* Editor's note: There are two versions of this episode: the original pilot and a second one that was edited for syndication/continuity, both of which are still played for some reason. This synopsis covers the syndication version. More information about the many interesting changes soon! *
Top Secret Mission
"Take all precautions. Dr. Claw in Winterland."
"Torch-bearer carrying dynamite. Must stop."
"MAD will use strange animal to disrupt games."
Synopsis
"Winterland: A beautiful mountain resort where the world's athletes are gathered for the opening of the Olympic games," describes an announcer at the opening episode. "...And a perfect opportunity to show the world the supremacy of MAD!" adds Dr. Claw from his lair. Out on the slopes, Inspector Gadget (with a mustache!) and Brain careen out of control on skis towards a crowd. They somehow avoid catastrophe, but not before Gadget is recognized. "Shh!" he pleads, "I'm off-duty!" Back at their chalet, Gadget, Penny and Brain relax until Chief Quimby alerts the inspector that Dr. Claw is in the area. Sure enough, the iron-gloved villain has sent the MAD Yodeler, a maniacal little man with an avalanche-causing singing voice, to do Gadget in. The detective inadvertently thwarts the little Swiss man's efforts, and sends him running for cover. Next, as an anxious crowd awaits the traditional lighting of the Olympic fire, the inspector has to prevent a MAD agent--carrying a torch of dynamite--from sabotaging the opening ceremonies. Claw continues his efforts to get rid of Gadget (as well as Penny and Brain) with a booby-trapped cable car gondola, an out-of-control towline, and an icy waterfall. After these attempts fail, Claw sets loose his Abominable Snowbot--a huge mechanical monster programmed to destroy the Olympic village. Gadget tries to take the mechanical beast into custody, but the violent robot thrashes him like a rag doll and drags him back to Claw's castle. Just before the Snowbot is about to crush Gadget like a bug, Penny uses her computer book to short-circuit the monster's controls so he self-destructs--while an angry Dr. Claw escapes.
Quotable Quote
"Don't try to run--I've got you surrounded!" --Inspector Gadget to a suspect (Brain) who, of course, successfully runs away.
Notes
It's interesting to watch this pilot episode of Inspector Gadget to note the various differences between this episode--made when DIC was presumably trying to sell the show--and the rest of the series. Cree Summer had not yet been cast and Penny is voiced by someone else. Gadget's gadgets make different sounds. Even some of the music is different than what was used in most of the subsequent episodes. There's no definite plot either; rather, there's really just a procession of scenes where Dr. Claw is trying to eliminate Inspector Gadget. Animation-wise, the pilot is superb. Timing and direction are impeccable. Attention to detail is amazing: In the courtyard of the castle, Claw's voice booms out over loudspeakers causing little deposits of snow to fall from the ledges. Another scene has Dr. Claw briefly amusing himself by holding out his hand to let Mad Cat lick it. Once the cat does, Claw smacks him in the face!
Be On The Look-Out For...
...bad facial hair. The original character design for Gadget had him sporting a mustache, but once the series went into production, he had shaved it off. How to explain its appearance in this single episode since it was now included in the syndication package? Simple: Have Penny comment, "I really like your new mustache." In the first scene in their chalet, a short bit of Gadget's dialogue has been looped over (by Frank Welker attempting a Don Adams impression) explaining that he grew it only so he wouldn't be recognized while on vacation.
...inspiration for toy makers. Galoob released little PVC figures of some of the Inspector Gadget characters in 1983. Among these toys is a MAD agent--not one of the usual suspects who appear regularly in the rest of the series, but the dynamite torch-bearer from this episode. Also, artwork on the Inspector Gadget plastic lunchbox that was available in the mid 80s depicts the scene where Gadget is spanning a chasm with his arms while Penny and Brain hang on for dear life.
...John Stephenson. Perhaps best known to cartoon fans as the voice of Mr. Slate on The Flintstones, Stephenson makes his sole "appearance" on Gadget in the pilot as the voices of Chief Quimby, miscellaneous policemen, and numerous announcers. Stephenson's authoritative voice can be heard in countless Hanna-Barbera cartoons in addition to the 'Stones.
...Claw's castle. He used it as a base for most of the rest of the series, and here's the one time we find out where it's actually located: Winterland. Wherever that is.
...Gadget's missing body! Obsessive viewers with a finger on the pause button of their VCR remote will see that after a bird pops the inflated Gadget coat, the inspector's body has presumably exploded as well, leaving only his disembodied head and hands floating in thin air for a few frames. Freaky! And after having set off his own booby-trap, Gadget, Brain, and the MAD Yodeler fly through the air. Apparently the force of the sprung trap knocked the detective's gloves off, because he is very briefly seen without them.
...the MAD Jet. Because it's nowhere to be seen! Instead, we see Claw taking off in his "Secret Shuttle"--a one-man (and one-cat) rocket with a clear glass dome. Perhaps the painfully shy Claw had the MAD Mobile/Jet/Sub designed to afford himself a bit more privacy.
MAD Agent Count
Three: The MAD Yodeler and two others.
Unanswered, Nit-Picky Questions
When the torch of dynamite explodes, Gadget and various cops are a little bit charred and their clothes are ruined, but no one is seriously injured. So what damage could these explosives possibly have done if Gadget hadn't intervened in the first place?
Ridiculous Safety Tip
Snow sports provide us with good exercise and fun.
"Gadget in Winterland"