"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 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
- This episode finally introduces Nancy Green, Cricket's and Tilly's and mother and Bill's wife.
- 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.
