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In Very Beast Friends, the Ghostbusters take a cruise on Ray's brand-new sailboat and get caught up in a battle between the immortal demons Kishnar and Anshar. They soon possess the bodies of Peter and Ray in order to battle to the death.[2]

Cast[]

Kishar

Anshar

Ray Stantz

Winston Zeddemore

Egon Spengler

Peter Venkman

Slimer

Equipment[]

Ecto-1

SS Pollywog

Thermal Powered Blaster

Locations[]

Kishar's Island

Sheepshead Bay Marina

Plot[]

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, a pod of dolphins played with each other but quickly scattered. An island with a volcano suddenly emerged and two giant demons named Anshar and Kishar manifested. They attacked each other with various elemental attacks but reached a stalemate. Kishar lost the urge to battle until Anshar suggested the use of mortals. Kishar was intrigued and declared they would each choose a warrior to fight in their place. Anshar expelled a large gust of wind out into the open waters. In New York, Ecto-1 pulled up in Sheepshead Bay Marina. Ray bought a new boat and wanted to take to guys out on a cruise. Egon agreed to come for the peace and quiet that would aid his research. Peter and Slimer, conversely, planned to party. Winston believed Egon wouldn't have a hard time finding unusual lifeforms to study. Peter revealed he wanted to be back on land promptly because he had a big date with telephone operator 23.

The Ghostbusters and Slimer walked past gigantic ocean liners and found Ray's, a small sailboat named the SS Pollywog. Ray assured them what the Pollywog lacked in size, made up in state of the art equipment. Winston looked around and noted there was no motor. Ray activated the sails and the Pollywog departed. Peter sadly looked at a liner with beautiful women in bikinis. Three hours later, Peter lost his patience. Ray was rather confused with the lack of brisk winds his monitors predicted. Ray tried the radio but an unusual atmospheric inversion bounded the radio waves back. All of a sudden, a gust of wind pushed the Pollywog at super speed toward a mysterious land mass. The Pollywog crashed onto an island. The guys ventured into the island to gather food, water, and shelter.

Egon was optimistic about being able to send a S.O.S. once some equipment dried up. Ray and Peter started to argue about how to build the temporary shelter. Winston hinted to Egon they should hurry it up with a way off the island. Egon broke up Ray and Peter. From nearby, Anshar and Kishar plotted to possess Ray and Peter. They would grow in strength as Ray and Peter's negative energy grew then the decisive battle would finally take place. Ray started insulting Peter and his date. Peter took off and found a pond. Although he swore he never saw it before, Peter decided to take a swim. As Ray gathered some sticks near the volcano, Kishar possessed him. As Peter floated around, Anshar possessed him.

Back at base camp, the hut was nearly finished. Winston cautioned Slimer as the spud prepared to pound a nail. However, Slimer hit Winston's left thumb anyway. Winston looked up and saw Peter and Ray arguing yet again. This time, they started to transmutate. Winston sent Slimer to the roof to get Egon's attention. Egon just finished setting up the antenna but Slimer spooked him. Egon fell through the roof. The commotion distracted everyone and Ray and Peter were back to normal. They went to the Pollywog to gather some food while Winston and Slimer tried to tell Egon what was going on. During dinner, the guys gathered around an empty TV set housing a fire. Ray tossed in a log but the embers bounced onto Peter. Peter and Ray started to change again but were bigger. The hut was wrecked and Winston was hit by debris. Peter and Ray turned to normal with no recollection of what just happened.

Egon remembered something and found his books. Anshar and Kishar were a pair of powerful spirits from Sumerian folklore. Kishar was master of fire and earth and Anshar was master of air and water. Every 1000 years, they appeared for one day to do battle over control of the elements. Since they were immortal, they couldn't die and the battles always ended in a draw. Thus, the natural balance of the world was maintained for another 1000 years. Egon realized they needed to keep things upbeat until morning. The guys sang songs around a campfire but one of Peter's quips incited another transformation. Egon, Winston, and Slimer were forced to retreat as Kishar and Anshar fought each other. Egon and Winston jerry rigged a Thermal Powered Blaster that would provide one good shot. Slimer just needed to hold its antenna in the hottest point of a lava flow. He was the only one who could handle the extreme heat. Slimer agreed to do it for Ray and Peter. They waited for an opening. Suddenly, Ray and Peter surfaced. Winston took his shot but missed. Kishar and Anshar were angered and chased after them. Egon, Winston, and Slimer ran out of land but it was sunrise. Anshar and Kishar were defeated and vanished. The reunion was cut short when the island sank. The guys surfaced and boarded a makeshift raft. They used most of their clothes to make an ad hoc sail. Stripped down to their underwear, it appeared the power of friendship saved the day. However, Peter and Ray started to argue until the liner with the bikini-clad women arrived.

Quotes[]

The Ghostbusters: [singing] Row, row, row your boat / Gently down the stream / Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily / Life is but a dream

Trivia[]

  • The episode was recorded on May 23, 1990.[3]
  • The title of this episode is a reference to the saying "Very Best Friends."
  • Kishar and Anshar are both part of actual mythology. Kishar is in Babylonian mythology while Anshar is from both Babylonian and Sumerian. Both are associated with the same elements in the episode.
  • The Ghostbusters arrive at Sheepshead Bay Marina. It is an actual location in Brooklyn.
  • Peter does a lambada.[4]
  • Peter had a date with telephone operator 23.[5][6] [7]
  • Winston gets sea sick over rough waters.[8]
  • Ray owned a sailboat he named the "SS Pollywog."[9]
  • The name "Pollywog" is a common name for small boats. The term is also the name of sailors that have not crossed the Equator, which they call "Slimy Pollywogs".[10]
  • While revealing he has a date, Peter calls Ray "Captain Ahab," from the novel "Moby Dick."[11]
  • Like in "Gilligan's Island," after three hours, things get bad for the Ghostbusters.[12]
  • Peter loses at Gin, a card game, to Slimer.[13]
  • After the Ghostbusters are marooned on the island, Peter refers to Ray as "Captain Queeg."[14]
    • Queeg is a character from the novel "The Caine Mutiny." He was a new ship commanding officer who operated by the book but made a series of mistakes and never admitted it.
  • While building shelter, Peter comments they're not building the Trump Plaza.[15]
  • Peter refers to Egon and Winston as The Professor and Mary Ann, characters from the TV show, "Gilligan's Island."[16]
  • Peter jokes Slimer isn't exactly Dan Quayle either. Quayle was the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush.[17]
  • At the campfire, the Ghostbusters sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," "Home on the Range," and barbershop quartet version of "The Fountain in the Park."[18][19][20]
  • Winston mentions "The Flinstones."[21]
  • When the island starts to vanish, Peter likens the flooding to his parents' basement every spring.[22]
  • Ray is wearing Ghostbusters boxers, last seen in "Kitty-Cornered."
  • Janine doesn't appear in this episode.

Animation Errors[]

References[]

  1. Marsha Goodman (1990). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Very Beast Friends" (1990).
  2. Eatock, James & Mangels, Andy (2008). The Real Ghostbusters Complete Collection booklet, p. 37. CPT Holdings, Inc.
  3. Marsha Goodman (1990). Episode Call Sheet and SAG Report - "Very Beast Friends" (1990).
  4. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 04:25-04:28). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "I want to dance the lambada under-wata!"
  5. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 04:58-05:01). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "I know. I'm talking about my big date tonight when we come back."
  6. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 05:06-05:08). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Operator 23."
  7. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 05:09-05:10). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "A telephone operator?"
  8. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 03:47-03:51). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "Yeah, well, there's something about sailing that brings up the lunch in this man."
  9. Egon Spengler (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 05:36-05:38). Time Life Entertainment. Egon says: "The S.S. Pollywog?"
  10. "Line-crossing ceremony" from Wikipedia
  11. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 05:18-05:25). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "So Captain Ahab, you better get me back in time for my dial a date destiny."
  12. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 06:32-06:35). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "And I've been waiting for three hours!"
  13. Slimer (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 06:36-06:39). Time Life Entertainment. Slimer says: "Gin! I win again, Peter!"
  14. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 08:19-08:21). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Wrong again, Captain Queeg!"
  15. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 09:12-09:14). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "We're just building a lean-to, not Trump Plaza!"
  16. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 11:24-11:25). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Professor and Mary Ann will start to get worried."
  17. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 12:46-12:52). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "Well excuse me, Spud, you're not exactly Dan Quale."
  18. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 15:42-15:52). Time Life Entertainment. All says: "Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream."
  19. Ray Stantz (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 15:57-16:00). Time Life Entertainment. Ray says: "Home, home on the raaange --"
  20. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 16:11-16:14). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "Guys, guys, how about some barbershop quartet?"
  21. Winston Zeddemore (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 18:05-18:07). Time Life Entertainment. Winston says: "Thanks, but I feel like the Flinstones."
  22. Peter Venkman (2009). The Real Ghostbusters - "Very Beast Friends" (1990) (DVD ts. 21:24-21:27). Time Life Entertainment. Peter says: "This used to happen every spring in our basement!"

Gallery[]

Episode Screen Caps[]

Collages and Edits[]


RGB DVD Boxset Features[]


 
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