SLIMER THE BODYGUARD

They Call me MISTER Slimer

Original Air date September 18, 1987^[1]

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski

Director: Dale Schott

Main Cast:

• Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman
• Frank Welker as Raymond Stantz
• Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler
• Arsenio Hall as Winston Zeddemore
• Laura Summer as Janine Melnitz
• Frank Welker as Slimer

(Rating 5 of 5)

Summary: Janine approached Peter with bad financial news.  The Ghostbusters are broke again. This is caused mostly by their own mismanagement but Peter blames Slimer for eating too much.  Peter tells Slimer he takes but never gives back, completely forgetting all the times Slimer has saved their butts.  Slimer feels guilty and leaves to find a job so he can contribute.

Mike getting picked on

                Elsewhere a kid named Mike is getting bullied by a kid gang lead by a loser named Rick.  After getting humiliated by the bullies, things go bad to worse when he is chased by a dog.  Slimer out job hunting rescues him from the dog.  Mike is so impressed he asks Slimer to come hang out with him at his house where he offers a paid job to Slimer: defending him against the bullies.

Slimer and Mike making plans.

                The next day the tables are turned on the bullies when they try to pick on Mike, Slimer shows up and terrorizes them.  The bullies run away but Rick isn’t finished he knows the old subway is haunted by creatures known as Barrow Wights.  He decides to recruit them to join his cause and when he finds them Rick discovers that they are eager to be invited to the surface.

Creatures that are happy Rick is an idiot. 

                While all this is going on the Ghostbusters, who had been wondering where Slimer was, received a letter with cash that was cover in slime.  The other Ghostbusters are angry with Peter for making Slimer feel guilty and the entire team goes out looking for him.

Getting money from Slimer.

                Rick pulls Mike into his trap but the jokes on Rick as well because the Barrow Wights aren’t just going to harm Mike they are going to eat all of them.  Slimer runs off and finds the Ghostbusters who were close by due to the large reading they were getting from the PKE meter.  The Ghostbusters and Slimer go in and battle the Barrow Wights, with the Ghostbusters doing their traditional work and Slimer forming a bat out his body to beat the Barrow Wights with.  Now that the bad guys trapped, Rick apologizes to Mike for everything he did and Ray declares Slimer is worth his weight in gold.  When Peter objects Slimer chases him.

My Take:  In the DVDs J. Michael Straczynski explains in an interview that he views the best way to use Slimer is as little as possible.  For someone who thinks this he writes a lot of Slimer episodes. Nevertheless much like Straczynski’s first attempt in “Slimer, Come Home” this episode is very enjoyable to watch even though most of its focus is on the mascot.

                Now for my stray observations:

·         The Ghostbusters are so incompetent when it comes to money it’s scarier than the ghosts.  They have shown they have no idea how insurance works, they sometimes forget to pay their insurance, excited members may give away services , and they often have to perform without pay even when the money lands on them. 

·         Slimer never gives back really Peter?  I seem to remember him pulling your butt out of the fire once or twice.  Heck the Ghostbusters would have been done on the second episode if not for Slimer.  I am creating a new category called "Slimer is Helpful" and retroactively adding that to all reviews where Slimer was really helpful. 

·         Wasn’t the Bodyguard a movie?  I never saw it.

·         Slimer can turn body parts into weapons? Huh.  I wonder what are they extent of Slimer’s abilities?

Anyway fun episode all around. 

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[1] Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.