Gator Go Round is the second part of the first episode of Heathcliff and Marmaduke.
Synopsis[]
A hungry alligator emerges from the sewer in search of food and stumbles upon Heathcliff, viewing him as an appetizing meal.
Plot[]
The episode begins with a scrolling view of the city, focusing on a billboard featuring an alligator with the words, "The Alligator Who Ate New York." The scene then pans down to a manhole where a starving alligator, known as the Sewergator, emerges. Seeing the billboard, he wishes for food as he is desperate for a meal.
Meanwhile, Heathcliff is in an alley searching for food. He manages to gather some ingredients and makes a sandwich from his haul. Satisfied with his meal, he starts to think about dessert. Meanwhile, the alligator hides in a trashcan, setting his sights on Heathcliff, convinced that the cat would make an appetizing meal.
As the alligator stealthily approaches, Heathcliff remains blissfully unaware. The hungry alligator attempts to bite Heathcliff’s head, but the clever cat ducks, leaving the gator puzzled as he wonders why Heathcliff tastes so empty.
Once Heathcliff acknowledges the alligator’s presence, he quickly grabs a trash bin and hits the gator before making a run for it. The alligator chases after Heathcliff through the streets, trying to catch up with his prey. Heathcliff climbs a tree to evade the alligator, believing himself to be safe.
However, the Sewergator follows him into the tree. Just when Heathcliff is convinced he's safe, the alligator attempts to make Heathcliff more appetizing by dropping barbecue sauce, onions, and lettuce on his head. Thinking quickly, Heathcliff grabs a knife and chops the branch the alligator is on, causing him to crash to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Heathcliff runs away while the alligator digs his way through the ground in search of a shortcut to his own home.
Before Heathcliff can reach home, the alligator arrives first and attempts to disguise himself as a baby in a baby carriage. Heathcliff discovers what he believes to be an orphan and reads the attached note, but he's not easily convinced. When the alligator's plan begins to falter, he lunges at Heathcliff. In quick thinking, Heathcliff puts the emergency brake on his mouth, causing the baby carriage to roll downhill into heavy traffic, leading to a chaotic car crash.
Undeterred by his latest misadventure, the alligator devises a new plan. He disguises himself as a fellow feline, trying to gain Heathcliff's trust. Knocking on the door, he introduces himself as a cat and asks if he can be shown around. Heathcliff, although suspicious, cautiously agrees to let him join.
The alligator, already in his cat suit, expresses a desire to do "cat things." As they set out, Heathcliff leads the way, and the alligator tries to mimic him. However, while walking along a tight wire, the alligator loses his balance, begins to spiral through the air, and is separated from his suit after tumbling down into a pit, creating a hole. Heathcliff approaches the hole, where the alligator demands his suit back. Heathcliff, amused, graciously retrieves the suit and returns it to the alligator.
Heathcliff then suggests they go "dog chasing," which the alligator mistakenly interprets as them chasing dogs for fun. When Heathcliff clarifies that the dogs will actually be chasing them, the alligator follows with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
They enter a yard where two bulldogs are sleeping beside their doghouse. Heathcliff decides it's time to kick off the dog and cat chase. He gets the bulldogs' attention by blowing a whistle and making noise, waking up the pair of cranky bulldogs. Once awake, the bulldogs immediately take off after the unsuspecting cats.
As the chaotic chase begins, Heathcliff and the alligator sprint away across the pavement, the furious sound of barking bulldogs trailing behind them. Spotting a hole in a nearby fence, Heathcliff makes a beeline for it, deftly squeezing through and barely slowing down. The alligator, however, attempts to follow suit. His larger frame gets awkwardly caught at the entrance, and before he can wriggle free, the bulldogs catch up. One of them chomps down on the alligator's bottom, eliciting a desperate scream for help.
“Don't you like doing cat things?” Heathcliff calls out teasingly, peering back at his friend. “Yeah it's great” the alligator manages to reply, wriggling in distress.
The bulldogs, undeterred by the alligator's complaints, pull harder, tugging him backward through the fence. In the commotion, the alligator's cat suit slips off entirely, and the two bulldogs triumphantly drag it away, prancing around as if they’ve just caught a real cat.
Without the cat suit, Heathcliff noticed that the alligator was not a "cat" but an "alligator". The alligator then cries cause of failing to get any food, Heathcliff then tells the alligator that he will share his food, the alligator is cheered up by that. Heathcliff shows him a plate a of fishbone, its not what the alligator expected, but he can't complain.
Without the cat suit, Heathcliff suddenly realized the truth: the creature before him wasn’t a cat at all, but an alligator. The alligator let out a mournful cry, lamenting his failed hunt for food. Heathcliff felt a pang of sympathy and decided to help. He told the alligator that he would share his food, which cheered the alligator up.
Moments later, Heathcliff presented a plate of fish bones. Although it wasn’t what the alligator had hoped for, he couldn’t bring himself to complain. It might not have been a feast, but it was something, and he was grateful for the unexpected generosity.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- The first "Heathcliff" segment of Heathcliff and Marmaduke.
- The episode's title is a play on the name of a classic amuse-park carousel: a merry-go-round.
- While using soundtracks from the previous series, it features a few original soundtracks as well.
- The bulldogs appear to resemble those from the "Marmaduke" segments.
Errors[]
- When Heathcliff and the Alligator were on top of the tree, the background shows it as day instead of night.
- Heathcliff's eyes turn a clear orange, similar to his fur, when he eats a fish bone at the end.