Calvin and Hobbes: The Series/Recap/S1/E03 The World's Greatest Calvin

"Calvin tries to make a world record. Can he do it? Read to find out! Don't expect me to tell you!"

The episode opens with the duo watching The Ultimate Record, and Calvin wonders if he could break a world record. He attempts to play basketball, baseball, and win a race against Hobbes. Naturally, he fails.

Next, Calvin tries to obtain a marble collection. Upon getting a thousand, his imagination sets off during a lecture, ending with him attacking his dad and getting thrown in his room.

"Hobbes: There, there, Calvin. I'm sure you can break the record for the longest skid mark made by a face in a six-year old's room."

Finally, Calvin sets up an utterly insane obstacle course, weaving throughout the town.

""I'll start going through the maze from this side, and you go from the other side. We'll continue through the maze. Only you won't be looking for the exit. You'll be trying to get to ME. If you catch me in the maze, then we'll have to start over. [...] after that, I have to cross that stick without falling into the creek, then I have to grab the flag, and race it over to the other side of the place. Then, you and I will have a race through town, and try to get to Dad's office. After that, we'll race back here, and into the tree house, and [...] then we'll swing from the ropes I tied up there from tree from tree. Then we'll land on the house, and jump from house to house. We'll cross the street, carry that mattress to other side of the highway, and finally, have a race through the entire house, and to the flag hung in my room!""

The first part lasts several hours, thanks to Calvin's habit of screaming in victory. He finally outsmarts Hobbes using the Duplicator.

After a maniacal race through town, Hobbes ends up winning. Calvin wails about never being able to break a record, but then he realizes that he was fine as himself... because millions of people died to make him.

Just then, Calvin's parents burst in, screaming about the damages caused by the race. Needless to say, he ends up grounded.

Tropes:
"Hobbes: Nice touch."
 * Alliterative Name: The Monster Maze. Lampshaded:

""... You might want to be taking notes.""
 * An Aesop: Subverted. Calvin seems to be headed for a Be Yourself one... until he proclaims that millions of people's suffering was completely justified by his own existence.
 * Guinness Episode
 * Hard Work Montage: Calvin and Hobbes attempting to play several sports.
 * Lemony Narrator: The narrator remarks that "[Calvin and Hobbes] ran through so many places that this episode would be a movie if I mentioned all of them."
 * The Maze: Part of Calvin's insane death course, titled the Monster Maze.
 * Mes a Crowd: Calvin uses the Duplicator in order to outsmart Hobbes.
 * Overly Long Gag: Calvin describing the course. Lampshaded:

"Hobbes: There, there, Calvin. I'm sure you can break the record for the longest skid mark made by a face in a six-year old's room."
 * Overly Narrow Superlative:


 * You Are Grounded: Calvin at the end.