"...Or Die Trying" is the first episode of the second season and the sixteenth episode overall of The Boondocks. It originally aired on October 8, 2007.
Synopsis[]
The Freemans and Jazmine sneak into a movie theater to see Soul Plane 2.
Plot[]
Huey, and Riley and Granddad watch the trailer for the movie Soul Plane 2: The Blackjacking!, which Robert and Riley want to see although Huey becomes disgusted, and the opening sequence begins. Huey determinedly complains about what happen the last time he, Riley and Granddad went to the movie theater. Jazmine, who walked in the Freeman household comes to go to the movies along with the Freemans, but can't see Soul Plane 2. Granddad forces Huey to go to the movies and Jazmine to see Soul Plane 2: The Blackjacking!. Later, the four sneak into the theater as Huey warns Jazmine that by going to the movies with his grandfather, she will have the "worst day of [her] life. "Uncle Ruckus, working as an usher in this episode, has an apparent aptitude with nunchucks. Jazmine, who had gone with them knowing she did not have permission from her parents to see the movie in question, is distraught when they sneak in and sit down without having paid. Huey talks to one of the staff and gives him the idea to unionize. Jazmine becomes distressed over PSAs decrying the theft of movies, and even attempts to turn herself in, but is stopped by Granddad, who tells her to stop crying and enjoy the movie.
Huey notices Jazmine crying and asks his granddad what’s wrong with her, but he is too distracted by the hilarity of the movie to answer. Huey decides to destroy the movie reel, sneaking his way up to the projector room. Meanwhile, Uncle Ruckus, working as an usher, realizes that Granddad snuck into the movie and chases him with security. Riley, who had been videotaping the movie suggest that to Granddad that they leave Jazmine behind and get out, which they do, leaving Jazmine with the camera, she is quickly caught by Uncle Ruckus. Huey gets to the projector room but trips an alarm, he flees from security and ends up fighting Uncle Ruckus with an improvised staff. Uncle Ruckus fights Huey with evenly matched skills, displaying his mastery of nunchaku with a pair of nunchucks that Huey accidentally left in the bathroom. Huey is outmatched of Uncle Ruckus' mastery which results him losing the fight and ends up in the security office with Jazmine.
Granddad and Riley return to the movie theater where Granddad ends up taking responsibility for the children. Everyone escapes punishment, due to all the employees being fired after they attempted to unionize, which Huey had suggested they do earlier.
As they leave for the car, Huey stops when he sees Uncle Ruckus behind him, still holding his nunchaku. Huey tells the others to wait, saying, "There's something I need to take care of." He and Uncle Ruckus charge at each other, leaping into the air. The episode concludes in a freeze frame of Huey and Uncle Ruckus as they clash.
Appearances[]
Cultural references and Trivia[]
- The beat that plays after the intro contains a sample from "Bunsen Burner" by Jon Phonics
- The title of the episode is a reference to the film Get Rich or Die Tryin, which is referenced numerous times throughout the episode.
- Cast members John Witherspoon (Granddad) and Gary Anthony Williams (Uncle Ruckus) reprise their roles as the blind man and Flame from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Release Soul Plane.
- Beginning in this episode, the tuba piece "Jabba's Theme" (from Return of the Jedi) is used as a musical theme for Uncle Ruckus.
- The movie advertisements are a parody of the film industry's Who Makes Movies? anti-piracy campaign.
- The beat that plays during the two fights between Huey and Ruckus contains a sample from "Loving You - Losing You" by Phyllis Hyman.
- When Uncle Ruckus display's his mastery of the nunchaku, his exact movements and the sound the nunchucks make are in reference to Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon.
- Dorothy, Granddad's car that was pimped in the previous season, was seen in the beginning of the episode.
- The architecture (interior and exterior) and uniforms of the movie theater in the episode are modeled from the Pacific's The Grove Stadium 14 Movie Theater at The Grove in Los Angeles' Fairfax District.
- Snoop Dogg, who voices Macktastic, also reprise his role as Captain Mack from Soul Plane.
- In the beginning when the terrorists ask what "CTP" means, there is a sign that says "NWA". A rap group from the late 80s and early 90s.