Cassandra v. Eugene

**Cassandra v. Eugene** is the fifth episode of the first season of *Tangled: The Series*. It premiered on April 21, 2017.

## Synopsis

Rapunzel is tired of the constant bickering between Cassandra and Eugene and decides to send them off on a scavenger hunt in hopes it will be a bonding experience.

## Plot

While Rapunzel is painting a beautiful picture of her castle terrace, she hears a loud noise made by Cassandra. Frustrated, Rapunzel throws the painting in anger along with others that are ruined and goes to see what has happened. In the dining room, she finds Eugene and Cassandra arguing because Eugene used her halberd for shaving without her permission. Trying to prove Cassandra wrong about being an unskilled fighter and unable to use weapons properly, Eugene picks up the halberd and accidentally breaks King Frederic's favorite vase, resulting in another argument between the two. While Rapunzel sweeps the broken pieces, she gets an idea.

A while later, Pascal delivers a letter to Cassandra and Eugene. A few seconds later, Eugene meets Cassandra in the dungeon where they end up locked in a cell by Rapunzel. Acting wicked and cruel, she explains her plan: locking them together for a scavenger hunt, and once they solve all the clues they shall escape the cell or else they will be trapped forever. After laughing wickedly, she gives them a basket of cookies she made just for them. While eating a cookie some crumbs roll down a drain and into another cell below where The Stabbington Brothers are being kept. They hear Eugene's voice and see an opportunity to get even with him.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel feels much happier with the newfound peace and quiet and she decides to do some painting. In the dungeon, Cassandra becomes frustrated with Eugene's selfishness while on the other side Eugene eats all the cookies and drinks a bottle of milk. When Eugene tries to eat another cookie, Cassandra figures out that all the cookies have coordinates for a grid, which tells them where to find their first clue. The scavenger hunt begins and Cassandra deducts where in the cell the coordinates correspond to, finding a rusty spring and a piece of paper on which is written: "This is easy, just follow my lead." Cassandra is confused, but Eugene figures it out and finds a pencil. The scavenger hunt goes on and they eventually find what they consider to be junk through working together.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel knits a few sweaters, does some baking and does a few painting without any disturbances. With the scavenger hunt over, Cassandra and Eugene lie on the cribs in the dungeons. Curious and with nothing to do, Eugene asks Cassandra about her past, which she reveals that she does not have real parents and has no memory of them. She was raised by the Captain of the Guards and he taught her a lot of things, including how to fight. When Eugene asks her more about her past, she gets angry and snaps at him to stop prying into her life. Her words serve as the catalyst for figuring out what to do with the supposed junk. They figure out that they were supposed to build a jack with all the things they found and pry the door open. However, after building the jack together they end up breaking it when they fight over how it should be handled. All the parts fall down the drain and end up in the Stabbington Brothers' cell, giving them their chance of escape. By evening, Rapunzel plays cards with Pascal. He points to the clock and Rapunzel decides that she should check on them.

Rebuilding the jack, the Stabbington Brothers break out of their cell and kidnap Eugene and Cassandra, just as Rapunzel and the Guards show up. Using Eugene and Cassandra as hostages, the Captain and the guards are forced to stand down, especially when Sideburns threatens to harm Cassandra. The brothers take Eugene and Cassandra to the sewers where they focus on their main goal: killing Eugene. They decide to keep Cassandra alive as leverage against the captain, but while they are distracted by Eugene, Cassandra knocks the brothers unconscious. She and Eugene are met by Rapunzel, just as the guards arrive to apprehend Sideburns and Patchy. Afterward, Eugene makes his way to apologize to the king for breaking his vase, only to discover that Cassandra had glued it back together. After Frederic had finished his meal, Eugene thanks Cassandra for covering him. Then just when Rapunzel thinks the two have finally made amends, they start arguing again when Cassandra blames Eugene for her halberd going missing (which was actually Rapunzel's fault). The vase is broken again in the fight.

## Cast

* Mandy Moore as Rapunzel
* Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider
* Eden Espinosa as Cassandra
* Ron Perlman as Stabbington Brothers
* M. C. Gainey as Captain of the Guards

## Trivia

* Cassandra is revealed to be the Captain of the Guards' adoptive daughter and has no recollection of her true parentage which foreshadows the third season episode Rapunzel's Return.
	+ Also, Eugene doesn't remember his biological parents. This is the first mention of his father, King Edmund, although Eugene doesn't know he is King Edmund's son which foreshadows the second season finale episode Destinies Collide when he arrived at the Dark Kingdom alongside Rapunzel, Pascal, Cassandra, Lance, Maximus, Fidella and Shorty to meet his biological parent.
* This episode marks the first appearance of the Stabbington Brothers after they debuted during the film, *Tangled.*
* All the other guards who appear in this episode have no lines.

## References

1. ↑ http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/tangled-the-series-cassandra-v-eugene/EP026151830008?aid=tvschedule