A Princess, an Elf, and a Demon Walk Into a Bar

Season 1, Episode 1

**A Princess, an Elf, and a Demon Walk Into a Bar** is the first episode in the Disenchantment series. It premiered on August 17, 2018.

## Synopsis

Princess Bean already has the wedding day blues when a mysterious figure arrives, claiming he's her personal demon. Elfo hates his happy homeland.

## Plot

Bunty enters Princess Bean's room, and tries to wake the princess. She quickly discovers that she tied up her guard and escaped to drink and gamble at The Spotted Liver Ale House. At the pub, Bean gets into a brawl, and escapes, only to bump into Odval outside. Odval tells her it's time to get married, and ties her to the royal litter, and carries her through Dreamland to the castle. Many locals wish her well on her wedding day, but Bean offers to trade places with some, and hopes for death.

In the castle throne room, King Zøg inspects the wedding cake. Dissatisfied, he sends the cake back for repairs, just as Odval returns with Bean. He argues with Bean about her behavior, and orders her to change. She complies immediately, throwing her top at Odval, and exiting the hall completely topless, much to Zøg's annoyance.

In Bean's room, Bunty helps Bean prepare for the wedding. Expressing her annoyance and frustration, Bunty gently tries to assure her that all will be well, but fails.

In the courtyard, Sorcerio, Odval, Zøg, Queen Oona, and Prince Derek witness the arrival of the Bentwood delegation. He warmly greets King Lorenzo I and Queen Bunny, married sibling rulers of Bentwood. Next, their, "son-slash-nephew", Prince Guysbert steps from the carriage, much to the delight of several members of the crowd and Oona, which greatly annoys Zøg.

Back in her room, Bean sadly looks out the window, telling Bunty that she feels as if her life is ending, and feels unable to even fake a smile, demonstrating her attempt for Bunty. Bunty again assures her everything will be alright, but Bean remains unconvinced. She asks if Bunty had ever wished to live in a place where people were, "really, truly happy".

In Elfwood, all the elves happily sing and work, making candy, except one: Elfo. Elfo, tired of being forced to be happy all the time, disrupts the work to kiss his girlfriend, Kissy, much to the shock and horror of the other elves, especially Superviso. He reveals that he's not always happy, and that he wishes to go somewhere where people are miserable.

Back at Dreamland Castle, Bean passes through the dining hall, passing a table littered with wedding presents. One present seems to follow her, and a voice from within it orders her to open it. She opens the gift to discover it contains a demon, calling itself Luci. Luci explains that he is Bean's personal demon, much to her horror. She tries to summon guards, but Luci jumps in her mouth to silence her, and implores her to get used to it, as they're bonded for eternity. Bean hits herself in the stomach to eject Luci from her mouth. In a faraway land, a woman and a man watch the meeting between Bean and Lucie with satisfaction.

Back in Elfwood, Elfo and Kissy continue to kiss and begin to fool around. When Kissy says he's naughty, he complains that not being happy all the time doesn't make him weird, and complains that the elves are too uptight. Elfo's complaining turns Kissy on even further, but her father, the Elf King, bursts in. He yells at Kissy for fooling around with Elfo, and sentences Elfo to hang from the Gumdrop Tree. At the Gumdrop Tree, several elves gather and sing a song about hanging Elfo. They place a noose around Elfo's neck, and give him a chair to stand on until the time comes. Elfo's father, Pops arrives, apologizing for his role in Elfo's predicament, begins to tell him the story of when he met Elfo's mother, absentmindedly taking the chair from underneath Elfo, and starting to strangle his son.

Back at Dreamland Castle, Bean attacks Luci with a mace. Luci is able to dodge most blows, and taunts her, much to Bean's frustration, but she finally hits him, and stuffs him in a chest. However, she quickly discovers that she can't get rid of him, even when she kicks him down several flights of stairs, and promises to calm down.

Back at the Gumdrop Tree, the elves watch as they try to hang Elfo, but quickly discover that he's too light to hang. The Elf King orders a guard to stab him, but Kissy intervenes, and frees Elfo. The two flee the King and the guards, and arrive at the door to the outside world. Elfo tries to get Kissy to join him, but she declines. Elfo goes to leave, but the King tries, in vain, to stop him from leaving. Elfo states that he'd, "rather die a big death than live a small life", and turns to leave. As he makes his final steps, the Elf King warns him that he can never return if he leaves. With one final look back, he exits, and watches as the door the Elfwood closes. Expressing his amazement, he's soon cut off when a large bird swoops in and carries him into the sky.

Back at Dreamland Castle, Bean quizzes Luci on his abilities. Luci likens himself to a voice in her head, that tells her to do bad things and makes her feel good about doing those things. Bean expresses her frustration at the wedding, and Luci goads her into messing with the cake. She rearranges the frosting to read, "Get Bent Dad", much to Zøg's displeasure.

Flying above the forest, Elfo speaks to the bird, but annoys it so much that it drops him in a field. He soon finds himself in the midst of a war between gnomes and ogres, much to his delight. He survives the gruesome battle, commenting that he likes, but doesn't love, war. A surviving ogre attempts to attack him, but he accidentally blinds the ogre and flees after accidentally knocking it to the ground.

Back at Dreamland Castle, as Bean and Lucie run away, they run into Oona. Oona takes the opportunity to try and have an impromptu sex talk with her stepdaughter, much to Bean's disgust. Oona discusses the, "wifely duties" that Bean will be expected to perform, but a reference to tentacles leaves Bean confused, and causes Oona to leave in frustration, telling Bean to, "leave her eggs on the nightstand and get out" later that night. Confused, Bean is jolted back to reality by the clanging bells.

Elfo emerges from the forest, and befriends a man. The man, a poor, simple man who calls himself Farmer, invites Elfo into his home, where he and his wife give Elfo food. However, Elfo's praise of the couple's cooking horrifies and angers the couple, causing them to kick him out of their home, complaining that he is ruining their lives. Elfo soon emerges from the Enchanted Forest, and witnesses Dreamland, much to his delight.

Back in Dreamland, several dignitaries arrive to witness the wedding of Guysbert and Bean. Bean's family arrives, as Bean sits in a side room with Luci. Bean, dejected by the whole situation, drinks communion wine with Luci to dull her pain. She expresses her sadness that her real mother isn't there, and that she's surrounded by people she dislikes. Luci tries to cheer her up by giving her more wine. As the ceremony starts, Zøg goes to bring Bean out, only to discover her completely drunk. After being taunted by his daughter, he drags her out to marry Guysbert and solidify the alliance between Dreamland and Bentwood.

As the two are married, Guysbert and Bean are asked if they take each other's hands in marriage. Guysbert readily accepts, but when it comes time for Bean to accept, she angrily rejects the proposal, slapping the ring out of Guysbert's hand. He goes to retrieve it, but impales himself on a sword in the throne, much to the horror of the congregation. Zøg, attempting to salvage the wedding, confers with Lorenzo I and Bunny, and announces that Bean will instead marry Prince Merkimer, the second son of Lorenzo I and Bunny. Furious, Bean refuses, but Zøg orders the two married. However, at that moment, Elfo enters the church, nervously introducing himself. Intrigued, Zøg offers a reward to the person who captures Elfo, setting off a frenzy. In the confusion, Bean slips away and escapes, inadvertently bringing Elfo with her. Along with Luci, the three escape into town. In the faraway land, the Enchantress and Cloyd watch with delight as Bean and Luci run away, but express concern about Elfo's presence.

Zøg sends Merkimer after Bean, alongside three of his Knights of the Zog Table: Sir Pendergast, Sir Turbish, and Sir Mertz. After chasing them through the city, they corner Bean, Elfo, and Luci in an alley, but Luci scares off Merkimer's and the Knights' horses, and helps them escape. They eventually flee into the Enchanted Forest, and elude capture from Merkimer and the Knights, much to Zøg's frustration.

While in the woods, Bean, Elfo, and Luci discover the existence of the Wishmaster, a man who can grant any wishes. They seek out his lair, but are forced to camp for the night when it gets too dark. The trio bond over their shared hopes and dreams, before falling asleep together. They wake the next morning to discover they bedded down mere feet away from the lift to the Wishmaster's Lair.

The trio use the lift to reach the lair. Entering, the quickly discover that they were mistaken: the man they've found is the Washmaster, and they've arrived at his lair, not the Wishmaster's. The arrival of Merkimer and the Knights forces Bean, Elfo, and Luci to flee. Arriving back at the lift, they discover that the way forward is blocked by the same ogre that Elfo blinded earlier. Facing an arranged marriage with Merkimer, or death, Bean grabs hold of Elfo and Luci, and falls backwards off the cliff. As she falls, she expresses hope that either Luci or Elfo have magical abilities to save them, but both claim they don't, causing the trio to scream as they fall to their deaths.

## Cast

* Abbi Jacobson as Princess Bean
* Nat Faxon as Elfo
* Eric Andre as Luci
* John DiMaggio as King Zøg
* Billy West as Sorcerio/Jester/Mertz/Pops/King Rulo
* Tress MacNeille as Queen Oona/Derek/The Fairy
* David Herman  as The Herald/Guysbert/Jerry
* Matt Berry  as Prince Merkimer
* Jeny Batten  as Kissy
* Rich Fulcher as Cloyd/Turbish
* Lucy Montgomery as Bunty/Enchantress
* Kilt Man

## Cultural References

* ***Hellraiser*** **(1987)**: When Luci says "Open the gates of...I mean *the ribbon*" this is parody of Lemarchand's Box in the classic horror movie by Clive Barker.
	+ He stops himself from saying "open the gates of hell," something which the box in Hellraiser is famous for doing.
* ***Steamboat Bill, Jr.* (1928)**: Elfo fitting exactly in the hole of the fallen ogre's chest is a reference to this classic piece of cinema.
* ***The Princess Bride* (1987)**: whilst the trope of a princess being forced to marry a prince she doesn't love is the stuff of legend, the scene where the trio take an exaggerated tumble while being chased by the Knights is directly lifted from this classic movie.
* **Siddharta Guatama (c. 563/480 – c. 483/400 BCE)**: Elfo's story of renouncing a walled kingdom in pursuit of experiencing the real world is borrowed from the story of the Buddha.
	+ This connection is reinforced with The Washmaster - an affectionate parody of Tibetan Buddhists - with his overtone singing, prayer flags and mandalas.
* **Slayer** and **Metallica**: these two *giants* of heavy metal get a fun name drop. (See Quotes).
* ***The Hobbit* (1937)**: Leaving relative comfort in search of adventure is also what Bilbo Baggins does.
* ***The Lord Of The Rings* (1954)**: The eagle which grabs Elfo and escorts him to the site of the battle field is likely a reference to this classic fantasy tale.
* **James Stewart (1908-1997)**: The voice of Elfo's father is based on that of the famous actor.
* ***A Song of Ice and Fire (1996-present)***: Several direct references and subtle comparisons with the series are present in the episode.
	+ The throne that Prince Guysbert impales himself on is a direct reference to the Iron Throne from the series.
	+ The incestuous nature of the siblings King Lorenzo I and Queen Bunny is similar to the incestuous relationship between the twins Cersei and Jaime Lannister. Additionally, their sons/nephews can be seen as references to the Cersei's and Jaime's children/nephews Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen, all born of the incestuous relationship between the two.
	+ The arranged marriage between Bean and Prince Guysbert, and the quick change to the arranged marriage with Prince Merkimer when Guysbert is mortally wounded, references the weddings of Margaery Tyrell to Joffrey Baratheon and later to Tommen Baratheon.
* Several real-life businesses are referenced.
	+ **Cracker Barrel:** When Bean, Elfo, and Lucie are running away, a sign for **Kraken Barrel** can be seen in the background.
	+ **LensCrafters**: When Bean, Elfo, and Lucie are running away, a sign for **Codpiece Crafters** can be seen in the background.

### The Simpsons/Futurama

* Bean winning the poker game through with an outside condition (in this case, herself, considering she is the Princess on the playing cards) bears a similarity to how Bender won the poker match against Fry in Futurama's "Into the Wild Green Yonder", where he won with five kings, including a coaster for the 'King of Beers'.
* The maid's line "Remember, whores rouge, ladies leech." is a callback to an almost identical Simpsons line spoken to Marge by her mother in season 2's "The Way We Was". The line there was "Ladies pinch. Whores use rouge."
* The dysfunctional relationship between Bean and Zøg is similar to that of Homer and Bart Simpson, where its the temperamental and not very bright father whose offspring is known for being a trouble-making problem child that enjoys pushing his buttons and mocking him.
* The design of the castle's tower is very similar to the tower of Planet Express in Futurama.
* The melody of the elf song is eerily similar to the "everyone else loves Ned Flanders" ditty from Simpsons season 4 episode, "The Front".
* Elfo's clothing is a contemporary version of that worn by Bart Simpson.
* "The Spotted Liver" pub may well be a reference to Monty Burns' famous liver spots.

## Trivia

* **Title explained:** "An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman walk into a bar..." is a classic opening to a joke about people of different cultural backgrounds. It plays on *stereotypes* in order to deliver it's *punchline*. The audience's expectations about the different species of creature and how they will interact on their misadventures in *Disenchantment* are all to be played for laughs.
* **Opening credits:** In addition to showing settings and events from this episode, several settings and events from future episodes are referenced in the opening credits. These include Bean's, Elfo's, and Luci's frequent trips to the Flying Scepter tavern (**The Princess Of Darkness**), Luci and Elfo climbing into Bean's room (**Castle Party Massacre**), and the entrance to Hell (**Stairway to Hell**).
* **Signs around Dreamland:** The Spotted Liver Ale House; Fresh Dog Milk; Plague Patrol; Apothecary: Over Three Different Medicines; Ventriloquist Dummies: Haunted! Creepy! Unpleasant!; Royal Wedding: Your presence is requested, your presents are required; Kraken Barrel; Codpiece Crafters; Welcome to Dreamland: Now with 5 Village Idiots; Now Entering Enchanted Forest: Beware of Racist Antelope
* Bean's three of a kind hand (albeit gained through cheating) would have legitimately defeated her opponent's two pair in a game of poker.
* Elves are too light to hang.
* The Gnomes from the war scene resemble the gnomes from Gravity Falls, co-developer/writer Josh Weinstein's previous show where he worked as a writer.
* Many of the symbols of Dreamland involve marine animals or other animals that live near the sea, such as whales, seahorses, fish, seagulls, octopuses, and mermaids. The coat of arms of the Grunkwitz family has a seagull with legs, an octopus, and a fish with legs, surrounding a shield with a tree design on it.

## Quotes

**Priestess**: "*Do you, Guysbert - most exhalted Prince of Bentwood,* Slayer of Metallica *- take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?*"
**Guysbert**: "*Deeeeerrrrr,*ok.'**"**

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Matt Groening Netflix Animated Comedy A Go With 20-Episode Order, Abbi Jacobson, Nat Faxon & Eric Andre Lead Voice Cast
2. ↑ Falling Wall *youtube.com*
3. ↑ Creator Matt Groening is on record as listing this film amongst his inspirations. *imdb.com*