Prelude to a Fish is an episode of Beyond Belief.
Audio[]
Cast[]
WorkJuice Players[]
- Frank Doyle - Paul F. Tompkins
- Sadie Doyle - Paget Brewster
- Frog - Craig Cackowski
- Turtle - Autumn Reeser
- Narrator - Mark Gagliardi
Guest Stars[]
- Otter - Mark McConville
- Pearl - Melanie Lynskey
- Edgar - Jason Ritter
Plot[]
Frank and Sadie arrive at their country house, in an attempt to get away from people (and supernatural creatures) that come looking for them to ask for their help. Unfortunately, they forgot to lock their back door, and a young woman named Pearl arrives asking for their help to save her boyfriend. After ensuring sure that this has nothing to with the supernatural, the Doyles agree to help her.
Pearl's boyfriend, Edgar, turns out to be a lagoon monster. After arguing with Frank for a few moments over whether this counts as a 'supernatural' problem Pearl insists that the Doyles save him, as she is a fresh-water mermaid and doesn't have a compatible respiratory system. Some woodland animals - a turtle, a frog, and an otter - sing a short song encouraging the Doyles to give Edgar mouth to mouth. Sadie does, and Edgar transforms into a human.
The forest animals claim that this is due to True Love's First Kiss (which Frank has some issues with), since Edgar was originally a human who was transformed into a lagoon monster via True Love's First Kiss with Pearl. Pearl says that this is because Edgar has fallen out of love with her, although Edgar insists that he hasn't.
The animals try to get the two to recapture their love for each other by recounting the story of how they met. When Edgar was a child he visited the pool where Pearl lived and it was love at first sight, but his parents pulled him away from the water before they could speak to one another. Although he tried to find love with other women, he never forgot Pearl (although his failure at other relationships might also have had something to do with the fact that the frog followed him around for most of his childhood and adulthood without his knowledge). Eventually, he returned to the pool and he and Pearl had their first kiss, transforming him into a lagoon monster.
Edgar says his dissatisfaction stems from the fact that he misses things from his old life (like lamps, and cake), and that unlike Pearl (who has a job that somehow has monetised swimming) he has "nothing [he] loves" under the water. Both Pearl and the animals react badly to this revelation.
Edgar has a drink with the Doyles and discovers that liquor isn't as good as he's built it up to be in his mind, which makes him question whether anything from the "above world" could live up to the expectations that he's created. He tries to get Pearl to kiss him again to transform him back into a lagoon monster, but she refuses, saying that he's hurt her and that she's not sure that she wants him back. The animals tell him (in song) to apologise, otherwise they will kill him (and the Doyles). Frank encourages Edgar to apologise by giving a fabricated story about how he had similar feelings the Edgar at the beginning of he and Sadie's relationship.
Edgar apologises, saying that the relationship they had together might not have been passionate but it was comfortable and easy. Pearl agrees, adding that although he may not be the right guy for her, looking for a new one is too much effort. They kiss, Edgar transforms, and the two of them return to their underwater home.
Once they're out of earshot, Frank disagrees with Edgar and Pearl's assessment of love, saying that every day with Sadie is as wonderful as the first. The animals begin to sing again, and the Doyles flee back into the house.
Notes[]
- Due to Memorial Day, this episode was released on a Tuesday.
- Clink count: 3
- Although Brian Stack's introduction says the narrator is Mark McConville, the narrator sounds to actually be Mark Gagliardi, and is listed as such.
- This episode was also performed on January 25th 2014 at San Francisco Sketchfest.
Continuity[]
- This is the 167th episode of The Thrilling Adventure Hour.
- The previous episode is Sparks Nevada, Marshal on Mars - Emperor of Mars.
- The next episode is Fan Questions Answered #5.
- The previous episode in Beyond Belief canon is Bon Viv-Haunt (TAH #164).
- The next episode in Beyond Belief canon is The Bloodsucker Proxy (TAH #172).
Production[]
This episode was recorded at Largo on February 1, 2014 and released on May 27, 2014.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley Orchestra
- "Oolee oolee oolee" songs by Acker & Blacker and Paul & Storm.