"Speaking Terms" is a season 3 episode of Rocko's Modern Life.
Plot
At a talk host show, Nosey, the talk host, is with Rocko and Heffer, who are both little more than aloof. Nosey informs that Rocko and Heffer's friendship is now put in jeopardy due to an argument and haven't spoken to each other in three days. So Nosey has each of the two former friends to explain their stories of what induced the argument.
Rocko explains that he was at his house during his birthday when he heard a knock at the door. He finds that it is Heffer, who appears as an exaggerated version of a beast speaking incoherently. Rocko surmised that Heffer was probably hungry. So he told his friend that he could have whatever he wanted in the refrigerator. The steer made a loud stomp, which causes the fridge to land on his hands, and he ate it in whole. Rocko reminded Heffer of his birthday and Heffer responded by picking out his belly button and putting the white sticky substance on top of Rocko's head as it formed into a skull. When Rocko asked what was it, Heffer began to lose his temper and threw a tantrum.
Rocko ends his story there as he comes to a conclusion and sets the skull on the table. Heffer denies Rocko's story and tells his side of the story.
In Heffer's story, Heffer went to Rocko's house and knocked on his door. Rocko answered, appearing as an exaggerated version of an ungrateful rat, and started vilifying Heffer, saying that he forgot what today is. Heffer, not forgetting, asked Rocko if he could use his bathroom. As the steer entered the bathroom, he made a skull out of toothpaste and toilet paper and showed Rocko as his birthday present. Rocko went crazy and told Heffer to get out of his life. This prompted the two former friends to get into a verbal altercation.
Rocko and Heffer's altercation continues as the TV talk show goes to a commercial break. Filburt tells the two to keep it up and save their altercation for the camera, for he would be able to make $40 a day. The turtle suddenly faints and is carried away. As the show returns on air, Nosey asks for the audience's opinions on Rocko and Heffer's friendship. Filburt says that the show is getting interesting, two pig twins state that wallabies and steers are not compatible, and Virginia berates Rocko and Heffer for their argument and tells them to get back to being friends. As the show goes to another commercial, Rocko and Heffer finally terminate their feud and apologize to each other; Heffer for forgetting Rocko's birthday and Rocko for overreacting. Nosey tells the two to "spice things up" since her show is being put in jeopardy. When the show is back on air, Rocko and Heffer say that they want their friendship with each other reinstated, prompting the audience to leave. Filburt then mentions the space aliens to Rocko and Heffer, which brings the audience back as Rocko and Heffer leave to get tacos.
While the two friends are at El Chokey Taco enjoying their lunch outside, they view a flying saucer, which Filburt is riding for a trip to Hawaii. When Filburt asks his alien mates what's for dinner, they hold their utensils and stare at him, and all Filburt can say is "Oh boy" as the episode irises out.
Trivia
- This is the second time in Season Three Where Dr. Hutchison doesn't make an appearance.
- Nosey is a spoof of Rosie O'Donnell, and her show "The Rosie O'Donnell Show".
- This is the first time they use the word sexy in the show.
- When two Rocko's Modern Life rings from the beginning of each short appear in the Speaking Terms logo.
- This episode reveals Sam's from Texas.
- Nosey is voiced by Jill Talley, who is the wife of Tom Kenny, the voice of Heffer.
- In Rocko's flashback, Heffer is depicted as a mean, gigantic hulking steer that is all puple with the exception of his yellow eyes, and in Heffer's flashback, Rocko is shown as a small purple rat-like deformed wallaby. In addition, Heffer's voice in Rocko's flashback is done by Carlos Alazraqui (the voice of Rocko) doing a Heffer impression and Rocko's voice in Heffer's flashback is Heffer's voice with a slightly bad Austrailian dialect to it.
Characters
- Virginia Wolfe
- Chuck (cameo)
- Leon (cameo)