Will Work for Ed

"Will Work for Ed" is the 9th episode of Season 3 and the 61st episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy. In this episode, Eddy convinces Ed to work for Rolf on his farm in order to make money for jawbreakers.

Plot
There's a huge Jawbreaker sale at the Candy Store, but The Eds are broke, leaving them to stare at the multitude of Jawbreakers through the window. Eddy soon notices Kevin walking out of the store with three Jawbreakers and distracts Kevin by claiming to Kevin that Nazz is skydiving in a bikini while he swaps his pants with Kevin's pants(as Kevin has a Jawbreaker stuffed in one of his pants pockets). When Eddy attempts to eat it, Kevin literally knocks Eddy out of his pants, reclaiming his Jawbreaker and sending Eddy flying towards a nearby street lamp, where Rolf is putting up posters. Ed and Edd find Eddy and upon reading Rolf's poster, The Eds find out that Rolf is looking for a farmhand. Eddy, lured by the prospect of pay, asks Rolf how much he's paying, but Rolf states to him he is looking for someone with a "backbone of a yak" and he states Eddy doesn't qualify for that since he claims Eddy is too much like a jellyfish. Eddy then immediately offers Ed for employment, and upon performing a series of tests on Ed (placing apples on his feet and inspecting his gums), Rolf agrees and tells him to report to his house in 1 hour.

While Eddy is lured by the prospect of buying a Jawbreaker from the sale, Edd prepares Ed for work by making him some organic oatmeal, preparing his lunch, grooming him and giving him a lengthy lecture about responsibility. As Ed leaves the house for Rolf's, Edd and Eddy then notice that he is trying to take the car, Edd tries to stop him, insisting he's too young to drive and Eddy gets a good laugh at the event occurring just now.

Ed arrives at Rolf's, who asks him if he is here to fill the position of "Nincompoop" (Rolf's word for an amateur farmhand). Ed says he is and Rolf asks him why he did not use the 'Nincompoop Entrance' (a hole in the wall leading to his backyard). After coming into the backyard through the said entrance, he greets him. He hastily undos Ed's hair and gets rid of his jacket, shirt and tie, and pelts a handful of mud at his undershirt (saying it adds more color that way) as Edd and Eddy look on, hidden in the leaves of a nearby tree. Rolf gives Ed a pair of boots, whose rental fee will be deducted from his pay, enraging Eddy. Rolf leads Ed to his shed, and instructs Ed to peel the thousands of potatoes piled in his shed (Rolf claims the potatoes are the fruit of the earth). Ed attempts to peel it with his bare hands, Rolf angrily hands him a vegetable peeler, whose rent again will be deducted from his pay. Ed struggles, but he manages to peel a tiny sliver off the potato, causing Rolf to become irritated at his slow progress (claiming the waste from the peel could feed an entire village for a week). Rolf leaves the shed and tells him to peel every potato before he gets back or else he will fire him.

Edd and Eddy soon step in the shed, asking Ed on his progress, but Ed talks about a show that showed the guy with the biggest toe nail while he is peeling. Eddy notes to Ed he has enough potatoes to feed a village. Ed confirms this and explains that he has to peel all the potatoes before 'the boss' gets back or else he will be fired. When Eddy hears this Edd and Eddy try to help him finish peeling the potatoes. Edd takes a hairpin out of his hat and carefully peels one neatly. Eddy states that it may be pretty and neat, but they got hundreds more to peel. Edd decides to build a contraption to peel the potatoes since his first idea did not impress Eddy at all.

Rolf returns, and stares at Edd's contraption in disbelief, as Ed feeds the last four potatoes into the machine for peeling. Edd asks Rolf if he likes the invention, but an agitated Rolf tells Ed, no visitors are allowed and the violation will be deducted from his pay. Eddy, who is cutting the potatoes into French Fries protests to Rolf to stop with the pay deductions. He then tells Rolf to check out what a great job they've done. Seeing the cut potatoes, Rolf deducts more money off of Ed's salary (because the spud got shamed as Rolf stated) and asks Ed to follow him back to his house for more work. Eddy doesn't want anymore of this and wants Ed to come back with him, but Rolf says if Ed does not follow what Rolf says, there will be no pay and this is enough to stop Eddy for the moment.

Eddy enraged at the deductions of Ed's pay, stages a protest outside Rolf's house. He continuously walks back and forth yelling "Rolf's a jerk! Ain't gonna work!" as his motto sentence for the protest (During which Jonny yells out "We hate broccoli!"). This prompts the attention of the kids and embarrasses Edd. Kevin tries to ask Rolf what had happened, but Eddy stops him saying he can't cross the picket line. The argument between them then turns into a fight which is stopped by Nazz who surprisingly says something unusually smart about Eddy's labor rights, adding that babysitters got to know this stuff. Eventually everyone leaves and Edd wants to do something about this protest. Eddy says he can go talk to Rolf if he wants since Eddy believes it won't help at all. Edd soon enters Rolf's house (Rolf answers before Edd even knocks) to get this war riot over with. Edd and Rolf then have a heated meeting about Ed and his job while Eddy attempts to eavesdrop on their conversation. They soon come to an agreement, and Rolf gives Ed and Edd jawbreakers. Edd states that he should really earn it, so Rolf hires him to work too. Eddy soon asks Rolf for a Jawbreaker, and tells him he'd do anything for it, so Rolf hires him as well.

Ed is soon promoted from "Nincompoop" to "Turkey-Eyes" (Rolf's word for a supervisor), as Eddy and Edd do the work on the farm. Rolf asks Ed about the progress of the laborers and Ed informs him that Edd is working fine and has no trouble with him at all (Edd also awaits any further orders from Ed) while Eddy is a "Sadsack, a real slowpoke, trouble with a capital R" since he barely did any of his work. After Eddy angrily kicks the coop he was using, a rooster soon jumps out of the coop and chases Eddy around the farm with Eddy yelling "HELP! I HATE CHICKENS!". Ed and Rolf both yell "Hey, Nincompoop!" at Eddy and they realize they both said the same quote at the same time. Rolf informs Ed he had learned well from him, as the episode ends with Ed deducting Eddy's pay repeatedly to no end as he continues being chased by the rooster.

Memorable Quotes
Kevin: [turns his head in the direction Eddy points as Eddy discreetly swaps pants with him off-screen] "No way! Where? Yeah, right. I'm on to you, dork!"
 * Eddy: "Hiya, Kev. Holy cow! Is that Nazz skydiving in a bikini?"

Eddy: [upside-down, dazed and notices Rolf] "Hiya, Rolfie-Boy, got any loose change?" Rolf: "Not in this life, Ed-boy." [laughs and walks away; leaving a flier on Eddy upside down]
 * Rolf: "Ah, may I borrow your rump? Yes, thank you." [hammers a nail on the flier to the streetlight pole]

Edd: "Well, Ed, a diaper would be worthy of Eddy's character, but this posterior posting is a job placement, seems Rolf's looking for a hired hand." Ed: [not getting what Edd's saying and missing the point] "Rolf lost his hand? Boy, that is sad, Double D."
 * Ed: [notices the flier on top of an upside down Eddy's underwear] "Why is Eddy wearing a diaper, Double-D?"

Rolf: "Poppycock! Rolf requires one with the backbone of a yak! This is no job for a jellyfish like yourself." Eddy: "Yeah right! I don't work, but he does!" [shows Ed to Rolf] Ed: [puts both of his shoes on his ear] "Polly wanna cracker! Arf, arf, arf! Tweet, tweet, tweet!"
 * Eddy: [after hearing about the pay] "Reporting for duty and ready to work, Rolf! So, uh, what kinda income are we talking about?"


 * Edd: [after Ed gets into a car in his driveway and attempts to start it] "ED, NO! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE!" [Eddy laughs hysterically as he sees Ed trying to drive the car and Edd trying to stop him]

[Ed is trying to peel the potato with his fingers and getting nowhere] Rolf: [slaps Ed severely in the face] "Nincompoop! Must I hold your hand?!" Ed: [missing the point] "Nope. Went before we got here, boss."
 * Rolf: [holding up a potato] "Behold the potato! Bow to this fruit of the earth and peel it as if it were the last task of your miserable life! [gives the potato to Ed]

Ed: "Fruit of the Earth!"
 * Eddy: [after seeing Edd peel the potato with a hairpin] "That's real pretty, Double D, but we only got ten zillion more to peel!"


 * Ed: "Tell me a story, boss."

Jonny: [interrupts Eddy as if trying to support his protest] "WE HATE BROCCOLI!" Eddy: "…ain't gonna work!"
 * Eddy: [picketing] "Rolf's a jerk! Ain't gonna work! Rolf's a jerk! Ain't gonna work! Rolf's a jerk! Ain't gonna work! Rolf's a jerk-"

Kevin: "Dorks."
 * Nazz: [after Kevin pins Eddy] "Kevin! According to 'The Worker's Rights Act, Sub-section E, paraphrase 4': Eddy is entitled to express formal protest as to wherefore, must be totally respected." [pause while Kevin, Edd, and Eddy gape at her, stupefied] "Babysitters gotta know this stuff."

Ed: "Well, yeah. Let's see here, boss. This guy I got no problems with." [points at Edd] Edd: "Double D waiting for orders, Turkey Eyes, sir." [then points at Eddy] Ed: But then there's the sad-sack, boss. A real slowpoke, trouble with a capital 'R'." [kicks the chicken box and a chicken chases Eddy] Eddy: "Help! I hate chickens!" Ed & Rolf: [in unison] "HEY, NINCOMPOOP!" [both look at each other, surprised] Rolf: [pats Ed on the head] "You've learned well, Turkey Eyes." Eddy: "Stop the chicken, Ed!" Ed: "Nincompoop! I'm deducting your pay 'cause you're a Nincompoop! Pretty good, huh, Double D?"
 * Rolf: "Tell Rolf the progress of the laborers, Turkey Eyes."

Trivia/Goofs

 * It is unknown why Kevin would buy jawbreakers if his dad has a garage full of jawbreakers (besides adding to his collection).
 * How was Eddy able to switch pants with Kevin without lifting up his legs?
 * Ed tries to start a car suggesting that he either has a key to the car or the adults leave their keys in their cars and their doors unlocked for some reason.
 * Rolf carries a large sundial as a watch. In "Who's Minding the Ed?" he is seen having a smaller sundial on his wrist. It is possible Rolf got a different watch at some point between these two episodes.
 * Edd seems to be wearing hairpins in his hair since he took one out from under his hat.
 * Rolf already has three jawbreakers near the end when he gives them to the Eds. He probably got them from the jawbreaker sale shown at the beginning similar to Kevin.
 * Even though Rolf says that the work isn't for Eddy, he hires him anyway at the end. However it is possible the work was for an assistant like Ed to help him with nincompoops that don't have the yak backbone that Rolf claimed that the worker he needs has to have.
 * Running Gags:


 * 1) Rolf deducting Ed's pay repeatedly for little or no reason and Eddy complaining about the deduction issue (often Eddy says "WHAT?" in response to the pay deduction).
 * 2) Rolf calling Ed "Nincompoop."


 * Rolf says "Nincompoop" 15 times and Ed four times which would make for a total of 19 times. However, one of those times, both of them said "Nincompoop" at once in unison. So that would really make for a total of 18 times.
 * When Ed tells Rolf that he has only four more potatoes left, more than four potatoes come out of the machine.
 * No scams are availible in this episode.
 * Jimmy, Sarah and the Kankers never appeared in this episode.
 * This is the second episode where Eddy is chased by a chicken because he angered it. The first was in "Button Yer Ed". Also another interesting fact is that the chicken that chased Eddy in this episode is the same one from "Button Yer Ed".
 * The word "sloot" ("tools" spelled backwards) is written on Rolf's tool box.
 * There seems to be several sticks of dynamite and a detonation box inside Rolf's shed. Reasons for him owning dynamite is unknown.
 * This is the first episode to air in 2002.
 * Nazz is highly knowledgeable in the field of labor laws. She even states that "A babysitter's got to know this stuff."
 * Ed's shoe size is 2 5/6.
 * There are two lines that are heard from previous episodes; "You have broken the trash of a son of a shepherd!" stated by Rolf in the episode "Key to My Ed", and "Eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs" stated by Ed in the previous few episodes "Who, What, Where, Ed" and "Rambling Ed".
 * This is the second episode where one of the characters are starting up or using a car (in which case it was Ed in this episode). The first episode to do this was "Sir Ed-a-Lot" and Eddy was the first character to use a car.