"Earworm" is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Nickelodeon's Monster High. It is the twenty-third episode of the series overall. It premiered on April 7, 2023. It was written by Mike Carrier.
- For the episode's transcript, see here.
Premise[]
Because Toralei is frustrated at her classmates, she and her bandmates release earworms that control everyone's thoughts.
Plot[]
In the creepateria, at lunch time, Toralei walks to her table and realizes the other students are avoiding her. She sits on the table and sees all the students sitting in groups, but she's left out. Toralei stands on the table and calls all students, claiming she is accepting applications for monsters to sit with her. But no one wants to sit with her, to her frustration. Lagoona walks by with her lunch and Toralei offers her to sit with her, but Lagoona refuses, because Toralei blackmailed her (Witch Hitch) and goes sit with Heath and Manny. Spectra flies by, Toralei angrily stops and claims she will sit with her "or else". But Spectra rejects her as well, to the werecat's frustration again. Near the door, Clawdeen and Clawd are giving the students fliers about their Creepy Crawly Club, that will occur the next day. They will see all kinds of worms in the monster world and the students show interest in it. Toralei is disgusted by the worms and accuses the werewolf siblings' fliers for getting everyone's attention from her. Clawdeen responds as to why no one wants to sit with Toralei because of her unpleasant personality, Toralei denies it, but at the same time treats a monster that accidentally bumped into her rudely. Clawdeen and Clawd give Toralei a flier and leave. Toralei is still angry and wishes to be the most popular ghoul at Monster High. She reads the flier about the worms and learns that there's a worm kind named Earworms, that can mind control monsters, she then has a malicious idea.
The next day, Toralei is in the clawditorium with her cousins, the twins Purrsephone and Meowlody, who have just been transferred to Monster High thanks to Toralei's mother. Toralei is making them carry musical instruments to the stage on their own. The three have started a band called "The Hissfits" and Meowlody is very excited. They are preparing to peform, Toralei claims she will be the most popular ghoul in school, Purrsephone corrects her by saying the three of them will be the most popular band in school, Toralei isn't even listening but agrees. Toralei then shows her cousins what the plan is, they'll use the Earworms that she stole from the Creepy Crawly Club and will use them to make the monsters at Monster High adore her. There's a paper with the instructions written on it, which states: that to use the Earworms, they have to sing a song and the Earworms will make the listeners do what the lyrics say. Toralei immediately throws the instructions in the Trash Can Monster after reading them and tells the twins to get ready. Clawdeen and Clawd are walking down the halls, checking the bugs they got. Clawdeen realizes the Earworms are gone, but Clawd believes their teacher took them because the Earworms are very dangerous. The wolf siblings head to the catacombs for the Creepy Crawly Club.
The Skullette S.A. system (hacked by the Earworms) announces to the school the concert at the clawditorium, and that those who show up there will get extra points, so a few students and teachers go to the clawditorium. There, Toralei introduces the Hissfits to the audience, but no one is actually amused. Then Meowlody releases the Earworms. The Hissfits perform their new song, then the Earworms go around and latch onto the audience's ears, mind controlling them. The lyrics say that Toralei is the coolest and will be loved, so the mind-controlled students and teachers start adoring Toralei. The Hissfits end their performance, and everyone in the audience applauses and chants Toralei's name, leaving her happy and satisfied. But Purrsephone and Meowlody realize no one is shouting for them. On the casketball court, Howleen, Romulus and Barkimedes are playing casketball. Toralei's song starts playing in a speaker and Earworms latch onto their ears, so the Werewolf Pack start dancing. Ghoulia, who is skateboarding down the halls, hears the song playing and an Earworm latches onto her ears, mind controlling her as well.
The Hissfits are walking down the halls, and everyone starts to cheer for Toralei and asks for her autograph, this leaves Toralei very happy, but Purrsephone and Meowlody realize more that Toralei is not giving them credit for their work. Toralei claims she is going to the creepateria, then her "fans" carry her to the creepateria. Although in shock at first, Toralei is amused by it, leaving Purrsephone and Meowlody in the halls. In the creepateria, everyone goes to Toralei to have her sign pictures of her and other objects with her face. Headmistress Bloodgood appears in the creepateria and is also mind controlled, having Mortimer give Toralei fan mail and a statue of her. Purrsephone and Meowlody appear and confront her for being the only one in the band who is being adored. But Toralei simply makes up an excuse that everyone prefers to adore her and leaves the two.
Toralei asks the mind controlled Heads Chef for a purrito, so he gives her ten. When she tries to walk away, Manny, Lagoona and Deuce get in her way, showing their cat ear-like accessories and taking pictures of her, to her annoyance. Everyone starts chasing Toralei, she realizes the attention is too much and tries to escape. Then she sees the Garbage Goblin and has an idea. In the catacombs, Clawdeen and Clawd are sad that no one appeared for the Creepy Crawly Club, since the students agreed to earlier. Then, the Garbage Goblin appears in the catacombs, and it spits out Toralei, who was hiding inside to escape from everyone. Toralei confesses to the siblings that she stole the Earworms and how things have gone too far, saddened, Toralei confesses she was better lonely. Seeing the werecat's sadness, Clawdeen comforts her and says she knows what it feels like to be lonely, as she was always lonely in the human world. She tells Toralei that in her human school's Creepy Crawly Club, she was all by herself, and she doesn't wish the feeling of loneliness for anyone, not even Toralei, so Clawdeen and Clawd decide to help her. Although she is not on good terms with them, she accepts their help, and even says "please" to them.
Clawd says the instructions might say what to do to fix the mess. Toralei remembers she threw the instructions in the Garbage Goblin, so Clawdeen holds it still and Toralei manages to get it back. Once having the instructions, Toralei believes she read everything, but then realizes there's more on the other side of the paper. It says that to reverse the mind control, they have to change the song's lyrics. Toralei, Clawdeen and Clawd head to Bloodgood's office, where a mind-controlled Headmistress allows Toralei to use the Skullette system. Purrsephone and Meowlody are already there preparing their instruments. Toralei genuinely apologizes to her cousins for not appreciating them, and she realizes that the two of them are her true friends. Purrsephone and Meowlody forgive her and the three share a hug, making Toralei feel truly happy.
With the Skullette system, the Hissfits sing a new version of their song, with the lyrics changed to apologize and to talk about how important friendship is. With this, all the Earworms jump off the students and teachers, freeing everyone from the mind control, while Clawdeen and Clawd capture all the Earworms and take them back to their teacher. The victims of the Earworms don't remember what happened. Headmistress Bloodgood, who has just been freed from the mind control, angrily asks Toralei about the Earworms. Toralei tells her that she and her cousins did it all together, so the Headmistress sends the Hissfits to detention. Purrsephone and Meowlody are angry this is the only time Toralei shares credit. Toralei, embarrassed, comments that friendship is confusing.
Characters[]
Notes[]
Milestones[]
- Meowlody, Purrsephone and the Earworms make their official animated debut.
Errors[]
- Toralei isn't sitting at her reserved spot like in "Creepover Party".
- Half of the purritos are gone after falling on the floor.
- Clawdeen's phone disappears in the next frame after showing Toralei her old club image, and is also gone in the next. It is unknown if she put it away.
- Toralei can be seen sitting with no table in front of her after Spectra leaves, but in the next frame, her arms are on the table.
- Heath's Earworm isn't burnt to ash, since his hair can melt things (like in "The Monstering"). His hands also can burn things to ash. Or maybe it's because Earworms are resistant to fire.
- To answer the "error" above, the Earworm isn't touching Heath's flaming hair.
- Clawdeen's Moonclaw talisman disappears when she and Clawd are leaving the Creepateria.
Other[]
- This episode makes a reference to the Generation 1 cartoons, where a darker skin toned green color one-eyed cyclops monster always gets out in a locker. This happens with another one-eyed creature, being pulled in by a tentacle.
- There is another reference to the Generation 1 in the episode, the dance moves Draculaura, Cleo and Frankie are dancing right before they get free from the Earworms are similar to their Generation 1 counterparts' dancing in the animated footages in the Fright Song music video.
- It's revealed that ghosts can make things intangible, and once they touch things they can levitate and move them seamlessly.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
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