Urban Ed

"Urban Ed" is the 17th episode of Season 2 and the 43rd episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy. Tired of their usual suburban antics, the Eds decide to bring the hustle and bustle of the big city to the Cul-de-Sac, however, the kids soon learn that it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Plot
This episode starts with Jonny and Plank playing chess in a peaceful yard. Then Eddy runs up to him and puts a garbage lid on the ground, and gives Jonny a banana, telling him to run to the tree, then to hit the bull's eye with the banana. Then Eddy gives Jonny peas and a straw, telling him to shoot the balloons that Ed is using to make him float in the air. Next Eddy gives Jonny marshmallows, telling him to throw them into the sousaphone Edd is carrying, touch home plate, and finally put a quarter in his jar. Jonny sees right through their trick and promptly leaves the scene. After Edd suggests that they scam Rolf, Eddy realizes that there is no point, as Rolf is hanging laundry. Kevin is fixing his bike, Nazz is lounging in a pool, and Sarah & Jimmy are stacking blocks. Edd explains that their suburban Cul-de-Sac is just too distant from the hustle and bustle of the big city to be exciting. The Eds then imagine how awesome and fun life in the city would be and decide to bring the city to the Cul-de-Sac and how they could make a scam off of it.

The Eds are making a real racket while building the city, everyone can hear it. Kevin figures it's Rolf when he claims to have heard it too. The kids hear the sound originate from The Lane so they go to investigate. Upon arriving at the Lane they discover the cardboard metropolis of Edtropolis; Population: More cardboard cutouts than you can count. After several admiring comments from the Kids, Jonny hops out from a nearby tree and warns them about the dangers of city life. The kids ignore Jonny and walk into the city. Plank also mysteriously disappears into the city as well.

As the kids explore the city, Rolf is greeting every cardboard cutout citizen, not knowing they are inanimate. The Kids arrive at an intersection where a traffic light made from a milk carton confuses Rolf, halting traffic. Eddy shows up pretending to drive a car, by holding a detached steering wheel and air horn, and cuts them off. Ed then runs past the kids towing a wagon full of "Biscuits and Gravy", irritating Kevin to the point of attack. He bumps into Edd causing his torso mounted airbag to go off. Kevin complains that Edd cut him off. Edd begs to differ. As the light turns green, the kids are annoyed by Edd's antics of signaling his turn. Kevin becomes annoyed and stuffs Edd between two buildings. Ed runs by the group again and this time almost runs them over.

Meanwhile, Jonny is still searching for Plank. Eddy confronts Jonny in the middle of an alley. When Jonny asks Eddy if he has seen Plank, Eddy holds out a money jar to help "refresh his memory". Jonny yells at Eddy if he has seen him and Eddy denies seeing Plank out of fear. Jonny then continues his search. Eddy then complains about not making a living.

Jonny is not the only one feeling the wrath of the big city. As Jimmy wanders around admiring the surrealism of the city, he wanders into a group of cardboard cutouts and suffers from a form of culture shock, claiming that he feels so congested. His misery promptly ends after he spots a shoe store and skips happily towards it.

Meanwhile, Kevin is in front of a magazine stand reading the latest issue of "Bikini Babes", (for the articles, of course) when Edd pops out and offers to shine his shoe. After some small talk Edd asks for his payment of 25¢ but Kevin gives him a bottle cap instead, claiming that's what life in the big city is like. After commenting that Kevin has adjusted well to city life he spots Nazz, who just came back from a shopping spree, and offers to help carry her bags. The moment is ruined when Ed and Eddy start to drop fake pigeon fecal matter, made from yogurt, from atop a building. Edd helps Nazz dodge the falling piles of yogurt but she mistakes that he is attacking her and promptly karate chops his back. Double D then claims that chivalry is painful.

Later, Jonny still continues his search for Plank and steps in a pile of "pigeon poop". He then spots Plank, who has succumbed to the temptations of the big city and has started to drive around in a red wagon while almost running Jonny over. Jonny then reflects on what the city has done to his former friend.

The essence of urban living has also begun to hit Sarah, who complains about all the line ups to Nazz. The two then spot Jimmy brandishing a snake "tattoo" on his forehead, who claims he got it for 25¢ at Eds' Tattoo Parlor. Ed is then seen drawing a corn tattoo on Kevin's back with a marker. After Sarah spots Rolf who cuts in line she proceeds to pummel him to death. Jimmy then joins the fight in an attempt to help Sarah. Eddy tells Edd to break it up but he reluctantly does so. Luckily, Jonny comes in and breaks up the fight and confronts Eddy. He accuses him of corrupting the mind of Plank with his city and proceeds to steal his jar of money. Eddy tries to have the kids go after him but after realizing that they will not help he goes after Jonny himself.

Jonny climbs to the top of a tall building, and Eddy follows. After the two come face to face with each other, Jonny threatens to drop the money off the building. Suddenly, Edd tells Jonny that they found Plank. Edd puts a fake bullhorn to Plank's mouth. Jonny listens to the advice Plank tells him and tosses the jar up into the air while he climbs downs the building. Eddy grabs the jar but he accidentally catches it upside down and the money falls down to the ground. The kids then collect every coin that fell to the ground while beating up Ed and Edd in the process. Eddy falls down to the ground, destroying a building by falling through it, and asks Edd is he managed to collect any cash. After Edd complains about what he kids did to his shirt Eddy grabs Ed and asks him if he caught any loot. Ironically, despite the money falling directly on top of him, the only thing he managed to grab was a worm. Ed leans on one of the buildings which causes it to topple over and destroys the entire city in a domino like effect, proving that ceaseless toil and broken dreams are the essence of urban living. Ed then puts the worm down Eddy's shirt, freaking Eddy out. Edd then chuckles at Eddy's dilemma.

The episode ends with Jonny driving around the ruins of the city in a red wagon, inhaling the peace, love, and tranquility of the suburbs. He then scolds Plank for acting rebellious.

Memorable Quotes

 * Ed: [anxious to promote his role in the scam] "I helped too, Jonny! I was the balloon guy!"


 * Ed: [goggling at the other kids relaxing] "What a gaggle of sad sacks!"


 * Ed: [excited about traffic in the city] "Ooh! And when you bump into cars they go 'Whoo whoo! Barp barp!'"

Edd: "We're too young to drive, Ed." Ed: "My dad has a shovel." Eddy: "Well, I say if we can't go to the city, let's bring the city to the cul-de-sac!" Edd: "I suppose I should find some tape." Ed: "Not to mention a duck."
 * Ed: "Let's drive to the city, fellas!"

Kevin: "Hey, Rolf! Your dad shearing sheep again? Keep it down!" Rolf: "This sound is a mystery to Rolf, as is your mockery of my father's leisure delight."
 * Rolf: [hanging out mega-sized underwear] "Aah, a merciless beating with a stick has cleansed Nana's pantaloons fresh." [hears the racket of city construction] "What is this that fouls the calm of the cul-de-sac?"


 * Jonny: [after the kids ignore every word he said] "Boy Plank, ever get the feeling you might as well be talking to a piece of wood?" [notices Plank's disappearance] "Plank? Plank! Not you too!"

Sarah: "Jeez, Rolf, that's a traffic signal." Eddy: [acting like a sports car and honking horn at Jimmy and Sarah] "Come on, ain't getting younger, move it!" Sarah: [annoyed] "Eddy, if you blow that horn one more time-" [interrupted by another horn blast]
 * Rolf: [confused by the homemade traffic light] "What barbarian would hang the milk box from a string?"


 * Rolf: [choking on traffic fumes] "The city air is thick like Nano's toenail."

Ed: [acting like a truck] "Beep, beep! I'm a truck, 10-4! Bearing on your crumpet, thing!" Kevin: "They're just trying to bug me-- and it worked! [runs after Ed but bumps into Edd, inflating his car's airbag] You cut me off, Double-Dweeb!" Edd: "I beg to differ, Kevin. My safety bag would not have deployed if you haven't rear-ended me." Rolf: "I can't see past Ed-boy's swollen back! Eddy: [impatient and honking his horn] "What is this, a funeral?! Let's go, grandma!" Edd: [talking to himself, various horn sounds in the background] "Stay calm. Ignore the peanut gallery." [light changes green] Rolf: "Can't stop yes, let's go!" Sarah: "Look out!" Kevin: "This guy's a hoot." Edd: [signaling to turn] "Do you see my hand signal, because i'm about to make a turn." Kevin: [picks up Edd] "That's it! Stand back folks! [stuffs Edd between two buildings] Road rash! Ha ha!" Ed: "Smokey's on my tail!" [runs over the others with his truck]
 * Kevin: "Wait until I'll find that dork! [spun out by Ed] Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Eddy: [speaking to Jonny hidden in a shadow] "Hey Jonny boy, what's the matter? [steps out of the shadow] Looking for something?" Jonny: "Plank ran off Eddy. He's all alone in this cardboard jungle, have you seen him?" Eddy: [thinking] "Hmm... Plank, Plank, Plank. About this tall, smiles a lot?" Jonny: "You saw him?" Eddy: "I can't seem to remember... [pulls a jar out of his pocket behind his back] ...how's about refreshing my memory, eh? Jonny: [gets angry and leans forward at Eddy] "Did you see him or not!" Eddy: "No haven't seen him, beats me."
 * Jonny: [in the bad side of Edtropolis] "Plank, oh Plank. Where are you buddy?"

Ed: "Oink! Oink!" Eddy: "Pigeon's don't go oink, Ed!" Ed: "I'm a gazelle! Oink!"
 * Eddy: [plopping spoonfuls of "pigeons droppings", really yogurt onto Nazz below] "Coo coo coo!"

Eddy: [watching Ed drop the anvil onto Edd and Nazz below] "Ed! You're gonna hurt somebody! This ain't a cartoon!"
 * Ed: "Quack, quack!" [drops an anvil]

Jimmy: "Sarah's in trouble, and needs the help of the boy with a snake on his face!" [hisses]
 * Rolf: [after jumping the queue for a tattoo & being attacked by Sarah] "Have mercy, rabid youth!"

''[An angry Jonny stops the fight between Sarah, Rolf and Jimmy] ''Nazz: "Hey Jonny." Kevin: [with Ed drawing a tattoo on his back] "Oh yeah, well what's two plus two?" Eddy: "Hey, hey, hey. Any of that crystal ball stuff will cost you extra. [looks left and sees Jonny angry] Hi ya Jonny, want a tat?" Jonny: "Your city's corrupted the mind of my pal Plank. [leaps onto Eddy and beats him up] Eddy: "Help I'm being mugged!" [Jonny runs off and laughs with Eddy's jar of money in his mouth] Eddy: "Did you see that? That bald kid took my money!" Kevin: "Tell someone who cares." Eddy: "Ed do something!" Ed: [turns around] "Can I cater a party!?" [Eddy grits his teeth together with anger and runs after Jonny]
 * Sarah: "Jimmy, careful of his hairy back!" [advances toward Rolf menacingly] "Hold him for me."


 * Edd: [after being mangled by the kids] "Eddy! It was horrible, Eddy! Look what they did to my shirt!"

Eddy: "Ed, I don't want it! Double D, get a net! It's crawling!" Edd: [laughs] "You know Eddy, ceaseless toil and broken dreams are the essence of urban living."
 * Ed: [watching Edtropolis collapse] "Dominoes! Let's do it again! Here, hold this." [puts a worm in Eddy's shirt]


 * Jonny: [riding off into the sunset with Plank in his cart] "I missed you too, buddy, but if you ever do that again, I'll glue you to a rock. It's a joke, Plank! Get it?"

Trivia

 * Goofs:
 * In the beginning of the episode, the Cul-de-Sac was somehow shrunken. Usually there are five houses around the circular part of the street, but there was only room for two or three houses here.
 * When the kids are fighting, you can see Edd punch Kevin twice, despite his pacifistic nature.
 * At the end of the episode, Plank was facing forward while riding the wagon with Jonny, but in the next scene, Plank was looking backwards instead of forward.
 * This is the first appearance of the cardboard city of Edtropolis. It appears again in Cartoon Network Racing and in Ed, Edd n Eddy - The Mis-Edventures, as a bonus scam.
 * While Eddy is dropping yogurt on Nazz, Ed is about to drop an anvil with AKA on it, referring to A.K.A. Cartoon, the producers of Ed, Edd n Eddy. In addition, Eddy says "This ain't a cartoon!" after Ed drops the anvil, for once preserving the fourth wall.
 * There is a "Drink En-O-Gee" billboard in the background of Edtropolis when Jimmy points at Eds' Tattoo Parlur, referring to the "En-O-Gee Drink" scam from the episode "Over Your Ed."
 * Edtropolis is one of the only creations of the Eds which Kevin actually approved of. When he first sighted the city, he said, "Hu-Rah! The dorks did something cool for once!"
 * Jimmy's snake tattoo makes its first appearance here; it is seen a second time in the episode "A Fistful of Ed."
 * The cardboard traffic lights of Edtropolis serve as checkpoints in the game Ed, Edd n Eddy - Scam of the Century.
 * The date this episode aired is the same date as Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show aired in America 10 years later.
 * In the chess game at the start of the episode, Jonny was wrong to assume it was checkmate as Plank's king could've easily captured Jonny's queen, although there may have been other pieces in position for a checkmate off-screen that weren't shown onscreen.
 * This is the 27th time the Kankers don't appear.
 * This is the second time Ed said "Not to mention a duck." The first time was in "Dear Ed."
 * Eddy's line "If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!" is a reference to the Frank Sinatra song "New York New York," specifically the lines "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..."
 * While in the city Ed utters the phrase "Smokey's on my tail!", a reference to the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit.
 * In the scene where Plank is driving the wagon, the rear bumper says "Eat My Dust!"
 * The Lane appeared to be much bigger in this episode because of how big the city of Edtropolis was.
 * In the beginning, Kevin is seen wearing sunglasses when pumping air into his tires. This is one of the only times Kevin is ever seen wearing sunglasses.
 * Rolf's father has apparently disturbed the Cul-de-Sac before by shearing sheep as Kevin asked Rolf if his father was doing that again.