Rolling Down the River

Rolling Down the River
Captain Koopa and First Mate Mouser force Mario to walk the plank of the Sinister Star
Chronology
Season	1
Episode	5
Information
Production no.	105
Writers	J. Larry Carroll David Bennett Carren
Airdate	September 11, 1989
Navigation
Previous episode	"Mario's Magic Carpet"
Next episode	"The Great Gladiator Gig"

"Rolling Down the River" is the fifth animated episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. It is paired with the live-action segment "The Mario Monster Mash."

Plot

Spoiler warning : Don't you even dare read the spoiler! Because if you do… Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoooooo… A horrible fate awaits you.

On the stern of his ship, the Sinister Star, Captain Koopa is alerted by First Mate Mouser that his search of the ship for Mario and Luigi turned up nothing. Not satisfied with this answer, Captain Koopa shoves First Mate Mouser out of his way and goes below deck, saying that Mario and Luigi are somewhere on his ship, planning to rescue the captured Princess Toadstool.

Captain Koopa's assumption proves to be correct, as both Mario and Luigi, wearing trench coats to disguise themselves, are on the Sinister Star. As Mario plays a game of Go Fish against a Goomba and two Koopa Troopas, he is asked by Luigi when they can stop distracting Captain Koopa's crew; Luigi gets the response that they can't leave until Toad rescues Princess Peach. Elsewhere on the Sinister Star, Toad, disguised as a waiter, tries to coerce a Goomba to let him see Princess Peach, saying that its her birthday and he has brought her a (rather poorly made) cake. As Toad continues to talk to the Goomba, Captain Koopa suddenly appears and discerning whom Toad is, throws him into the cell Princess Peach is in.

As Luigi begins to worry about Toad, Mario wins another game of Go Fish against the Koopa Troopas and Goomba. After claiming his winnings, Mario notices a Goomba carrying some food hop by and chases after it to get some chicken, in the process, dropping several cards out of his sleeve. Realizing that they have been cheated, the Goomba and Koopa Troopas begin to angrily chase Mario and Luigi, who have shed their disguises, up the decks of the Sinister Star. Seeing no other way to escape they're pursuers, Mario and Luigi jump of the Sinister Star, into the river below.

In the water, Mario and Luigi narrowly avoid being eaten by a Trouter and are taken aboard a ship called the Ding Bell, which is owned by a man named Mark Twang. After introducing themselves to Mark Twang, Mario and Luigi learn from him that he is in a race against Captain Koopa for the title of the King of the River, but he is losing the race, since Captain Koopa sabotaged his engines. After hearing Mark Twang's story, Mario and Luigi decide to help him beat Captain Koopa by repairing his ship's engines.

On the Sinister Star, Captain Koopa is in the midst of taunting the captured Princess Peach and Toad, only to be alerted by First Mate Mouser that Mark Twang is catching up to the Sinister Star and that the Mario Bros. are with him. Enraged, Captain Koopa tries to blast the Ding Bell with a "Black Pit Bob-omb. Though the Black Pit Bob-omb fails to kill Mario, Luigi and Mark Twang, it does create a seemingly impassable pit, which forces the Ding Bell to dock on to land.

Needing to know how to pass this pit, Mario, Luigi and Mark Twang go to the Mouth of the River, and meet a gypsy-like woman who gives them the cryptic advice to "make the river go around the black pit". Understanding the Mouth of the River's advice, Mario and Luigi build a large system of pipes, which transfer the water around the pit into a nearby passage, creating a way for the Ding Bell to pass the pit. As the Ding Bell sails forward, the Mouth of the River, having joined the crew of the ship, gives Mario and Luigi two pendants, which can help them, defeat Captain Koopa. With these pendants, Mario and Luigi become Super Mario and Super Luigi who, using their super strength and a large pump, power the Ding Bell forward.

Pulling alongside the Sinister Star, Mario and Luigi jump from the Ding Bell to it and grab Captain Koopa, who they effortlessly hold above their heads. As Princess Peach and Toad congratulate Mario and Luigi for rescuing them from Captain Koopa, Captain Koopa himself manages to grab Mario and Luigi empowering pendants while they are looking away. Regressed back to normal, Mario is forced to walk the plank of the Ding Bell by Captain Koopa.

As Mario is about to fall into the Trouter infested river though, the Ding Bell suddenly appears, with the Mouth of the River blasting the Sinister Star with turnips; continuing her barrage of turnips, the Mouth of the River manages to hit Clawgrip, the Sinister Star's driver, on the head, knocking him overboard. With chaos erupting onboard the Sinister Star and Clawgrip gone, Princess Peach manages to grab hold of the Sinister Star's steering wheel and subsequently steer the ship into a nearby beach with enough impact to send Captain Koopa flying through the air and crashing on to the ground.

With Captain Koopa and his minions defeated, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool board the Ding Bell and throw a party for Mark Twang, the new King of the River.

Spoiler ends here: You looked! Even if I told you not too!

Trivia/Goofs

• The mustache Toad wears as part of his sailor disguise continues to disappear and reappear.
• Mark Twang is an obvious parody of Mark Twain.
• "Rolling Down the River" marks the animated debut of Clawgrip and Goombas.
• The episode's title appeared as one of the lyrics in the episode's featured song, "Proud Mary."
• When Mark Twang's boat is being sucked into the whirlpool, the music playing in the background is the castle music from Super Mario Bros.

Availability

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume 1 (DVD, 2006)

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!: Mario of the Deep (DVD, 2008)

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! - Volume 1 (DVD, 2012) (NCircle Re-release)