"Phoenix Rises" is the second segment of the eighteenth episode of Big City Greens.
Synopsis[]
Phoenix, Cricket's frail red dog, catches a familiar whiff, and goes sniffing for it. This worries the Green family, as they go looking for their dog, thinking he got lost, or kidnapped, at worst. Also in a plot twist, Cricket's mom, Nancy Green, returns (having been released from prison).
Plot[]
Cricket is playing with Remy out in the front yard when Bill comes out and asks Cricket to brush Phoenix. Cricket attempts to, but gets distracted by Remy playing with his slingshot. Phoenix suddenly gets up and sniffs something, causing her to wander away from the house and out into Big City. Later, Cricket is filling Phoenix's dog bowl and calls for her, but she does not answer. Growing concerned, he, Remy and Tilly search the house for Phoenix and cannot find her. They then decide that she wandered into the city and go searching for her by asking everyone. Remy asks Cricket how long he has had Phoenix and Cricket explains that when he was just a toddler their barn got struck by lightning and burned to the ground. In the morning they found Phoenix and Cricket has had her since then.
The kids spot Phoenix and proceed to chase after her, but she outruns them. Cricket becomes concerned and wonders if they have lost their "psychic link" and recruit Bill and Gramma Alice to help look for her. As they drive around trying to look for Phoenix, Cricket recalls how last summer he tried to dig a hole and accidentally got himself stuck. Phoenix jumped in with him to keep him company and Bill explained that they just followed Phoenix's fur trail. Recalling this, they manage to trace Phoenix's fur to the Ruff Customers bar. Cricket barges in looking for Phoenix and is surrounded by intimidating bikers. After telling his story, the bikers help out Cricket by telling him that they saw a dog outside, but that she was picked up by someone.
Everyone steps outside and Alice concludes that they cannot follow Phoenix's trail anymore. Cricket breaks down crying as he sorrowfully admits that he took Phoenix for granted and that he should have just brushed her like before. Everyone heads back home, but then Cricket faintly hears Phoenix in the distance and calls out to her; promising to take better care of her. Phoenix runs back and is happily embraced by Cricket. Bill wonders why Phoenix actually ran away in the first place and in flashback it is shown that Phoenix caught a scent that lead her all the way to the bar where he was picked up by a mysterious biker and taken back home. The biker arrives and reveals herself to be Bill's ex-wife and Cricket and Tilly's mom, Nancy Green, who had just gotten out of jail.
Cast[]
- Chris Houghton as Cricket Green
- Bob Joles as Bill Green
- Artemis Pebdani as Gramma Alice
- Marieve Herington as Tilly Green
- Zeno Robinson as Remy Remington
- Dee Bradley Baker as Phoenix
- Wendi McLendon-Covey as Nancy Green
Trivia[]
- When Remy says "What the heck? I thought I was Cricket's best friend.", the background is similar to the one used in "Paint Misbehavin".
- This is the only time Tilly calls Nancy "Mom", as all other episodes have her refer to Nancy as "Mama".
- This episode finally introduces Nancy Green, Cricket's and Tilly's mother and Bill's ex-wife.
- According to concept art, there was originally going to be a wired fence to the left of the Ruff Customers bar, and the door to the bar was going to be reversed, and there was originally going to be a dirt road.
- This is technically the final appearance of the Greens' pre-2019 appearances, as the show's animation is updated slightly over the next three episodes before being put to permanent use as of "Uncaged".
- However in "Night Bill" and "Cheap Snake", they still have their pre-2019 appearances, due to both episodes being produced before.
- This is the only episode with Nancy Green to feature the Greens in their pre-2019 appearances.
- Phoenix is the second character to clearly be visible, or in this case part of, the title card.
- This episode implies that the Greens have been living in Big City for slightly under a year as Cricket mentions digging holes "last summer" in the country.
- It may take place in January, which is the month where the following episode, "Uncaged", is released.
- Chris Houghton revealed that he cried real tears when Cricket cries over losing Phoenix.[1]
- Moral: Take care of your pets and give them respect.
- Innuendo: Bill says "Uh, that's not how it works." and gets uneasy after Cricket says "Time to return me to whatever baby farm you got me from and pick out a new boy."
- This is technically the eighteenth episode in production order.
International Premieres[]
- October 19, 2018 (Spain)
- April 1, 2019 (Latin America)
References[]
- ↑ "Phoenix Rises Post". Tumblr (June 29, 2020).
External links[]
