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In Jailbusters, due to their egos, the Ghostbusters are tricked into attending separate functions where they are each captured and swept away into the Ghostworld. There, they are subjected to a bizarre trial for their crimes against ghostkind.[2]

Cast[]

Janine Melnitz

Slimer

Louis Tully

Peter Venkman

Winston Zeddemore

Egon Spengler

Ray Stantz

Ghostworld Kidnappers

Judge Ghost

Ghostworld Jury

Prosecutor ghost

Ghostworld Staff

Ghostworld Prisoners

Bowtie Full Torso

Ghost Governor

Terror Dogs

Equipment[]

Ecto-1

Proton Pack

Particle Thrower

Trap

P.K.E. Meter

Locations[]

Firehouse

Manhattan Ladies Club

Civic Auditorium

Columbia University

Netherworld

East River

Plot[]

At the Firehouse, Janine, Slimer, and Louis were hard at work as usual. Janine typed, Slimer cleaned up with a vacuum, and Louis calculated. A fly distracted Slimer and he accidentally vacuumed Janine's hair. Janine wasn't too upset and declared it was time for a break. Just then, the Ghostbusters arrived. They each held a Ghost Trap and were covered in slime. They downplayed what the staff was up to and quickly brought up how each of them had someplace to be. Peter was invited to the Ladies' Charity Function where he would be auctioned off to the highest bidder as a date. Ray was invited to be a guest speaker at a comic book convention. Winston was off to film a Fizz Up TV commercial. Egon won the Annual Scientific Achievement Award and was off to the University to accept it. Their cabs arrived outside. As they walked off, Louis implored Peter to sign the checks but he belayed that... again.

Peter arrived at the Manhattan Ladies Club but the doorman told him there was no meeting scheduled. Peter went in anyway. Ray's cab pulled up to the Civic Auditorium but it was closed. Ray entered from the back door and a light flashed on him. Winston walked on set and was ready to go. Egon went over his acceptance speech as he walked to the Science Award Banquet. The banquet was oddly held in a janitor's closet. Suddenly, Egon was pulled in. The banquet sign then dissipated. Peter found the charity function but all the women were ghosts. They got up and swarmed him. A gust of wind blew Ray off his feet and he was pulled away. Winston was the last to be pulled away, sighting a ghost holding a slate. He figured the commercial had a ghost theme and remarked the crew member had awesome monster makeup, only to realize too late it was an actual ghost who adducted him. The Ghostbusters passed through a vortex and landed in a building. Egon asserted they were taken to the Ghostworld.

The Ghostbusters were tricked into letting their guard down and got captured by ghosts. They were charged with crimes against ghosts and stood trial. Back on the physical plane, the work day was over but Janine was about to leave but Louis was concerned about the Ghostbusters. He checked out the invites and discovered they were all written in the same handwriting. Slimer smelled the invites and realized ghosts were involved. Louis scanned them with a P.K.E. Meter and got a reading. Janine and Louis suited up and headed out with Slimer to check all the events out. Back in Ghostworld, a Prosecutor ghost questioned the Ghostbusters and accused them of kidnapping and imprisoning ghosts. The guys quickly realized they didn't stand a chance of being found innocent. Janine, Louis, and Slimer arrived at the last spot, the University. They found Egon's bow tie and Louis confirmed similar readings at all four places. The Judge ghost found the Ghostbusters guilty and had them taken away.

Janine declared they were going to rescue the Ghostbusters by going to Ghostworld. Slimer led them to a way there. The Ghostbusters were taken to their prison cell. Ecto-1 pulled up to an abandoned tunnel near the East River. Slimer informed Janine and Slimer a portal would open at midnight. They hung from boards to avoid a wave of slime then pressed onward. Peter tried to dig an escape route but an eyeball messed up his hair and covered up the path. At the mess hall, the Ghostbusters discovered the food wasn't all that better. Janine, Louis, and Slimer were lost but heard Peter screaming. The Ghostbusters were taken from their cell to meet with visitors. It was Louis and Janine disguised as their parents. Louis hinted they were going to make their move at lights out. As Janine and Louis departed, Slimer stole a guard's keys. However, when they sneaked in, a prisoner informed them the Ghostbusters were taken to the Armpit for their execution.

Peter tried to delay the execution but the guard wasn't fooled. A ghost ran up and delayed the order. The Ghostbusters received a pardon from the Governor. The ghost opened a letter and the Governor manifested from it. He personally shoved them down the Armpit. Janine and Louis opened fire on the Armpit and blasted a nearby pillar. Slimer gave it a shove and the pillar fell into the pit. The Ghostbusters ran up the pillar and escaped. They are forced to run for it when the Governor returned with a pair of giant Terror Dogs. They managed to jump through the portal just as it closed. The Governor couldn't stop and fell on the dogs. The Ghostbusters and co. arrived back in New York City at dawn. On the way back to the Firehouse, Peter declared Janine was getting that raise. In appreciation, Janine tussled his hair and everyone told her he hated that, in unison.

Quotes[]

Peter: I hate that!
Ghost Governor: Who you gonna call?
Ghosts: Not the Ghostbusters!

Trivia[]

  • The episode was recorded on July 5 and 6, 1989.[3]
  • Frank Welker recorded alone on July 6, 1989.[4]
  • Winston is fooled into thinking he was going to star in a Fizz Up commercial.[5]
    • Throughout the entire series, to the left of the Firehouse, is a giant Fizz Cola sign.
  • Winston tells Peter not to say "We're not in Kansas anymore," a reference to "The Wizard of Oz".[6]
  • Ray muses that the boys had two chances for a fair trial: zilch and none.
  • Samhain, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the Doctor McCatheter, the Ghostmaster, and the Boogieman appear on the cards that are being shown in the courtroom.
    • The Ghostmaster shouldn't be on the cards because this episode aired before he was captured and the ghost showing the cards says that they are pictures of all the ghosts the Ghostbusters imprisoned in the Containment Unit. The Ghostmaster did appear in a previous episode called "Short Stuff," but he wasn't trapped. He just sent three minions to stop the Ghostbusters and appeared on their TV set vowing revenge after all three of his minions were trapped.
    • The Boogieman wasn't originally a ghost but was essentially turned into one in the conclusion of "The Bogeyman Is Back" in order to be trapped.
    • Oddly, Dr. McCatheter's picture in the flip book of the ghosts captured by the Ghostbusters depicts him in his human form.
  • Peter hates having his hair tussled. And he makes a point of it. Several times. In fact his complaining is what led Janine and Louis to the Prison.[7]
  • Episode reuses its own footage with the Judge Ghost hitting the gavel.[8][9] and when Janine, Louis, and Slimer come into Ghost World.[10][11]
  • Janine refers to the Yellow Brick Road from "The Wizard of Oz".[12]
  • Egon calls the mess hall meal Eyeball Helper, a reference to Hamburger Helper.[13]
  • There are rodent-like scavengers in the ghost jail that look like a single eye with two legs. A larger version appears when Peter tries to dig his way out with a spoon.
  • The ghost being led to the Arm Pit resembles the ghost in the Ghostbusters logo.
  • This episode has Janine in her pink uniform and Louis in his green uniform.
  • At the edge of the Arm Pit, Peter recites part of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.[14]
  • "Jail Busters" is a 1955 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys (who were also renowned for their 1946 film "Spook Busters" which helped to inspire Ghostbusters). The film was released on September 18, 1955 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-ninth film in the series.

Animation Errors[]

  • Numerous times the no ghost logos are missing from Janine and Louis while wearing uniforms.
  • When Janine says "We were gonna discuss the pay raise you promised", her lips don't match the words she's saying.
  • When Janine, Louis, and Slimer leave the Firehouse in the Ecto-1 the garage is empty. [15]
  • In the scene coming into the location Egon was said to receive his award the inside of the Ecto-1 is missing when doors are open revealing background instead.[16]
  • Janine and Louis are wearing the orange jail jumpsuits when leaving Egon's award location.[17]
  • After the Ghostbusters are shoved into their cell, Winston says "Nobody told us how long we're in for", but his mouth doesn't move. Instead, it is remains wide open for the entire shot.
  • When Ecto-1 arrives at the gateway to Ghost World, it's license plate reads "Ecid-1".
  • Janine and Louis approach a clown like ghost with their Neutrona Wands drawn, but in the next shot the wands are hanging from the side of their proton packs.\
  • The waistcoat worn by the clown ghost that Janine and Louis question keeps changing between green and yellow between shots.
  • Janine and Louis arrive at the Ghost Prison on their own, but in one shot, the ghost clown from the previous scene is suddenly positioned in front of them, floating backwards as they walk forwards, but otherwise not moving at all.
  • When Janine and Louis return to the Ghostbusters' jail cell, their hands appear to grab onto the metal bars, but stay behind them instead of grabbing them (cel layering mistake).
  • As the Ghostbusters are escaping the "Arm Pit" and face two brown terror dogs, each Ghostbuster is wearing his normal uniform (even though they have been wearing orange prison jumpsuits). The next shot correctly shows the boys wearing their orange jumpsuits. The same thing briefly happens again when they are all running toward the portal. [18]
  • When Janine and Louis are blasting a large pillar, Slimer moves behind it. But the animation cel of the pillar is missing from the shot until it begins to move.
  • When Slimer comes down the pole carrying traps, the traps are full black and yellow striped.
  • When Louis and Janine come out of the building, and Louis gets his close-up while speaking, he briefly has two mouths.
  • When the Ecto-1 is driving towards the screen, it rolls backwards briefly before going forward.

References[]

  1. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Jailbusters" (1989).
  2. Eatock, James & Mangels, Andy (2008). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection booklet, p. 33. CPT Holdings, Inc.
  3. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Jailbusters" (1989).
  4. Marsha Goodman (1989). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Jailbusters" (1989).
  5. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 03:04-03:09). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "Yeah, I gotta be onset in 10 minutes. We start shooting the Fizz Up commercial today."
  6. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 06:38-06:40). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "And don't say, 'We're not in Kansas anymore'!"
  7. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 09:59-10:00). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "I hate that!"
  8. Judge Ghost (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 7:03-7:08). Time Life Entertainment.
  9. Judge Ghost (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 11:41-11:45). Time Life Entertainment.
  10. Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully, Slimer (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 15:09-15:14). Time Life Entertainment.
  11. Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully, Slimer (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 15:54-15:57). Time Life Entertainment.
  12. Janine Melnitz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 14:41-14:46). Time Life Entertainment. Janine says: "This isn't the yellow brick road but let's go."
  13. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 15:50-15:53). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "A little Eyeball Helper will do wonders."
  14. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Jailbusters" (1989) (DVD ts. 20:39-20:46). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Yeah. Ahem. Four scores and seven years ago, our fathers came forth to this..."
  15. Firehouse (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 9:11). Time Life Entertainment.
  16. Ecto-1 (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 10:46-10:52). Time Life Entertainment.
  17. Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 12:18-12:22). Time Life Entertainment.
  18. Egon Spengler, Ray Stantz, Peter Venkman, Winston Zeddemore (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- Jailbusters (1989) (DVD ts. 24:17). Time Life Entertainment.

Gallery[]

Episode Screen Caps[]

Collages and Edits[]


RGB DVD Boxset Features[]


 
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