Rocko's Modern Life Wiki
Register
Advertisement

I Have No Son!


I Have No Son! is the first episode of Season 2 of Rocko's Modern Life. It is a two part episode, the first one the show had.

Plot[]

Rocko and Filburt are watching a television show called The Fatheads, which features two old toads who whack each other in the head constantly, and find out that the creator of the show is Ralph Bighead. Rocko and Filburt wonder if Ralph is related to Ed and Bev. So Rocko goes to their house and ask them about their relationship with Ralph. But Ed denies having such a relationship and storms away. Bev, however, shows him a family photo of Ralph and says that she doesn't know how the alienation of Ralph precipitated in the first place before she bawls over him. So, in deference of Bev, both Rocko and Filburt travel to Hollowood and to the Bighead Studio, where the tour guide (who speaks in a high falsetto voice) shows them around the area: the story department, the animation department, the camera room, and the screening room. When the tour guide shows the two toys of The Fatheads, Rocko notices Ralph walking with the rest of his assistants and he and Filburt follow him all the way to his office. When Rocko reminds Ralph of his parents (as well as their 30 anniversary party in the Viking room at the holiday hotel on Saturday), Ralph says that he never wants to see them again and goes ballistic. Filburt tries to get Ralph's picture, but only gets a photo of the door he slams shut instead.

Ralph is watching an episode of The Fatheads on his portable television and turns it off when the show ends. He pushed a red button on the bottom of a ponderous photo of The Fatheads, causing the picture to slide up, revealing a safe. Ralph opens the safe and views half of a donut. He reminisces on how Ed once wanted Ralph to work at Conglom-O and the later breaks the donut in half in deference of his father. When he reveals to Ed that he didn't wanted to work at Conglom-O and is moving to Hollowood to become a cartoonist, the other employees become appalled and run out of the building. Ed becomes sour and says that he has no son. Back in reality, Ralph looks at the donut half in shame and closes the safe. At the Bigheads' 30 anniversary party, Rocko tries to explain the whole thing to Bev, but end up hanging on a chandelier (due to an elderly mistaking him for a female elder and dancing with him). Later, Ralph shows up and Ed is little more than frustrated of his appearance. They end up arguing about Conglom-O, but their feud for each other is cut short when Ralph shows Ed the half donut he saved after all those years. When he shows his son the other half of the donut he saved as well, the two put it back together and reunite as a family.

Rocko and Filburt are watching TV at Bigheads' house, in which the latest episode of The Fatheads season premiere is being shown. The episode features a neighbor of the fatheads named Rolo, an Australian beaver who strongly resembles Rocko. Everybody laughs, even the Bigheads who once saw the Fatheads as a mockery, except for Rocko, who sees the character exactly as the Bigheads saw the characters in the start of the episode.

The episode ends with Heffer watching TV at his house saying that he doesn't get it.

Characters[]

Production[]

Joe Murray described "I Have No Son" as one of his favorite episodes because it addressed issues affecting Murray, his fellow directors, and the writers of the show. Murray also cited that The Fatheads were created by Doug Lawrence (along with an uncredited Milton Knight). Martin Olson describes "I Have No Son" as one of his favorite episodes as well and the "opening" of the Fatheads cartoon within the episode as one of his favorite individual scenes. Olson said that he and the team "howled laughing that we were putting over the airwaves such incredibly insane surrealism" after receiving and viewing the first batch of "The Fatheads" footage.

Martin Olson posted a portion of the pitch treatment for the episode to Scribd, outlining a different plotline for the episode, in which Ralph and Ed make ammends at the start of the episode, and instead the conflict comes from The Fatheads becoming too soft and saccharine. Additionally, Rachel has sociopathic tendencies (akin to those she would temporarily develop in Wacky Delly) in what little is avaliable in the pitch compared to the final episode, where she is merely disillusioned.

Trivia[]

  • This episode first introduces Mr. and Mrs. Bighead's daughter, Rachel Bighead, known at the time as Ralph. Rachel is estranged from her parents due to her profession as a cartoonist, instead of being a corporate man like Ed wanted her to be. Rachel would reappear in Wacky Delly and Rocko's Modern Life: Static Cling, both direct continuations of this episode.
  • This is the first episode with the rerecorded theme song performed by the B-52s.
  • This is the first episode to last the full half-hour.
  • Fourth wall break: When Rocko, Filburt, and the tour guide enter the storyboard room. The person going through the storyboards says "Then Rocko, Filburt, and a Rhino guy come into the..." and then sees said characters in the storyboard room only to have the tour guide sheepishly reply "Wrong show."
  • The "Never NEVER!" routine is an inside joke. When they got creator Joe Murray to audition to voice Rachel, they had him scream "NEVER!" various times, with the joke being that Murray is usually calm and quiet and would never, EVER scream.
  • This is the first time where Rocko gets a wedgie.
  • Nickelodeon used to have a series promo based on the "NEVER!" scenes from the episode, it can be viewed here.
  • This is the first episode to air in 1994.
  • The title of the episode is based on a line from the 1927 movie The Jazz Singer where the main character is disowned by his father for going into pop music instead of becoming a synagogue cantor.
  • It's possible this episode takes place earlier, as Ed and Bev are shown to be living together since at least 1961.
  • The big band music played at the anniversary party is "The Brooklyn Bounce", by the British composer and bandleader George Alan Moorhouse. It is from the KPM Music library.
  • The title sequence for The Fatheads is a parody of You Can't Do That on Television, a Canadian show that was Nickelodeon's first big hit. The ending, before the title card, is also a parody of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

Quotes[]

Maitre d': Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Boneheads.
Mr. Fathead: It's the Fatheads, you dolt!
Maitre d': The Fatheads, brought to you by Puppy Nuggets. They're little things, and you'll just go nuts for 'em.
Mrs. Bighead: Is this how he sees us? Our little baby!
Mr. Bighead: Baby? That "baby" mocks us on television every week! He makes us look like a couple of frogs! I NEVER!! (smashes TV on his head) WANT TO HEAR!! (smashes TV again) THE NAME "RALPH BIGHEAD" AGAIN!!!
(doorbell rings)
Mr. Bighead: I'll get it.
Rocko: Hi, are you related to Ralph Bighead?
Mr. Bighead: Time for my bubble bath! Toot toot!
Mrs. Bighead: Coming, Captain Cupcake!
Mr. Bighead: Oh, Bev!
Mrs. Bighead: Keep your skin on, Frogman!
(seeing the Chameleon Brothers in the camera department)
Rocko: Oh, so that's how it's done.
Tour Guide: No, actually. Those guys are idiots.
Mrs. Fathead: Guess what I got?
Mr. Fathead: A lobotomy?
Mr. Fathead: I smell melon!
Mrs. Bighead: Please can't we just be a family again?!
Mr. Bighead: Over my dead body!
Ralph: Have it your way, Dad! (everyone gasps as Ralph reaches into his shirt coat thinking he's about to pull out a gun, but he actually pulls out the half of the donut)
Bighead nephew: Uncle Ed, can we bust the piñata now? (referring to Rocko pinned to the chandelier)
Mr. Bighead: Piñata? Sure.
Mr. Fathead: That's it! The bake sale is off!
Mr. Fathead: Oh, here comes that disgusting neighbor of ours, Rollo!
Mrs. Fathead: Would you like some cheesecake, Rollo?
Mr. Fathead: Don't give him anything! (squashes head)
Sock puppet: PINEAPPLES!
Rollo: Oh, boy! When're we gonna have pineapples, mate?
Rollo and the Fatheads: (laugh) Goodnight, hosers.
Heffer: Hey! I don't get it.
ve Episodes
Season 1 A Sucker for the Suck-O-MaticCannedCarnival KnowledgeSand in Your NavelNo Pain, No GainWho Gives a BuckLeap FrogsBedfellowsJet ScreamDirty DogKeeping Up With the BigheadsSkid MarksPower TripTo Heck and BackThe Good, The Bad, and The WallabyTrash-O-MadnessSpitballsPopcorn PandemoniumCabin FeverRinse & SpitRocko's Happy SackFlu-In-U-EnzaWho's For Dinner?Love SpankedClean Lovin'Unbalanced Load
Season 2 I Have No Son!Pipe DreamsTickled PinkyThe Lounge SingerShe's the ToadDown the HatchRoad RashBoob TubedCommuted SentenceRocko's Modern ChristmasHut Sut RawKiss Me I'm ForeignCruisinBorn to SpawnUniform BehaviorHair LickedGutter BallsJunk JunkiesDay of the FleckoSnowballsFrog's Best FriendShort StoryEyes Capades
Season 3 Bye, Bye BirdieBelch of DestinyThe Emperor's New JoeSchnit-headsSugar Frosted FrightsEd is Dead: A Thriller!Fish-N-ChumpsCamera ShyNothing To Sneeze AtOld Fogey FroggyManic MechanicRocko's Happy VerminI See London, I See FranceThe FatlandsFortune CookieDear JohnSpeaking TermsTooth and NailWacky DellyThe Big QuestionThe Big AnswerAn Elk for HefferScrubbin' Down UnderZanzibar!Fatal Contraption
Season 4 With Friends Like TheseSailing the 7 Zzz'sPrankstersFrom Here to MaternityEd Good, Rocko BadTeed OffWimp on the BarbyYarnbendersMama's BoyFeisty GeistS.W.A.K.Magic MeatballCloset ClownSeat to StardomThe High Five of DoomFly BurgersHeff in a HandbasketWallaby on WheelsDumbellsRug BirdsHypno-Puppy LuvDriving Mrs. WolfePut to PastureFuture SchlockTurkey TimeFloundering Fathers
Advertisement