Disney Wiki
Disney Wiki

"Prickly is Leaving" is the first segment of the fortieth episode of Recess.

Synopsis[]

Principal Prickly gets his wish of being a middle school principal but his replacements, an evil man named Dr. Slicer and his assistant Gilda, are even worse.

Plot[]

During one of the day's recesses, Prickly gets a call: Superintendent Skinner has a middle school principal position open at Spiro T. Agnew as the previous principal was "fired." Prickly has an open application for positions such like this and hence is offered the job; Prickly is overjoyed - but not as much as the students who welcome a break from him. However, Miss Finster is not happy, because she and Prickly have been best friends after all these years.

After discussing their plans on what they would do after Prickly left, Menlo - who was with Miss Lemon and Prickly outside of his office - responded to the gang. He was not initially phased - until he read a fax letter that arrived in the office, however. That's because it read that Prickly's replacement is an even worse man known only as "Slicer."

Slicer and his assistant Gilda visit, instantly he sorts the schools "problems" and encourages more Discipline. While T.J. initially tries to butter up to the new Principal, Slicer is offended by T.J'.s plans at niceties; frightens him; orders him to take off his hat and gives him a humiliating paper hat to wear.

After Dr. Slicer's visit, T.J. decides that he and his gang must do everything they can to stop him becoming Principal. The gang realizes the only way to retain Prickly is to convince him to not leave. Attempt one involved them broadcasting a fake news broadcast in Prickly's office to portray the school as dangerous, but Prickly immediately dismisses the credibility as he only concerns the problems with middle school students.

Finster, however, organizes a school-wide farewell celebration. While Skinner is impressed with the exposition, the gang's next plan to derail Prickly's promotion to Middle School is to portray themselves as Middle school students with all the subsequent problems a principal might have to live with. However their plan fails once again; finally T.J. gives a heartwarming speech to Prickly just before he leaves. Prickly is touched, but Slicer is not amused, and he makes T.J. wear a paper hat that says "Captain. Sappy" (earlier Slicer made T.J. wear a hat that said "Funny Boy".)

Outraged by this, Miss Finster confronts Dr. Slicer for this, but he shouts at her. He immediately appoints his assistant, Gilda, to Miss Finster's position, making her Gilda's assistant. He also plans to tear down the jungle gym in order to make room for a guard tower and that he was to restore the cannon in the front of the school operational.

The next day, everyone prepares for Slicer while T.J. panics over which hat Slicer wanted him to wear. However, Prickly comes back and Slicer is heard protesting but Prickly dismisses him. Prickly claims that the Superintendent would not "cough up" enough money for the job at Spiro T. Agnew, and decides to stay at Third Street until "they make a better offer". But the final shot, in which Prickly smiles as the kids cheer at his decision to stay, gives plenty of implications for why he didn't accept the job as middle school principal.

Cast[]

Trivia[]

  • Dr. Slicer bears a resemblance to Heinrich Himmler.
  • The episode features a rather risqué gag in which Spinelli dresses as a middle schooler and starts hitting on Principal Prickly.
  • Production-wise, this is the first episode to use digital ink and paint.

External links[]

v - e - d
Media
Recess (Videography) • Recess: School's Out (Soundtrack) • Recess: All Growed DownRecess: Taking the Fifth GradeRecess: Miracle on Third Street"Lax" (Lilo & Stitch: The Series crossover episode)"Codename: Electric Haircut" (Fillmore! crossover episode)
Characters
T.J. DetweilerVince LaSalleAshley SpinelliMikey BlumbergGretchen GrundlerGus GriswaldCaptain BradleyCornchip GirlThe KindergartnersThe DiggersHustler KidErwin LawsonMiss GrotkeMuriel FinsterBecky DetweilerDr. Phillium BenedictMenloBrockPeter PricklyKojakMiss SalamoneButchAshley ArmbrusterAshley BouletAshley QuinlanAshley TomassianFenwickBrandon the SingerGelmanKing BobChuckoJockoRandall WeemsKing Freddie IICheaySpencerThe MegansThe BrittanysThe TylersBob and Flo Spinelli
Episodes
Season One: "The Break In/The New Kid" • "The Experiment/The Great Jungle Gym Standoff" • "Jinxed/Officer Mikey" • "First Name Ashley/To Finster with Love" • "King Gus/Big Brother Chad" • "My Fair Gretchen/Speedy, We Hardly Knew Ye" • "I Will Kick No More Forever/The Kid Came Back" • "The Pest/The Legend of Big Kid" • "The Box/The Trial" • "Teacher's Lounge/Randall's Reform" • "Rainy Days/The Great Can Drive" • "The Voice/Kids in the Mist" • "Parents' Night/Swing on Thru to the Other Side"

Season Two: "The Break-up/The Hypnotist" • "Mama's Girl/Outcast Ashley" • "The Game/The Lost Ball" • "Gus' Last Stand/Operation Field Trip" • "The Challenge/Wild Child" • "The Substitute/Gretchen and the Secret of Yo" • "The Girl Was Trouble/Copycat Kid" • "Operation Stuart/Pharaoh Bob" • "The Story of Whomps/Weekend at Muriel's" • "Economics of Recess/Omega Kids" • "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave" • "Bad Hair Day/Dance Lessons" • "Principal for a Day/The Beauty Contest"
Season Three: "The Big Prank/Hustler's Apprentice" • "Kindergarten Derby/A Career to Remember" • "A Genius Among Us/The Spy Who Came in from the Playground" • "Partners in Crime/The Bet" • "The First Picture Show/Gus' Fortune" • "Recess is Cancelled/Tattletale Heart" • "One Stayed Clean/Rumor Mill" • "The Madness of King Bob/Call Me Guy" • "Prickly is Leaving/Randall's Friends" • "Dodgeball City/Space Cadet" • "The Shiner/Stand Up Randall" • "The Biggest Trouble Ever/The Rules" • "Gus and Misdemeanors/A Science Fair to Remember" • "Mikey's Pants/Here Comes Mr. Perfect" • "Good Luck Charm/Diggers Split Up" • "That Stinking Feeling/Lord of the Nerds" • "Schoolworld/Bachelor Gus" • "The Dude/Bonky Fever" • "The Candidates/This Brain for Hire" • "The Barnaby Boys/Buried Treasure" • "My Funny Valentines/The Ratings Game" • "Yope from Norway/The Library Kid" • "Spinelli's Masterpiece/Nobody Doesn't Like T.J." • "A Great State Fair/The A.V. Kid" • "Don't Ask Me/The Secret Life of Grotke" • "The Fuss Over Finster/Soccer Boy"
Season Four: "Fort Tender/Germ Warfare" • "More Like Gretchen/Prince Randall" • "Me No Know/Good Ole T.J." • "Old Folks Home/Some Friend" • "Chez Vince/Tucked in Mikey" • "Beyond a Reasonable Scout/The Army/Navy Game" • "The C Note/Big Ol' Mikey" • "The Coolest Heatwave Ever/Mundy, Mundy" • "Lawson and his Crew" • "All the Principal's Men/No Strings Attached" • "The Principals of Golf/Kurst the Not So Bad" • "Lost Leader/League of Randalls" • "Terrifying Tales of Recess"

Locations
Third Street SchoolOld RustyFifth and Sixth Grader ClubAshley's ClubhouseKing's Jungle Gym
Songs
We Shall Not Be MovedBorn to Be WildGreen TambourineDancing in the Street