12 oz. Mouse

12 oz. Mouse - is an American adult animated television series created by Matt Maiellaro for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim. The series revolves around Mouse Fitzgerald, nicknamed "Fitz" (voiced by Maiellaro), an alcoholic mouse who performs odd jobs so he can buy more beer. Together with his chinchilla companion Skillet, Fitz begins to recover suppressed memories that he once had a wife and a child who have now vanished. This leads him to seek answers about his past and the shadowy forces that seem to be manipulating his world.
In producing the series, Maiellaro crudely designed the characters as a cost-cutting measure; the series is animated by Radical Axis. He intended for the series to lack continuity starting from the pilot but established a serial format after starting the second episode. He had constructed an ending for the series as well as a detailed map of characters; however, the series finale concluded differently from planned. Maiellaro cast people around his office for the characters, starring himself as the protagonist and Nine Pound Hammer vocalist Scott Luallen as the voice of Roostre; the band also performs the opening theme.
The pilot episode for 12 oz. Mouse, "Hired", premiered on June 19, 2005. The series became a regular staple of Adult Swim's lineup on October 23 of that year and originally ended on December 17, 2006. A stand-alone webisode was released online on May 16, 2007. Critical reception was polarized; some praised the series' experimental nature, while others felt confounded by it.
In 2018, a double-length special, entitled "Invictus", aired on October 14 and it was announced that 12 oz. Mouse was also revived as a series. The third season, consisting of 11 episodes, premiered on July 20, 2020, and ended on July 31. The ending credits of both "Invictus" and the season 3 episodes feature a song by Amaranthe.
In February 2021, it was revealed that the show would not be picked up for a fourth season.
== Plot ==
The show revolves around a mouse named Mouse Fitzgerald (voiced by Matt Maiellaro), nicknamed "Fitz", who is fond of beer and caught in a world of espionage, love, and the delights of odd jobs. The show employs a serial format, and its ongoing storyline developed from absurdist comedy to include mystery and thriller elements. Fitz begins to recover suppressed memories that he once had a wife and a child who have now vanished. This leads him to seek answers about his past and the shadowy forces that seem to be manipulating his world.
Fitz suspects there is a sinister conspiracy involving fields of "asprind" pills beneath the city, and Shark (Adam Reed), Clock, and Rectangular Businessman's (Kurt Soccolich) attempt to control the nature of time and reality. Fitz and Skillet receive help from Liquor (Matt Harrigan), Roostre (Scott Luallen), Stoned Peanut Cop (Nick Weidenfeld) and others as they engage in gun battles, blow things up, and try to understand cryptic hints. The show also sometimes contains surreal "subliminal" images that flash across the screen during key plot moments, including skulls, mustached snake beasts and people screaming.
The series concludes with the revelation that Fitz has been kidnapped and placed into a simulation by the Shadowy Figure. He is about to be killed by Shark and the Rectangular Businessman, in their true forms outside the simulation, when he is rescued by the true form of Peanut Cop and a nurse who works in the simulation chamber. They kill Shark and Rectangle Businessman, but it is unknown if they are truly dead because the simulation in which most of the show takes place is probably taking place in another simulation. One of the purposes of the simulation seen in most of the show was to extract information from Fitz. The conclusion to episode 20 is ambiguous as to whether or not it is actually the end of the series, as some aspects of the plot remain unresolved – Golden Joe says "I thought this was done," to which Fitz replies, "I thought so too. I guess we're not."
== Episodes ==
=== Season 1 ===
Season 1 began on June 19, 2005 with "Hired" and ended on January 1, 2006 with "Adventure Mouse".
=== Season 2 ===
Season 1 began on September 25, 2006 with "Bowtime" and ended on December 18, 2006 with "Prolegomenon".
=== Season 3 ===
Season 1 began on April 1, 2020 with "Francis, Cheap & Out of Control" and ended on July 31, 2020 with "Final Beginning".
=== Specials ===
First 12 oz. Mouse special was aired on November 6, 2005 and it is called "Spider-Man Special". The episode is an alternate version of "Spider" with several scenes shortened and Skillet's drum solo added in. Rhoda and Shark's conversation is cut down, thus removing Golden Joe's appearance, Mosquitor's letter was cut down and the dripping blood was removed, and Shark's conversation with Fitz about the record is shortened to "Don't look under your bed." These cuts made room for an extended drum solo which went on for about three and half minutes.
Second special was aired on October 12, 2018 and it is called "Invictus". Plot: Fitz returns to the simulation world he escaped from in order to save his friends, after a talking bee who's working with Shark encourages him to.
=== Webisode ===
The webisode was published on May 16, 2007 and it is called "Enter the Sandmouse". Plot: Mouse, Skillet, Golden Joe and Peanut Cop trek through the desert after leaving the city behind. However, Golden Joe is carried away by a bird and Peanut Cop later vanishes in a flash of light. Now alone in the desert, Fitz and Skillet live in a house made of sand and their own spit. They get into a gunfight with a strange, gun-toting woman named Lee. After the woman mentions something about Square Guy and finding the new angel (or "new age-el") Fitz decides to trust her and invites her into his house. Lee gives Fitz a gift: a silver bullet which she warns is the only thing that can kill her when she turns into the She-Wolf. After the credits, a gunshot is heard, and Lee (as the She-Wolf) appears snarling in front of the screen.
== Characters ==
* Fitz
* Skillet
* Roostre
* Golden Joe
* Peanut Cop
* Liquor
* Eye
* Rhoda
* Man-Woman
* Spider 
* Shark
* Rectangular Businessman
* Clock
Category:Adult Swim
Category:2005 television series debuts
Category:2020 television series endings
Category:2000s shows
Category:Ended series
Category:Ended shows
Category:Adult Swim Series