by SpiderBraids
So, before we rush head-first into the first-ever Nicktoon Snark extra, let me justify myself. This is the only current cartoon I can think of that features any of the former Arnold kids as regulars, with Ben "Eugene" Diskin playing not only "Numbuh 1", but also "Numbuh 2" (the characters usually go by their codenames... don't ask). It also happens that this episode I'm doing here feature Maurice "Big Bob" LaMarche as the villain. (Off topic: Anndi "Phoebe" McAfee was a guest voice in another ep titled "Operation S.N.O.W.I.N.G.") It also happens that, well, I'm a big addict of this show.
Surprisingly, this show actually relies on some amount of backstory. Well, at least this episode does. So: previously on this show, Numbuh 2's brother Tommy Gilligan wanted to join the KND, so Numbuh 1 told Tommy that he was supposed to train at the academy in the coldest part of Antarctica. While he was training at the other pole, he and two cadets (Sonia and Lee) were the only ones remaining to protect the "Codemodule", which contains information on every op, from "Father" (this is the villain voiced by Maurice). After the cadets washed Father out of their training grounds, the Codemodule was then moved to the KND's moonbase (yes, they have one). Later, "Numbuh 86", a Scottish-accented girl and head of decomissioning (you do get the pun, right?), was forced by her mother to hold a slumber party and dragged one of Numbuhs 1 and 2's teammates "Numbuh 3" along, and her fellow operative "Numbuh 4" sneaked in to the party... and then it turned out that the "mother" was in fact former operative and current blonde teen villain Chad, and next thing you know, he and fellow former op and teen Cree (and big sister of Numbuh 1's other teammate "Numbuh 5") stole the Codemodule. Got all that? Good.
Now that we're up to speed, you have your title sequence. Extremely basic. The characters come out, do something that relates to themselves, rush into the white background, and turn black. Eventually, all five of them are standing shadowed in the background in a "Charlie's Angels" style logo, accompanied with what I guess is a cartoony pastiche of spy movie music.
The credits "type" onto the screen with a snazzy "pip" noise. BTW, the episode titles always expand to long sentences (or short when the titles are short), and in this case, the title comes out as:
gargantuan
ray's
advance
decimates
unprepared
and
terrified
escaping
soldiers
And why the heck does Tom Warburton insist on crediting himself as "mr. warburton" in every aspect he's involved in this show (right down to being the series' creator)?
Anyways, after the credits are done, we fade to a YOOOOGE auditorium at the moonbase where a girl, "Numbuh 362", last seen mistakenly tied up by Numbuh 86 as a spy, but now Supreme Commander of the organization, is opening the Cadets Next Door graduation ceremony. The crowd goes wild (yaaay), and as 362 waffles on, we pan over to Tommy and Sonia (and Lee, but he doesn't speak here). Tommy is visibly upset, and Sonia asks why. Tommy replies that he thinks his brother and crew are probably too busy having a "We don't like Tommy" ice cream party to attend. Did we mention that "Hoagie" (Numbuh 2's regular name) doesn't exactly like Tommy?
Tommy finishes his spiel in time for us to hear 362 to report the missing Codemodule (pointing to some sort of receptacle it's supposed to go into) and chide 86 for the slumber party. Anyways, the missing Codemodule prevents them from "technically induct[ing] the new cadets into the super incredibly big computer thingamabob". (I am not making this dialog up.) Cue shot of big computer thing.
Suddenly, here comes Numbuhs 1 to 5, battered, beaten, and carrying a graduation gift, which is some round thingy with a push-button phone-like dial. This is the Codemodule. And 362 places it in the receptacle thing, and brings the computer online. Crowd goes wild again.
362 calls up Tommy as the first graduate. 362 asks Tommy "Do you swear to battle adult tyranny without pause? without fail? and without rest? except for cookie breaks?", and Tommy says "Cross my heart and hope to die." (Seriously.) 362 now tells Tommy to insert his "genetic material" into the Codemodule. Cue a slow motion shot of Tommy picking his nose (seriously). Tommy recites a boring oath, yada yada yada, and stuffs his finger into the Codemodule while choosing "Numbuh T" as his codename. Some random jerk in the crowd chides that T is not a number, just like Numbuh 1 did when Tommy first wanted in, but for some reason, the computer accepts that name (with a boxing bell DING!). I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since there used to be a "Numbuh 30C", or for that matter, a "Numbuh 65.3", who's still part of the organization.