Dragonball GT Episode 40 (Aired 03/05/97)
Chikyuu Bakuhatsu! Pikkoro no Juudaina Ketsui Earth Explodes!! Piccolo's Serious Determination
(Just a quick note.) It seems that there is now a "missing episode" for DBGT. Both Newtype Magazine, and the Toei Studios web site list a different episode for number 39. Apparently, episode 39 was slated to be:
Kutabare Bebii! Konjyou no Ichigeki Shit on Baby! A Spirited One-Punch Attack
Then, things get interesting. Newtype lists episode 40 as:
Everyone Escape!! 5 Seconds Before Earth Explodes
However, the Toei web site gives a preview for the next 2 week's shows. According to the web site, episode 40 was to be
This is How It Ends! Finally, Baby's Extinction
Which of course is the episode that actually aired last week. This implies that Toei actually created artwork for "Kutabare Bebii", but had pulled that episode for some reason.
What makes things more interesting is that the real episode 40 doesn't have the same name that Newtype lists as being episode 40. Unfortunately, the Toei Studios page doesn't have the preview for episode 41 posted -- that would have made things much more tantalizing. I'm wondering too whether Toei will correct the episode numbering on their page next week, or if they'll perpetuate it.
And now, the summary for the real episode 40.
After 2 weeks, Earth's Balls will go away. The heroes recap the problem, and watch as the Earth starts to slowly fall apart. Vejiita is angry that Baby had used his body without permission, and the group (Gokuu, Vejiita, Pan, Trunks, and Mr. Satan) go to Capsule Corp. to use the spaceship to try to track down the Balls again. Bulma, Gohan, and Chichi interrupt them, thinking that they're just running off to play without explaining themselves first. The heroes state that Earth is going to self-destruct soon, which comes as a shock to Bulma, Chichi, and Gohan.
Vejiita suggests that they try moving everyone to planet Plant, but no one would want to leave the Earth. Eventually, they realize that Satan is in the ship with them, and he's the only one that can help right now. Soon, Satan is announcing to the world that the Earth is going to explode soon, but the reluctant humans don't believe even Satan; until the next big earthquake. Suddenly, everyone is more willing to listen. Satan states that there are certain people that will be wearing "Mr. Satan" buttons. The humans are to look for these people as their way to get off planet and onto Earth. (Vejiita refuses to wear his button.)
Gokuu has gone SSJ4, and can teleport again. Large lines form, as people touch shoulders with each other; whole stadiums of people get teleported this way by Gokuu and Kiou-bit. Meanwhile, whole fleets of spaceships take off. We get to see EVERYONE that has ever appeared in the TV series and movies. (Pilaf, Tenshinhan and Chau-zu, the Money family, the old dog that was mayor when Daimaoh Piccolo terrorized the Earth.)
One group of punks want to stay on Earth and play video games. Goten can't get them to agree to go, so Vejiita zips in and KO's all of them.
[Commercial Message]
Earth is nearly abandoned, and the quakes are getting worse. The heroes struggle to gets all of the animals aboard a CC ship. Some dinosaurs won't fit, so Gokuu has to teleport them himself. A news crew is sticking around until the last moment, and they run to the CC ship in a panic. There are a few people left on Earth that haven't gotten on the ship -- Gokuu senses their ki's, and teleports out to save them (a drunk, a shipwrecked couple, and a meditating hermit.) Gokuu brings them back to the ship. A farm couple had been struggling to save all of their animals, and they finally succeed. But, they forgot about their son and pet dog. The ship takes off.
The boy and his dog almost get killed as they fall into a chasm as the Earth is giving its final heaves. They are saved by Piccolo. Gokuu zips in, takes the boy and dog, and tries to teleport back to the ship. However, the SSJ4 wears off, and Gokuu turns into a boy again. He can't teleport as a child.
Piccolo replies "You are Son Gokuu. There is NOTHING that you can not do." Piccolo zaps Gokuu, and the boy can now teleport back to the ship. But, he realizes that the demon is still back in the molten core of the Earth. The ship lands on Plant, and Piccolo contacts Gohan. The Namek says that Gohan has grown up to be a fine, strong man, with a very fine Kamehame-ha. He also says that he and the Earth are one and the same. If the Earth blows up, he'll go with it.
Gohan-Baby's Kamehame-ha didn't actually kill Piccolo, but it came very close. The Namek still has a severe oozing hole in his stomach. Finally, the Earth blows up and Piccolo dies. Gohan cries.
Later, the Namek Dragon Balls are used to restore the Earth, and all of the people return there from Plant. Trunks is back at his job as president of Capsule Corp. Gill has been fixed, and is glad to be with Pan again. Gokuu is still a child, and Piccolo is still dead. But otherwise, the world is back to normal again, and the Balls are back to normal too.
[Note: In many ways, this is not one of the best episodes made. There's lots of plot holes, and the ending is very rushed. But, there are some redeeming features (the scene in the core of the Earth with Piccolo is very good.) Fortunately, it's not the last episode in the series either. This gives the story writers another chance to create a better ending.]
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This summary is the copyright of Curtis H. Hoffmann, March 1997.
Permission is granted to copy this file as-is. Permission is NOT granted to reprint this summary in a for-profit magazine or publication. If you want to print this summary, in part or whole, in a fan magazine, please contact me first.