Thirteensomething

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Thirteen Something is the season three premiere episode of Warner Brothers Tiny Toon Adventures, focusing heavily upon Babs Bunny and Buster Bunny while also featuring Plucky Duck and Shirley the Loon. The title, which refers to the fictional teen drama Thirteen Something in the show, is a pun on the title Thirtysomething, while the show itself is actually a parody of 90210, complete with caricatures of Shannen Doherty and Jason Priestly. It is also one of the episodes that most strongly implies that Buster and Babs have romantic feelings for one another.

[edit] Plot Synopsis

Buster and Babs argue over whether they'll watch Thirteensomething or Friday night football. Plucky tries to resolve this by flipping a coin - but he forgets which symbol is the double standard, thus he and Buster are forced to sit by and watch while Babs and Shirley gush and swoon over Thirteensomething. Buster and Plucky mock the teen angst drama and the affection their female counterparts feel for it, which leads to another argument between Buster and Babs that ends with Buster daring Babs' to go to New York and audition for a part on Thirteensomething. Babs takes him up on his challenge, packs her things and moves to New York, where she disguises herself (unconvincingly) as a human, auditions for the show and actually wins a recurring role. The result: Babs becomes an overnight sensation as an addition to the show, with no one but her old Tiny Toon friends aware that she is not a human but a female toon rabbit.

With Babs gone, Buster puts everything on hiatus while he holds auditions for a new co-host (Plucky and Shirley both compete for the position, dressed as Babs), but he finds that no one can match Babs' comic prowess, manic energy or replicate the chemistry he had with her. Buster falls apart as he sinks into despair and disrepair, remarking to Plucky and Shirley that without Babs he is "Sonny without Cher." Plucky and Shirley both try to cheer Buster up, but he only sinks further into his depression and loneliness when he sees the two ducks watching Thirteensomething.

Meanwhile, Babs finds herself tiring of the angst ridden drama and longs to return to her comedic roots. She sees the human cast watching reruns of her on Tiny Toons and sees that they wish they could be cartoon characters. Babs calls Buster and tells him her contract is almost up and that she will probably come back soon. Buster is greatly relieved, but he refuses to show it and tries to convince Babs that he's got a party on his end; Babs responds by telling him what a blast she's had on Thirteensomething. They hang up, and the two seemingly heart-broken young rabbits sadly lament to themselves "He/She doesn't even miss me..." Not long after that, Babs is told by the producer of Thirteensomething that they like her so much - and what she's done for their ratings - that her contract is being extended and that she is being made an official cast member for the next five seasons. Buster learns of this when Plucky reads it to him from the newspaper, and resolves to rescue Babs.

While Babs is shooting a scene, Buster bursts through the door, also unconvincingly dressed as a human, and declares that he is the long lost twin of Babs' character, confusing the cast & crew. Buster makes a speech about wanting to end the "endless endlessness" in what is really a disguise/parallel to his real feelings for Babs; Babs responds with a similar speech disguising/paralleling her feelings for Buster. They reveal that they are not human but are in fact cartoon rabbits, and make their exit by doing the paint-the-tunnel-in-the-wall routine taught to them by Wile E. Coyote at the beginning of the episode.

Once back home, Plucky reads that Thirteensomething has dropped in popularity since the scandal over Babs. Buster asks Babs if she really meant it when she said she missed him; she gives him a kiss and pulls down the black ending wall on the viewers. Plucky then asks Shirley if she's "Getting any ideas." which is answered with a punch to his face, though the ending wall. With grief he groans to the viewers to "Feel free to change the channel now."