Pick an Ed

"Pick an Ed" is the 11th episode of Season 5 and the 113th episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy. In this episode, Eddy finds out that someone has called him a no-neck chump through graffati. Eddy then goes undercover as a new kid to find out who wrote the insult. When he finds out people are accepting him and actually thinking he is cool, he decides to remain as his alter-ego forever.

Plot
It's just another ordinary day at Peach Creek Jr. High: Eddy has managed to get his friends a detention and despite Edd's obvious anguish, he's feeling pretty pleased with himself... at least, Eddy is feeling pleased until Ed helpfully draws his attention to something written on the wall by the drinking fountain by calling him a chump and then showing Eddy the graffiti. It's something Eddy just can't bear to look at–a single, scrawled sentence, declaring for all of the school to see that "Eddy is a no-neck chump." Who could have done such a thing to vandalize school property and make fun of one's appearance?

To Eddy, its absolutely outrageous. Whereas most of his peers would just put it down as a prank for Eddy, its just the start of what is obviously set to "become a smear campaign" set in bringing his "sterling reputation" down in ruins. So what can he do? Well, there's only one thing to do: unmask the perpetrator, of course. And what better way to do that than by going under cover and catching him or her with their guard down! A short trip to the Lost & Found box later and Eddy has become a new kid named Carl, fresh in from Ecuador. The only problem being, as Edd pithily points out, he still looks like himself (although Ed certainly appears to be fooled and is already loudly lamenting the loss of his old pal Eddy, who has "gone AWOL").

Eddy's plan seems to be working and he's quickly accepted by the other kids, although he can't understand why they're all being so friendly. Edd explains that this is because unlike Eddy, "Carl" has a clean slate. Being accepted as one of the gang is rather nice; so nice, in fact, that Eddy seems to be having something of an identity crisis, so much that he thinks he'll be Carl forever, so it's up to Edd to take drastic measures to snap him out of it.

Later as Eddy passes by the same fountain from earlier to get a drink, he sees the message above the fountain has now become "Carl is a no-neck chump" and that's enough to get the ego back in action. Eddy then goes back into the lost and found room and comes back to the kids as Hugo. However Eddy then sees that the message has been changed to say "Hugo's a no-neck chump.". Eddy then quickly leaves and returns as Suzette, but Plank's now onto his game and, after spilling the beans to Jonny and Kevin, quickly bursts Suzette-Eddy's bubble. It's all too much for Eddy, but never mind: Ed has a way to cheer up his "favorite chump": he's going to introduce him to the "new kid, Carl!" After Ed and Eddy leave, it is then revealed that Edd was the one who wrote the 2nd and 3rd messages, so he could restore his friends' friendship. He then disposes of a washable pen, but starts wondering who wrote the first message on the wall.

At the end of the day, Ed describes Carl to Eddy. He can't wait for Eddy to meet him. Eddy stops for a moment and says to Ed that he is giving him a headache, but Ed continues to drag Eddy along with him as the episode ends.

Memorable Quotes

 * Ed: [reading graffiti off the wall] "'Eddy is a no-neck chump.' Can I have your autograph?"

Eddy: [taking no notice of Edd's griping] "It builds character! Did you see how big that vein got in the teacher's head when he started yelling?"
 * Edd: [griping about getting another detention] "It's all fun and games until academic grades fall, mister!"


 * Ed: "Did you see the look on Ed's face? I nearly wet my eyebrow, guys!"


 * Ed: "I'm in my happy place as "Chumpy, the no-neck Eddy", has a plan!"

Ed: [joyfully] "Every day of my life, Double D."
 * Edd: "Have you ever had one of those days, Ed?"

Rolf: [taking the picture from Ed] "The snake in the grass Ed-boy is missing?" Ed: "Yep! If you see him, bind him with duct tape, for he does not play well with others and is known to dribble."
 * Ed: [handing a picture of Eddy to Rolf] "Rolf! Have you seen this no-neck chump?"


 * Jonny: [in the middle of the dog-pile] "Did you hear my back crack?"


 * Ed: [throwing out leaflets with Eddy on them] "I have lost my Eddy! Trip you might over him, for he is short and squirrels like to pelt him with nuts!"


 * Ed: [still looking for Eddy] "Have you seen my Eddy? His turn-ons are full-length mirrors, greasy hair products and yelling. LOTS OF YELLING!"


 * Kevin: [showing off to the crowd] "So then I smooth the teacher over, give him props on his toupee and the guy gives me a B on the quiz! I swear!"

Edd: [trying to be sympathetic but knowing his friend's imagination all too well] "Perhaps a rest from television tonight, yes Ed?"
 * Ed: [blubbering over the missing Eddy] "Somewhere, my Eddy is cold and alone and will have to resort to eating his own body parts in order to survive, Double D!"


 * Ed: [eagerly dragging Eddy home and as clueless as ever] "Wait till you meet Carl, Eddy! He's from Ecuador! Fancy!"


 * Ed: [looking at Eddy thinking he's a new kid] "Look! A new kid! My name is Ed, friend. Oh, it's just Ed, not Ed Friend. I am Ed and you are a friend, so..."


 * Kevin: "Dog pile on the new kid!"

Trivia/Goofs

 * The sound quality in this episode seems a little different compared to the rest of the series.
 * During the scene where Eddy is searching through the school's lost and found room, he pulls up a pair of underwear with the Canadian Flag printed on it. This could possibly be a reference to where the show is produced.
 * When Edd writes on the wall with markers, the colors are red and green; yet, at the end, he throws away a purple marker. He may have thrown away each marker after using it for that time, though.
 * It was never revealed who wrote "Eddy is a no-neck chump" on the wall. It was only revealed that Edd wrote the other names on the wall, but he seemed to wonder himself who wrote the sentence.
 * This is the first and the only time the Lost and Found room at school is seen.
 * The Kankers were absent in this episode.
 * The insult written may reference the fact that Eddy actually doesn't appear to have a neck and that his head appears to be attached directly to his shoulders.
 * The phrase "no-neck" originally came from "Gimme Gimme Never Ed".
 * Apparently, when a new kid comes to Peach Creek Jr. High, people would dogpile on the new kid as some warm welcome greeting.
 * Suzette (Eddy) was the only alias name not written on the top of the water fountain. This is probably because Edd knew that, at this point, the kids would be able to see through Eddy's disguise thanks to Plank.
 * This episode uses a little bit of CGI animation when Edd is walking and complaining about Eddy getting him, Ed, and Eddy another detention.
 * When Eddy says "That's me! Nice guy!", it is a subtle nod to 'Nice Guy Eddie', Chris Penn's character in Reservoir Dogs.
 * Running gags:
 * 1) Eddy taking on a different alias when he sees "Eddy is a no-neck chump" written above the water fountain and then changing that alias when he sees the name of the alias he uses on written in place of the previous alias. Eddy was first "Carl," and then later "Hugo" and "Suzette".
 * 2) Ed not knowing that Eddy is really "Carl" and going about looking for him.