Back Home Again in California

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"Back Home Again in California"
Queen of the Willis episode
Episode no. Season 4
Episode 10/11
Directed by Kellie Rock
Written by Kellie Rock
Production code 406
407
Original air date September 11, 2009
Guest actors
Episode chronology
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"Back Home Again in California" (originally called "California Road Show") is the 10th and 11th episodes of the fourth season of the animated comedy-drama series Queen of the Willis. It originally aired on first-run syndication in the United States on September 11, 2009. The episode follows dog and cat Rags and Shushu, who becomes obsessed with the fictional television series "Animal Sesame Street". They decides to run away from home to become part of the cast and their anthropomorphic lobster heather decides to chase the dog and cat down in an attempt to bring them back home. Meanwhile, Ava and Angie go to a New Kids on the Block concert, where Ava reveals she knows nothing about the band, much to Angie's embarrassment.

"Back Home Again in California" was written and directed by Kellie Rock. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and its many cultural references. The episode featured New Kids on the Block members Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Jonathan Knight, and Jordan Knight. It also featured guest voices.

Plot summary[edit]

Rags and Shushu are obsessed with a television program called Animal Sesame Street, a colorful pet-focused TV show featuring several characters. Questioning their future in Quillsville, Rags and Shushu decides to travel to "Animal Sesame Street" in California and live there forever. Desperate, they goes to the local airport and sneaks aboard a cross-country flight, intending to travel to Los Angeles, and to find the PBS studios where Animal Sesame Street is filmed. Heather tries to stop Rags and Shushu from leaving Indiana, and follows them onboard the plane. When she finally finds Rags and Shushu, the plane takes off and lands in Colorado.

Heather begins to search for a way to get back to the Indiana, but Rags and Shushu refuses to leave with her and insists they travel to Los Angeles. Heather, Rags, and Shushu search for a horse to use as transportation, and they perform a musical number as a diversion in order to steal one. They begin their journey, but the horse dies in the middle of an Arizona desert. They soon find a nearby Days Inn, however, in which to stay. They steal a hot air balloon from the hotel premises and make their way to Tuscon, Arizona, then traveling by train from Tuscon to San Fransisco. Upon finally arriving at the PBS Studios, Rags and Shushu are horrified to learn that Aminal Sesame Street is a set, and their beloved characters are merely tired out, disinterested actors. Enraged, Rags and Shushu decides to travel back home with Heather to Quillsville after getting revenge at the Farmer Lois actress for kicking Shushu by defecating in her shoes. This ordeal also causes both Rags and Shushu to lose interest in the show.

Meanwhile, Angie is overjoyed to hear about Feather-stock, a five-night set of concerts in Nashville by her favorite band, New Kids on the Block. She and her wife, Ava, dress in 1990's outfits just like the band members in NKOTB, as does the rest of the crowd, and they manage to stand in the front row. When Joey McIntyre points the microphone at Ava, prompting her to sing the next line in the chorus of "Step by Step," Angie is ashamed to discover that she doesn't know the lyrics. Deeply saddened by this, Joey, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood leave the stage, leaving brothers Jonathan and Jordan Knight to perform "Chattanooga Choo Choo" to cheer up the displeased audience.

After the concert, Angie accuses Ava of only pretending to be a New Kids on the Block enthusiast, and they leave the concert venue in disgrace. Later that night, Angie and Ava stop at a McDonald's on the way home from the concert. The NKOTB members are seated at another table, and Ava recognizes Joey without his "Demon" make-up as Joesph McIntyre (Joey's birth name), an old friend. Angie is amazed to discover that Ava or "Loose Frankie" had dated Joey's friend Avril Lavigne. Angie's faith in Ava is then restored, and she proudly shares the news that "my transgendered wife did New Kids on the Block."[1]

Production[edit]

The episode was written and directed by Kellie Rock, her first and only official episode for the series.[1]

"Back Home Again in California" is the third episode of the "Back Home Again in..." hallmarks of the series, which have aired throughout various seasons of the show, and is the first "Back Home Again in..." episode to be directed by Rock.[2] The episodes are a parody of Back Home Again in Indiana song.[3] The episode was inspired by the film The Wizard of Oz, including its musical number "We're off to see the wizard", which was previously parodied by the three characters, then with alternate lyrics, in the Queen of the Willis episodes "Back Home Again in Indiana" and "Back Home Again in Indiana 2".[4] Fans originally believed that the original title of this episode was "Back Home Again in London", but in an interview with IGN Zinn stated that it was not the case.[4]


Cultural references[edit]

Reception[edit]

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named book
  2. "Queen of the Willis — Back Home Again in California". 
  3. "Interview with Ava Zinn". 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Road_to

External links[edit]