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In The Copycat, the Ghostbusters are plagued at the Firehouse by a Metamorph dubbed the Copycat. It changes its shape to match anything, and soon there is much animosity amongst the team, as each blames the other for an act of malice![2]

Cast[]

Winston Zeddemore

Egon Spengler

Peter Venkman

Ray Stantz

Slimer

Mrs. Campbell

Pie-Face

Copycat

Janine Melnitz

Terror Dog

Equipment[]

Ecto-1

Proton Pack

Particle Thrower

Trap

P.K.E. Meter

Containment Unit

Dimensional Inverter

Transdimensional Portal

Shutters Impervious to Ectoplasm

Items[]

Ghostbusters' Washing Machine

Captain Steel Comics

Locations[]

Mrs. Campbell's Residence

Firehouse

Plot[]

Ecto-1 pulled up to a posh residence. The Ghostbusters and Slimer admired the building, then headed inside. They met their client, Mrs. Campbell, and learned a ghost broke all her china, rearranged her furniture, and scared her dog Pieface. Egon took out his P.K.E. Meter and performed a preliminary scan only to find negative supernatural activity. Mrs. Campbell was not pleased but Peter quickly noted they would check around. Slimer wondered off to Pieface's room but was convinced to leave. He followed his nose to the kitchen and found two turkeys. As Slimer rejoiced, one of the turkeys hopped off the table. Slimer spun around and slammed into the empty pan. The turkey shape changed into Pieface and scared the real one.

As the Ghostbusters headed back to Ecto-1, the fake Pieface jumped out the window and turned into the No Ghost icon then jumped onto the rear of Ecto-1. Back at the Firehouse, Ecto-1 gingerly backed in. The ghost rolled upstairs while Janine informed the guys there were no more calls. Winston went to work on Ecto-1, Ray and Egon decided to test the Transdimensional Portal, and Peter and Slimer went to do some laundry. Slimer feigned hunger and made himself a snack first. However, he saw a bigger hamburger out in the rec room. Slimer lunged at it but the burger leaped away down stairs. Down in the basement, Peter loaded the laundry as Slimer wondered in. The burger hid behind the basement door as Slimer told Peter about his odd encounter. Slimer took Peter with him to investigate.

The burger shape changed into Peter and walked over to Winston. The fake Peter spilled a bunch of oil on Winston and ran off. He then shape changed into a lamp and Winston ran right past it. The real Peter was back in the basement with Slimer playing laundryball. Winston slammed in and yelled at Peter as the lamp walked behind him laughing. On the third floor, the lamp shape changed into Janine and visited Egon and Peter. It inquired about their Transdimensional Portal and was frightened by a Terror Dog that came into view. As fake Janine left the lab, the real one walked past it. Janine freaked out and Egon took her out to lie down. The ghost, hidden as a table, flower, and vase, shape changed into Egon and returned to the lab. It turned off the power to the portal and ran off while Ray fixed it.

In the rec room, Egon tended to Janine while Winston argued with Peter. Ray stormed down and confronted Egon. Egon denied it was him because he would never cut the power nor say "Just because." Winston sat down and the chair ran off. Egon realized they were dealing with a Metamorph. Ray translated to everyone the ghost was a shape changer. Egon brought out a remote and initiated a lockdown. He revealed he recently installed shutters impervious to ectoplasm throughout the Firehouse. Everyone split up and searched the Firehouse for Copycat. Janine and Slimer searched the reception area. Peter looked around the sleeping quarters and accidentally shot Ray's radio when it went off at 8 o'clock. Ray and Winston searched the kitchen and found only a mouse and a cheese block. The cheese turned out to be Copycat and it ran off.

In his lab, Egon pondered if he had one or two brains. One of the brains was Copycat. He knocked Egon's glasses off and tricked him into shooting the Transdimensional Portal. The Terror Dog from before passed through and attacked Egon. Egon quickly threw an alarm and alerted the others. The Ghostbusters blasted the Terror Dog and forced it back through the portal. Egon hit the switch and propelled the entity back into the Netherworld. Ray noticed a limited edition of Captain Steel and picked it up. Copycat emerged from the comic as Captain Steel and easily dispatched the guys. They followed it downstairs and Slimer searched the foot lockers. The phone rang and the Ghostbusters blasted it by mistake.

Ray noticed Peter had two hula girl lamps on his desk. One was Copycat. It shape changed into a Proton Stream and shot around, narrowly missing everyone, before it headed back upstairs. Ray got an idea and recalled how Metamorph's were very playful. He asked Slimer to help trick Copycat into playing a copycat game. If Slimer could get him to take the form of a ghost, the guys could trap it. Slimer agreed and searched around. Winston guided him to the foot stools. Slimer gathered his courage and called out Copycat. He took the bait and shape changed into Slimer. They traded insults as the guys watched in silence. Egon was sure the one on the right was the real Slimer but Peter held out a candy bar just in case. Once the real Slimer was out of the way, the Ghostbusters trapped Copycat. Slimer slimed Peter but took it in stride.

Quotes[]

The Copycat: Who ya gonna call? HA...HA...HA...HA...
Egon: Like I said, the one on the right!

Trivia[]

  • The episode was recorded on August 3 and 7, 1987.[3]
  • Recording was canceled on June 10 and June 12, 1987.[4]
  • Dave Coulier recorded alone on August 7, 1987.[5]
  • When the Copycat jumps off the ghost logo on Ecto-1, the original logo blinks.
  • Slimer sings part of the Ghostbusters theme song.[6]
  • According to Ray, he is the only person to have a limited edition of a Captain Steel comic.[7]
  • Ray also admits once more Captain Steel is his favorite comic book.[8]
  • Captain Steel is impersonated by Copycat.
  • According to Egon, he never uses the phrase "just because".
  • Peter holds out Slimer's favorite chocolate bar to draw the real Slimer to safety. In "The Two Faces of Slimer," it was revealed to be Triple Caramel Crunchie.
  • This episode is later remembered in "Deja Boo."

Animation Errors[]

References[]

  1. Marsha Goodman (1987). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "The Copycat" (1987).
  2. Eatock, James & Mangels, Andy (2008). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection booklet, p. 27. CPT Holdings, Inc.
  3. Marsha Goodman (1987). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "The Copycat" (1987).
  4. Marsha Goodman (1987). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "The Copycat" (1987).
  5. Marsha Goodman (1987). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "The Copycat" (1987).
  6. Slimer (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "The Copycat" (1987) (DVD ts. 05:33-05:41). Time Life Entertainment.
  7. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "The Copycat" (1987) (DVD ts. 17:02-17:08). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "A limited edition of Captain Steel? This is really incredible. I thought I had the only one in existence!"
  8. Ray Stantz (2009).The Real Ghostbusters- "The Copycat" (1987) (DVD ts. 17:17-17:19). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "Captain Steel is my favorite comic book!"

Gallery[]

Episode Screen Caps[]

Collages and Edits[]

RGB DVD Boxset Features[]

 
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Big Trouble With Little Slimer Air Date Camping it Up
Big Trouble With Little Slimer DVD Order Camping it Up
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