Suburban Knights

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
"Okay, you all look epically ridiculous. Now this is the kind of team that's gonna get us riches!" [1]

Names will be remembered. Quests will become legends. And legends will become... legendary.

The third year anniversary special for That Guy With The Glasses, featuring 18 contributors, and separated into 7 videos that were posted in the week of June 26, 2011; the final installment appeared the following Saturday, July 2.

It is an adventure-comedy about The Nostalgia Critic, like last time, gathering a ton of reviewers and leading them into going on a quest. But this time, it is for a legendary gauntlet that is hidden somewhere in suburban Illinois, and according to the map, they must all dress up as famous fictional characters in order to find it.[2] Real villains start showing up to stop their plans, and they discover that this isn't so much a "game" as they had first assumed!

The teaser is here, the full trailer here.

  • Part 1 can be found here.
  • Part 2 can be found here.
  • Part 3 can be found here.
  • Part 4 can be found here.
  • Part 5 can be found here.
  • Part 6 can be found here.
  • Part 7 can be found here.

Commentaries were also provided, by The Spoony One and friends,Linkara/Iron Liz as well and one by Phelan and Brad. (Doug and Rob's one is exclusive to the DVD release) [3]

Tropes used in Suburban Knights include:

A-H

Film Brain: I will eat your pea-ness!

Jew Wario: Here, grab my ball.
Luke: I'm going to turn around now. That better be what I think it is.

Chester A. Bum: Oh my God, I won a car!

  • And Then What?: After Malachite talks on his smartphone. The critics point out the hypocrisy of it all. When the Critic asks Malachite what he's going to do after he rids the world of technology, Malachite just stands there and replies, "Think of something."
  • And You Thought It Was a Game: The reviewers begin their quest under the assumption that it's all a game that Jaffers made up. By Part 5, even the Critic realizes that "This ain't no game anymore."
    • It's implied that this is the reason the Critic is the only one out of the entire review team that is making no effort to act in the character he's dressed as. He acts like a good, capable, intelligent leader towards the end, but it's made clear that it's all him, not "Link" doing anything.
    • Spoony assumes that the Cloaks are a group of LARPers and nothing more. He's wrong.
    • Linkara points out to the Critic that magic is the only explanation for a witch suddenly spouting blinding lights, then vanishing.

Critic: Nonsense there's no such thing as magic!
Linkara: Really! Then how did she do it?!

Critic: ...keep walkin'.

  • Anticlimax Boss: Suede, but then again, everyone was happy to see him, and vice-versa, so he just basically let them win so they could catch up on old times.
  • Apocalypse How: If Malachite eliminated technology as he said he wanted to, we would likely be looking at a Class 2: Civilization Extinction and with our dependency on science, a good chunk of the population would go down. Considering Malachite though, cellphones at least might make it regardless.
    • And coffee makers.
  • Arc Words:
    • The Chain Letter...
    • "Pure of heart" and issues with technology too.
    • "What do you think of the 21st century?"
  • Asskicking Pose: Done on Part 6, as the title card partially shows.
  • A-Team Firing: Both the Cloaks and Angry Joe. Joe's shots seem ever so slightly more accurate, though.
    • Lupa joins Joe in this later on.
    • Jaffers manages this at point-blank range.
  • Attack! Attack! Retreat! Retreat!:
    • "Wet yourselves and RUN!"
    • "Run like children!"
    • Part 3. Spoony attempts to perform a You Shall Not Pass. That is, until one of The Cloaks blasts off his hat with an energy ball.
  • Audible Sharpness: Heard after the Cat battle, causing Linkara to stop singing.
  • Aww, Look! They Really Don't Hate Each Other: Benzaie's greeting to That Dude In The Suede. Though Benzaie claims that while he still hates him, Conan loves him.
    • Also, Film Brain and Luke become friends during episode 5.
  • Batman Gambit: Part 5 reveals that because only the pure of heart can find Malachite's Hand, Malachite sent the chain letter around and placed a tracking spell on the map so he can find someone suitable to lead him to it.
  • Beam-O-War: Malachite and Ma-Ti end up in the final battle like this.
  • Becoming the Mask: While everybody is trying to stay in-character for the quest, several of them do so with more... commitment than others. Lupa claims that she should be useless in battle because of her character choice, Paw tries to gather rage from everybody (including the trees), and Phelous seems to have gone off the deep end right from the start. Marz Gurl also seems to be joining the throng, what with speaking only in Japanese, scenting the air and biting the Critic on various portions of his anatomy. Lampshaded by Linkara, who notices that The Critic is averting this trope.
    • Critic plays it straight at the end of Part 5 Critic goes into a rant that's basically Link ranting about all crap he keeps going through during the games.
    • And eventually revealed to be subverted with Phelous. He was just really good at staying in character. Lupa also ends up shrugging off her princess routine, bites Cat, and gets herself a gun and a leather jacket.
      • And Paw starts being reasonable and drops the Large Ham persona.
  • Belligerent Sexual Tension: Critic/Lupa, or at least so far. He wanted to kiss her after she fainted but he's also pissed off with her princess role, while she yanks his tie around when she yells at him.
  • Berserk Button:
    • Don't tell Linkara that magic doesn't exist.
    • Or comment about Mickey never growing up.
    • Do not even consider lifting Todd's mask to see what he looks like.
    • The Snob can only take misquoting a line so many times...
    • Or imply to Malachite that you like technology.
  • Big-Budget Beef-Up: They apparently got enough to use a few real explosions on Bill's car and in the final episode. Most of the costumes seem like they'd also cost a pretty penny.
    • They did not, however, go through with boom mics or better filming equipment like they promised they would last year (they used the same equipment from Kickassia) because they found none of them had enough experience operating them, and they were on a tight schedule.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Group 2 at the climax of the battle against Jaffers.
  • Big No: Angry Joe and Spoony both do this upon learning the "free car" was a ruse, Joe with a Cluster Big No and Spoony with a single extended one. It's implied that the rest of the reviewers each made one as well when they happened upon the truth about the "free car."
  • Big "Shut Up!":

Phelous: Big, strong hands...!
Everyone else: SHUT UP!!!

  • Bilingual Bonus:
    • Instead of actual Elvish, the Nostalgia Chick speaks a mixture of several foreign languages, such as Hindi and Irish. What she's actually saying doesn't match up to the subtitles. For instance, when she says "Póg mo thóin" (Irish) in response to Benzaie's Conan speech, it's subtitled as "It's cool," but she's actually saying "Kiss my ass."
      • Averted, one line she speaks is English and is a lyric from "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies.
      • She misquotes the BNL line (Chikiti China, not Chikiti Chinese), though. And at another point, she utters "who's your daddy" over and over real fast.
      • Also averted whenever she attacks with an Elvish Montage, at which point she starts spouting pure gibberish or quoting things. Though one of those included a a line from a song in Slumdog Millionaire.
    • Marz Gurl is speaking real and (sort of) accurate Japanese.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Malachite was defeated and the glove was probably destroyed... but Ma-Ti died saving everyone. However, there is a Sequel Hook in the end that the Critic will pull another zany quest, this time to look for the legendary Necronomicon to revive Ma-Ti.
    • The extras make it more of a Downer Ending. Malachite is still alive (if powerless), the quest for the Necronomicon failed and left Critic in even more denial of Ma-Ti's death, Mechakara has found the glove and Doug said in an interview that Bhargav had gone from the site never to return.
  • Black and Gray Morality: The reviewers are far from true heroes. Jaffers is a Well-Intentioned Extremist, and his friends are just trying to help him. The main villain, however, is truly evil.
  • Book Ends: The lure of a free car.
    • In Part 1, Ma-Ti surprises the Critic by appearing in his room from out of nowhere. Linkara does the same thing at the end before singing about Ma-Ti.
    • Bill's music at the very beginning is an instrumental version of Sad Panda's "Flight of Fantasy", which plays over the credits.
    • The quest both begins and ends with somebody fetching The Nostalgia Critic a coffee
  • Brand Name Takeover: Malachite's phone is an EVO 4G, but the Critic calls it an iPhone as that has become basically synonymous with smartphones.
  • Breaking the Fellowship: At the very beginning, no less.
  • Brick Joke:
    • "Hypnotize them with its cheap novelty?", about the supposed uselessness of Jew Wario's juggling-trick with the Fushigi Ball in part 2. In part 3, it actually works like that in battle.

Cloak: It's hypnotizing us with its cheap novelty...

    • In Part 1, The Nostalgia Critic tells Ma-Ti that he can't join the quest because Nostalgia Chick has lost her contact lens, and he needs to stay behind and find it for her. He returns in Part 3, contact lens in hand. Happens again with the excuse that Mickey needs goat porn. Occurs again in a not-so-funny fashion when the Critic offhandly tells Ma-Ti to get him a coffee, and he later finds it sitting on the counter. After Ma-Ti's death.
    • There is one lovely brick joke in Part 5. Several years ago, That Dude in the Suede left the site to go on a two-year Mormon missionary work. Turns out that in-universe he went to protect the Hand of Malachite as one of its guardians.
  • Buffy-Speak: "Of the people I've met, Ma-Ti was the most... hearty."
  • Bullet Catch: Linkara tried to shoot Malachite with his magic gun only for the guy to catch the blasts with one hand.
  • The Bus Came Back: That Dude In The Suede.
  • The Cake Is a Lie: Everyone was lured to Chicago under the promise of a free car.
  • Call Back:
    • The Critic gathering a skeptical TGWTG crew, Film Brain being a huge NC fanboy, and Handsome Tom being the quiet one are carried over from Kickassia. Angry Joe even declares that the Critic has done it again. (a removed line would have him saying "First a brawl, then invading Molossia...")
      • And no one besides Film Brain and Luke are happy when The Critic tricks them into going to Chicago.
      • The Angry Video Game Nerd has a cameo in both to provide exposition and does not take part in the actual filming, although he does get to voice the ball of light during the fight at the end.
    • The reaction of the female reviewers to Jew Wario's costume is a Shout-Out to Lindsay's and Jew Wario's reviews of Labyrinth. In the former, she warns that she'll be paying a lot off attention to "the Area" (Just look at her quote on the trope page); the latter had a scene where several female contributors swooned over Jareth.
    • The "EPICNESS!!!!!!!" tape features a nod to both Doug's GNN/Lori Prince Live sketch, and Spoony's Mazes and Monsters review; specifically the film's Broken Aesop that games like Dungeons & Dragons ruin lives and Spoony's reaction.
    • The Nostalgia Critic again brings up Chick-fil-A's policy of being closed on Sundays.
    • Spoony brings two characters of his Ultima reviews (Gandalf and the Gate Cleaner).
    • In Part 4, a girl enters the story talking on her phone ending a conversation with, "And then my dad shot her, it was weird." Which is a line of dialogue that The Nostalgia Critic focuses on in his review of Airborne.
    • In part 4, after the witch attacks, Linkara says "It's magic, you don't have to explain it," an infamous line uttered by Joe Quesada to defend One More Day, which Lewis turned into an often-used quote on his show.
    • In Part 5, Film Brain plays as the dorky and smaller Nazgûl/Cloak. The dialogue throughout the scene is a Call Back to the Nostalgia Critic's Old Vs New for Lord of the Rings when he discusses how the Nazgûl would have reacted to Frodo being changed into one of them.
    • Also in Part 5, Benzaie makes reference to his longstanding rivalry with That Dude in the Suede, which had not been brought up much since Suede left two years ago.
    • During the Critic's first Rousing Speech (and right before he notices everyone has run out the door), he calls them his "proud, Warriors of Virtue, a film he once reviewed.
    • During Ma-ti's funeral, Linkara is seen wearing his starfleet uniform, which he also wears on his own show and in Kickassia.
  • The Cameo:
    • Doug and Rob's father, Barney Walker, is the newscaster.
    • Showrunner Mike Michaud as the passer-by that Joe yells at.
    • TGWTG webmistress and director of human resources Holly Brown as the witness in the GNN report.
    • Doug's ex-girlfriend (Dena in the "Go West" sketch) plays the woman who gets blown up.
    • James Rolfe as the Voice of the Ancients.
    • Lord Kat as Crom.
    • Elisa (Dr. Tease) as the house owner who Team 2 ties up.
    • Nella as the Chick's stunt-woman.
    • ..Somewhat The Last Angry Geek is one of the cloaks, but only takes his cloak off in the last video. before running away.
  • Can You Hear Me Now?: When the Critic's group tries to call Spoony's group in episode 5, they find they can't get a connection. Obscurus Lupa and Linkara suggests that someone may be using magic to block the call.
  • Care Bear Stare /ThePowerOfFriendship: As Malachite and Ma-Ti get stuck in their Beam-O-War, the whole team starts cheering and chanting "HEART!". It really pushes Ma-Ti forward.
  • Cast from Hit Points: Using magic in the Awesome-verse seems to be bad for your health. Part 6 confirms that it drains life force, except when using the gauntlet.
  • The Cavalry: Team 2 arrives in the middle of Team 1's battle and they back them up.
  • Cerebus Callback: A miserable Critic wanders home and sees that Ma-Ti still got him his coffee.
  • Character Development: While Critic becoming less of a brat and more of a hero is more obvious, they all get a bit. They go from cowards who loathe each other to brave people who can kinda sorta be considered a Nakama.
    • Luke and Film Brain go from rivals to friends who fight alongside each other.
  • Chain Letter: Critic reveals that the map is part of one during Part 3. His allies aren't amused. The Good Witch of the Woods hints that this is not a good thing. It's eventually revealed that Malachite sent the letter to trick people into finding the gauntlet for him.
  • Chekhov's Gun:
    • The maps turn out to have a tracking device set up by Malachite.
    • Ma-Ti's ring, which was made to counter Malachite's gauntlet.
    • Malachite finds the group after they get the glove because Spoondalf still had the map with him.
  • Chekhov's Skill: Everyone's ability to leave without making a sound comes in handy during the playground fight.
  • Collective Groan:
    • At the "EPICNESS!!!!!!!" tape:

The Nostalgia Chick: Well, already the credits are bad--
The Nostalgia Critic: Don't review it!

    • Also when they are told that they will be fired if they don't participate in the quest and when Linkara/King Arthur suggests a sing-along.
  • Combat Pragmatist: The Cloaks use a machine gun, leading Joe to reply with his own. Linkara eventually gets tired of swordfighting and uses his pistol. And when Joe uses his gun again, Lupa grabs a spare to shoot. And as a reference, after The Good Witch Warrior Of The Woods starts shooting lightning during a climactic battle, Suede punches her saying, "I find that quite vexing."
  • Combination Attack: Two in the climatic battle.
    • Batter Up/I Know Madden Kombat: Todd and Paw defeating the Voice of the Ancients (though the 'bat' is Paw's stick/tree branch) with a baseball play. Paw even shouts "Home run for Profion!" and does a chest bump with Todd.
    • "Hey You!" Haymaker: Film Brain and Luke on a Cloak ("Expecto my fist!").
  • Comically Missing the Point: The Critic just doesn't understand that the Chick and Lupa want him to keep his legs close together.

The Nostalgia Chick: There are certain things... that should be covered... up.
The Nostalgia Critic: I know. That's why I've got the hat.
Nostalgia Chick: There are...There are certain things that need to remain closed.
Nostalgia Critic: I know, and I for one respect Chick-fil-A for not serving people on Sunday. I wonder if we can get it so they don't serve Christians.

  • Cosplay: Goes hand-in-hand with LARP-esque adventure quests, though the term itself is never mentioned.
  • Cower Power: Critic clings hard to the Chick (even though she's about a foot smaller than him) when the Witch Warrior gets tired of his and the team's teasing.
  • Cringe Comedy: Not very much, but the Nostalgia Critic's crotch shot in the woods is pretty awkward as the Nostalgia Chick and Obscurus Lupa try to figure out a way to let him know without actually telling him that they can see his underpants. In the end The Nostalgia Chick just gives up and tells him she can see his balls.
  • Curb Stomp Battle: The Puppeteer was handling NC's Fellowship without breaking a sweat... until The Nostalgia Chick got involved. Also Malachite against the guardians and the TGWTG crew.
  • Darker and Edgier: As compared to Kickassia. While the screwball comedy, reference jokes, and character dynamics are still in fine form, in this one, cars explode, innocent bystanders are wantonly killed, the villain is genuinely terrifying, the fate of the world's technology is on the line, and death is not nearly as cheap.
  • Dark Is Evil: Everything about Malachite's outfit is black- his Nice Hat, his Badass Longcoat, even his Black Eyes of Evil. The rather less-evil people in Jaffer's crew are all wearing black as well, with the majority doning black masks.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Todd in the Shadows as The Man In Black. Played straight with the Cloaks who just want to keep Malachite away from the gauntlet. Played with for the Witch Warrior who seems rather nice and wants to stop Malachite but who also was planning on killing Team A and drinking from their bleeding skulls.
  • Deadpan Snarker: It would be easier to list the characters that aren't.
  • Debut Queue: They even ask to be introduced one at the time "because it's more dramatic."
  • Designated Girl Fight: Played straight, then subverted. At first Chick and Lupa just fight the witch, but then Chick fights Jaffers and Lupa becomes an Action Girl.
  • Department of Redundancy Department: "Names will be remembered. Quests will become legends. And legends will become... legendary."

Newscaster: He was described as "emotionally troubled."
Witness: He was emotionally troubled.

  • Died in Your Arms Tonight: Ma-Ti dies in Critic's arms. Critic doesn't take this well.
  • Disproportionate Retribution: The Big Bad, who really hates technology and the twenty-first century, has killed people for basically using a GPS, using a mobile phone, and watching television.
    • Plus there's how Malachite is still angry over Aeon and technology winning the king's favor centuries ago. His solution? Destroy the modern world.
  • Dolled-Up Installment: Ma-Ti was supposed to die in Kickassia, but Doug couldn't find a place in the story to put it, so he had to wait until this film to use it instead.
  • Do Not Go Gentle: Not just referencing Ma-Ti's rant before his fight with Malachite, there is a meta one as well for Matt "Apollo Z Hack" Burkett who left the site before the filming (citing creative differences) but still noticeably contributed to the overall quality of the movie's special effects alongside Phelous' always excellent efforts. Going out with a bang, literally?
  • Do Not Taunt the Good Witch of the Woods
  • Don't Go in The Woods: Who knew the woods and bike trails of Chicago suburbia were so dangerous?

Linkara: INTO THE WOOOOODS! INTO THE WOO--
Others: SHUT UP!

  • Dope Slap:
    • Part 3. When Angry Joe tells the little girl at the playground that Santa Claus doesn't exist, he receives one of these from one of The Cloaks.
    • The Critic dope slaps Spoony after Spoony admits they still had the map with them.
  • Dramatic Wind: An unintended consequence of the Chicago weather.
  • Driven to Suicide: In a deleted scene, during the fight with Malachite, Marzgurl chooses to stab herself with her spear rather than face him.
  • Dull Surprise: "Dude, that's my heart."
    • Most of Jaffer's lines.
  • DVD Commentary: There's several:
    • A cast commentary by Spoony, Nostalgia Chick, Elisa, Bennett, Film Brain, Benzaie, That Dude in the Suede, Cinema Snob, Linkara, Ed Glaser and JewWario
    • One from Linkara and Iron Liz
    • One from Phelous and Cinema Snob
    • And finally three on the actual DVD from Doug, Rob, and a joint commentary from Holly and Iron Liz
  • Establishing Character Moment: The main villain flags down a car to hitch-hike, goes on a long rant about technology, kills the driver and blows the car up. And then we know what he's like.
  • Eureka Moment: When the Critic realizes that Malachite tricked them to find the gauntlet for him. He had another one when Ma-Ti used his ring to blast Malachite. He urged him to do it again.
  • Evil Is Cool: In-universe. In Part 7, Malachite manages to deflect every single bullet fired at him by Angry Joe and Obscurus Lupa with his staff. Joe's response to this? "Whoa. That was awesome!"
  • Evil Is Sexy: In-universe. A female passerby remarks that Malachite is "pretty hot" after he delivers a rant about the evils of technology to her.
  • Exactly What It Says on the Tin: The Cloaks.
  • Expy: GNN newscaster Larry Prince in the "EPICNESS!!!!" video is one of Lori Prince, one of Doug Walker's past sketch characters, who himself is an Expy of Larry King.
  • Exposed to the Elements: It was cold and windy. Benzaie makes it clear in his vlog that it was hard to remain shirtless, and Lupa put on her leather jacket between takes to remain warm (said jacket was even incorporated in a battle). Also, nearly everyone got sunburn.
  • Eye Poke: During the first fight against the Cloaks, Brad pokes a Cloak in the eyes and runs away.
  • Fan Service:
    • The real Link and most male cosplayers have tights on and a skirt that goes down to their knees. Doug does not. Even a few of the women on the site have marveled/complained about the niceness of his legs.
    • Jew Wario as Jareth is Mr. Fanservice in-universe.
    • Some fans see Critic's upskirt shot as this. Lewis lampshades this by saying all the Critic fans hit their screencapture button at this exact moment, Doug brags on his commentary about even guys telling him they thought it was hot, and Film Brain had his turn when he went on a Fetish Fuel Wiki trawl, saying that it had to be listed as such.
    • Benzaie walking around in a leather outfit shirtless.
    • That's quite a neckline, Lindsay.
  • Fate Worse Than Death: Malachite was not destroyed as was thought in the final battle. Instead, he has been banished to his ultimate hell...a cursed realm of evil and damnation AND low-low prices..."ALL-AROUND CAFE!" And don't even ask how the bathroom breaks work.
  • Fastball Special: Handsome Tom and 8-Bit Mickey attempt one. Doesn't go well.
  • Female Gaze: The person who has shown the most skin so far is, well... guess.
  • Finger-Poke of Doom: Malachite finger flicks Spoony, and sends him flying around the world. Twice!
  • Fire-Forged Friends: Film Brain and Luke.
  • Flynning: How most of the combat plays out.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • In Part 3, the visually impaired Todd attacks Film Brain, mistaking him for one of the Cloaks. At the end of Part 4, the Cloaks capture and brainwash Film Brain into their ranks. He gets better.
    • Also in Part 3, Cloak #1 is seen breathing hard after using magic. In Part 6, it is revealed that magic is life force and that using too much kills you.
    • All the talk about "the pure of heart" being the only ones worthy of being on the quest. Guess who beats Malachite in the end?
    • And the note on Aeon forging a ring to counter Malachite's magic. Who do we know who wears a ring?
    • The last thing Ma-Ti says before blasting Malachite is "Yeah, so I'm not gonna be surviving today."
    • Ma-Ti getting the death scene of Spock. What does Spock do right at the beginning of the next movie? Come back to life.
    • Linkara reveals that in one of his reviews he sings Ma-Ti's song.
  • Foe Yay: Film Brain and Luke Mochrie. Despite having spent the previous three parts fighting over the Critic's affections, they spend a significant portion of Part 4 holding hands. Doing so to speak to a mystical stone phantom, perhaps, but holding hands nonetheless. After Part 5, they start getting along.
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: The entire map is visible for just a split second in Part 4. Besides the stuff that gets mentioned in the dialogue and a few more The Lord of the Rings references, the map also appears to mark the location of Jimmy Hoffa's body.
  • The Fun in Funeral: Leave it to the good folks at Channel Awesome to inject a little bit of humor into something as depressing as Ma-Ti's death. Ma-Ti is cremated by Todd and his ashes are poured into an Quaker Oats oatmeal canister (8-Bit Mickey comments that they should've used a Pop-Tarts box instead), and Tom chucks the thing god-knows-where while Paw plays "Amazing Grace" on the kazoo.
  • Funny Background Event: When Crom is talking to Benzaie in Part 6, both Critic and Jaffers chase each other with the latter's sword, while Phelous fights a Cloak's sword barehanded.
    • When Ma-ti first shows up, saying he's here for a free car and then begging to join the quest despite not being sent a note, he's holding a card that says "Car thing. YAY!"
  • Fun with Subtitles: As mentioned above in Bilingual Bonus, the subtitles done for the The Nostalgia Chick aren't entirely accurate...
  • Gag Penis: Jew Wario as Jareth. The ladies definitely notice.
  • A Glass in the Hand: Film Brain crushes a cardboard cup of coffee when he learns that Luke has already gotten the Nostalgia Critic a latte.
  • Go Out with a Smile: Ma-ti.
  • Gory Discretion Shot: Bill's murder in the opening scene.
  • Gosh Dang It to Heck: Character specific. Linkara remains, as always, very light on vulgarities, keeping away from anything heavier than a 'damn'.
    • Jaffers and Suede also fall under this heading, though the latter only for a scene in episode 6 where the two exchange a brief dialog about 'loyalties'. "Thanks for betraying me, you rotten kiwi" and "Go suck a Popsicle", respectively.
      • Noticably, all the reviewers tone down their profanity usage when Suede is around.
  • Groin Attack:
    • All over the place. MarzGurl's initial bite was on the Nostalgia Critic's lower body, numerous lines of dialogue threaten this, Cat aims slightly lower against the towering Willow!Tom, and a Cloak's bolt does this to Jew Wario, only to be reflected back by The Codpiece.
    • Jew Wario uses The Codpiece against to blind Jaffers and the obstacles in Part 6. Which is a whole new kind of Groin Attack.
    • Malachite forces the Critic to groin attack himself. Fifteen times.
  • Hammerspace: Angry Joe whips out a machine gun from behind his back. Obscura Lupa gets her gun from behind his back as well.
  • Hand Wave: In a commentary Linkara noted that people will likely question why he can use magic in his show safely when the special establishes that magic in the TGWTG universe drains your life force. Turns out his hat protects him.
  • Heart Is an Awesome Power
  • Here We Go Again: At the beginning where all the reviewers realize that The Nostalgia Critic has roped them into yet another Zany Scheme.
    • Linkara gets worried when the Critic is interested in looking for the Necronomicon, a book that can raise the dead. Maybe. If it exists.
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Invoked when the third Cloak takes off his hood.

Nostalgia Critic: "Hey, isn't that The Last Angry Geek? Doesn't he do reviews for us?


I-P

Sage: Critic... the path to enlightenment is the enlightenment of the path.
Critic: Yes, and the way to pain is to nail you in the nads.

  • I Need a Freaking Drink: Todd when he finds out that Malachite's Hand is hidden in the field where they started.
  • The Internet Is for Porn: Team 1 tells Jaffers about how much the Internet has changed since the 80's, and all unanimously, vocally agree when this trope is reached. This makes Jaffers hopeless about this team being pure of heart, but surfs the Internet himself later and discovers the TGWTG site. Still doesn't stop him from trying to kill them though.
  • Jump Scare: The Gatecleaner is contractually obligated to provide one whenever he is summoned. This is eventually used against him when Film Brain and Luke keep throwing the summoning rock around.
  • Kamehame Hadoken: Used by the Cloaks.
  • Kent Brockman News: The video the Critic shows the others.
  • Klaatu Barada Necktie
  • Large Ham:
    • The entire series is set to become sheer Ham-to-Ham Combat.
    • As for Ham-to-Ham Combat itself, as Spoondalf and King Linkara start arguing, The Critic says "Save it for Broadway!" (Especially because Linkara's costume is based on a musical.)
  • Laser-Guided Karma: When they are being chased by the Cloaks, Film Brain knocks Luke down in hope that he'll be captured. At the end of Part 4, Film Brain is left behind and captured by the Cloaks.
    • When Malachite sends Spoony flying around the world. Spoony eventually comes back and crash lands right on top of him.
  • Leitmotif:
  • Let's Split Up, Gang!: Justified; the map has two distinct paths, and they're still left with nine people in each group.
  • Long Speech Tea Time: The Critic delivers his rousing speech, only to discover that everyone has left.
  • Lowered Monster Difficulty: Malachite casually disintegrates most of the people he comes across, but whenever he faces off against series regulars, he hands them swift and humiliating, but nonfatal defeats. We assume that his gigantic ego just wanted them to be witnesses to the destruction of their world.
  • Ludicrous Gibs: Poor, poor Bill... The woman in Part 3 who is blown up too, though not as gruesome.
  • MacGuffin: Malachite's Hand, aka the magic gauntlet.
  • MacGuffin Delivery Service: Malachite uses the reviewers to find the gauntlet for him.
  • The Magic Goes Away: Aeon and Malachite's epic battle many centuries ago created the technology-driven world we live in today, rather than the magic-driven world Malachite wished to make, because Aeon won. Malachite took this well.
  • Magic Versus Science: In the back story, the alchemist Aeon and the sorcerer Malachite fought a mortal battle to determine whose research would receive their king's support. Aeon won resulting in today's technological world, while magic gradually disappeared. Because using magic too much drains your life line, Malachite did not use use his powers until the 1980's, which resulted in him living for tons of centuries. He is currently trying to find his gauntlet, which Aeon took and buried after their battle, so that he can destroy the science-filled world he hates.
  • Magikarp Power: Ma-Ti, even though it's really just his ring that saves the day.
  • Mama Bear: In Part 3, when Team 2 is battling on a playground, preventing anyone from using it, a mom and her kid show up, and the mom ain't pleased.
  • Man Children: Of course. This comes back to bite the Critic's team when they mock the the Good Witch of the Woods too much.
  • Massive Multiplayer Crossover
  • Metaphorgotten: Film Brain's "pea" analogy in Part 2.
  • Mood Swinger:
    • Upon learning the truth about the "free car" both Joe and Spoony instantly go from good cheer to screaming a Big No in anguish.
    • Part 5 has Team 1 realizing that Malachite is still alive, was waiting for someone to try and find the gauntlet by using the map he sent in a chain letter and had placed a tracking spell on, and that not only does Team 2 have that map, but they're also unaware of the tracking spell immediately followed with the return of That Dude in the Suede.
  • Mood Whiplash:
    • The beginning of the film sees an innocent driver being killed and his car blown up. Then after the title we get the usual wackiness of the TGWTG crew.
    • The end of Part 6. They're victorious and have found the gauntlet, but then everything goes silent and they all get an Oh Crap look on their faces: Malachite is right across the road.
  • Mr. Fanservice: Critic and Benzaie due to the Stripperific nature of their costumes and Jew Wario for playing a Memetic Sex God. With the weather being the way it was, the former two regretted wearing so little.
  • Music Video: For Sad Panda's song "Flights of Fantasy", which plays over the closing credits. WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS SPOILERS!
  • Musicalis Interruptus: Linkara keeps trying to sing in Part 2, but everybody tells him to knock it off. His efforts in Part 3 go just as well. He's interrupted yet again in Part 7, but is finally allowed a whole song when he argues that he didn't even get a story arc, though his acting ability may have made up for it.
  • Nakama: Out of verse, as always. But even in verse, they become this. They're still assy and snarky, but they stand together and comfort each other when one gets upset or hurt.
  • Name's the Same: Thanks to this, some who aren't aware of the film Willow thought Handsome Tom was playing a certain other red-haired character named Willow.
  • Never Found the Body: The reviewers believe that Malachite (except the hat) was disintegrated, and the gauntlet was too. That didn't happen last time.
  • Nice Job Breaking It Reviewers: All the reviewers accomplished was to defeat the gauntlet's guardians and lead Malachite to the gauntlet. Without Ma-Ti's Heroic Sacrifice, Malachite would have destroyed the world.
  • Ninja Prop: In a production like this, it's understandable that villains and minor characters would be played by the site's supporting cast and less visible reviewers. So it's a surprise when Cloak #1, portrayed by The Last Angry Geek, actually is the Last Angry Geek.
  • No Except Yes:

Spoony: So, it's like LARP'ing?
Critic: No! That's just a bunch of dorks dressing up and fighting for a fake reward.
Spoony: While we're a bunch of dorks dressing up and fighting for a real reward.
Critic: Exactly!

  • No Fourth Wall:
    • The reviewers know The Oner is for the trailer and can read the on-screen subtitles to understand Arwen!Nostalgia Chick. But then this is pretty much status quo for them. Oddly enough they can't seem to read San!MarzGurl's subtitles, but then again, they did have to be told to read the subtitles by the Nostalgia Chick.
    • Arwen!Chick distracts Cat with a... montage? How does that work?
    • At the end of Part 7, Linkara complains that he didn't get a song or a character arc.
  • No MacGuffin, No Winner: The gauntlet is assumed to be destroyed after the final battle. At the very least, no one can find the thing.
    • Actually, it was revealed in the DVD that someone did in fact find the gauntlet. Not someone we really want having it, though.
  • Non Sequitur Thud: 8-Bit Mickey, after being thrown by Handsome Tom.

We thank you for flying Painful Airlines...

    • Spoony after being launched into the air & sent flying around the world several times' by Malachite.
  • Noodle Incident:
    • Luke's previous quest for treasure.

Luke: [on the phone to his mother] Yeah, I'm on a quest for buried treasure, isn't that cool? No, this one is for real this time. No, I won't bring home another dead animal.

    • Todd cremating Ma-Ti. Both acknowledged as such by the Critic and Todd remarking that the others would probably be better off not knowing the details.
  • Not So Different: Jaffers and his friends turn out to be another group of costumed geeks like the Critic and his reviewers. This is further lampshaded by real-life brothers Doug and Rob Walker playing the Critic and Jaffers respectively, and That Dude in the Suede and the The Last Angry Geek being members of Jaffers' crew.
    • Jaffers is also very pitiful, only written without the usual weird brand of affection that the Critic gets.
  • Offhand Backhand: MarzGurl does this to Todd accidentally.
  • Offscreen Teleportation: Pretty much every character in the series does this at one point or another.
  • Oh Crap:

The Spoony One: Suddenly, I'v decided I'm terribly afraid of you. [runs]

    • The Critic realizing he's spilled the beans on getting the map from a chain letter.
    • After realizing Malachite set the whole thing up and put a tracking spell on the map, the Critic remembers Team 2 has the original map, and there's no way to contact them.
    • After getting the magic gem back, Malachite shows up in homage to the Battle of Pellenor Fields.
    • The reaction of many who saw the DVD Stinger: The gauntlet survived the final battle, and is now in the hands of Mechakara.
  • The Oner: The reviewers cross a field, all in one shot. Lampshaded by the Nostalgia Critic as being solely done for the trailer.
    • Note that Linkara walks a bit out of frame, forcing the camera to jerk to the left. This is because he got confused about when they were splitting up.
  • One-Scene Wonder: The girl using a cellphone who Malachite kills (played by one of Doug's ex-girlfriends) got quite some attention from the fandom, ever since her one second appearance in the trailer.

Doug in the DVD Commentary: To answer the two most frequent questions I get, yes, I am aware she looks like Kirsten Dunst, and no, she is not available. She's married now. So... ya' missed it. Sorry.

  • Only the Worthy May Pass: And none of the gauntlet's guardians think any of the reviewers are worthy.
  • Opt Out: Whomever it was that took a desk job and was replaced by That Dude in the Suede.
  • Overly Long Gag: In Part 4, Film Brain and Luke keep on dropping their stone just to watch the Gate Cleaner snarl at the camera, which he is contractually obligated to do every time someone calls him by stone. He eventually gets tired of it and tells them never to call him again.
    • Malachite forcing the Critic to repeatedly punch himself in the groin 13 times in a row. The oddly realistic crunch sounds don't help.
  • Panty Shot: Critic has quite a banana hammock going on there.
  • Pity the Kidnapper: At the end of Part 4, Film Brain is brain-washed by the Cloaks into joining them. Barely minutes into Part 5, he's proven so annoying and insufferable that they distract him with a tree and flee as fast and far as they can.
  • Power Crystal: The gauntlet itself doesn't have any power, just the jewel stuck on it.
  • Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner: "What do you think of the 21st century?"
    • "I find that quite vexing"
    • "EXPECTO MY FIST!"
  • Pre-Mortem One-Liner: "Go back to the litterbox, pussy of puppety doom!"
  • Precision F-Strike: Angry Joe's "My Name Is Inigo Montoya, motherfucker!," accompanied by a machine gun.
    • Upon learning the location of the gauntlet, by a variety of the cast: "Oh, you've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME! IT'S RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED?!"
  • Prop Recycling: Benzaie's wig is the same wig that Doug uses whenever he plays Douchey McNitpick.
  • Pseudo Crisis:
    • Part 3 ends with Spoony losing the map. But in Part 4, it's shown that he still remembers the next part, so there aren't any problems before they get it back.
    • The loss of the map serves as Foreshadowing. After Malachite hands them their map back, it becomes apparent that he wants them to find the gauntlet.
    • Part 4 ends with Film Brain being brainwashed by the Cloaks. In Part 5, they quickly ditch him for being too annoying, and the others are easily able to snap him out of it.
  • Punch Clock Villain: Jaffers' friends which act as obstacles. (though the Witch is certainly enjoying it too much...)
  • Pun-Based Title


Q-Z

Nostalgia Critic: It's the Internet, Ma-Ti. They have porn for everything.

  • Running Gag: Several
    • Angry Joe constantly screwing up the "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya." line by forgetting that the line was referring to Montoya's father, and not his brother/mother/lawyer/hamster; only to be corrected by someone else. Taken to the logical extreme in Part 7, when Joe refers to himself as "Amigo Toyota" (but does get the "father" part right), and everyone else just faceplams in the background.
      • This winds up generating a fan (And cast) favorite line out of The Cinema Snob in episode 6

Angry Joe: Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my hamster.
Todd: FATHER!
Cinema Snob: "That's not even a PERSON!"

    • Spoony losing and promptly running back to retrieve his hat. Seemingly ended as of Part 3, abandoning it after being blasted off during his You Shall Not Pass attempt.
      • The running gag wasn't even intentional. Spoony just, genuinely, and unscriptedly, kept losing his hat, realising it was gone and going back to get it. They just decided to keep it in the final product. That doesn't stop it from being hilarious, though.
    • The Critic stopping Ma-Ti from joining the adventure with increasingly ridiculous Snipe Hunts.
    • Linkara trying to get everyone else to sing with him.
    • The Critic saying how there's no such thing as magic and Linkara getting pissed off.
    • "I'm Willow."
    • In the commentaries, referring to how baity they're being: "And a million fanfics were written."
    • In regards to the previous anniversary specials, the back-and-forth "Fuck you!" returns once again, this time between Angry Joe and the Voice of the Ancient World.
  • Science Destroys Magic: Part of the premise.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Both Cloak 1 (The Last Angry Geek) and The Cinema Snob ("You betrayed Shiva! ...Well, I think Shiva will get over this.")
    • In Spoony's commentary, it was stated that Linkara was meant to do the same as the Snob, but this was cut as it was just the exact same joke.
  • Sequel: Judging from the personalities and the Here We Go Again scene at the beginning, this clearly follows the same exact characters from Kickassia, and takes place after it.
  • Sequel Escalation: It's longer than Kickassia, there are more characters including several surprise cameos, there are more fight scenes, more (and better) special effect scenes, and an epic fantasy quest complete with a Big Bad that wants to destroy the world along with a magical MacGuffin to track down.
  • Sequel Hook: Lampooned.
  • Serendipity Writes the Plot: Paw was supposed to play an actual kazoo, but they lost it, so a part of the broken Ask That Guy pipe is used instead.
    • Elisa's part was meant to be played by one of Rob's friends. Also, after Elisa nearly passed out from being duct taped to a wall, the shot was discarded and redone with her taped to the couch instead.
    • Ed Glaser was supposed to be a Cloak, but due to weather conditions he chose to remain backstage and Iron Liz took over the role.
  • Shaped Like Itself: The magical cat puppet's name is... Cat. Subverted when Cat turns out to be the puppeteer.
  • Share the Male Pain: A subtle example, but when Malachite forces the Critic to Groin Attack himself, the guys in the background can be seen wincing and cringing.
  • Ship Tease:
    • Cinema Snob and MarzGurl in Part 3.
    • Lupa sure likes pulling Critic's tie and he wanted to kiss her awake in Part 2.
    • Chick is the only one who can talk to Critic about him showing way too much without being squicked and he clings to her hard when he gets scared.
      • Both of these get lampshaded in the cast commentary. For Chick/Critic, Lindsay says the characters have a "history" and for Critic/Lupa, Sage mentions that a million forced feminization fics are going to be written.
    • Joe finds Lupa in leather with a machine gun surprisingly hot.
    • During Part 7, Jew Wario and Nostalgia Chick can be see holding each other while the whole group shouts 'Heart' in unison to aid Ma-Ti, and later the latter rests her head on former's shoulder during Ma-Ti's funeral.
  • Shout-Out: Now has its own page.
  • Shown Their Work: Thirty years ago, the President was shot. On March 30, 1981, Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr. Possibly doubles as a Genius Bonus as well.
    • There used to be two more added lines after this which made it clearer that it was Reagen they were referring to (Jewario worrying about the President and Critic telling him he'll be fine), but it was cut for whatever reason. This led to a few viewers wondering if they were talking about Obama or someone else, forgetting that the tape was made in the 80's.
    • Another comes when Jaffers refers to the Internet as "that Defense Department bullshit". This is a reference to ARPANET, the former Department of Defense network system that formed the core of the modern Internet.
  • Shut UP, Hannibal: After getting banished to the All-Around Cafe, Malachite tries to give his usual Hannibal Lecture to one of the customers, only for the barista to smack him upside the head.
  • Snipe Hunt: How the Critic keeps stopping Ma-Ti from joining them, ranging from protecting non-existent children and elderly to finding goat porn.
  • Solemn Ending Theme: Sad Panda's song "Flight of Fantasy".
  • Special Effects Failure: "Cat" is obviously a puppet. Justified when Cat turns out to be a in-universe puppet.
    • Jaffers and the Cloaks had some awfully wobbly swords for their supposed lethality. Just sayin'.
      • Related to the swords, Linkara said he wanted to bring his real sword, but Doug was worried someone would get hurt and just gave him one of the Cloaks' plastic swords.
      • Proven to be a valid fear, when Rob got hit in the face with Suede's katana during one battle scene.
  • Spin to Deflect Stuff: Malachite does it with his staff.
  • Stealth Hi Bye:
    • Everyone pulls this on the Critic during the first episode. He actually has to tell everyone to knock it off when, one by one, they each do a Stealth Hi to introduce their costumes. As for the bye part, everyone pulls it simultaneously as the Critic delivers his rousing speech while looking out a window. That's right, fifteen people left his house without him hearing.
    • Done to the Cloaks by Team 2 during the "battle relocation."
    • Malachite does it to Jew Wario after returning the map.
    • Ma-Ti and later Linkara show up in the Critic's bedroom from out of nowhere.
  • Stealth Pun:
  • The Stinger: The Gatecleaner's wife saying "Shut up, mommy's in the rock!"
  • Stock Footage: During the flashback scene explaining Malachite and Aeon, there's a shot of an erupting volcano. That you probably can't film in Chicago.
  • Stylistic Suck: Not only invoked but also completely justified, since in-universe all the characters (except Malachite) are normal people putting on an act of being a fantasy character for the purposes of the quest. Even the magic-using Cloaks and Good Witch are everyday people Jaffers recruited to protect the gauntlet.
    • In the commentary, the reviewers point out the battle scenes don't have any continuity (Lupa bites Cat in the foreground, in the following shot he's fighting Tom in the background.)
  • Stunned Silence: The reviewers when they see Malachite using an smartphone.
    • Done again a moment later when they see Ma Ti lying on the ground after the smoke clears.
  • Suspiciously Similar Song:
    • An 8-bit version of the Indiana Jones theme plays when the Cinema Snob shows off his costume. Obviously, the original is copyrighted and a production team of this budget would never be able to acquire the rights to use it.
      • An orchestrated version pops up during his parts in the big fight scene.
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: The box containing the Voice of the Ancient World is very clearly labeled: "DOES NOT CONTAIN VOICE OF THE ANCIENT WORLD." Naturally, AskThatGuy put it there.
  • Take My Hand: When MarzGurl is about to fall off of a slide, The Cinema Snob takes her hand and shouts at her to give him her other as she attempts to reach for her spear. She ends up falling... but it turns out to be a really short slide. To make it even better, they recite dialogue from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. With Marz's lines in Japanese.
  • Take That:
    • In regards to Liv Tyler's portrayal of Arwen via Nostalgia Chick.

8-Bit Mickey: I've never seen someone over-romanticise a bunch of nothing so well.

    • As silly as Cat is, you have to give him one thing. He's funnier than Jeff Dunham.
    • When Team 2 trying to get inside the last location on their map:

The Cinema Snob: Hi there, we represent the Broadway Better Business Players For A Brighter Tomorrow. We're trying to start a petition to get second rate shows taken off the marquee, and with your help, we can stop Mamma Mia! from ever playing again.

    • When Malachite rants about TV shows in part five, his tone gets even more hateful when he gets to Glee.
    • The theme song to Suburban Knights was reedited for people who found it offensive. The only change was "D&D is lame" for "D&D is Okay. It's Okay." The song is stopped by Spoony soon after that.
  • Tap on the Head: Done to Linkara to make him stop singing.
    • Also done to Elisa to convince her that the home-invasion by Team 2 was All Just a Dream.
  • Tempting Fate: Luke reacts to Paw with "I don't wanna go with him!" They end up in the same group (but without much interaction).
  • That Came Out Wrong: Luke tricks Film Brain into delivering an unfortunate follow-up to his insult.

Luke: That's a lot of peas. And I'm just full of them. I'm totally full of pea-ness. So, what are you going to do?
Film Brain: I will eat your pea-ness!
[Everyone else looks over at them]
Film Brain: Oh, no no no no no I didn't mean that, it's just...
Angry Joe: Yeah, whatever. You go to the back.

Jew Wario: Oh I've always wondered what you looked like [click] aaaaaaaand then he backed away...

The Nostalgia Critic: ... Yeah, that did sound a bit douche-y. Promise you'll never let me say that again--
Everyone Else: Promise.

Lary Prince: Sad. [takes off glasses] Very very sad. And now, [puts glasses back on] on a lighter note, the president has been shot...

  • You Can't Thwart Stage One: Malachite regains the gauntlet, despite the efforts of over twenty adult nerds.
  • You Don't Want to Know: At Ma-Ti's funeral, Critic thanks Todd for cremating Ma-Ti following it would be best if he didn't tell them how or why. Todd agrees with this.
    • The original line was "Chicks dig cremations", which makes even less sense!
      • It Makes Sense in Context, as it was supposed to be accompanied with a wink or somesuch gesture towards the ladies of TGWTG. Apparently that was scrapped because the hood didn't leave much room for facial emoting.
  • You Keep Using That Word: After Malachite pauses his "destroy all technology" campaign to answer his smartphone and the Critic calls him an idiot, he replies, "At least I'm not a hypocrite." Critic is so dumbfounded by this response that he has to have Jew Wario take over for him.
  • Your Princess Is in Another Castle: Critic takes the gauntlet from Suede, cheers his team, all of whom begin to droop. The scene goes silent for three long beats before Malachite's theme begins.


MY NAME IS INIGO MONTOYA, MOTHERFUCKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS

  1. ↑ The smudges are autographs. Left to right, top row: Ed Glaser, Todd in the Shadows, Paw Dugan, Linkara, Phelous, That Dude in the Suede, Handsome Tom, Jew Wario, Marz Gurl, Bennett the Sage. Bottom row: Holly Brown (TGWTG showrunner), Obscurus Lupa, Angry Joe, Benzaie, The Spoony One, The Nostalgia Chick, The Nostalgia Critic, The Cinema Snob, Ma-Ti (Bhargo), Luke Mochrie, Film Brain, 8-Bit Mickey, That Other Guy (Rob Walker).
  2. ↑ Not LARPing, though. That's something completely different that only dorks do. That's totally not what this is.
  3. ↑ Show runner Holly Brown also joined Chaos D 1, Welshy, Brows Held High's Oancitizen, The Rap Critic Forget About It's Sad Panda, and Diamanda Hagan in a joke "absentee commentary"
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