SLIMER FORGETS TRAPS AREN’T TOYS

Loose Screws

Original Air date November 25, 1989

Writers: Pat Allee and Ben Hurst

Director: Charles Grosvenor

Main Cast:

• Dave Coulier as Peter Venkman
• Frank Welker as Raymond Stantz
• Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler
• Buster Jones as Winston Zeddemore
• Kath Soucie as Janine Melnitz
• Frank Welker as Slimer
• Rodger Bumpass as Louis Tully

(Rating 4 of 5)

Summary: Slimer is playing “Ghostbusters” with a self-made toy proton pack.  Then he finds a real trap.  He plays with the trap and breaks it.  He tried to fix it and seems to, but there is a missing screw.  Then the alarm rings and Slimer brings the broken trap when Peter orders him to.  Slimer doesn’t let the guys know it is missing a screw.  When busting a ghost they order Slimer to throw the trap.

Slimer playing ghostbuster

Need to fix the broken trap.

                As the Ghostbusters drive home the trap is leaking and the ghost siphons off pieces of itself to animate several objects such as stop signs and parking meters.  As they get home the trap does more damage turning all of Janine’s items on her desk against her.  The worst part is the Containment Unit gets affected and starts spitting out ghosts.  Egon alters a particle thrower to restore the Containment Unit normal.

Too late! Job to do.

And now the Containment Unit is alive.

                When the threat eliminated Slimer is made to vow that he will never play with the ghostbuster equipment again.  Then they all the all clean the station as a family.

Cleaning time, Slimer's reward.

My Take: A nice small episode involving everyone’s favorite green ghost.  Considering the Ghostbusters tend to treat Slimer like he is a kid maybe they should have spoken one of their own for leaving a trap just lying around. 

                Now for my stray observations:

•        Don’t the traps come with gauges?  They should have been able to tell something was wrong.
•        Gee, these little ghosts get a lot more powerful when they are split into pieces.
•        Why wasn’t the Ecto-1 possessed again?
•        Well the Ghostbusters were very destructive this week, I bet they don't tell the city who is responsible.
•       Okay how does the part of a little ghost take control of the entire Containment Unit that is there for the purpose of containing ghosts?  There are a lot more powerful ghosts on the inside.

Poor little Slimer, all you wanted to do was play Ghostbusters!