Val Serves Murray Duty

"Val Serves Murray Duty" is the second segment of the 6th episode of the seventh season of Trolls: TrollsTopia, and the 101st overall episode in the series. It premiered in August 11, 2022.
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Val has to fulfill her civic duty by dressing up as Murray the Puffalo, the Trolls theme park's beloved and goofy mascot.
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The Rock Trolls in Rock Hollow are sleeping when Val wakes up and announces she wants to ride a rollercoaster. The Trolls attend Hug Fest. They approach the queue, which includes Holly and Poppy and everyone step aside for Val and her friends. Striped Smiley stops the group and notes that he cannot serve them unless they serve "Murray duty". Poppy explains that Murray is the name of the mascot of the theme park. Val states Murray features heavily in her nightmares. Smiley explains that Trolls take turns as an act of civic service being Murray and Val would know if she answered any of the letters about it she was sent. It turns out that she just has her pet snake Fang eat the letters. Smiley explains that she can't enter the park until she has fulfilled her duty.
After the other Hard Rock Trolls go instead ahead of Val, she turns to Poppy and begs her to help her situation. The issue is her image as a Hard Rock Troll is on the line. She cannot be seen by other Hard Rock Trolls in the get up as it would be embarrassing for her. Poppy explains that Murray is an honor and she's grown a lot since Val came to TrollsTopia and Poppy is sure she will make the right decision. After Poppy leaves, she sees the rollercoaster and lets out an "urgh".
At Biggie's seminar on being Murray, Val attends with other Trolls. Biggie states he served as Murray for over 100 times, including on Techno Day, Classical Day and Country Western Day. He creepily notes he has played Murray so many times it is hard to tell if he actually did so or it is the other way around. He tosses the three Trolls their costumes and tells them they are on try-outs. Val picks up the "try-out" thing and questions it, to which Biggie notes that if you try out and fail, it still counts as serving Murray duty. Val deviously says "really?" and is keen to find out who isn't cut out for Murray duty, because some of them will be unworthy.
On her first try-out, Val stumbles while dancing on purpose. Her bumbling display lands her wrecking several Pop Trolls' jobs at the theme Park. However, Biggie is impressed by the display. He comments he has never seen anyone capture Murray's clumsy charm so perfectly. Val now wants to work on his "charm".
At the next try-out, for this purpose Biggie imitates a rider and Val steers the train. She puts the train on full speed and Biggie cries as the train doesn't usually go this fast. Val's miniature train ends up going out of Hug Fest and onto the Metroll rail. When they stop on the original Track, Biggie notes that Val is the perfect Murray for Hard Rock Day.
The scene changes to Hug Fest's "Hard Rock Day". As Trolls enter the park, Val is hiding, trying not to be seen on the one day all Rock Trolls will be at the theme Park. Val states that the demand is for her to be Murray for just one day; it never states anyone had to SEE her as Murray.
A montage begins of Val dodging other Trolls while dressed as Murray. Val manages to dodge the Rock Trolls all day and is still in hiding while Smiley bids them farewell. Val predicts that her friends about now will be leaving and that Poppy is glaring at her with a hilarious look of disapproval - both predictions are correct. Val says that she did her duty and asks Poppy "who cares?". Poppy states that "he cares" and points to a child upset because they never saw Murray the whole day.
Poppy accepts that Val can't do it, but that she has grown a lot since moving to TrollsTopia and in the end she will do the right thing. Val is clearly upset that she disappointed a child as the child believed Murray didn't want to see him, this overrides her feelings about keeping her image as she tears up. Val leaps out in front of her friends, grabs two horns and goes to cheer up the kid. When confronted by her friends, they state they all did Murray duty themselves and aren't bothered she did the same at all; it changes nothing.
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;Pop Trolls
*Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
*David Fynn as Biggie
*Matt Lowe as Striped Smiley
;Rock Trolls
*Lauren Mayhew as Val Thundershock
*Charles DeWayne as Demo
*Blaze Powerchord (non-speaking)
;Country Trolls
*Holly Darlin' (non-speaking)
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*"Get Away"
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*The title is a play on "serving jury duty".
*This is the second episode to have Val's name in the title, the first being "Be My Val In Time".
*This is the first time that a festival was repeated. "Hug Fest" had its own episode in Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, and is an annual festival that takes place at the Hug Fest Theme Park seen in both episodes, which includes the Big Squeeze and other rides. Though the park exists all year around and was the setting in several other episodes set outside Hug Fest, Hug Fest itself is only set up once a year, bringing together acts and side shows for one day alongside the rides. As seen in this episode, Hug Fest has expanded to include days for each Troll Tribe.
*A big hint the other Rock Trolls did Murray duty is simply that Smiley only stopped Val entering; all the other Rock Trolls entered without him stopping them.
*Despite being the theme park's main attraction, the Big Squeeze is never shown. "Basket Hug" returns from Tug Duluth's game stall, though Tug herself never appeared in Trolls: TrollsTopia, having been replaced by Smiley.
Category:Episodes
Category:Trolls: TrollsTopia episodes
Category:TT Season 7 episodes
Category:Rock Trolls Story Arc Episodes
Category:2D animation