I Was a Teenage Mad Scientist

**"I Was a Teenage Mad Scientist"** is the second segment of the twenty-seventh episode of the first season of *Hamster & Gretel*, and the fifty-third episode overall. It is paired with "Shush Hour" and premiered on Disney Channel on November 4, 2023.

Professor Exclamation has returned in town and reluctantly attend a reunion at his former high school in order to find a material known as Unbendium, for his plan to destroy Hamster and Gretel.

## Plot

Professor Exclamation returns to town to find that the Eastside High School reunion is in session, which he reluctantly attends in order to search for Unbendium, a rare element he needs as part of his plan to destroy Hamster and Gretel. He encounters Kevin, who is tasked with greeting the visitors due to destroying all of the school's trophies, and the two struggle to remember where they have seen each other before. During the event, however, Dave recognizes Exclamation as Juggling Jack and despite his attempts to suppress his past, he is met with praise from the other attendants and called onstage for being voted the "most likely to stay nice forever." An infuriated Exclamation then orders everyone to go outside for a "diabolical surprise."

Meanwhile, Hamster, Gretel, and Fred discover Jack's picture in Dave's high school yearbook and theorize that Jack is Professor Exclamation. Once they notify Kevin, Hamster and Gretel travel to the reunion, where Exclamation attempts to destroy the high school with a drill he created using Unbendium. After Kevin fails to convince Exclamation not to destroy the school, Hamster and Gretel's arrival causes Exclamation to remember Kevin's presence during his attempt to take over city hall. He then sends homing missiles after the three, which they destroy using evasive maneuvers. As Kevin and Gretel wonder what Exclamation plans to do, the escaped villain boasts that he has almost everything he needs to destroy Hamster and Gretel. The episode ends as he makes his way towards Las Vegas.

## Cast and characters

* Meli Povenmire as Gretel Grant-Gomez
* Michael Cimino as Kevin Grant-Gomez
* Beck Bennett as Hamster
* Joey King as Fred Grant
* Carolina Ravassa as Carolina Grant-Gomez
* Matt Jones as Dave Grant
* Phil LaMarr as Professor Exclamation
* Keith Ferguson as Principal Funderberk

### Additional voices

* Eric Bauza as Teno, Computer Voice
* Romi Dames as Emily
* James Adomian as Bob, Blue Tie Guy
* Keith Ferguson as Mustache Guy, Weird Commenter Guy

## Transcript

*Click here to read the full transcript of **"I Was a Teenage Mad Scientist"**.*

## Background information

### Trivia

* This episode reveals the following about Professor Exclamation:
	+ He attended Eastside High School, and had metal shop class with Dave.
	+ His previous name was Jack Ampersand.
	+ He was nicknamed Jugglin' Jack due to having a talent for juggling.
* This episode contains another form of breaking the fourth wall; as Professor Exclamation discovers that, much to his chagrin, the Unbendium is located underneath the Eastside High School, he notes that "only an idiot, or two idiots, could have written a situation so coincidental, and yet so dastardly", right as the credits for the writers Alex Estrada and Joanna Hausmann shows up.
* As of this episode, Professor Exclamation not only remembers Kevin as the brother of Gretel from their encounter in "Empower Failure", but now also knows his name.
* This is Carolina's final appearance in Season 1.

### Allusions

* ***I Was a Teenage Werewolf*** - The episode's title refers to this 1957 sci-fi horror film directed by Gene Fowler, Jr.
	+ ***I Was a Teenage Frankenstein*** - It may also refer to the follow-up, also released in 1957, directed by Herbert L. Strock.
* ***Phineas and Ferb* / *Milo Murphy's Law*** - When Exclamation is called on stage for his past award for "Most Likely to Stay Nice Forever", a celebratory fanfare can be heard. It's a slightly rearranged version of the celebratory fanfare previously used in *Phineas and Ferb* episodes such as "This is Your Backstory", as well as *Milo Murphy's Law* episodes such as "Disaster of My Dreams".

## References

1. ↑ https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/november-2023-programming-highlights/
2. ↑ https://twitter.com/disneytvanews/status/1710418834861998166