"The" is the twenty-second episode of the second season of Aqua Teen Hunger Force and the 40th episode overall. It originally aired on December 21st, 2003.
Plot
Cold open: Dr. Weird is wearing a strange headdress and rips out Steve's spine yelling "Samhain forever!"
At the Aqua Teens' house, Frylock finds that Master Shake has totally trashed the house, filling the house with land-mines which Meatwad constantly steps on. Shake is doing this to keep out the rats and smashed a hole through the wall. Frylock also finds that Shake has filled his his room with garbage and bricked the door. Having had enough of Shake's disrespectful behavior, he moves out and moves into a condominium with the help of Carl, who only helps him because Frylock lied about Shake and Meatwad moving away.
Without Frylock's stabilizing influence, the Aqua Teen house rapidly falls into total chaos, with Shake abusing and dominating Meatwad, using raw chickens for batting practice in the living room, and burning styrofoam as firewood. Rats are still running in and out of the huge hole in the living room wall. Frylock shows up at the Aqua Teens' house and finds Meatwad with his eyes badly swollen from the raw chickens and burning styrofoam. Shake is unrepentant and arrogant, refusing to go to Frylock's condo warming party, calling Frylock a "beggar." Shake tells Frylock that Meatwad and he are fine. At this point, Meatwad inquires what's for dinner, and Shake tells him to find his own dinner, since "this is [his] mustard!" as he eats a packet. Even Carl is developing eye problems from the disgusting unhealthy conditions next door and asks Frylock for help.
Frylock begins hosting a house-warming party but nobody he invites shows up, apparently because they're disgusted or horrified by him for some reason; one of his friends notes that it's not so much him, just that "people see [his family] with [Frylock]", and he's going to "hang out with some human beings". Carl would come, but his eyes shut completely. Meatwad tries calling to RSVP, but Shake intercepts the call, abuses him and hangs up the phone. In desperation, Frylock tries inviting the Mooninites, but they only show up to steal his food, drink his beer, spraypaint his walls, and trash his new home.
Sad and hurt, Frylock visits the Aqua Teen's house again to find Carl taken away by an ambulance, which he falls out the back of onto the street. Shake now has eye problems of his own, and Meatwad's eyes are totally swollen shut. He attempts to tell Frylock about the terrible conditions he's living under, but is threatened by Shake, admitting in a whisper that they ate Carl's holly bush for food yesterday, which Shake (in his ridiculous stupidity) calls "bringing in the crops", since they are "farmers now."
Frylock has brought some spring rolls and ointment for the two, which prompts Shake to begin gorging on the spring rolls and Meatwad to eat the ointment, despite Frylock's admonitions that it's for his eyes. Shake, with his usual brand of total arrogance, begins negotiating stipulations for Frylock to be "allowed visitation" at the house, "provided [Frylock] brings a lot of ... little fried burritos." Frylock tells him no and goes to leave. Shake stops him and says he's being serious now, and adds "You must pay us a stipend" to his list of demands, prompting Frylock to curse him. Frylock is already gone, but Shake continues with his demands, announcing that "A memorial plaque will be carved and bejeweled in [Shake's] honor" before Frylock is allowed back, to which Meatwad points out that he's already gone. Shake replies "Those are the terms!". At this point the house catches fire from the pile of burning Styrofoam.
Frylock later gets another call from Shake (whose condition has gotten worse) and asks if he is coming back, with Frylock responding "Hell no!"
Featured Characters
- Dr. Weird
- Steve
- Frylock
- Master Shake
- Meatwad
- Carl Brutananadilewski
- Man on answering machine
- Jay
- Ignignokt
- Err
Trivia
- Err's voice is lower pitched in this episode.
- This episode (along with "PDA") has the shortest episode title ever.