Nativity Ploy is an episode of Down in Moonshine Holler
Audio
Cast
WorkJuice Players
- Banjo Bindlestuff - Craig Cackowski
- Gummy - Hal Lublin
- Introduction - James Urbaniak
Guest Stars
- Gloria Manolodge - Kirsten Vangsness
- Diogenes Eddie / Wally Winkens - John Ross Bowie
- Stacy Buckets - Erinn Hayes
- Squeaky - Storm DiCostanzo
- Dr. Krauser / Larrison Manorlodge - Paul Sabourin
Musical Guests
Plot
Gummy and Banjo jump on a southerly train to look for the Hobo Princess. They briefly discuss how far Banjo has come in learning how to be a hobo, and Banjo thanks Gummy for all his help by giving him a charm, the last vestige of his old life.
There are already three hobos in the boxcar, with whom Gummy offers to share his can of beans. Squeaky, Stacy Buckets, who did not actually die outside a pepper factory, and Diogenes Eddie. Diogenes is searching high and low for one who is, though hobo, is from another bearing entirely. Banjo thinks at first Diogenes is speaking of the Hobo Princess, but instead, Diogenes is referring to Jasper Manorlodge.
Stacy Buckets denies being the Hobo Princess, though nobody suspected her of being the Hobo Princess in the first place. Stacy says she can't be the Hobo Princess because she's a made up story, just like Moonshine Holler.
Eddie then reveals himself as Wally Winkens the Kid Gumshoe. He surprises everyone by revealing that he knows which hobo Jasper Manorlodge is, and points to Gummy. Gummy is now wearing the pendant Banjo gave him, which Wally says Jasper's mother would recognize him by as she gave it to him upon graduation from Super Harvard. Banjo tries to object, but Gummy interrupts, agrees that he's Jasper Manorlodge, and tells Banjo he doesn't need tutelage anymore.
Winkens takes Gummy and leaves the train. Banjo rallies Stacy and Squeaky to go rescue Gummy. They head off to procure false moustaches and comically exaggerated eye goggles.
In the Manorlodge mansion, Gummy takes a bath then heads into the kitchen to make a sandwich. Wally is watching Gummy carefully, and is suspicious of him. Gloria, Jasper's mother, enters, and Wally informs Gummy that Gloria has come down with a case of blindness. She looks forward to Jasper's colorful stories and crushing the wanderlust out of him. She touches his face and still believes that Gummy is Jasper.
There is another man present, Doctor Krauser, who has a tincture for Gloria's eyes. He administers it and Gloria complains of how burns. Krauser assures her the burning means it is working. Banjo enters in a fake moustache and glasses, along with Squeaky and Stacy, claiming to be from a local paper to write a piece on Jasper's return to Gloria. Banjo accuses Krauser of not being a doctor, but actually being Larrison Manorlodge, the feckless and lost son of Gloria and Randolph Manorlodge - Jasper's younger brother. He reveals he is trying to steal Gloria's wealth while pretending to be a doctor. He also initiated the search for Jasper, in order to force Jasper to give him the key to the vault of Jasper's inheritance. He is causing Gloria to go blind with the tincture, in order to literally rob her blind.
For a moment, Jasper thinks Stacy is the Hobo Princess, as she speaks of her backstory and it sounds much like Banjo's story of meeting the Hobo Princess. However, the fingerless glove does not fit her. Squeaky has a different fingerless glove, which does fit Stacy. It turns out Squeaky was a millionaire from Atlanta who renounced his wealth in order to ride the rails and find the Hobo Cinderella, who is in fact, Stacy.
Larrison sneaks off, probably to dig up the wealth Stacy buried in a potter's field when she was a grifter. Banjo, still playing the part of a newspaperman, assures Gloria he will not write an embarrassing article on her. Stacy finds a tincture vial she recognizes as an antidote for the blindness tincture. Gloria soon begins to regain her sight, and despite her offer to bake an apple pie, Banjo and Gummy run off to catch another train.
Continuity
This is the 84th episode of The Thrilling Adventure Hour. The previous episode is #83 Cactoid Jim, King of the Martian Frontier - Mayors' Retreat, and the next episode is #85 War of Two Worlds - Part Seven (The Tide Turns). The previous episode in Moonshine Holler canon is #52 Coal for Christmas. The next episode in Moonshine Holler canon is #171 A Hamlet.
Production
This episode was recorded at Largo on May 12, 2012 and released on August 20, 2012.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley Orchestra
- Theme Performed by: Reggie Watts, Sean Watkins, Sara Watkins, Paul Sabourin and Storm DiCostanzo