Equals

Equals is the twentieth episode of the second season of the Netflix animated series, The Dead End Show, and the fiftieth episode overall.

## Summary

Norma and Courtney go undercover to a demon club after finding out trouble is stirring down there.

**Short Summary:** Norma and Courtney go undercover and things sure do happen.

**Viewer Discretion:**  "This episode includes intense moments and an extremely high death sequence.  If you don't like these kind of themes, then I suggest you do not watch this, I don't want any parents out there telling us that this show is too much for youngsters, it'd break my heart to see kids traumatized because of this singular episode, I also don't wanna get sued.  Anyway, if you are comfortable, then please, enjoy the show.  Or bloodbath you might say." - Barborah

## Plot

The episode starts with the heroes pushing a heavy object for a demon resident who broke his leg.  After the job is done, they return to the Neutral Plane where they are greeted by Barborah.  She tells them that they have another assignment that only requires Courtney and Norma.  Barney criticizes their relationship and how it can get outta hand sometimes.  But Barborah informs them that she and Pauline wrangled two demons earlier that day (that conveniently loomed similar to Norma and Courtney) that were attending a demon club.  So they take their clothes and go undercover to the demon club to see what's up.

Once they arrive, Norma and Courtney find the demon club but run into a situation when a secretary guard wants them identified.  After getting through, they both find a table.  Norma then mentions why she had to go on the mission with Courtney and she says that she couldn't care less.  On the stage in front of them, a figure emerges through the ground.  His name is Manus.  He claims that he is the younger brother of Fingers and the left hand.  Manus mentions the events of the start of the war, how his brother died and was apparently revived.  Then he starts talking about how the Multi-Plane was saved by angels by which Courtney immediately disagrees with.  She tells Manus that the 6 Heroes of the Multi-Plane saved the world from demon/angel destruction.  Manus and the rest of the demons in the club don't appear to know who the heroes are at all.  He also claims that he and a certain group of demons have been living in the underground club for years.  Manus explains that he hasn't seen Fingers for a long time but knows he is alive somewhere.  Off subject, Manus sees beyond Courtney’s disguise and notices that she is a fallen angel.  Norma finally tries standing up to Manus to protect Courtney, but fails miserably when he tells her that she’s holding her back from her true potential.  Which, after hearing him out, agrees with him.  This emotionally hurts Courtney and causes her to leave the club.

After Courtney exits the club, Norma rushes after her and tries apologizing.  Courtney asks if Norma is really being pulled back by her.  Norma claims that she really didn't mean it.  During the end of their conversation, Courtney restates Barney's earlier statement, that the both of them have horrible chemistry and their friendship is a complete mess.  From that point forward, Courtney ignores Norma for the rest of the night.  Norma leaves the plane and returns back to the Neutral Plane without her.

When Norma arrives back at Dead End, the rest of the heroes wonder where Courtney is.  She tells them she is back at the other plane, trying to give her some space after their emotional debate.  Norma then expresses herself through song about her intricate relationship with Courtney.

Back on the other plane, Courtney is at the top of a building, looking beyond while smoking a cigarette.  She rethinks her relationship with Norma and how she is correct most of the time.  Courtney looks down from the building, throws away her cigarette, and attempts to let herself fall off the edge.  Before almost killing herself, a figure appears out of nowhere.  The figure reveals himself to be Contrivance.  Contrivance tells Courtney why she is distraught and down, Courtney, of course, tells him nothing.  He then informs her if she could do him a small favor since she has nothing left to lose.  Courtney promptly declines his offer and without another word spoken, he quickly knocks her unconscious with a tranquilizer and kidnaps her.

In the Outside, Courtney wakes up tied up to a small post.  As she struggles to free herself, Contrivance enters the room with a cart of surgical tools and dangerous weapons.  Courtney then asks him why he even kidnapped her in the first place.  He answers by saying he wants her Guardian Angelic magic that was summoned by Cahatel and the 7 others when they saved her from the Magic Slayer.  Contrivance states he received his information from Things, to which he knew about the rise of the Magic Slayer all along.  Courtney becomes furious with Things for betraying them all but Thing responds by saying he only did it because he didn’t want to let his family down.  Before starting the procedure, Contrivance needs to untie Courtney but is afraid that she’ll escape.  Things is ordered by him to give him a large nail and a hammer to keep her in place.  He warns her it’ll hurt a lot but she tells him to do his very worst.  Contrivance then plummets the nail into her tail causing her to yell powerfully.

Back on the Neutral Plane, Pugsley hears this loud yelp for help and warns the other heroes that Courtney’s in danger.  Barney rushes to Norma, who is upstairs in Courtney’s room feeling guilty about their mission still, and tells her that Courtney is in grave danger.  This exasperates her immensely.  She takes herself and the heroes to the elevator as they start their new mission to save their angel friend.

Meanwhile in the Outside, Courtney recovers from the painful stab to her tail.  Things tries convincing Contrivance not to kill her but he is already set to start dissembling her.  Courtney, completely out of it, tells him to get it over with as she just doesn’t care if she’s alive or not anymore.  Just as he is about to start the procedure, the lights blackout; and seconds later, Things checks the guards and they all are violently killed one by one.  Contrivance becomes impatient and all his tools become out of his reach.  This infuriates him and decides to just rip Courtney’s stomach out with his own bare claws, which backfires on him when each of his claws are ripped off.  As Courtney watches Contrivance slowly die, the heroes show up and free her.  After the bloodbath, the spirit that was shown killing Contrivance was apparently Norma.  Norma hugs Courtney, relieved that she isn’t killed.  Still appalled from the bloody massacre, Courtney is thrilled to see Norma’s spirit form finally show.  The two make up and the heroes walk back to the elevator.

After the heroes leave, Things comes out from hiding and tries returning to his own world but is greeted by the Magic Slayer himself.  He tells him to help him form a new team after escaping from Norma’s mind.  Things declines his offer and is tired of being used for other’s wants and needs.  He decides to be on his own side to avoid fights.  The Magic Slayer tells him that it would be quite helpful, not to mention very exciting, to work alongside a Guardian of the Universe.  Things then agrees since he said he could just make the world a more fun place to be in.

## Trivia

* This is the season's turning point.
	+ Just like how the episode, "Cheers, Beers, and Tears" is the turning point for Season 1.
* This is the second episode to include a viewer discretion.
	+ The first episode was "The Magic Slayer".
* According to critic's reviews, this episode is the most violent than any other episode.
	+ Relating to the subject, according to Hamish Steele, this was "quite the intense episode to create.  I wanted to create an episode where both Norma and Courtney struggled through their own problems while struggling through their relationship and friendship.  I thought this would be the episode where Norma unlocks her true potential by saving her friend, Courtney.  It was kinda like an experiment, but it was definitely worth it."
* It is revealed that Fingers has a brother and mother.
* It is also revealed that Fingers is alive after being killed.
* This is the second time Courtney has tried killing herself.
	+ The first episode was, “Finding Norma”.
	+ Although in that episode, it was played off as a harmless joke, in this episode, it was a serious matter.
* This is the fourth episode to show one of the hero’s full potential, this one being Norma’s, who represents strategy.