Big House Blues

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Big House Blues is the pilot episode of The Ren & Stimpy Show.

The episode was completed in 1990 and first aired on Nickelodeon USA in 1992. Directed by: John Kricfalusi (also known as "John K.") Written and Storyboard by: John K., Bob Camp, & Jim Smith

The episode begins with a narrator telling the story of two characters: Ren Hoek, an "asthma-hound" chihuahua and Stimpy, a cat. The two, while mortal enemies in the wild, "unite in the face of adversity" and became the best of friends. However, the two are living out on the street and are starving.

But one day, a "ray of hope" shines into the two friend's lives, and they are picked up by the local Dog Catcher and taken to the pound. Their lives have never been better: They have shelter, food, and have all the fun they want. However, they do not realize the fate that awaits them.

During a party, one of the dogs, Phil, is taken away. Ren inquires to where he is off to, and another dog, Jasper simply states, "They're puttin' him to sleep." Ren misunderstands, and believes he's just resting. Ren decides it's time for him to hit the sack too, and soon rests on Stimpy like a pillow.

The next morning, Ren once again asks Jasper where Phil is, and Jasper agitatingly re-states that "they put 'im to sleep". Ren asks to wake him up, but Jasper confirms, "You don't wake up from the Big Sleep." Ren soon catches on, and hysterically tells Stimpy about how "The Big Sleep" is simply death. Ren fears for his life, and knows he needs to get out.

Later, Stimpy has an incident where he coughs up a hairball - all over Ren. Ren is very angered, and proceeds to do what he usually does when Stimpy annoys him: Slap him a few times, and toss in a few insults. However, this may very well save his (and Stimpy's) life when a young girl visits the pound, looking for a "cute doggie" to take home. She instantly sees Ren, still covered in Stimpy's hairball, and believes he is a Poodle, and starts to take him home - but leaving poor Stimpy behind. Ren looks into Stimpy's distressed and "fare-well" eyes, and he begs the young girl to take him home, too. "Hmmmm...Okay!" The young girl responds, and Stimpy soon follows to their new home.

They arrive at their first home with the girl, and the two get their first possessions: Ren receives a sweater, and Stimpy: A Box of Cat Litter.

[edit] Interesting facts

• Ren getting a sweater may refer to a postcard John K has.

• A scene was removed when this aired on Nick where Ren, in his sleep, kisses Stimpy and rinses himself in a toilet. It was on the DVD, but the audio sounds lower. According to John K, Ren was dreaming of a female.

The litterbox shows up multiple times during the series.

• The litterbox that Stimpy has is the same one that in the episode "Fire Dogs". Ren breaks it and Stimpy says "You broke it! You broke it! My first (he says first with a Brooklyn accent, like "foist") material possession!"
• He also shows his first material possession to Ren's cousin, Sven in "Sven Hoek", and it turns out that Sven loves it as much as Stimpy does.
• The narrator introduces Ren Hoek as "Ren Hoke", prompting Ren to snap back at the narrator with, "That's Hoek, you eediot, not Hoooooke!"