Season 2, Episode 5, Storyline D – “Shark”
Original Airdate: October 15, 1977
Safety Segment
Superman, flying overhead, notices two boys on a bike. One is sitting on the handlebars so the one pedaling can’t see what he’s doing. They almost fall into a deep crevice in the sidewalk, but Superman rescues them just in time.
Superman chides them for “riding double” and then they discuss general bicycle safety. Do you see that hole in the ground? How in the hell did that happen and why aren’t there any warning signs? There should have been more talk about the un-blocked-off big-ass crack in the earth.
Short Synopsis: “A warm, sunny day at State Beach, where two teenagers will soon take a boat ride they will never forget.” – Narrator
Our cast of Wonder Twin Cautionary Tale Teenagers (notice we have yet another pair of deserted island cutoffs):
I had to name two of them myself.
The one dressed like an idiot (Mike) brags that he, “just broke the beach record – dove down to 60ft!” I don’t know anything about scuba diving. Is this impressive? I like to know how accurate the cartoon brags I’m watching are.
Mike declares he can dive anywhere, and to “just name it!” So, it is named by Wallpaper: Rocky Point Cave.
There’s then some exposition about all the sharks that hang out around there and that nobody tries to dive there because of it.
It’s a Shark of a Tale
There’s a shark at Rocky Point Cave. I sure didn’t see that coming.
Mike panics and turns over the boat, bringing Wallpaper into the water with him.
Karen and Left Blinker, who watched this happen from the beach, say they’re going to get help, but they aren’t shown seeking out a payphone so I’m not sure I believe them.
Mike and Wallpaper decide to swim back down to the rocks for protection (they share Mike’s oxygen).
Yay. The Wonder Twins.
Now it’s time for The Wonder Twins to show up and ruin everything.
Zan, Jayna, and Gleek arrive on the scene just in time and in their usual eagle-carrying-a-monkey-carrying-a-bucket-of-water configuration. Zan turns into an “ice boat” because he’s completely lame and worthless and Jayna turns into an octopus, in mid-air, which was really weird looking.
Can’t you just imagine Mid-Air Octopus flying around dispensing wisdom and general tips? No? I’ve just finally lost it because of all the Super Friends viewing? Fair enough.
Anyway, blah, blah, blah, Jayna stops the shark:
Lesson Learned
Once they’re all out of harm’s way, Mike let’s everyone know: “No more braggin’ for me. From now on I’ll stick to diving where I know it’s safe.”
Or, in other words:
P.S. I’m posting Super Friends outtakes on the Cannibalistic Nerd Facebook page. So, if you need a mid-week Super Friends pick-me-up, that’s the place to get it.
If you would like to see these shenanigans for yourself, Season 2 is available on DVD.
Have you ever seen Open Water? It’s above a couple on a diving expedition that gets left in the middle of the ocean and a huge school of shark get them.
I think those 3 would have rather had that happen to them than deal with zan and Jayna.
I have seen Open Water, and in that movie, the sharks actually look like sharks instead of some kind of whale/shark/killer whale hybrid drawn from memory.
Whatever Mike. A dude in a speedo is gonna be bragging soon enough, flying octopi or not.
Good point.
I frequently ride my bike blindly toward huge, random crevasses in the sidewalk. Keeps life interesting, you know?
Me too, it’s how I met my husband.
And you just know that once the twins got back and told everyone about their rescue, Aquaman through a hissy-fit because he didn’t get asked to come along since it involved sea creatures and being underwater. He’s probably still crying in his room right now.
He probably personally knew the shark, too, which just made him more mad. “I know how to deal with Timothy the Shark, they had no right!”
Even though I never watch the cartoon, I must read the Carrie Synopsis. Is that weird? No, right? Yeah, definitely not as weird as Mid-Air Octopus.
I assure you, that’s completely normal. Just like it’s completely normal to watch a 30+ year-old children’s cartoon every week and write about it.
Not gonna lie. . . this series you do has made me want to pick a random cheesy animated tv series and blog about all the episodes.
But I can’t. . . it’s been done!
Sure, this was a silly episode (like most are), but I believe it marks the only time that anyone gets to throw a punch in classic (pre-80s) Super Friends, and it winds up being *Jayna* who does it (albeit as an octopus).