"Uncaged" is the two-part twenty-first episode of Big City Greens.
Synopsis
Cricket and Tilly's mother, Nancy Green, returns to Big City to reconnect with her kids. Bill and Gramma are concerned that she will be a bad influence. Instead, the kids end up releasing all the animals at the zoo and they and Nancy must get them all back.
Plot
In flashback, Nancy Green breaks into Mass Dairy Factory Farms to release a bunch of cows that were being held there. As she tries to escape, she is caught and arrested by the police. In the present, Remy is amazed by her story and is just surprised that he has to mentally restructure the Green family now. Cricket and Tilly have nothing but praise for their "cool" mom while Bill is slightly uncomfortable by her sudden and unannounced arrival as the two have been divorced. Gramma Alice on the other hand is angry that Nancy has returned as she sees her as nothing but a criminal. Remy takes his leave (via Vasquez) while Cricket and Tilly decide to go hang out with Nancy to catch up, despite Alice's protests, Bill gives in.
Outside, they are confronted by Officer Keys who warns Nancy against doing anything illegal which she says she is over now. As Nancy and the kids leave, Alice tells Bill that he messed up causing the latter to become a nervous wreck and feeling that he has failed as a positive influence. Nancy and the kids go all over Big City until they arrive at Big City Zoo. They spot an orangutan and Cricket playfully suggests they release it, but Nancy shoots him down stating that she wants him and Tilly to just be "good kids". Cricket is bothered by this and while sleeping at her place, Cricket convinces Tilly that they go release the orangutan so that Nancy can be proud of them and so that they can relate to their mother better whom he is convinced is saddened for being gone so long.
Cricket and Tilly sneak into the zoo and break into the control room where they manage to find the button that releases the orangutan, but accidentally release all the other animals as well. Cricket and Tilly rush back to Nancy's to tell her what happened and she is freaked out by her children's behavior. Following the incident, Keys arrives to question Nancy and they all sneak out the back. He eventually breaks down the door and calls for everyone to hunt Nancy down. Bill awakens out of nervousness and he and Alice decide to head to Nancy's to check on the kids. When they get there, they discover they are gone and go out looking for them.
Nancy, Cricket and Tilly proceed to round up all the animals with Remy helping through his computer. Nancy leads Keys away while the kids return the animals to the zoo. As Keys catches up to everyone he prepares to arrest Nancy, which she agrees to willingly, but Cricket and Tilly step forth and admit their guilt in a tearful confession. Nancy states that she does not want the kids to be like her and that she wants them to be better and decides she will be better too. Moved by the gesture, Keys lets them go just in time for Bill and Alice to see the events and they return home quietly and content. Nancy ironically tells the kids not to tell Bill and Alice of the night's events.
Cast
- Chris Houghton as Cricket Green
- Marieve Herington as Tilly Green
- Bob Joles as Bill Green
- Artemis Pebdani as Gramma Alice
- Wendi McLendon-Covey as Nancy Green
- Zeno Robinson as Remy Remington
- Andy Daly as Officer Keys
- Danny Trejo as Vasquez
- John Early as Alexander
Trivia
- This episode chronologically takes place after "Phoenix Rises".
- The reason for this episode not airing chronologically is due to the crew having made "Blood Moon" and "Big Deal" and wanted to air those episodes in time with their respective holidays.
- This episode is a full half hour.
- This episode features a cold opening.
- Nancy's reason for getting arrested is revealed in this episode.
- Animal name: Glenda the Parrot
- Nancy lives in a trailer home next to a mechanic's.
- Bill and Nancy are revealed to be divorced.
- When the monkeys wreck havoc on the plane at the airport, only a single man spots them while the flight attendants disbelieve him. This is a reference to the classic Twilight Zone episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
- This is the first double-length episode where Gloria does not appear.
- Tilly acting hyper and laughing hysterically and her line, "I am the animal queen!", after eating cotton candy is similar to Beavis acting hyper and crazy while declaring himself as, "Cornholio", after consuming large amounts of sugar and/or caffeine in Beavis and Butt-head.
- The zoo animals running wild in Big City is a reference to the jungle animals causing havoc in Brantford from the 1995 movie, Jumanji.
- Moral: You don't have to act tough to impress someone, just be yourself.
International Premieres
Gallery
