albanian) (Moe and the Great Exodus)
- مو وادذروج السيم (Arabic) (same translation)
- Das Abenteuer von Moses (German) (The Adventure of Moses)
- Moe og den store reisen (Norwegian) (Moe and the Great Journey)
- موزا و خروجی بزرگ (Persian) (same translation not counting Moe's name change)
- Моэ и Большой Выход (Russian) (same translation)
- Moe y el Gran Escape (Spanish) (Latin America) (Moe and the Great Escape)
Remarks
- Because this episode was originally animated and released in 4:3, the 16:9 Blu-ray release, the dubs in Arabic, Norwegian and Persian, and TBN airings crop the top and bottom of the screen to fit a 16:9 frame.
- This is the fourth of the 7 episodes where the Silly Song is in the later half in the runtime.
- The river that Bill lands in is surrounded with ledges, thus he could've easily gotten out.
- After the mayor asked who that masked man is, the wanted poster is smaller than usual. Brian states it was smaller because Wyatt is in that spot, and was supposed to be where the mayor is supposed to be.
- Bob stating the story of Moe reminded him of Moses is somewhat odd, considering he saw the Boyz in the Sink song earlier and it was based on the true Egyptian Moses story. He even states to stick to it in the Western style.
- The credits give a copyright date of 2006, but it wasn't released until March 2007. Though this is likely when it was completed.
- Despite the North American retail DVD having the 2007-2009 intro, the 2006 screener DVD and German DVD both have the 2004-2006 version.
- Hitting a bear on the nose with a stick will only make it more angry.
- A mayor's term in office usually lasts four years, meaning that there's no way Dodge Ball City's current Mayor was able to keep his job in all the years Moe was growing up and living in the Rockies, unless he managed to rig every election and get away with it.
Goofs
- When Aaron says "And he's got a posse!" Moe regains his mask, but it's off again in the next shot when he puts it back on and jumps off Zippy.
- One zucchini jumps up and down without his teeth.
- While the mayor and his posse jump up and down on Death Valley, they vanish right before Moe is then met with Sally and Gherkin and Sally's parents.
- When Moe kisses Sally, Sally points a different direction.
- Sally gains teeth in one shot after she kisses Moe.
- On the Latin Spanish DVD credits, Zak Willis' first name is misspelled as "Zach."
Inside References
- This is the second time Bob and Larry have read more than one letter to answer, the first being "Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush".
- The tornado used to devastate Dodge Ball City is similar to the one from The Doom Funnel Rescue!. Brian confirmed in the commentary he wanted to be like that since he liked that effect.
- Sooner or later, parts of this story would lead to the events of Josh and the Big Wall!.
- The cliffs in the Grand Canyon is a reuse of the cliffs from Gideon: Tuba Warrior but flipped around, with scaffolding and a new background painting added.
- Baby Moe is a recolored version of Moses from Babysitter in DeNile.
- Moe getting chased by the bear would be a reference to the final silly song in The End of Silliness?
- At one point, Moe sports the same five o'clock shadow as Ear-A-Corn.
- The Mayor's towel and Shower Cap come from Gideon: Tuba Warrior
- The Mayor mourning the loss of his great grandson is very similar to when Ebenezer Nezzer mourned for his Grandma in An Easter Carol.
Real-World References
- The name "Lone Stranger" is a play on words of "The Lone Ranger", a masked cowboy who fights outlaws in the Old West.
- The song that Moe was singing when he was inside the well is "Home on the Range".
- Dot and Dash are the mascots of PBS Kids.
- However, in the case of VeggieTales aired on PBS, only two episodes were aired, such as The Star of Christmas and Duke and the Great Pie War.
Fast Forward
- The Story of Moses would be told years later
- There'd be another Asparagus named Aaron.