Hatching the Plan (Inanimate Insanity episode)

"Hatching the Plan" is the fourteenth and final episode from series two of the object show Inanimate Insanity. The episode premiered online on August 2nd, 2020. It was written by Brian Koch, Justin Chapman, Adam Katz, and Taylor Grodin. Grodin also served as supervising director.
== Plot ==
Fan wakes up from a nightmare to find Baxter sat on his bed. Fan has a "talk" with him, and realizes that "the only barrier separating [him] from the game is in [his] mind", which an awoken Paintbrush reputes. Meanwhile in a cave, Taco and Microphone witness a conversation between MePad and MePhone. MePhone vents about realizing the show is being puppeteered by his creator, Steve Cobs. A loud noise is heard that causes MePhone to constantly glitch, which MePad tracks to the contestant grounds. Over in the contestant grounds, Test Tube panics over the egg emitting a series of exponentially amplifying noises. Fan arrives and attempts to take the egg. Suddenly, a beam of light appears and lifts Fan into an egg-shaped spacecraft.
MePhone, thinking the alien spacecraft is a product of Steve Cobs, orders the contestants to retrieve Fan from said craft. Microphone suggests to Test Tube that they use her secret laboratory. Test Tube decides to allow the rest of the contestants to dismantle her secret lab to use as parts to build a rocket. Meanwhile on the spacecraft, now stationary in the sky, Fan exclaims his disgust about the room he and the egg are in being "exceedingly minimalist, and not in a pleasing way". Suddenly, a speaker comes online.
The contestants begin building the rocket, with Test Tube commenting on Knife's work and Microphone's "tearing apart of [her] trust...and stealing". Taco asks Microphone to buy her some time. Suitcase has a panic attack. She argues with Test Tube and Baseball about Fan being eliminated from the show, and comments on how Test Tube thinks Suitcase is referring to the egg. Back in the cave, MePhone asks MePad to join him in erasing his memories. MePad points out that this, forgetting and complying, is what Cobs wants, and that their best chance of survival is to work together with the contestants and Toilet. MePhone points out how MePad allowed Marshmallow to leave. MePad wonders what he's doing in the cave, and teleports away.
On a dock, Suitcase converses with Baseball about his stress about standing up for herself. Baseball reassures her, saying that everyone, especially Test Tube, was on edge, and not to take it personally. Suitcase answers, "Nothing personal... right?" Uncomfortable, Baseball agrees then says that he wishes he knew how to fix it. Suitcase scoffs and affirms that Baseball "can't fix it", and that it "doesn't just go away." and tells him that the fact he was there, and trying, was enough. She thanks him, stands up, and tells Baseball they should get back to work. Zooming out, Knife, looking suspicious, watches the two walk off the docks.
MePad teleports to the contestant grounds. Taco suddenly jumps from a bush and shoots him. Knife, meanwhile, talks with Microphone about Taco. She comments that she and Taco are equals, and that she's not being "shut down" and "dragged along" - which Taco, in the background, is doing with MePad in the background, which Knife comments on, much to Microphone's confusion. Test Tube vents to Lightbulb about Suitcase's words to her from earlier. Lightbulb then proclaims it's not just about what you do, but also HOW you do it. Test Tube smiles and thanks her, then demands that Lightbulb go get some tape to fix the wing. Lightbulb, surprised by her own damage, departs. Test Tube looks up at the spacecraft and says that "[they're] almost there".
Back on the spacecraft, the ship declares Fan a low threat, and demands he lay the egg on the ground. Fan refuses. Suddenly, the egg "hatches", and becomes a floating egg-shaped being. An older version of this egg creature enters and wraps a chain around Fan. The contestants finally finish the rocket. Test Tube comments that the ship was built for one pilot - her. Lightbulb names the ship "the Flying Buddy". After a brief conversation with Suitcase, Test Tube blasts off in the rocket, but the ship begins to break down. The remaining contestants on the ground decide to use Lightbulb's electrical powers to help repower the rocket, which blasts straight towards the spacecraft. The contestants celebrate, while away from the commotion, MePhone quietly reconsiders deleting his memories.
Knife announces that Test Tube has a chance at immunity, and begins to prepare in case Test Tube fails her mission. He and Baseball begin arguing, until Suitcase pitches in and sides with Knife, saying that Test Tube would understand it was only part of the game. Microphone retreats to the forest and finds Taco sat next to an offline MePad. Taco reassures he's merely in sleep mode, allowing the duo to teleport freely. Microphone clarifies it's to save Fan, and Taco begrudgingly agrees. Not convinced, Microphone asserts that there would be no violence involved, which Taco obliges to.
On the Egg Spaceship, Fan is brought to a large throne room with several guards. Several lights join together in a large shell and form The Prime Shimmer, who demands to know who Fan is. Fan gives a lackluster response, annoying The Prime Shimmer who asks Fan where he found their youth. Fan explains they were found on Mars, and he wanted them to be safe. He quietly accuses them of leaving them stranded, but The Prime Shimmer, engraged, shouts that they were stolen, and angrily questions what right Fan had to take them and asks, beyond the reality show, who Fan was. Fan is unable to answer this. Test Tube arrives, and the Shimmers immediately panic over Test Tube's phone. The Prime Shimmer informs them of how the eggs were stolen; the Meeple Corporation had offered technology to the Shimmers in return for information on their unique source of organic energy. Over time, the Meeple devices sought to harness their energy. The Shimmers refused; in reaction, the Meeple devices attempted to steal the Shimmers' children, but only managed to make it off with two - one of which being the young Shimmer from earlier.
The Prime Shimmer asks if Test Tube and Fan knew where the second egg was, but Test Tube, saddened by the story, declines, and sadly apologizes. Attempting to console her, Fan explains its Cobs' fault, but Test Tube notes that they all stole the egg when they belonged to The Shimmers. She askes if Fan is ready to say goodbye to the Baby Shimmer, but he instead goes to say hello. Fan approaches the Baby Shimmer and apologizes for wanting to keep them safe, but reassures them that they'll still have each other. The Baby Shimmer's eyes glow red and green in response. The Prime Shimmer expresses their happiness that Fan and Test Tube have embraced what they don't understand, though they jokingly quip that would've preferred if their children weren't abducted. Surprised, Fan notes they understand humor, but The Prime Shimmer confirms that they do, but simply didn't find them funny. After a moment of laughter, Test Tube is suddenly shot by a red beam and shattered and Fan is electrocuted knocked out by Taco. The Shimmers begin to panic as Microphone attempts to calm them, scolding Taco for not following the plan. Taco dismisses this and orders Microphone to steal Fan back. She quickly snatches him up as one of the Shimmer Guards hits a button.
The Egg Spaceship charges and takes off quickly as Lightbulb watches nervously, though Suitcase assures her that Test Tube is okay. MePhone sneaks out from behind a bush and is greeted by Baseball, agitated that the spaceship is gone with Test Tube and Fan. MePhone receives a notification and recovers Test Tube, who is confused and panics when she also notices the spaceship is gone. Microphone then walks in holding Fan, still knocked out, and tosses him on the ground, causing the rest of the group, except Test Tube, to cheer and applaud her. Taco speaks to Microphone over gain, embellishing their victory, but Microphone strikes back asking if Taco had said the same thing to Pickle back in season one of the show. Microphone denounces her partnership with Taco, determining she gained nothing from their relationship, and turns off her gain, leaving Taco in silence.
MePhone excitedly asks for details about taking down Cobs, but Test Tube exasperatedly goes off to explain that it was an alien species and Microphone had obliterated her. However, with no raw evidence with only Test Tube giving her testimony, along with her antagonistic mood that gives her an already bad reputation in front of all of the contestants with MePhone, and with Fan (even as a trustful contestant) knocked out from Taco; everyone refuses to believe the truth from Test Tube that Cobs is still planning. MePhone seemingly ignores Test Tube and is relieved that there was no Cobs, happily giving Microphone immunity. Microphone remorsefully looks to Test Tube carrying Fan, who snaps "I hope it was worth it.", and walks off with Lightbulb.
At the Elimination Area, MePhone prepares to read the elimination votes but notices MePad is missing and summons an old printer. Microphone reveals that she had been listening to "voices in her head", which MePhone initially links to the printer's lack of cartriges. She decides that she never heard herself anymore, and wants to quit the game. Baseball is confused by Microphone's choice, but she clarifies that she's making her first good choice and it's what she wants. MePhone attempts to console with her but quickly gives up, and instead moves on with the elimination, no longer counting Microphone's vote, much to the surprise of the contestants. After reading off the votes, Test Tube is determined to have the most and is consequently eliminated too.
Baseball immediately apologizes to Test Tube, remarking it was "nothing personal". Test Tube scolds Microphone one last time before Knife separates the two and walks Microphone to the Rejection Portal, noting that she looks relieved. Microphone enters the portal after warning Knife that Taco is still out there, unbeknownst that Taco was watching and teleports away with MePad. As the sun rises, Test Tube approaches Fan, startling him awake. After Fan calms down, Test Tube hands him a new phone and formally apologizes, insisting that despite other's comments about her intelligence, she still has a lot to learn, and worries that things won't be the same. Fan agrees but decides it's okay, insisting affirming that they "got it" and so do, presumably, The Shimmers. Test Tube concludes that she trusts Fan, but is suddenly interrupted by Lightbulb, who quickly goes from positive to upset once realizing that both Test Tube and Fan are eliminated. Test Tube says goodbye to Lightbulb, asking her to "stir up some chaos" for her, before joining Fan to walk through the Rejection Portal together. Lightbulb retains her smile briefly before frowning. Lightbulb, Baseball, Suitcase and Knife all look despondent after the episode's events until MePhone excitedly announces them as the final four contestants, closing off the episode.
In a post-credits scene, Toilet encounters a ship containing a violent MePhone X, ending the show - and the second season - on a cliffhanger.
Category:Episodes
Category:Television
Category:Inanimate Insanity
Category:Object shows
Category:Inanimate Insanity episodes