Synopsis
"It's really quite simple," Dr. Claw explains to Mad Cat. "Gadget always appears at the scene of the crime. This time I'll lead him there myself. You see, this time, the crime is Gadget's elimination!" There's been so little crime in Metro City lately that Chief Quimby has temporarily closed down the police department. Bored and depressed, he sits in the park feeding the birds. Inspector Gadget tracks him down looking for an assignment. "A cheese store was just robbed downtown," Quimby tells Gadget. "A cheese store?!" huffs Gadget. "But I'm the world's greatest inspector." Reluctantly, Gadget takes the case, and is soon on the trail of the Rat, a two-bit criminal in a black leather jacket Claw has hired. The rodent-like crook continues his crime spree by stealing candy from a baby, burglarizing a toy store, and robbing an appliance store. Gadget collects the cards--all bearing the MAD logo--the thief leaves behind, and sets out to crack the case. Penny is suspicious, wondering why Dr. Claw would be involved in such petty burglaries. Plotting the crimes' locations on a map, she sees that, once connected with lines, they spell out, 'MAD'. Unaware that it's a trap, she has Brain lure her uncle to a sheet metal factory--the scene of the last crime. Through a rare (for him) combination of skill, luck, and help from his niece and dog, Gadget narrowly escapes all of Claw's deathtraps and emerges unscathed.
Quotable Quote
"Wait a minute...That voice sounds familiar!"
--Inspector Gadget after Dr. Claw's voice booms through the factory, welcoming him to his doom.
Notes
One of a number of strange, low-grade episodes: The animation is not as good, and Frank Welker is conspicuous by his absence as the voices of Claw, Brain, and Mad Cat. Though most episodes cycle through seemingly countless variations on the Inspector Gadget theme, this and similar episodes use only a few themes, including one stale musical cue over and over. It's also interesting to note that Quimby makes no appearance at the end, and Gadget doesn't question what Penny and Brain were doing in the sheet metal factory.
Be On The Look-Out For...
...the Rat. Surprisingly, he's not apprehended at the end of the episode and presumably gets away scot-free.
MAD Agent Count
One: The Rat
Unanswered, Nit-Picky Questions
How can Gadget be staring at the "calling cards" left by the Rat with not only the MAD logo on them but also the name "MAD" and be blind to the fact that Dr. Claw is behind this?
"MAD Trap"