“ | The path to positive thinking starts with a single step. | ” |
— Wander |
While helping a planet's inhabitants evacuate from a volcano, Wander notices the only ones left to save are a family of birds, who are trapped on it. Sylvia refuses to believe this will work, so Wander convinces her to think positive.
Episode Summary[]
On a paradise planet, Wander and Sylvia have just finished rescuing some inhabitants from a volcano, Mt. Krackyourbigtoa, which is shortly about to erupt. Sylvia is about to relax with a drink, but Wander swims back to the volcano revealing that not everyone was rescued, much to her chagrin.
Sylvia follows Wander to the top of the volcanic cone to find a tree with a nest holding a mother bird and her three babies trapped. Sylvia isn't up for it, but Wander is determined to save them. After Sylvia tells him it's impossible to save them, Wander is unpleased by this and tells Sylvia they can do this and she needs a "positive can-do-titude". Just as he reaches the nest though, the mother bird gets angry and zaps him every time he attempts to save them.
Eventually, the birds are saved, but the tree their nest was in falls into the volcano. While escaping, one of the birds, Scaredy, runs away from them and heads into a hole, worrying Sylvia. Wander attempts to remind everyone about their positiveness, but they end up inside the volcano, where Scaredy rejoins them.
Wander sees the volcano's hole, revealing they're saved. Sylvia doesn't think they can do this, but Wander points out they can, since she can bridge a gap they're in front of. After getting pleading faces from Wander and the birds, Sylvia manages to bridge the gap, but an eruption causes them to fall off, only to safely land on some ground below.
Another eruption causes part of the platform they're on to break away with a bird, Alan, still on it. Wander tells Alan to be positive and jump to the other side, but he only manages to do it a little bit. Luckily, Sylvia saves him. Soon after this though, the entire platform breaks away, sending everyone down the lava. Wander spies a stalactite near the hole and Sylvia breaks their platform so they surf the lava, and everyone grabs onto the stalactite and climbs to safety.
They return to where they started and Wander sings a short song about being positive, which Sylvia doesn't agree on. Wander tries to convince her again, but he is soon proven wrong when the volcano begins to break apart and smoke constantly blocks their way. Wander sadly admits to the birds he wanted to help them escape, but now he has nothing left to do. Sylvia however, has her own plan to get them to safety, and Wander agrees with her. She jumps into the volcano, and it explodes, causing everyone to fly out on a stalagmite and land safely on the beach.
Sylvia finally gets her drink, and Wander is happy her plan worked. Sylvia agrees on being positive like her friend and didn't even doubt him a bit, but this is proven untrue, ending the episode.
Transcript[]
For a full transcript of The Liar, click here.
Songs[]
- "Positive Song"
- "Lord Hater's Theme" (Hawaiian version; instrumental; animatic only)
End Credits[]
Sylvia keeps trying to sip her drink, but is constantly zapped by the mother bird until she is unconscious and the mother bird steals her drink.
Gallery[]
The image gallery for The Liar may be viewed here. |
The image gallery for The Liar may be viewed here. |
Quotes[]
Sylvia: Wait for me, tiny umbrella.
|
Wander: See, kids? Sylvia's got it right. You just have to look deep, deep down and find that spark in yourselves! And—
Sylvia: Enough pep talk! Just hurry! |
Sylvia: Tiny!
Wander: Alan. |
Wander: Question: What do you call that pointy thing that hangs down from a cave?!
Sylvia: Not the best time for a geology quiz, Wander! |
Background Information[]
- Running gags:
- The mother bird zapping Wander or Sylvia.
- The volcano obstacles getting more dangerous.
- Wander telling Sylvia to stay positive.
- This is the first episode where the title shows up twice (once in its normal spot and once at the end).
- Lord Hater and Peepers do not appear in this episode.
- The title has little to do with the episode's main plotline.
- According to Craig McCracken, the title only applies to the lie Sylvia told at the end, but since they were not allowed to put it there for the first time, they made it appear twice. He later told it was a joke.[1]
- This is the first episode to have only two voice actors. (Specifically, Jack McBrayer and April Winchell)
- This is the last Season 1 episode where Lord Hater is absent.
Trivia[]
- The names Wander gives to two of the birds are Scaredy and Alan. The third bird is unnamed.
- Wander is revealed to have three toes, as told by his skeleton showing when the mother bird zaps him.
- The proper term Wander needed to yell while he and the others are surfing down the lava is "Grab onto that stalactite!" Stalactites hang down from the roof of caverns, whereas stalagmites form upwards from the ground.
- This is the first time where Wander uses a "profane" expression completely on his own, not while imitating anyone. He cries out "Oh, for zinglezangles sakes!" when his view of the mainland is obscured by smoke.
Continuity[]
None.
Errors[]
- When Wander is spinning his banjo in the air, when we see a close-up part of his arm can be seen on the bottom of the screen, without the hand.
- Wander names the lavender bird Scaredy, but later on it is called Alan.
- When we first see Mt. Krackyourbigtoa, the upper edges are cracked apart and uneven, making it uneasy to stand there. However when Wander and Sylvia reach the top, the edges are perfectly smoothed out.
- Sylvia eyes are different sizes when she is bridging a gap.
- Wander's stubble began to disappear when he's asking Sylvia about the stalactite.
Allusions[]
- The volcano is called Mt. Krackyourbigtoa, which is a pun on Krakatoa, a volcano in Indonesia which was the largest in the world until it exploded in 1883.
- The plot of the episode is inspired by a banker who saved a family of ducks from a ledge. [2]
- Edward G. Robinson - Wander does an imitation of this 1930s actor who was best known for appearing in gangster films.
Production Information[]
- This episode was confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2014.[3]
- Multiple storyboards from the episode, the last of them being from "The Tourist," were posted with the file name "the_luau.png", making fans think that "The Luau" was the name of the episode. Craig McCracken later confirmed on Twitter that "The Luau" is not an episode.
- This episode was made available to verified Watch Disney XD app and website users and Disney XD On Demand users starting November 5, 2014.
- This episode's animatic had not aired on TV, but was posted on Craig McCracken's Tumblr along with "The Stray"'s. This is the only time where an episode's animatic was revealed via the creator instead of a later airing on TV.
- When the episode aired in the Netherlands along with "The Stray," Craig McCracken posted on Tumblr requesting fans to quit watching illegal pirated versions of international broadcasts online before it aired.[4]
International premieres[]
- October 25, 2014 (Disney Channel Netherlands)
Cast[]
- Jack McBrayer as Wander, Additional Voices
- April Winchell as Sylvia, Additional Voices
References[]
- ↑ https://twitter.com/CrackMcCraigen/status/526947684024737792
- ↑ http://crackmccraigen.tumblr.com/post/101903864754/todays-post-is-less-about-the-actual-production
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmkEAB7fL_0
- ↑ http://crackmccraigen.tumblr.com/post/101627966639/hello-fellow-wanderers-it-really-means-a-lot-to
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