Season 1, Episode 4
Title: Slimer, Come Home
Originally Aired: October 4, 1986
Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Review Date: October 4, 2016
Watch It: Volume 1, Disc 1
Synopsis: After ruining Winston’s birthday surprise, Slimer leaves the Firehouse for good and wanders the streets of New York… where he soon joins in with a bad crowd of Poltergeists!
Location: NYC (Night)
Location: Driving Through NYC (Night)
Sorry, I Missed It: The animation on Ray looks a little funky. Also, (possibly) being an early episode the rear seating is different.
It Just Popped In There: Why are The Real Ghostbusters wearing their Proton Packs while they’re driving?
Quote: [Talking quietly to Ray] “At least it gives us an excuse to keep Winston out of the station until you know what’s ready.” – Peter
Sorry, I Missed It: Winston’s Ghost Trap doors are missing colors.
Quotes:
- “Egon, I don’t get it. Why would the poltergeists go after random targets? I thought they usually hang out in one place. Don’t they get weaker the further they go?” – Winston
- “Usually yes. [checking P.K.E Meter] They shouldn’t have the energy for roaming attacks. Unless they have some sort of…LEFT!” – Egon
Location: NYC Alleyway (Night)
It Just Popped In There: Egon who decided not to continue using a P.K.E Meter can’t detect a ghost, he is close to enough to hear the first one. He might have seen it as well. Instead of checking the trash can, Egon walks away! Maybe I need a just a children’s show category.
Quote: “Looks like the trash wants to take us out.” – Peter
Tobin’s Sprit Guide: (Memorized) “Remember, poltergeists can’t actually hurt you.” – Egon
It Just Popped In There: Those small class ones can’t, I’m guessing the big one with the fancy top hat will make a night less fun.
It Just Popped In There: Really Peter, blast them? They’re metal garbage cans and you’re using nuclear accelerators. What did you think the outcome would be?
Quote: “Okay, so I saw a Clint Eastwood movie last night and I got carried away.” – Peter
You’ll Need A Reference: Clint Eastwood is an actor and director who is known for his classic westerns.
Quote: “Wait a minute. Didn’t I see this in The Wizard Of Oz?” – Peter
You’ll Need A Reference: The Real Ghostbusters who are caught in a tornado like wind has Peter commenting about author L. Frank Baum’s movie adaption from 1939. Where a tornado somehow takes Kansas resident Dorothy and her little dog to the colorful land of Oz.
Location: Driving Through NYC (Night)
Sorry, I Missed It: The “no ghost” logo on Ecto-1’s passenger side door is backwards, at least for an audience in the United States. Technically its correct on other continents, such as the one where The Real Ghostbusters was animated.
Quotes:
- “We shouldn’t have lost, but we did. They were strong. Poltergeists are suppose to get weaker the farther they get from home.” – Egon
- “Unless they were drawing on some other source of energy. Or the big one was feeding on all the energy from the small ones.” – Ray
- “Exactly. Like hooking up more and more batteries to the same line. With that sort of power they can go anywhere they want.” – Egon
It Just Popped In There: The key word is “suppose to.” Its Egon so I believe him. Who actually studied Poltergeists to find out how weak they can get when they roam out of there area?
Location: Ghostbusters HQ. Room: Garage Bay/Office Areas
It Just Popped In There: Unless Winston had gone back out, wouldn’t it seem out of place that Ecto-1 isn’t parked inside and the lights are out. And If he hadn’t gone out, how could they surprise him by parking outside and then what, mysteriously going inside another way?
Quote: “I just want you to know, I’m having a wonderful time.” – Egon
It Just Popped In There: How much can ectoplasm stretch anyway? Egon and Ray should really get around to studying that. Either way eating a whole cake (with no milk to drink) can’t be good for anything.
Quote: “Its ok, I’m on a diet anyway.” – Winston
It Just Popped In There: (30 Years Ago) “What’s a diet?” – 8 year old Rich
It Just Popped In There: As an adult you can sorta see Peter’s point of view concerning Slimer. Also when one has negative feelings, they don’t really mean what they’re saying.
Yelling about Slimer and to Slimer reminds me of when one needs to reprimand a pet.
Quote: “First time I saw you, you slimed me.” – Peter
You’ll Need A (Iconic) Reference: In GHOSTBUSTERS on the guys first call Peter came across Slimer (Onionhead) in a Sedgwick hotel hallway. After it was apparently insulted by Ray, (who tried to bust it earlier) the ugly little spud flew down said hallway, sliming Peter.
Quotes:
- “Besides, ghosts don’t have feelings.” – Peter
- “No, I wonder.” – Ray
Location: Ghostbusters HQ. Room: Office Areas
Quote: “I’m a secretary. I can read anything.” – Janine
It Just Popped In There: Slimer’s letter (thoughtful to write something before taking off) is written like a child could write a similar letter.
It Just Popped In There: Three out of the four The Real Ghostbusters (who were just in their PJs) got fully dressed and geared up in a flash!
Not For Sale: Winston is wearing a baseball cap with a “no ghost” logo on it.
It Just Popped In There: Was Ecto-1 parked outside in the rain while the guys were sleeping? Once the party was over you would think it would be inside, safe and sound.
Location: NYC Streets. Candy Store Exterior (Night)
It Just Popped In There: As tempting as that delicious candy would be, and as the store is closed for the night, that would bring a whole different set of problems.
What kind of message would that be for a children’s cartoon? At least this time Slimer was thinking and not just acting.
Location: Ghostbusters HQ. Room: Garage Bay/Office Areas
Not For Sale: Peter is also wearing a baseball cap with a “no ghost” logo on it.
Quotes:
- “I was just going out for a walk, yeah that’s it. A walk.” – Peter
- “In the rain?” – Janine
- “Hey, sure thing. NY rain is good for you.” – Peter
Location: NYC Apartment Building (Night)
It Just Popped In There: Does that building with lightening around it remind you of a similar building?
It Just Popped In There: I know Slimer’s out there on the streets trying to figure out the un life. He doesn’t have to get mixed up with the wrong kinds of ghosts.
Location: NYC Street Corner (Night)
Sorry, I Missed It: Winston’s Ghost Trap doors are missing colors again. C’mon animators it was the character’s birthday!
Quotes:
- “Something up Egon?” – Ray
- “Just thinking of those poltergeists we fought earlier. They’re certainly looking for all the ghost energy they can find. Which means any ghost loose right now may be a target.” – Egon
- “Let me get this straight. Every time a ghost joins them, their power increases. They draw on its energy and become more dangerous. But Slimer?” – Winston
- “If I’m right, then even one more ghost might make all the difference. They’d steal his energy, becoming unbeatable and terribly terribly evil. Even Slimer.” – Egon
Location: NYC Apartment Building (Night)
Location: NYC Streets (Night)
Quotes:
- “Well, well. What’s wrong my man? You lose something? Hey maybe we can help you find it. What’s it look like?” – Helpful Member Of The Community
- “I’m looking for a full torso ectoplasmic manifestation. Colored green, no legs. Spiritual classification, unknown.” – Egon
You’ll Need A Reference: In GHOSTBUSTERS Onionhead aka Slimer was referred to by Ray as a Class V, full roaming vapor. Perhaps Egon didn’t want to share that piece of information with this upstanding member of the community.
Location: A NYC Fountain (Night)
Quotes:
- “Why aren’t you looking for Slimer?” – Egon
- “It’s a new theory of mine. Ever notice how you go looking for someone and you almost never find them? Well, I figure if I wait in one place everyone I ever met in my entire life will come by sooner or later.” – Ray
It Just Popped In There: Even if that theory were completely true, aren’t in another theory The Real Ghostbusters running out of time to get to Slimer? Was Ray listening to Egon and Winston earlier?
Location: NYC Streets (Night)
It Just Popped In There: Why would it matter if or how scary Slimer is to the ghost with the top hat if basically all he is going to do is absorb Slimer’s energy? Proving at times ghosts aren’t always smart, Slimer is a ghost. Check. √ If a human who doesn’t know who Slimer is and runs into him, s/he is (probably) going to be afraid.
Location: NYC Apartment Building Exterior (Night)
It Just Popped In There: I know originally three out of the four The Real Ghostbusters split up to look for Slimer. If they had taken Ecto-1 they could have covered more ground in less time.
Quotes:
- “We’re too late, its started.” – Egon
- “What started?” – Winston
It Just Popped In There: Winston asked earlier (for the adult children who were watching at home on their Macs) about what could happen to Slimer. Yeah, its been a long night, remember the 18ish minutes plot!
- “The individual frequencies are merging. All the small ghosts in there are being absorbed into one big ectoplasmic mess.” – Egon
Location: NYC Apartment Building Interior (Night)
Its Technical: “Set your proton beams to 500,000 mHz. Slimer’s frequency.” – Egon
It Just Popped In There: After The Real Ghostbusters get their Proton Packs back, they begin firing proton streams at top hat ghost. The frequency is still set for Slimer (or a Class V. I’m guessing) If the frequency isn’t changed, I wouldn’t think it would help to capture a more powerful ghost. Even with a Ghost Trap.
Its Technical: “There are too many ghosts in the trap. It wasn’t made to hold that many. It could overload at any second.” – Egon
It Just Popped In There: If they had taken ECTO-1 earlier, they could get back to the firehouse faster. 😀
Location: Ghostbusters HQ. Room: Basement. Ecto-Containment Unit
Quote: “Let’s put this baby to bed.” – Winston
It Just Popped In There: With the urgency of what could happen to an overloaded Ghost Trap going into the Ecto-Containment Unit where there are even more ghosts, you would think all 4 The Real Ghostbusters would have been downstairs.
Location: Ghostbusters HQ. Room: Garage Bay/Office Areas
Quote: “Yeah, even scientists learn from their mistakes.” – Peter
It Just Popped In There: Yeah, about having more then one dessert. A welcome home party for something that didn’t need to happen in the first place?
We were kids, another party in general did make sense. As adults The Real Ghostbusters should have had two parties, the second out elsewhere.
Such as a McDonalds with a play land or an arcade.
Ecto-Containment 
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