Send in the Clown

Send in the Clown is the third episode of the Super Mario World animated series.

Plot
Outside in a field, Mario and Princess Toadstool are in the middle of a tennis match, using fireballs from a nearby Fire Plant as balls. As Princess Toadstool scores a point against Mario, she is congratulated by Luigi, who is acting as the game's scorekeeper. Princess Toadstool than proceeds to hit another fireball to Mario; before Mario can hit the ball though, Yoshi, the game's ballboy, gobbles it up.

Mario proceeds to scold Yoshi for eating the ball, saying he is not supposed to eat them, he is supposed to catch them and only when they are out of bounds. As Yoshi calls tennis "un-fun", the scene zooms out and shows Kootie Pie Koopa and Big Mouth Koopa putting-up posters for the "Koopaling Bros. Circus". As Big Mouth begins to ramble and yell at Kootie Pie, the annoyed Koopaling shoves a poster in Big Mouth's big mouth.

As Kootie Pie and Big Mouth continue to put-up posters, Bowser flies overhead in his Koopa Clown Car and using a conch shell, begins to make announcements about how the cave-people can visit the Koopaling Bros. Circus for free. The cave-people follow Bowser to a Warp Tube which leads to "the circus". As the cave-people enter the pipe, Bowser snickers to himself, saying that he hopes his dinosaurs enjoy a "cave-people cassarole".

Mario and Princess Peach are still playing tennis, with Princess Toadstool winning. As the Fire Plant launches another ball, Mario makes a futile attempt to chase it, with Yoshi running after him. Mario and Yoshi end-up tumbling into one another. As Mario is helped up by Luigi and Princess Toadstool, he notices that all the cave-people are missing. As Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Yoshi look around, Luigi notices a Koopaling Bros. Circus and panickingly states, "On no! Koopa's at it again!

Using the Star Path, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Yoshi warp to Neon Castle in search of the cave-people. Entering Neon Castle, the group notice that there really is a circus tent in it. Entering this circus tent, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Yoshi decide to watch the show and see what will happen. After a performance by acrobatic Koopa Football Players and tight-rope walking Mechkoopas, Big Mouth, the circus' ringmaster, enters and begins an egotistical speech, only to be stopped by Bowser, who has several "clowns" enter.

Performing various stunts, these clowns decide to include a rambling Big Mouth in their act, much to his annoyance. After being flung into a pool of green goo, an extremely mad Big Mouth begins to chase the clowns around, much to the amusement of the show's spectators; the only person not laughing is Luigi, who still believes Bowser is up to no good. Mario rebuffs his brother's claims, telling him to just enjoy the show.

It is only after an incident involving a pie-throwing machine that the clowns are revealed to be Rexes. As the crowd of cave-people flee to the exits of the tent, several Thwomps cover the doors, trapping everyone inside. Flipping a switch, Bowser and Big Mouth dump everyone in a large cage hidden under the floor.

As Mario is hanging-over the cage, Bowser begins to taunt him and shoves the plumber into the cage. Before Mario hits the floor of the cage, Bowser grabs him and brings him back-up and, shoving a chair in Mario's arms, Bowser pushes his "dinosaur tamer" in a cage filled with Dino Rhinos.

After easily destroying Mario's chair, a Dino Rhino shoves Mario to the ground and, putting on a bib, prepares to eat him. As Luigi and Princess Toadstool mourn Mario's fate, the princess, remembering a Fire Flower she had, tosses it to Mario. Using several fireballs, Mario defeats the Dino Rhino and its Dino-Torch friends.

Melting the lock on his cage, Mario runs through Neon Castle searching for something he can help his friends with. While searching, Mario is attacked by an armada of enemies such as Koopa Football Players, Koopa Skeletons, Gray Bowser Statues, Mechkoopas and a Ball 'n' Chain. While fleeing, Mario bumps into a block which shoots out a feather.

Grabbing this feather, Mario transforms into Cape Mario. Using his new powers, Mario defeats Bowser's minions, flinging them at the Koopa king. Mario then proceeds to chase down Big Mouth, who seeks refuge in the circus tent. Once Big Mouth is in the tent, Mario pulls it down on-top of Big Mouth and Kootie Pie.

Approaching the cage holding his friends, Mario is about to release everyone when Bowser, in the Koopa Clown Car appears. Holding Princess Toadstool captive, Bowser begins to hurl Mechkoopas and Big Steelies at Mario. Stomping on a Mechkoopa, Mario hurls it at Bowser, who easily dodges it. Bowser than proceeds to try and crush Mario with the Koopa Clown Car.

Evading Bowser, Mario grabs another Mechkoopa and hurls it at the Koopa Clown Car. Smashing into the contraption, Bowser loses control of the Koopa Clown Car, dropping Princess Toadstool out of the vehicle. Catching Princess Toadstool, Mario proceeds to release all of Bowser's captives. After doing this, everyone returns to Dome City.

Back home, Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Yoshi have their own circus for the cave-people, with Yoshi as the clown, Princess Toadstool as tight rope artist, Luigi is a ice cream seller, and Mario is the ring master and juggler, which Yoshi eats the rocks.

Animation and Continuity errors

 * In several portions of the episode, the "L" on Luigi's hat is white on a black background.
 * In one shot, the feet of Bowser's Rex minions are green, despite the fact that the dinosaurs are blue.
 * The audio temporarily goes out of sync in the scene where Big Mouth gets hit with a pie while demanding respect.
 * The dots on the outsides of the Clown Car's eyes turn from blue to red during the final battle-moments later, they completely disappear.

Trivia

 * The title is a reference to Stephen Sondheim's song Send in the Clowns.
 * At the end of the episode, when Mario is dressed as a ringmaster, the costume he wears is extremely similar to the one he wears on the cover of Super Mario All-Stars a few years later.
 * As the cave-people are entering the Warp Tube to the Koopaling Bros. Circus, Koopa says "You are about to enter this Warp Pipe and into a dimension beyond space and time." This is an obvious reference to the The Twilight Zone.
 * The name "Koopaling Bros. Circus" is a spoof of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
 * When the stands in the castle flip down, the viewer can see Yoshi holding on with his mouth.
 * This episode's final battle is extremely similar to the one in Super Mario World. As Koopa throws Mechkoopas at Mario, he throws them back, and Koopa attempts to crush him with the Koopa Clown Car. However, when the Koopa Car hits Mario, his cape doesn't disappear.
 * Though this is Kootie Pie's last animation appearance, she has no dialogue (though she is heard giggling at the antics of the acrobats as they torment Big Mouth).