"Tough Love" is the twelfth episode of The Powerpuff Girls Season 1.
It first aired on Cartoon Network in the United States on December 23, 1998.
Plot[]
When Him gets jealous of the Powerpuff Girls' constant attention, he invents an evil gas that spreads around Townsville and causes the citizens to turn against the Girls.
Synopsis[]
On one of the finest days in Townsville, the Powerpuff Girls are seen helping the townspeople with everything; they are shown rescuing a cat from a tree, being on class on time, helping the Mayor open the pickle jar, and helping Professor Utonium with his science project. While everyone falls asleep during nighttime, Him complains about how he is tired of the Powerpuff Girls helping everyone, so he creates a gas and spreads it across Townsville to turn the people against the girls.
The next day, the girls are shown in the same situations they were in before. Bubbles attempts to rescue the cat from the tree again, but the cat angrily refuses. The old lady is also angry as well, and shreds Bubbles in pain. The old lady beats the girls with a cane. Once the school bell has rung, the girls make it on time, only for their teacher, Ms. Keane, to mark the girls tardy. This triggers a kid named Billy to throw a paper ball at Bubbles. When she tried to tell that to Ms. Keane, Ms. Keane tells her students to throw everything at the girls. The hotline buzzes and the girls take off and arrive at the Mayor's office. When Blossom tries to open the pickle jar again, the Mayor sends a S.W.A.T Team to corner the girls. After that, the Mayor declares that Ms. Bellum should fire first.
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup leave, while Buttercup complains this has been a rough day, much to the Narrator's Irritation. They head to the Professor's Lab to find out more about the situation, only for Professor Utonium himself to try to catch the girls to beat them up in anger. The girls manage to escape through the front door, only for the townspeople to appear (with red glowing eyes) and get ready to beat up the girls. Him reveals himself and his evil plan and orders the townspeople to attack the Girls. At first, the girls do not even try to fight, but soon realize they have to fight their friends and loved ones to revert them back to their normal selves. They manage to do so, and warn Him that if he tries something like this again, he will regret it. Him assures them that he does not give "repeat performances", and disappears into the sky.
At the hospital, the Girls explain the situation to the townspeople, and apologize, saying "It hurt us a lot more than it hurt you!", although their now-injured friends and loved ones agree to the contrary. The Narrator, who was also part of the pummeling, says they forgive the Girls, and calls for his sponge bath.
Trivia[]
- The Narrator calls Townsville "The City of Brotherly Love, or should I say 'Sisterly Love'". This is a reference to the nickname of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "The City of Brotherly Love".
- This episode was the last episode to air in 1998.
- This episode has its music reused the most in future episodes.
- At the end of the episode, the townspeople all say "Well now, we wouldn't say that!" This is a reference to The Great Gildersleeve, particularly Richard Q. Peavey's catchphrase "Well now, I wouldn't say that!"
- MsMojo ranked this as the #7 darkest episode of The Powerpuff Girls.