Hairy Parent
| Saturday Supercade episode | |
|---|---|
| "Hairy Parent" | |
| |
| Segment | Donkey Kong |
| Season | 2 |
| Episode | 6 |
| Airdate |  October 13, 1984 |
| Writer(s) | Sheryl Scarborough |
| << List of episodes >> | |
Hairy Parent is the sixth episode of the second season of Saturday Supercade.
Plot synopsis
As Donkey Kong enters Safari Land, a local zoo, Mario and Pauline enact their next plan to capture him: they disguise their circus van as a crudely-designed "elephant". They then rush into Safari Land, but Donkey Kong is able to recognize them, and asks a real elephant to distract them, which it does. As Donkey Kong is laughing at Mario, a fellow ape named Sonny crashes right into him. Recognizing Donkey Kong, Sonny asks Donkey Kong to deliver the letter he is holding to his mother, Momma, in Africa. Sonny then points out a nearby biplane that can be used before taking off again.
Assessing the situation, Donkey Kong strips off one of the plane's wings, and uses the plane as a boat (while singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat) to make the long journey to Africa, as a shocked Mario and Pauline watch and decide to follow.
As they near Africa, Mario attempts to use an anchor to catch Donkey Kong's makeshift raft. However, Donkey Kong is easily able to turn on the propeller, causing Mario to lose control. He also fakes a crash into the leafage of a palm tree, causing Mario and Pauline to crash into the bark of the same palm tree.
While advancing towards Momma, Donkey Kong decides to refuel with some bananas, being closely watched by Mario. Mario decides to use this as an opportunity to lasso Donkey Kong and take him back to the circus, but a nearby animal smuggler, Trapper Jack, also sees Donkey Kong and decides to capture him in order to sell him off to an auction. Both characters simultaneously lasso Donkey Kong, and immediately clash. Pauline warns them that their bickering would lead to Donkey Kong getting away; right on cue, Donkey Kong springs his own trap, tying up Mario and Trapper Jack. The two reluctantly strike a wager to see who can capture Donkey Kong first. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong manages to escape despite Pauline's warnings, with her realizing he never listens.
As Mario tries to dig a feather pitfall trap, he notices Trapper Jack digging a glue pitfall trap, leading the two to clash again. During their bickering, Donkey Kong shows up and jumpscares them, causing them to fall straight into their own traps. Donkey Kong resumes his movement and successfully finds Momma's house and meets Momma, a female anthropomorphic gorilla, in the flesh. When Momma reads Sonny's note, her heart melts. However, before she can further express her feelings, Momma is immediately kidnapped by Trapper Jack, who takes her away to be auctioned. An angered Donkey Kong give chase, only to end up in Mario's trap.
Just as Mario is about to celebrate his "victory", Donkey Kong tries to tell him and Pauline about Momma being kidnapped, handing Pauline the note for her to read. Pauline orders a reluctant Mario to release Donkey Kong for the moment, and he takes them to the place where the auction is being held. Realizing they need a strategy, Mario begins thinking, but Pauline tells him that this time she came up with a plan.
At the auction, Mario sneaks into the place where Momma is being held, disguised as a gorilla. When Momma sees him, she mistakes him for "Poppa", and hugs him. Trapper Jack then grabs the two and brings them to be auctioned off. Pauline and Donkey Kong decide to pretend to enter the auction, but Pauline says that Donkey Kong needs to don a disguise first.
As the auctioneer tries to describe the two "gorillas" that Trapper Jack caught and the bids are made, Mario tries to remove the costume to foil Trapper Jack, but he cannot remove the head. Higher bids are made, and Pauline instructs Donkey Kong to create a diversion, which he does by juggling melons. He then throws them at the top bidders, the auctioneer, Trapper Jack, and Mario, who now easily removes his costume (though he took it as a sick joke).
Meanwhile, Pauline frees all of the other animals, but stops cold when she frees an ill-tempered rhino who proceeds to chase her. As she screams for help. Donkey Kong stops the rhino and rides on it with Pauline. As he sees the rhino approaching, Trapper Jack starts fleeing, and Mario and Momma are both rescued. The rhino then speeds up to knock Trapper Jack onto its horn and send him into a stream. As Trapper Jack surfaces and claims he's not finished yet, a hostile crocodile suddenly appears and chases him away, and a gloating Mario exclaims that he won't be smuggling animals for quite a while, cracking up Donkey Kong.
Returning to Safari Land with Momma, Sonny hugs her. Pauline remarks their cuteness, yet Mario admits that it's "not as sweet as catching that furball". At that moment, Donkey Kong takes off in the repaired biplane, sailing off into the clouds, flabbergasting Mario yet again.
