Crush and Burn

"Crush & Burn" (stylized as "Crush + Burn") is the second segment of the tenth episode of Pepper Ann. It aired on November 15, 1997.
==Plot==
Pepper Ann lies to Milo's insane crush, Gwen Mezzrow, about being his girlfriend -- which turns into a tangled web of deceit involving everyone in school.
==Synopsis==
Milo receives a love note from a girl named Gwen Mezzrow and is put off by her weirdness. He asks Pepper Ann to help her and she responds by telling Gwen that he and Milo have been a couple since the fourth grade. Gwen begins telling everyone of their supposed relationship and it reaches the ears of Nicky who is upset but told that it is just a ruse by Pepper Ann. When Gwen reveals that Pepper Ann told her that Milo broke up with her, Nicky says that she broke up with Milo to pursue playing the autoharp and adds that Pepper Ann was raised by nuns at an orphanage. As they leave the arcade, gossip editors Tessa and Vanessa James try to report on the going on in Hazelnut and learn just now that Pepper Ann and Milo are a couple. Embarrassed for them, Pepper Ann tells Gwen that they are starring in a Twin Mint gum commercial and have been busy which they purport.
Milo becomes unfocused without his hat (Pepper Ann is wearing it to signify their relationship) and Nicky takes up the autoharp which she is angry about due to the instrument's difficulty. Cissy and Trinket are both dragged into lies as well when Pepper Ann tells Gwen that the two volunteers at the soup kitchen with Ms. Stark happily congratulating the two. When Gwen visits Pepper Ann at her house, she sees her family and is confused, leading to Pepper Ann tossing a wheel of cheese out the door so that Ned could leave. Everyone attends a concert held by Nicky who can now successfully play the autoharp and nuns come and visit Pepper Ann's house with Lydia becoming suspicious. Cissy, Trinket, Nicky, Tessa and Vanessa all voice their abhorrence at Pepper Ann's actions while Milo finally admits that he has a crush on Gwen now which upsets Pepper Ann as she feels that they need to keep up the lie.
Principal Hickey calls for an assembly for all the students to announce the school's awards. When Milo and Pepper Ann are about to be announced as best couple, Pepper Ann finally sits up to reveal that their relationship has been nothing but a lie to help her friend. This results in Tessa and Vanessa admitting they are not famous, Nicky admitting that she hates the autoharp (even though she has learned to master it), Trinket admitting that she hates volunteering (less than three hours to Ms. Stark), Cissy admitting that she is not actually a dumb blond (so as not to be intimidating to others) and Gwen reveals that her crush on Milo was to make Dieter jealous who, ironically, does not care for her. Milo forgives Pepper Ann and she returns his hat, resulting in him becoming his usual self.
==Cast==
===Main cast===
*Kathleen Wilhoite as Pepper Ann Pearson
*Jeff Bennett as Ned Diggity*, Dieter Liederhosen*, Pinkeye Pete* (no lines), Asian Man*
*Danny Cooksey as Milo Kamalani
*Clea Lewis as Nicky Little
*Pamela Segall as Moose (dropped)
*April Winchell as Lydia Pearson, Sherie Spleen*, Abriola Stark*, Nun*, Additional voices
===Additional voices=== 
*Don Adams as Principal Hickey
*Kimmy Robertson as Gwen Mezzrow
*Kath Soucie as Cissy Rooney, Cossie Van Tuttie*, Robert* (no lines), Asian Girl*, Additional voices
*Cree Summer-Francks as Tessa and Vanessa James, Crying Girl*
*Jenna von Oÿ as Trinket St. Blair
* Marks an uncredited voice role
===Non-speaking appearances===
*Janie Diggity (no lines)
*Jo Jo Diggity (does not speak)
*A Gaggle of Nuns (do not speak)
*Alf (cameo)
*Alice Kane (cameo)
*Brenda (cameo)
*Constance Goldman (cameo)
*Crying Girl (cameo)
*Lamar Abu-Dabe (cameo)
*Mama Tried Guy (cameo)
*Miss Fresno Grape Queen (cameo)
*Surfer Boy (cameo)
*Skater Boy (cameo)
*Timid Boy (cameo)
*Timmy (cameo)
*Tommy (cameo)
*Fabian (cameo)
==Goofs==
*Nicky is shown to play the autoharp, which she hates. This gag is meant to be called back to in Nicky Gone Bad, which precedes this episode in broadcast/package order, despite being produced/taking place after this episode.
*In one scene, a voice clip of Cree Summer-Francks is used for Trinket instead of Jenna von Oÿ.
*In the crowd scene, a duplicate of Nicky can be seen, above Cissy.
*Cossie Van Tuttie, despite being established as absent by Principal Hickey, is shown sitting next to Nicky.
*Damian appears in the background of the crowd before his formal introduction in "Thanksgiving Dad", which was produced prior to this episode.
==Trivia==
===General===
*During UPN broadcasts, this episode segment and "Soccer Season" were swapped in order.
**This episode is also the seventeenth segment in broadcast order.
*This episode marks the first of a few things:
**Gwen Mezzrow's first speaking appearance (and her debut in production order).
**The first episode in which Ned Diggity is explicitly portrayed as Pepper Ann's cousin.
**The first appearance and mention of the school newspaper "Hazelnuts 'N' Bolts"; it is revealed that Tessa and Vanessa are the editors for the gossip column for the paper.
**The first time Nicky is shown performing in front of an audience.
**The first time Pinkeye Pete frowns.
**The first time a background character, in this case Cossie Van Tuttie (the girl whom Gwen Mezzrow talks to), is named in an episode.
*Moose was intended to appear in this episode but was dropped for unknown reasons.
===Continuity===
*The on-off love triangle between Gwen, Dieter and Milo is established in this episode.
*The school newspaper "Hazelnuts 'N' Bolts" is first mentioned in this episode; it is revealed that Tessa and Vanessa are the editors for the gossip column of the paper.
===Allusions===
*The title of this episode is a twist on the title of the 1990 film Crash and Burn.
*When news of Pepper Ann and Milo's supposed relationship spreads overseas, a girl yells "get out!" while shoving the person. This is a reference to the character of Elaine Benes from Seinfeld. 
**Said girl seems to be a modified version of a student incidental often seen in the background.
*Twin Mint Gum is a parody of Double Mint Gum.
==External links==
*Crush & Burn on Pepper Ann Wiki 
Category:Pepper Ann episodes