S2E13: “Roxy Rumbles”
Synopsis: “A live appearance by The Misfits as hosts of KRTV’s “Video Madness” accidentally reveals that Roxy is illiterate. After a fight, Roxy leaves The Misfits and she later finds a lottery ticket, winning $1 million dollars. She goes back to her hometown of Philadelphia where Jem and The Holograms are having their ‘Rock Out Illiteracy’ tour.”
Summary: Episode 39 (S2E13) is written by Jina Bacarr.
We open with the Misfits making a live appearance on KRTV’s Video Madness. After attempting to read from the teleprompter on live TV, Roxy stumbles and announces the wrong band. The Misfits get into an argument on live TV and they end up leaving the studio in disgrace, thinking they’ll never be invited back.
Meanwhile, Jem and the Holograms show up to make a public service announcement about their new “Rock Out Illiteracy Tour.”
Pizzazz: I guess They most be so desperate they’ll use any old trash that wanders in.
At Misfits Music, Pizzazz pesters Eric Raymond to cough up some money for payday.
Eric: Less the cost of 3,422 sequins for your last costume.
Eric hands Roxy’s share of their latest concert profits, but when he tells her to read the statement, Pizzazz and Jetta make fun of her for holding it upside down and being unable to read. In a fit of rage, Roxy quits the band and takes off.
Roxy music video: “I’m Gonna Change.”
While strolling down the street in isolation, Roxy gets lucky and encounters a winning lottery ticket of one million dollars. Roxy promises to take the money and use it to change her life, forever.
Elsewhere, Pizzazz, Jetta, and Stormer bicker at a recording studio about Roxy’s tardiness, thinking that her threat to leave the Misfits was an empty one. Jetta appears to be pleased that Roxy isn’t come back, and just then Roxy walks in to tell the Misfits she’s leaving for good.
Roxy: Forget it, Pizzazz, you won’t have Roxanne Pelligrini to kick around anymore!
When Roxy storms out of the studio, as the door closes, we see some money has fallen out of her bag. The Misfits question where she got all of it, so they decide to follow her.
With her new found fortune, Roxy decides to undergo a complete makeover at The House of Glamour. Pizzazz, Jetta, and Stormer follow closely behind.
Misfits music video: “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”
Roxy leaves The House of Glamour in her new wardrobe and sports car. She decides to head home to Philadelphia to prove to her friends and family that she has achieved success, after all, they said she would never amount to anything.
Arriving in the neighbourhood where she grew up in Philadelphia, Roxy is surprised to bump into Jem and the Holograms, as they promote their Rock Out Illiteracy tour. We see Jem being interviewed by Betty Vick for the Philadelphia Spotlight, as she explains that the premise for the tour is to promote the importance of reading and that it’s never too late to learn.
At the event, we see Ba Nee talking to some thugs from the Red Aces gang about learning how to read.
Ba nee: But you’re helpless if you can’t read.
Link: Oh, yeah? How you figure that, kid?
Ba Nee: You can’t get a job if you can’t read fill out the form. Or read signs, or a newspaper, a recipe, or even the phone book.
Roxy bumps into her old friend, Link, from the Red Aces. At first he doesn’t recognize her, but after a moment, he realizes who she is. Roxy takes the opportunity to show off her success and wealth as she claims the Misfits have made her rich. She asks Link what he’s been up to since they both dropped out of high school.
Link: You know, not much. Hanging out, trying to get work. You know.
Roxy hands Link and the gang some cash, in exchange for making life miserable for Jem and the Holograms.
Link: Yeah, they never done nothing to us. They’re even giving us a free concert.
Roxy: You know something? The only reason they’re here, is to make everyone in the neighbourhood look dumb! D-U-M, dumb! Besides, they ruined my home coming. Nobody even noticed I arrived.
At Misfits Music, the remaining members and Eric Raymond realize the band isn’t the same without Roxy, so they formulate a plan to get her back. They leave immediately for Philadelphia and Eric says he knows exactly how to persuade her.
Jem and the Holograms are stuck in a cab in grid lock. They decide to get out and head to the fair on foot, but they end up hearing an all too familiar sound–it’s the sound of Misfits music. At the fair, Roxy is seen on stage announcing the Roxy Rumble, an event with free food, music, and fun for everyone. Roxy is asked to sign a contract for the concessionaires, but when she asks the man what it says, he cracks a comment about her not being able to read. Roxy signs the contract anyway.
Elsewhere, Jem and the Holograms are frustrated as Roxy has managed to poach most of the people who were supposed to attend their Rock Out Illiteracy show. Ba Nee convinces Jem to speak with Roxy about possibly working together. Shortly after, a mob of people are fighting over free food and merchandise, but things take turn for the worse as food and merchandise runs out and people begin fighting each other. Roxy tries to quell the anger, but it doesn’t work. The fire and police departments arrive and disperse the mob.
It turns out, Roxy unknowingly signed a contract that stipulates she would cover the expenses of the vendors for any losses. She’s backed into a corner and doesn’t know what to do when Jem shows up and offers to help cover the cost of the damages. Jem tries to explain the importance of knowing what you’re getting into when you sign a contract. The message doesn’t sink in when Roxy says that it doesn’t matter anyway, because everything worked out in the end.
Link: Hey, Rox, there’s no such thing as a free ride.
Sooner or later, what you don’t know catches up to you.
You know, it makes me realize: I want to be able to read more than a stop sign. I’m going to start using my brains for a change.
Roxy packs up her suit case, saying she’s still rich and that she doesn’t need Jem. Unfortunately for her, the wealth will not last as she’s paid a visit from a man representing the Internal Revenue Agency. Roxy has not paid taxes on her winnings, so they claim 50% of it. Evidently she did not read the letter tax regulations, and because of that, she is now broke.
Ba Nee approaches Roxy and gifts her a book that will assist her in learning how to read. Roxy is a bit taken a back by Ba Nees act of generosity and kindness, and accepts.
The Misfits arrive with Eric and they remind her that she’s contractually obligated to continue to play with the Misfits, however, she won’t be paid for the time she took off. Begrudgingly, Roxy decides to rejoin the Misfits.
Jem and the Holograms music video: “Open A Book.”
We close this episode with Roxy reading Ba Nee’s book, but as she’s practicing, Jetta enters and catches her and makes a snide comment.
Jetta: What’s this? You gone all wonky, reading that kid stuff?
Roxy: Are you kidding? I don’t need to read to play music.
Roxy kicks Jetta out of her room and picks up the book once more.
Duration: 59:44:00
Present: Alex Knight, Aleen Simms, K. Tempest Bradford.
Episode Links- S2E13: “Roxy Rumbles”
- “I’m Gonna Change”
- “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”
- “Open A Book”
- Unboxing: Light-Up Synergy Earrings from Jem & the Holograms
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Download: JEMcast – Episode S2E13: “Roxy Rumbles”