This page is a transcript for "Mommy Fearest". Feel free to edit or add to this page as long as the information comes directly from the episode.
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[Note: In this episode, the characters of Ima Goodelady and Sedusa have two distinct manners of speaking. Once they begin to switch back and forth, there will be an indication of which tone is used in each new scene and when the changes occur.]
(Opening shot: the city skyline at night.)
Narrator: The City of Townsville, which is kept safe from crime until...
(Cut to a TV screen showing a program with Puppet Pals Clem and Mitch, two characters from the 'bumper' segments on Dexter's Laboratory. Mitch has his padded bonking stick.)
Mitch: (hitting Clem overhead) Bonk, bonk!
Clem: Who's there?
Mitch: (hitting Clem) Bonk!
Clem: Bonk who?
Mitch: (hitting Clem) Just bonk.
(A laugh track is heard throughout this exchange. At the end of it, the camera shifts to show the Professor and the girls watching the program in their living room. They laugh along with it.)
Professor: 7:00. Time for bed, girls.
(They are going up the stairs in a flash and hit the bathroom to brush their teeth; he looks in from the hallway. Cut to him, holding a pink nightgown over his head.)
Professor: Blossom!
(She zips across the screen and into the waiting gown. Now he holds up a light green one.)
Professor: Buttercup!
(She follows her sister's lead, after which the Professor holds up a light blue gown.)
Professor: Bubbles! (Turn down to his feet.) Bubbles?
(The girl in question tiptoes past, giggling and wearing only her bra and her underwear.)
Professor: (walking o.c., sternly) Come back here, young lady!
(Still giggling, Bubbles flies around a corner and down the hall but hits the brakes when she sees that the Professor has moved in to intercept her. She suddenly finds herself in her nightgown; he points the way to the bedroom.)
Professor: Bed. (She floats sadly o.c.)
(Dissolve to him at the bedroom doorway.)
Professor: Good night, girls. (He turns off the lights and shuts the door.)
(Cut to a slow pan across the bed. Buttercup and Blossom have gone out as quickly as the lights did, but a quick pan to Bubbles shows her sitting up, stuffed octopus in hand and looking very ill at ease. Out in the hall, the Professor has turned to leave when he catches the sound of soft whimpering through the door. He turns back; inside the room, the hinges squeak and a ray of light fall across Bubbles - he has cracked the door open for her. They smile at one another, and she instantly goes to sleep. During this sequence, we see for the first time the entire decoration on the bed's headboards: a large pink heart with the initials "PPG" inside it.)
(Now he walks off down the hall, still smiling; after a few steps, though, his entire body slumps over and a look of deep weariness steals over his face. His pace slows as well. After a few more steps, he bends over so far that his hands are almost dragging the ground. He can hardly muster the energy to drag his feet along the carpet. Dissolve to his bedroom as he enters, now wearing his own pajamas and still moving in that broken-down shuffle. Cut to an overhead view of him as he pulls up the covers and looks off to one side; pan in that direction to show the other half of his double bed occupied only by the moonlight, then back to him. Pull back to bring the entire bed into view as he sighs heavily. Loneliness has found its companion for the evening.)
(A public-address system is switched on, shattering the quiet.)
Voice on P.A.: Cleanup on aisle 8!
(Cut to the Professor at the supermarket, pushing a grocery cart. Bubbles flies up to him, carrying a box of some product.)
Bubbles: Wow! I want these!
(Cut to his perspective of her; the product name is Wow. She is elbowed aside by Buttercup, who carries a box marked "Better".)
Buttercup: No way! These are better!
(Now Blossom flies up in front of her with a box marked "These".)
Blossom: Uh-uh! These! (Close-up of him; they reach into view, holding up their boxes to him.)
Girls: (from o.c.) Professor!
Professor: Girls, you may each have what you want, but I can't see where I'm—
(Two carts - one of them the Professor's, the other empty - approach in slow motion and get into a head-on collision. Groceries go flying.)
Professor: (looking down at carts) Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't see where I was going, and I... (looking up) I... I-I-I-I-I...
(He continues stammering as the girls fly up beside him. Cut to the floor, just in front of him; behind the other cart are two very attractive legs, sporting pink high heels, that disappear into a matching skirt. Turn up from these to show their owner - a young, well-proportioned woman in a suit of this same color. She has blond hair that is so light as to appear white, that stops just below her ears, huge, light green eyes, and a pink pillbox hat. She also sports a lovely smile and a sprinkling of freckles under her eyes, which twinkle under the store lights. The Professor, meanwhile, is still at a total loss for words; hearts appear around him.)
Professor: I-I-I-I...
Narrator: Uh-oh! Direct hit, Cupid.
(Brief wide shot of the action, then cut to a close up of the girls, who look at him over to the woman, then back to the Professor; the camera pans to follow their gaze.)
Professor: I-I-I-I...
(Back to the girls, who suddenly have a brainstorm. Pan quickly to the woman as they fly to her.)
Girls: Hi! What's your name?
Woman: Ms. Goodelady. Ms. Ima Goodelady. (Her voice is soft and quite pleasant.)
Girls: (posing heroically) We're the Powerpuff Girls!
Woman (Ima): (laughing) Oh, I know exactly who you three wonderful girls are. (stage whisper) But who is that strapping gentleman behind you?
(The girls move aside, giving Ima a clear view of said gentleman. He still has not found his tongue.)
Professor: I-I-I-I-I...
Buttercup: (flying to Ima) He's the Professor.
Bubbles: (flying to Ima) He's single!
Buttercup: Bubbles!
Blossom: What they mean to say is, perhaps if you're not too busy, maybe he could take you out?
Ima: Why, that'd be splendid. (Back to Blossom.)
Blossom: Saturday night, then?
Buttercup: (flying into view) No, Sunday!
Bubbles: (flying into view) I like Friday!
Ima: Friday it is. (Back to Blossom and Buttercup.)
Blossom: Say, eight o’clock?
Buttercup: No, ten o’clock.
Bubbles: (flying into view) I like 7:00!
Ima: 7:00 sounds great.
Girls: Yay! Friday at 7:00!
Ima: (pushing cart to Professor) We'll see you then. And of course, you too, Professor. (She passes him and walks o.c.)
Professor: (looking after her) I-I-I-I...
Narrator: (sarcastically) Boy. That Professor is one smooth operator.
(Cut to the exterior of the house at night.)
Narrator: The big night! (Inside, Bubbles holds up a bow tie.)
Bubbles: I found your bow! (setting it on Professor's head) Oh, it looks so lovely!
(Pull back; he is dressed in a tuxedo. Buttercup flies into view and grabs the tie.)
Buttercup: Bubbles! It's a bow tie... (putting it on his collar) ...and it goes down here. See?
Bubbles: (shrugging) Oh. I guess that looks good too.
(The two girls go to work primping him, applying the next four items in the proper places.)
Buttercup: And your hair gel.
Bubbles: And cologne.
Buttercup: Breath mints.
Bubbles: And cufflinks.
Buttercup: (reaching in his breast pocket) And some of these!
[Note: It has been rumored that the item is a condom, but in fact, she has nothing in her hand when she puts it into his pocket.]
Blossom: (flying up, carrying a bloom) And don't forget the flower!
(Cut to him, the girls floating nearby and admiring their work. He looks quite dashing now; Blossom's contribution is tucked into his buttonhole.)
Narrator: Lookin' sharp, Professor. (Cut to a wall clock, showing 6:55.) And speaking of sharp, it's almost 7:00 sharp! (Cut to the Professor at the door.)
Professor: I won't be late, girls. And Mayor... (Pull back; he is inside with the girls.) ...thanks again for babysitting.
Girls: Goodbye, Professor! (He leaves and pulls the door shut.) Have fun!
(Dissolve to a wall clock, now showing 8:00. After a second dissolve, it shows 11:00. The Professor eases the door open and looks in; pull back to show the Mayor asleep on his feet, snoring and babbling in his sleep. The would-be Casanova eases up behind him.)
Professor: (softly) Mayor, I'm back. (touching his shoulder) Uh, you can go home now. (He snaps awake and screams.)
Mayor: Aah! My life is a lie! Oh! Uh, ahem. (stammering, then walking o.c.) Uh, good night!
(Now he peeks into the living room; we hear static from the TV. Pan slowly left to show the girls asleep on the couch in front of it.)
Professor: Wake up, girls. I have a surprise for you.
(They open their eyes and mumble sleepy queries; behind him, the door stands open and a beaming Ima is inside. Now she wears a white cocktail dress and matching heels. Zoom in on her in two steps, then pull back; she hangs on the Professor's arm and faces the girls, who seem a bit bemused by her presence.)
Ima: I'm so excited to be helping out around here with you girls.
Girls: Helping out?!
Blossom: With what?
Professor: Well, girls...
Ima: Why don't you let me explain to them?
Professor: Oh, okay, uh, sure.
Ima: Alone?
Professor: I'm at your command, Ima. (Both laugh; he walks o.c.)
Ima: Oh, you. (to the girls) You see, it's quite simple, girls. With the Professor being as busy as he is, it'll be good to have a female touch helping out around here.
Blossom: But... we don't need any extra help around here. We're... (They pose again as before.)
Girls: ...the Powerpuff Girls!
(Ima laughs softly and leans down to them. Her next words are delivered in a harsh, angry tone - nothing like what we have heard from her so far.)
Ima: And it is that kind of attitude that is going to change around here! (The girls react in shock.)
Narrator: Uh-oh. Something is amiss... or maybe even soon, a Mrs!
(Cut to the exterior of the house in the morning.)
Narrator: The next morning...
(Inside, the girls are set for action.)
Blossom: Come on, girls! Townsville's in trouble!
(They prepare to take off but find Ima in their way. She is now dressed casually but smartly, and addresses them in the same harsh tone that surprised them so much the night before.)
Ima: And just where do you think you're going?
Blossom: We're going to fight crime!
Buttercup: That's what we do.
Bubbles: Duh!
[Animation goof: Her mouth does not move on this line.]
Ima: Not today, you don't. You three left the living room a complete mess last night, and there will be no "crime-fighting" until that room is SPOTLESS!
Buttercup: No problem. (The girls dash away.)
(The living room is indeed in disarray, but they put it shipshape in an instant.)
Buttercup: Done.
Ima: (walking past the girls o.c.) Fine, just fine. (Cut to her, next to a potted plant.) But I'm afraid you forgot... …this!
(She pushes the plant to the floor. Now she approaches a picture on the wall.)
Ima: (tearing it down) And this! (throwing mud on a window) and this! (Close-up of a vase as it is smashed; she continues o.c.) and this! (Back to her, wrecking a board game.) And this! From now on you are forbidden to use your "superpowers"!
(Cut to the girls, cleaning implements in hand and dissatisfied looks on their faces.)
Ima: (from o.c.) You will do things like normal little girls!
(Cut to them, tidying up the living room and really not enjoying it a bit.)
Narrator: (wearily) And so the Powerpuff Girls clean the room like normal kids. Boring.
(Dissolve to them lying in a sparkling room. They are wiped out. The Professor steps into view.)
Professor: Oh, girls! It's time for...
(They perk up and zip into place on the couch, ready to watch their favorite show.)
Ima: (from o.c., soft tone) Bed!
(This catches them off guard; cut to the two adults. Ima is now wearing a magenta dress.)
Professor: Uh, what? Uh… Bed?
Ima: Well, honey, they are growing girls, and growing girls do need their rest... (draping herself on him) ...don't they?
Professor: Well, I-I-I—
Girls: (flying up) But, Professor...!
Professor: Well, if Ima thinks it's time for bed, then I'll have to agree with her.
(Ima throws a smirk at them, and they float slowly up the stairs, their heads down. Dissolve to a pan across the bed; they are under the covers and thoroughly unhappy. Bubbles has her octopus doll, but Ima snatches it away and leans down to her.)
Ima: (harsh tone) And growing girls don't play with stupid dolls!
(Bubbles's mouth wobbles and her eyes fill with tears at the prospect of having to spend a night without her favorite octopus doll. Ima is now at the door.)
Ima: (hatefully) Now, good night.
(She turns off the lights and slams the door, blacking out the screen - no hallway light for Bubbles.)
Buttercup: This stinks.
Bubbles: It's too dark.
Buttercup: There's something fishy about that...
(She is cut off by a buzzing noise and flashes of red light that illuminate the entire room. The source of both is a hotline just like the one at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten.)
Blossom: Never mind that for now. The city needs us! (The girls take off.)
Narrator: That's more like it! (Cut to the exterior of the house at night.) And so after a tiring evening of crime-fighting, the girls quietly return home.
(On the end of this line, they fly to the front door. Cut to just inside, the lights out, as they ease it open and tiptoe in, hoping to make it back into bed without being caught by the Professor or Ima. They are stopped by an all-too-familiar voice.)
Ima: (from o.c., harsh tone) And just where have you three been?
(Across the room, her eyes glint in what little light there is, and she switches on a nearby lamp to show herself, tinted in red tones from the light. She is quite put out at their late-night activities and having been out past the curfew she put down earlier.)
Ima: Well?!
Blossom: We were out fighting crime!
Buttercup: That's what we do.
Bubbles: Duh.
(Those are not the words that Ima wanted to hear. The girls have intentionally disobeyed her orders. Ima grinds her teeth and holds back a roar of fury, the camera zooming in slowly on her. Finally, she blows her top.)
Ima: THAT'S IT! (pointing) You three—(Close-up of her hand; she continues o.c.)—are—(Her perspective of the girls, zooming in.) —GROUNDED!
(The Professor is at the foot of the stairs, yawning in his pajamas - the yelling has woken him up.)
Professor: (yawning) What's going on down here? (Ima whirls around in surprise and shock; she embraces him.)
Ima: (soft tone, sobbing) Oh, Professor, I was so worried! I-I went to check on the girls, and they weren't in bed, so I waited and waited. (fake-crying) Oh! I was so worried. They purposely disrespected me and left to fight crime.
(Cut to the girls. The show has touched Blossom's disbelief, Bubbles' guilt, and Buttercup's impatience.)
Ima: (from o.c., still fake-crying) Oh, I just want to be good to them, (Back to her and the Professor.) so I punished them. I just— I just— Oh… (She faints in his arms. The Professor's expression hardens into a stern scowl as he buys Ima's sob story and looks at the girls in disappointment.)
Professor: Girls, she's only looking out for your best interest.
Girls: But—But— But—
Professor: No buts! You're g-g-g-grounded.
(Zoom in quickly on Ima's face; she throws a wicked look at the girls, bathing in victory at having outsmarted them, but the Professor does not catch it. They float sadly out of the room as he looks down at her unconscious form in his arms with deep concern. Cut to the girls' bedroom, seen from outside one of its windows; they are in bed and appearing very distressed.)
Narrator: The Powerpuff Girls grounded? (Pull back from the house; it is still night.) How can this be? What kind of crimes will go unpunished? (Zoom in on the front door.) What evil will befall Townsville?
(The door opens, and Ima's silhouette slips out and runs across the lawn.)
Narrator: And... (changing gears) ...just where the heck is she off to?
(In the bedroom, the hotline goes off again. Blossom floats to it and picks up the call.)
Blossom: (without enthusiasm) Hello?
Mayor: (over hotline) Blossom, it's the Mayor.
Blossom: Oh, hello, Mayor.
(Close-up of him on the other end, phone in hand.)
Mayor: Blossom, I need your help right away.
Blossom: Sorry, Mayor, but we're grounded.
(Back to the office, a long shot this time. The Mayor's phone looks exactly like the one in the girls' room. Behind him, a woman's silhouette is seen reaching into an open wall safe. The figure has glowing red eyes and wildly overgrown hair.)
Mayor: Well, you picked a fine night to be grounded. Sedusa is robbing my safe of its jewels as we speak. (The figure runs o.c.; he calls after it.) Hey, put those back!
Blossom: (her fire returning) Sedusa?! (Now she puts it all together.) Yes, that is quite a coincidence we got grounded. Don't worry, Mayor. We'll catch Sedusa... …as soon as she gets home.
(Cut to the darkened front hallway. The door opens slowly, and Ima tiptoes across. Now it is her turn to be brought up short by a familiar voice.)
Blossom: (from o.c.) And just where have you been?
(Across the room, three pairs of huge eyes gleam in the darkness.)
Blossom: Well? (Bubbles hits the lights; they are lit in the same red tone from before.)
Buttercup: Miss Goodelady?
(Now we see that she has a bulging bag nestled in her arms. Her shocked expression when she first heard the girls catch her and looked up is now replaced by one of contempt.)
Ima: (harsh tone) I thought I grounded you brats! I'm getting the Professor.
Blossom: Afraid not, Ima. He's conveniently stepped out.
Buttercup: And we know you're not such a good lady after all.
Bubbles: (flying up to Ima) What's in the bag, Sedusa?
(On this last word, she grabs Ima's hair and pulls. The woman's dress rips away to expose Sedusa, the thief from the Mayor's office. Her outfit is almost completely red - long gloves and boots, leotard, fishnet stockings. The only other color she wears is black, on the pantyhose she has on under the fishnets. Locks of her long black hair writhe in all directions. She still holds the bag - the spoils from her caper. The harsh tone is her true voice; only her eyes carry any reminder of her alter ego, and she's livid at having been exposed without the Professor there for her to ask for help to maintain her cover.)
Narrator: Sedusa?! Who woulda guessed it? (Bubbles grabs the bag and pulls.)
Sedusa: Let go!
(The bag gives way, spilling gems all over the floor. Bubbles floats down to inspect them.)
Bubbles: Well, what do you know? The Mayor's jewels. (pointing o.c.) Nice try, Sedusa, but the game's over.
Sedusa: Ha! Never. (Ima's voice) I'll just sweet-talk that sap of a Professor. He'll believe me... (own voice) ...and you three bug-eyed creeps will be grounded forever! (She throws her head back and laughs maniacally.)
Bubbles: (pulling fist back) Ground this!
(She pounds Sedusa in the face and backs up for another attack, but the criminal lashes out with a hank of hair and catches her around the waist. Bubbles is flung across the room and into the wall. Now her sisters get into the game; Sedusa whips Blossom away, but Buttercup knocks the wind out of her and Blossom returns for another go. This time, she delivers an uppercut and Buttercup does likewise. Bubbles lands a one-two combo consisting of a stomp on Sedusa's foot followed up with a jumping uppercut. Buttercup kicks her in the back, driving her to her knees. Cut to the front door, which opens to admit the Professor. His arms are loaded with groceries. The beating continues o.c., but he does not immediately take notice of it.)
Professor: Oh, girls, I'm back from the stoooOOORE?!
(As he trails off, shocked, he drops his load. Cut to the girls, who now have Sedusa pinned.)
Professor: (from o.c.) What's going on here?
(Cut back to him on the end of this line, then back to the girls and the criminal - who is now up to her knees and rubbing her jaw.)
Sedusa: (Ima's voice) Oh, Professor, honey, thank goodness you're back. (pleading) The girls just went crazy and jumped me when I came home.
Blossom: No, Professor, it's not true!
Buttercup: She's really Sedusa!
Bubbles: And she grounded us so she could make off with the Mayor's jewels!
Sedusa: (own voice) Liars! (Ima's voice) Professor, sweetie, you believe me, don't you? (reaching out to him) Please... Help me.
(The Professor thinks this over for a long moment, the love of his girls colliding on his face with that for Ima and the debris scattering in all directions. His eyebrows work as the other four watch him intently and the tension mounts.)
Sedusa: (whispering) Please.
(Another long moment of silence in which the tension becomes thick enough to choke a horse. Finally, the Professor takes Sedusa's hand. The girls gasp in disbelief and hang their heads. After a beat...)
Professor: (from o.c., firmly) Girls, call the police.
(They look up, their faces shining again. The Professor has locked Sedusa's arms behind her back with one of his own and put her in a headlock with the other. Sedusa's face is twisted into an angry grimace at the Professor refusing to fall for her tricks this time and restraining her until the law arrives to take her to prison. She's not fooling him any more.)
Professor: This crook isn't going to deceive us anymore.
Girls: Yay!
(Fade to black.)
(Fade into the living room; the family is again gathered around the TV.)
Narrator: Well, it looks like things are back to normal at the Powerpuff household.
(The doorbell rings. A quick flash of the Professor's hand at the knob; now he is at the door.)
Professor: Hello, can I-I-I-I-I... (He is right back where he started.)
(Cut to ground level, looking out the door, to show a light blue skirt. Turn up to show it as part of a dress worn by a pretty woman with dark blond hair done up in a style similar to that of Donna Reed. She wears an apron and has large, twinkling eyes. Her voice is also quite pleasant.)
Woman 2: Hello. I live down the street, and I heard all about your apprehension of that vicious criminal, and so... (holding up a fresh pie) ...I baked you a pie.
Professor: I-I-I-I-I... (The girls react in surprise.)
Narrator: Uh-oh! Here we go again! (They fly to the door.) Better nip this one in the bud, girls.
(Just before they can plow into the woman, the standard end shot comes up.)
Narrator: And so once again the day is saved, thanks to the Powerpuff Girls.