We need to talk about Doc Gerbil…

[@alexespin-fc6kj]

That boat chase is honestly the best scene of the whole show for me. That tone shift left me in awe and when the music picked up I thought it was the funniest thing in the world. I wanted to laugh but the absurdity of it all just left me silent and deeply entranced. Its probably the earliest memory of emotional conflict ive ever experienced. Really love this show, its a special kind of odd that definitely rooted my sense of humor.

[@Luis72-f2w]

Definitely my favorite scene at least the most memorable to me I love that music

[@Platinum400]

I agree. For me Freaky Fred is the scariest episode but this scene here felt like it was the series finale or something it felt so important lol

[@razorchance6976]

Beautifully said, 🙂🙏 it really did feel like a finale for sure, a pretty grim battle to the end

[@ibnbailey-sx1hf]

Perfectly put

[@mathieuleader8601]

I think Dr. Gerbil was a victim of the evil bearded vet from the episode with Courages parents and the rocket.

[@kidprime6863]

Plausible, Dr. Gerbil could've been one of his early experiments before deciding to use dogs instead.

[@Cydrafinity]

God I cannot think of a character I hated more viscerally as a kid than that doctor.

[@montanajackson3713]

That’s a plausible theory there.

[@crabman5542]

But that's just a theory a game-

[@ShadowclawIV]

*_200th Like!_*

[@Kultactivities]

I know everyone always says return the slab and the freaky fed episodes are some of the scariest in courage, but to me this episode scared the living shit out of me as a kid. Especially the end chase scene with that crazy ass music, it genuinely scared me and made me cry as a kid.

[@RogueT-Rex8468]

Tbh same. I recall that chase scene and being unnerved by it- even now I felt myself cringe.

[@lehahiah81]

The chase still gets to me

[@TheCartoonCentralCartoonsShow]

Pizza tower lap 100 Will be like:

[@dineez627]

As a kid it really unsettled me. Doc Gerbils mannerisms through out the episode was a huge factor for this. The music during the chase, Doc Gerbils face full of raw hatred for Courage, him falling down the waterfall as the music ends, and finally his insane laughter created a terrifying feeling that I couldn't explain.

[@dalejhunter1]

As a kid, I never found this to be scary. Just weird. Very very weird. Which I guess is par for the course for a good chunk of Courage. It's not always in your face scary as it is just plain weird.

[@mrmosty5167]

One of my absolute fave episodes next to The Tower of Dr. Zalost. Everything from Gerbil being this southern snake oil salesman, Eustace saying "This is where they getcha", the boat chase music and the Lint Lady being one of the series's greatest side characters ever. That sexy trumpet when she's showing off for Courage will never get old

[@starthefrakkfangirl6094]

I genuinely love the music during the boat chase scene. It felt slightly out of place for a CN Show (When it comes to the majority of shows, which mainly includes wacky elements) yet very impactful And memorable rather than very jarring. It sorta inspired a simillar moment for one of my projects too though that one's more of a book but I try to describe the events that sorta evokes the feeling I had with this scene.

[@astoryguy]

I don't know if you have tried looking for it but there is an isolated version of the Courage version somewhere on YT, someone used FL studio(I think) to do it. You might like Ode to the Beloved by Rusty Crutcher, if I understood correctly was the track the sound designer used as inspiration for the Boat Chase song.

[@GarkKahn]

Same here It lived rent free in my mind since my childhood

[@DonManuelHasLeonsJacket]

It was haunting & hair-raising for me way back when I watched that as a boy. I still get goosebumps easily.

[@KitsonHeart]

I was thinking that the chase was a reference to either the Resident Evil 4 ending or something from Metal Gear

[@Bopperann]

"It's my lint!" became something my class would say in high school when squabbling over something trivial.

[@karaoconnoraliasraidra]

The thing I remember most about this episode (other than the theme song) is Doc Gerbil telling Courage, “You’re free now!” when abducting Muriel and Eustace. It’s like in his mind, it’s impossible for pets to have a loving, familial relationship with humans. In his mind, all humans were cruel oppressors and thus their pets should be thankful and happy he “liberated” them. I don’t know if this a spoof of activists who accidentally kill or injure animals in the name of “freeing” them (like the bunch who freed a bunch of minks from a fur factory into a forest only for the minks to die because they didn’t know how to survive in the wild, or the girl who drowned a tortoise by throwing it off a bridge into a random river) or an indicator that Doc Gerbil had something terrible happen to him in his past.

[@roonkolos]

The road to hell paved in good intentions

[@CallMeFreakFujiko]

He shoved Muriel and Eustace into a tiny hamster cage that could have been his at one point, and he used them for medical experimentation. That's probably where he came from. He was probably an experiment animal, and the vacuum was used on him at some point to turn him into a Courage sized gerbil... Or hamster. The episode's title and his tail tells me that he's biologically a hamster. Since we know that (most) animals in this universe have intelligence equal to a human, it's no wonder he would take out his frustration on the humans who experimented on him and have trauma based on that. He probably assumed that every animal is treated like a lab rat... Gerbil... Hamster thing, and would "liberate" them without understanding the consequences of his actions. Though I suppose in a universe where the animals have around the same intelligence as humans there wouldn't actually be consequences in the same level as there would be for "liberated" pets in the real world. A cat isn't going to starve to death with his owners gone when he can walk on two legs, open doors and talk.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

@CallMeFreakFujiko Actually he used them for cosmetics testing, which is still pretty messed up. And as for as human testing goes, some people believe in testing on death row inmates as they did something inhumane to innocent people to deserve capital punishment and I can't blame them for believing in that.

[@baalfgames5318]

Honestly, I feel afraid to tell people I care about animals at times because of characters like him. It's like, this is how people see ALL animal lovers these days. Not just extremists.

[@baalfgames5318]

​@@CallMeFreakFujikoSadly, he's not even too far off considering most people I know. A person like Murial is the exception more than the rule.

[@alixmalone19]

This was THE scariest episode to me as a kid. Something about it just made my skin crawl...the song still randomly gets stuck in my head.

[@strawberryfieldswhenever]

The reason this episode scarred me more than any other episode of _Courage The Cowardly Dog_ is its concept. Most episodes of Courage deal with supernatural creatures who aren't real, but this episode features a concept that is a very real possibility. The idea of someone forcibly experimenting on me terrified me. This episode didn't get any less scary when I learned about Josef Mengele and his experiments a few years later.

[@Nin_the_Shinobi]

When Doc Gerbil went off the cliff I always felt sad especially with that music playing. Even though he was a villain and I know he survived but in the grand scheme of things it was still pretty depressing.

[@shinji1264]

Indeed one of the most memorable episodes

[@boardcertifiable]

That song was a banger. But not as much as 🎵It's Doc Gerbil's World!🎵

[@baalfgames5318]

I do not remember him surviving.

[@jaidora]

There was always something cringeworthy about using deodorant and having the skin on your armpits inflate until they burst, it's a lot like pimple popping but on a very uncomfortable spot and leaving a very uncomfortable open sore. Maybe he was testing his chaotic cosmetic and hygiene products as a way to get revenge on all humanity by using the tiny lady, Eustance, and Murial as literal guinea pigs. He did say at one point "I'm getting closer" so he knows what the effects are supposed to do but he's looking for the preferred outcome to cause the most harm in people.

[@SamiDC]

This episode also stuck out to me as a kid. Every time I thought about it, it left me feeling unsettled and never fully understood why until more recent years. The It's a Small World-esque theme park music is grating to my soul and leaves me feeling grossly uncomfortable. Same with the boat chase, especially since they drop most of the sound effects and dialogue aside from Courage's screaming. There's something very disquieting about seeing Dr. Gerbil going over the waterfall and him being muted when we can see the fear in his face. The subtext of animal testing wasn't lost on me when I was younger and I chalked it up to that being why this episode had that much of an effect on me, but as I've gotten older and exposed myself to more media, it's dawned on me just how much sound can influence one's emotions. Sidenote, congratulations on your days as a dispatcher being numbered. I remember you talking about it and how it has effected you mentally so I'm happy to know you're moving on from it and that you and your family are getting a new house. You're doing great, Shawn and let no one tell you otherwise; especially yourself. ;)

[@Nicholasmcmath-cr1xl]

Same

[@Th3G4m3F4n]

I also caught most of the subtext, about the animal testing on humans in revenge for humans testing on animals. The thing being that the chase scene stuck with me - i loved it through every tense sencond of it. Where other cartoons would have put something with an intense beat, probably a flavor of rock music, Courage did something different and went with this operatic, unsettling piece to give the viewer a different kind of intense emotion. In terms of the music, this is up there with The Tower of Doctor Zalost. Courage had a way with sounds that I'd like to see more people attempt.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

Honestly if Doc Gerbil, like Shawn said were target companies that were to test on animals, I think he'd be more of an anti villain than a tragic one as he'd literally be giving them a taste of their own medicine but unfortunately he went about it the wrong way.

[@raelogan]

The Lint Lady has lived rent free in my head since that episode aired.

[@MistyEyedMuse]

Thank god it wasn't just me lmao

[@romariodesrosier1450]

ITS MY LINT!

[@myrasvlogs787]

Me too 🤣

[@montanajackson3713]

She should’ve been a recurring character throughout the series.

[@aliyamarah7796]

I love how Doc Gerbil just attacks Eustace and Muriel in the living room. Unprovoked lol.

[@SBluvr99]

This was a great Courage episode, and definitely one that's more disturbing when you're an adult. Fun fact, the "opera" sample was used in the Jimmy Neutron Halloween special, when Sheen first glimpses at the full moon. The sample is also used among others from the same library in the Rammstein song, "Sonne."

[@garrettwhite5943]

Hey man, I just wanted to say I found this channel through your Dark Side of Hey Arnold series and I've absolutely LOVED all of your content. Super glad you're closing on the new place and getting the freedom to make more things you enjoy creating, because I, and many others I presume, REALLY enjoy all of what you make. Grats on the house.

[@bc8796]

One of those most memorable moments in Courage. The theme song, super catchy but annoying(we love "it's a small world" references)and then the boat chase. Also, that suction cup lady is the true definition of a lint licker lol

[@FirstnameLastname-nq3oj]

Core memories unlocked of Lint Lady and the music during the boat chase. 😂😂

[@heathazezero3967]

"This my half of the lint,this your half of the lint"

[@Juggalo94]

“But They Ain’t Gettin My Lint!!” 😂😂😂😂

[@Ozubura]

@@heathazezero3967Remember that and we won’t have no trouble! 😂

[@montanajackson3713]

“It’s my lint!” 😂

[@CallMeFreakFujiko]

I honestly forgot that I've seen this episode a lot as a child until I heard "It's a gerbil world! It's a gerbil world!" It gave me flashbacks. It's four words, sang in two different tones but it would always creep into my head for the rest of the week.

[@beastmaster0934]

The scene with Courage with cotton in his ears and an annoyed expression on his face makes me laugh.

[@whisperwhipper2240]

I love how courage seems scarier to me as an adult than as a child

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

Probably because our innocent childhood brains didn't grasp the concept of animal testing -or role reversal in this case and that companies actually do this irl

[@CallMeFreakFujiko]

That's probably because it sometimes tackles topics that we wouldn't know about as kids, like animal testing. When people talk about the show just from memory they bring up the one with The Slab, because that one was creepy without the need of a topic like animal testing. Where when they talk about it after a rewatch after they're older, they'd usually talk about an episode like The Mask- an episode about abusive relationships.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

@CallMeFreakFujiko Yeah in hindsight even though Doc Gerbil takes out his anger on the wrong people, I can't help but think he's been abused/ tested on himself and I can't help but feel sorry for him. If he were to target companies that test on animals instead of people like Eustace and Muriel, it would definitely give those corporations a lesson in perspective and/or empathy.

[@deconyus3412]

That ending chase always felt more important than it appeared. Like angels watching down from Heaven, lamenting that things had to come to this, as if the natural order was truly turned upside down before their eyes. A tiny dog with a super vacuum on a speedboat chase with a large Gerbil doctor. How tragic. This show was nuts

[@LunaP1]

"What's the matter with you? Haven't you ever seen a lady before?~" The low hanging fruit was tempting. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@jailcatjones3250]

The song from the chase scene is called "Ode to the beloved" by Rusty Crutcher, you are all welcome

[@eileenkelleghan680]

thank you!!! It has been over 20 years of searching for it, really, thank you!!!

[@averagejoe689]

"But you aint gettin my Lint!" Is something that has stuck in my head all my life, im 34..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@jimmyrocha8417]

That damn melody still plays in my head sometimes 20 years later

[@micksalazar7740]

That Dr. episode is engrave in my mind as well it may not be as iconic as other courage episodes but i think its one that really put a high enphasis in the cartoony aspect of the show and i always appreciate it when even shows that are suppose to be mainly horror themed take a bit of a backseat to let the spectator just enjoy and maybe ask what is happening but again who i am to judge to art of the absurd.

[@tori537]

Courage’s villains always had such banger themes (Katz is definitely my fave)

[@joezelljr]

Thank you for covering this episode! It's one of my favorites and it seems not many ppl even put it in their top 10s. The episode is unsettling, opens alot of questions,and the whole end with the boat chase is beautiful with the lack of sound effects

[@RavenAveira]

Ngl that boat chase scene has always been the most haunting memory for me from this episode, because as soon as it starts everything just goes QUIET and the only thing you hear is that hauntering opera music and some sfx which is just...chilling, especially when the gerbil fell to his death in total silence with nothing but the solem music fading out as he fell... This was truly a masterpiece in execution because I remember this episode being scary to me as a kid but never knew why cuz it was really just standard Courage, but when you look at that chase scene...I dunno, theres just something so haunting about how quiet everything got and how unnerving the music was. Truly a masterpiece in visual storytelling, no needless dialogue or some epic chase music, but this really quiet and somber execution just made it so haunting everytime I see it, and despite the episode/story itself not being particularly scary, that scene always makes me feel uneasy because of how well executed it was. It scares you without actually scaring you.

[@dr3dg352]

"It's Doc Gerbil's World" is just gonna be stuck in my head all day now. x)

[@IG_ArticleParticle]

Yep allways thought Soc Geebil was scary as a kid. That ending with the opera and silence was so unsettleing as a kid. We NEED somwthing heaviky inspired by courage. The feeling that show gave were incredible.

[@shawnwhite3662]

This is a underrated scary episode. I always hear people talk about freaky Fred and King Ramses curse.

[@DrTimes99]

Sometimes I wake up and have the Doc Gerbil theme playing in my head for no reason.

[@rocklindrudenstein2939]

This episode creeps me out more as an adult because of the animal testing theme. Animal testing is definitely real life horror that needs to be addressed more.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

Same here.

[@dullknifefactory]

That boat scene at the ending was some biblical shit Saw that episode as a kid and went outside.. Fisher Price Baby's first existential crisis

[@rachet87]

Dont blaspheme please

[@dullknifefactory]

@@rachet87 leave me alone

[@BerryJackalope]

That's so funny gerbil took Muriel and Eustace as batteries for the flashlight, but put one in head first, the other one feet first.

[@Ars-Nova258]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the cut to Doc Gerbil laughing at the bottom of the waterfall was added partially to get past some inconsistent censors.

[@dillasoul2228]

The fact you were surprised Courage turned into a vapor cloud surprises me, turning into whatever he needs to for a situation is what he does. Btw, was hoping to hear about how this episode also touches on animal testing for products before human use, it's right there screaming to be noticed

[@aidanhever3369]

Speaking of the operatic music at the climax, I imagined it with the original commercial for TLoZ: Majora's Mask back in 2000.

[@dragoon1090]

That song is still stuck in my head all these years later. Couldn't even tell you when I first saw it.

[@anjealousanaconda9692]

The lint lady scared me more than King Ramses😂

[@self-advocacychampions1117]

I can't wait until episode 5 of the Dark Side of Hey Arnold. I really love your videos. Keep up the good work.

[@RaspberryPastry]

The fact Doc Gerbil seems at least partially motivated by wanting to free pets from ownership implies he was an abused pet in his past, maybe even a gerbil that gained intelligence from being experimented on in similar fashion. It paints his experiments as mostly being driven by revenge moreso than creating anything useful, so his "products" are designed to cause some kind of pain or disfigurement while being disguised as ordinary household products to be given to pet owners as retribution for their perceived cruelty towards their pets. They're working exactly as intended. Honestly it's kind of impressive how strong the shows track record is of making their villains somewhat sympathetic based on context clues the episodes rarely ever spell out. As a kid he just seemed scary for the sake of scares, but now I can see some subtle implications about his past that clarify his motivations if you're paying attention to how he speaks to Courage after he presumes he did him a favor getting rid of Muriel and Eustice. "You're free now." Damn, he's actually kind of tragic...

[@squabhead]

I swear I heard part of Doc Gerbil's theme score being played in some true crime documentary. That creepy theme sticks with ya!

[@samuelantoniocastillomeza5034]

This episode makes me think of Sunday. I watched it many times as a kid during that day and always inspired me an earie feeling with a bit of nosltagia and melancholy.

[@master830pm]

I felt the same about the tower of Dr. Zalost. The music that plays while he bombards the town with his cannonballs hits differently.

[@deconyus3412]

I never realized until now how much of these episodes are tightly locked away in my mind, only to reopen because a tiny cartoon crazy lint lady with plungers for appendages saying “You’ll never get my lint! It’s mine, all mine!” Also the guitar riff in this episode is so menacing it kinda outshines Doc Gerbil as a character imo

[@michaelwalsh9616]

To me, it's implied that Doc gerbil was a lab animal, given that he's testing cosmetics. Perhaps lulu may, was his name in a lab

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

Well he wrongly assumed that Courage was being oppressed when in reality he was happy living with his family, well aside from Eustace being a jerk, but Courage sort of avenged himself in another episode

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

But I do think it's sad that cosmetics testing on animals still hasn't been banned worldwide yet

[@fitzytail896]

Tbh this episode escaped me as a kid...didn't remember much but i do know i watched it because it seems familiar...but what really plastered my brain til to this day is the " Retuurnn the Slaaabbb" guy.

[@joshuaokoro-sokoh2993]

Hey that's the power of contrast in art. The rapid boat scene with the calming opera score

[@26th_Primarch]

That "Doc Gerbil's world" song ride is a parody of the "It's a Small World" Disney song ride.

[@shadowlink2000000009]

The iconic music during the boat chase always brings back memories

[@kaishawna3753]

I love your content and rewatch your old videos. You taking time for your family and yourself is key. I even sent you an email about the Kids Next Door and what I theorized with some of their episodes. Keep up the great work! 👏🏾👏🏾💯👌🏾

[@monique2324]

Congratulations on your new home! Best wishes for you and your family!

[@gregorianallanheavans8095]

Trivia, the wonderful piece playing during the chase sequence is similar to "Ode to the Beloved." by Rusty Crutcher. From what i know they used the same Soprano, it's not a sample or a 'remix'.

[@Colonel_RamRod]

Totally love how this is becoming the most popular series you cover ❤ courage is so nostalgic to me 11:05 ughhhb Doc Gerbils voice wigs me out too 😂😂😂

[@remyoung]

I didn't think my day could be made any better, this is the perfect Surprise to add to my anniversary 😍 Absolutely love you're courage videos, this episode was definitely beautiful to me I can't wait to see what else you come out with!!!!

[@wfanking1187]

This episode was unique, and its true that animals are abused in a lab, humans that "actually practice it" deserves a taste of their own medicine.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

And while Doc Gerbil is definitely a villain and he abducts innocent people and is essentially gerbil Mengele, it's hinted he may not have been treated well by humans before as he wrongly assumed that they were automatically all evil as he told Courage he was free now, despite that Courage was in a loving home,aside from Eustace, from a being a jerk and a Squidward like figure yet respects Courage from time to time.

[@wfanking1187]

​@@tierefuerimmer9635 ikr its a reference to experiments on lab animals, especially during the cold war era when they injected various microbes on them

[@wfanking1187]

@@tierefuerimmer9635 for bio wep dev until 1972 Geneva convention ended the madness, many documentaries on animal cruelty in labs..

[@wfanking1187]

@@tierefuerimmer9635 I have seen some documentaries its absolutely heart breaking how lab animals were treated, innocent unaware of the pain they were getting injected until it happened!

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

@wfanking1187 How anyone can do that for a living is beyond me. Plus there are alternatives as well as scientists who don't think it's right

[@TheLadyLiddell]

Great, now "It's Doc Gerbil's World" is going to be looping in my head all day.

[@vikingunicorn]

To this day, Courage aerosolising himself to get in the vent is my favourite instance of cartoon physics.

[@CeruleanGymTrainer]

This is one of the four episodes that was burned in my memories mostly for the music played during the boat chaise. The others were “The great Fusilli”,”Freaky Fred” and lastly “The henchmen of nowhere” this one in particular taught me how not to judge people from their appearance.

[@jddtrain]

When I first saw this episode, I'll never forget how much that song would get stuck into my head and it's the second catchiest song next to The Man in Gauze. Other than that, Courage The Cowardly Dog is one of my favorite shows on Cartoon Network and I hope to make a list of the top 10 episodes from the show once it turns 25 by next year.

[@InuLeeli]

That boat chase scene has always haunted me in ways I cannot explain.

[@amandaandherstuffedanimals1308]

I always wanted some talk about this episode nobody ever talks about it and it’s so eerie to me it’s one the more darker courage episodes I’ve ever seen so thank you

[@larenagotay4867]

Of all the characters, I loved the lint lady. Idk why, but her constantly circling right back to her lint obsession was hilarious to my simple monkey brain 😂😂😂😂

[@scottwright927]

I randomly sing the gerbil world song to instantly creep out my kids. And as someone who lives even within 50 miles of portland, im so happy for you to get out.

[@stevenriften7561]

White-liberals and their savior-complex destroy everything they touch. Remember they don't believe in Constitutional Rights...they believe in "human rights". They really do believe they are helping minorities like me.

[@joeybabcock7366]

The jetski chase music is hauntingly good.

[@Shastasnow]

Just that hunting melody alone when they go over the waterfall gives me shivers. Sometimes it is sudulty that gets me. Backrooms scare me more than most scary games. But games like Granny also hit me with those videos. The small things get to me.

[@dusk97]

Just watched this episode and came straight to this video. One of my favorite episodes

[@Morpheel4ever]

This episode, and specifically Doc Gerbil himself, always stood out to me as not straight-up scary, but deeply unsettling since I was a kid, even more than characters like King Ramses. Doc Gerbil looks cute and harmless at first glance, but then you take a look at his eyes and he has this creepy thousand-yard stare, almost like Weegee. His charismatic, soothing Southern dialect further sells that there is something sinister to this cute, fluffy gerbil. I completely agree that the musical score drives home just how disturbing this episode can be, especially the somber tune during the boat chase. I feel that this episode is one of the most powerful in terms of surrealism, and there is a massive dissonance between what you see and hear and the vibes you get from it. Another episode that uses musical score to great effect is The Curse of Shirley.

[@Crowz0xx]

Currently rewatching courage with my 6 year old lil brother. He absolutely loves it. We watched this one today. The chase scene mystified me. I’m absolutely going to take inspiration for my own stories in the way Courage just… subverts any expectation you can throw at it.

[@garg4531]

I remember the chase scene being unnerving for me simply because of the music, and I actually *did* get what Dr. Gerbil was doing and talking about, though looking at those scenes as an adult it’s definitely a lot more apparent seeing as how he’s doing to them what people probably did to him or to others like him, which would definitely give him motivation for seeking revenge against humanity, as all of it looks like such a horrible thing to do an innocent creature

[@Kingnarknark]

It's Doc Gerbil's World~

[@DoctuhD]

The whole episode is about role reversal. A Gerbil kidnaps humans, puts them in cages, and performs gruesome experiments on them. Doc Gerbil uses the research to create "wonderful products" but none of the products work right, just like the song that tries to be catchy but is painful instead. And finally he thought he was helping Courage, but was hurting him instead.

[@KamikazeDreamer]

One of my all time favorite shows. Can talk about it, or listen to others talk about it, all damn day This episode is a good one. I strangely find the Doc Gerbal song equally funny and unnerving. The only thing that unsettles me more is the music from that chase sequence at the end. What a weird but great show

[@CodeNameX001]

The horror of the episode comes from the idea of a lab rodent abducting humans and performing cosmetic experiments on them, the way so many laboratory animals are experiments for humans. The fact that he acknowledges his actions to Courage implies that this is something of a crusade against all of humanity, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure that he's even planning to sell those products. I'm pretty sure Doc Gerbil is just doing out of gleeful revenge.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

I know I didn't understand animal testing as a kid but ironically this episode is more disturbing as an adult and it's pretty cynical that some companies do this till this day, despite that there are alternatives.

[@deadlydingus1138]

We really do live in Doc Gerbil’s world.

[@termitesc.aardwolf3644]

I remember seeing a Grinch Who Stole Christmas play in Balboa Park back in the early 2000s during a middle school trip and I remember Doc Gerbil's VA playing the Grinch.

[@BlackDewn]

I love this part 😂 9:02 the music becomes opera for no reason

[@syto24]

I always tell people this is the freakiest fucking episode and they don't understand why it gets to me but this shit is wild as fuck

[@Kevin51611]

"We don't need no vacuum. You just ain't sweeping right" LOL

[@brandifleming6519]

Video starts at 02:55.

[@wilsonweiseng6485]

oh yeah.that episode, i still have the tune stuck in my head "it's doc Gerbil's world"

[@matthewkern3827]

Congrats on your new place, hope things keep going up for you!

[@reinaldogarcia70]

Awesomely fascinating & funny episode 😊

[@gothicMCRgirl]

The only thing I really found eerie as a kid was that weird operatic music playing during the boat chase lol I know a lot of people found this show very scary or eerie, but very few things about this show actually scared me. Maybe I was just a weird kid, but characters like Freaky Fred or King Ramses or Katz never really spooked me all that much. There were only two episodes in total that genuinely unnerved me, but it had nothing to do with the villains, exactly. Moreso the atmosphere, and that was “The Windmill Vandals” and “The Tower of Dr. Zalost”. The villains of those episodes weren’t scary to me, but the atmosphere of both episodes made me feel very uneasy and like something was clearly wrong. If you watch those episodes you’ll get what I mean. Sometimes the suggestion of something horrific is more impactful than the actual monster.

[@giuliadavis8019]

Dr zalost was the only character I had nightmares about. I was always creeped out by the sandman episode too.

[@eddielopez6731]

When Eustace was the star of a TV show in an episode, he was really in his … BAGGE

[@23TheDragonLady23]

It's like you said, truly a iconic episode I used to play the boat chase scene over and over because I love the music with sad undertones.. it's got Dr. Zolost vibes!

[@screamer8590]

There’s allot of icon scenes from courage but the waterfall scene always stood out for me. It has and still does leave me with this weird eerie feeling

[@fshgjguhergbertyuihg]

Thank you. Thank you so much Of all the episodes I've seen, this one was the most psychologically haunting

[@Danosauruscrecks]

I just watched this episode last night i love this one. I always thought it was just doc gerbal getting revenge for animals getting things tested on them.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

But totally took it out on the wrong people unfortunately.

[@CaptainSam666]

Gerbils, hamsters, and small pets are usually the most abused and overlooked. They're given to small children and not given a second thought, kept in cages that are far too small, and rodents in particular are usually used for experiments in medicine and cosmetics. Doc Gerbil turns all of this against humans instead. It's a great reversal and excellent writing.

[@tierefuerimmer9635]

If he were to take out his revenge on those that test on animals, I can't say I'd blame him and it would give those humans a lesson in empathy. But he took it out on innocent people and I wish he would realize how well Courage is treated and change his ways.

[@joshuatewolde1837]

Happy Halloween, Dusktilshawn!!

[@squee-g1658]

You should talk about the Hunchback of Nowhere episode It was a beautiful one. It also has one of my favorite tracks in the entire series ^^

[@supersmilyface1]

I remembered NOTHING about this episode other than Courage on the water ride with that darn theme playing. Been stuck in my head for years lol.

[@thebigw1231]

Im pretty sure that this episode was an Allegory for Cruel Animal Testing.

[@ChaserJonDoe]

That song is still stuck in my head to this day

[@BriaBri]

Even though this is my favorite show and I’ve probably watched every episode 3 times now, I still ask myself why that specific music played at that specific moment 😭

[@ShuckStalker]

I had forgotten how much Doc Gerbil unsettled me as a kid....

[@beegborg3303]

Thank You, glad you and yours are on the right path ❤️

[@Skipchipsdip]

Courage such an out there show one of a kind experience