Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars is an episode of the television series Invader Zim, originally produced as episode 21. While not airing on Nickelodeon in the US, it aired on the Nicktoons Network in the US on June 10, 2006. This is the sixth double-length episode of Invader Zim.

[edit] Plot

Zim notices the Almighty Tallest are closer than ever to Earth. He wants them to view his newest scheme to destroy the humans, a monster that sucks out and eats the brains of human beings that Zim has in stasis waiting for release. The Tallest aren't interested and decline.

During this time the Tallest run into a Vort cruiser filled with different alien species united in their hatred of the Irkens, a resistance movement who name themselves the "Resisty." The cruiser is obviously no match for the Tallest's ship, the Massive and the Tallest fire on the ship, strangely missing the Vort ship as the Massive goes out of control and starts crashing into things. The "Resisty" follow, firing on the ship as it goes on its crazy course towards Earth.

It turns out that Zim is the source of the problem and has used his computer to lock onto the Massive's power core to steer the Tallest to Earth. However, Dib uses Tak's ship, with the signal relayed Zim's base, to also take control of the Massive. He is able to do this as while inside Zim's base, because in Tak, the Hideous New Girl (you don't see this happen directly in the episode) placed a probe inside ZIM's base. The probe in conjunction with Tak's abandoned ship, which crashed empty on Dib's lawn at the end of the previous episode, lets Dib control the Massive. As Zim was eventually forced to deal with the Roboparents (who were dealing with a visiting boy), GIR was instructed to take control of the Massive ,to which he responded 'I don't know what you just said', but he did indeed obey the instruction, competing for control against Dib.

Zim continues to fight with Dib over control over the Massive. Later, however, the Roboparents escape and wreak havoc when someone visits Zim's house, and the Brain-eating parasite starts to break free. In the end, the Tallest use a teleporter to switch their power core with the Resisty's, resulting in the Vort cruiser being dragged towards the Earth instead.

As the Massive is being cleaned and repaired, the Tallest attempt to establish a video link with Zim, expecting to 'hurt' him. Instead, they see the aftermath of his day's failed plans through the video link.

[edit] Trivia

• "Backseat Drivers from Beyond the Stars" is Jhonen Vasquez's favorite episode, next to "Bolognius Maximus", as mentioned on the DVD commentary.

• In the episode, we discover that Invader Larb completed his mission.

• This is the third Invader Zim episode to deal or have major reference to video games.The other two are "NanoZIM" and "Game Slave 2".

• Video game references in this episode are Dib and Zim controling the Massive with joysticks, The New Player sign that appears just before the projection of Dib comes in, the small screen showing whats happening to the Massive being like that of the classic video games and the dotted line and movement(as well as the way the massive moves after Zim changes the Massives course) being just like the game Callipeder.

• There is a reference to The Terminator when Dib runs from Tak's ship at the end, the ship gets stuck in a garage door. [1]

• When Red says, "You! Save the donuts!" Purple looks into the "camera" in an odd way. Originally, a donut was going to hit the "camera", leaving crumbs on the lens. Purple was going to lick the doughnut crumbs off the lens. This part was cut, but can still be seen on the DVD with animatics turned on.

• Olivia d'Abo guest stars again as Tak (or more accurately, Tak's personality) in this episode.

• This episode has a Bloody Gir image hidden in it.

• It is revealed that during "Tak: The Hideous New Girl", Dib placed a spybug in Zim's base. This scene was originally going to be during "Tak: The Hideous New Girl" but was cut.

• When Zim attempts to finish off Dib with Tak's ship, he yells out "Dun Dun DUNNNNNN", which was something of a catchphrase with Dag from Angry Beavers, who was also voiced by Richard Steven Horvitz.

• The Resisty targeting the snack pods of The Massive was a concept originally used in Dib's Wonderful Life of Doom.

• The prisoner Zim contacts to get information on The Massive is prisoner number 777, a reference to Jhonen Vasquez's other comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. In the comic, Johnny (the main character) lives in house #777.

• The number 777 as seen on Johnny's shirt is the number of the moose seen in issue 2 page 6 panel 3.

[edit] Quotes

• Tallest Red: I was curious to see when you'd shut up on your own, but it's been THREE hours now, Zim. THREE HOURS!

• Zim: Pretty creepy, huh? Anyhow, I was— Tallest Purple: Hey. That is creepy. You're creepy, Zim.

• Robo Dad: C'mon son, let's go play in the toilet!

• Zim: You're nothing Earth boy! Go home and shave your giant head of smell with your bad self! Dib: Okay ... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.

• Zim: My brain! My brain! Me hurting to think!