Anxious Times at Clone High

Anxious Times at Clone High is the third episode of Season 2 of Clone High, and the sixteenth episode of the overall series.

Synopsis[]

As Candide’s manufactured crisis wreaks havoc, Joan begins to doubt her relationship with JFK, Abe turns to Frida for advice and Harriet frets over a future as a #winemom.

Plot[]

Candide and Principal Scudworth initiate the second phase of Operation Spread Eagle called "Pre-Midterms" to intensify the clones' stress levels and determine who will crack first. This leads to the climactic event known as the "Mandatory Broad Daylight Swimsuit Dance."

In the midst of all this, JFK surprises Joan with a large gold necklace, causing her to question whether she will be trapped in her new relationship forever.

The Heebie Jeebie employs a deliberately eerie and monstrous mascot suit, posing as a "mental health mascot," but instead of alleviating stress, it actually escalates students' anxiety. Eventually, it begins attacking and abducting them as part of Candide's scheme.

Scudworth's plan to win over Candide takes a disastrous turn when the rabbit he recently acquired ends up violently mutilating her pet lizards instead.

Individuals captured by the Heebie Jeebie and sent to the spa are transformed into sleeper agents, whom Candide can activate using a flute.

A killer rabbit hops into the vacant Heebie Jeebie suit, which promptly comes to life and places its head back on.

Characters[]

Major Roles[]

Minor Roles[]

Topher Bus
Lucy Fur
Biscuit
Sacagawea (Cameo)
Genghis Khan (Non-Speaking Cameo)
Sigmund Freud (Non-Speaking Cameo)
Moitra (Flashback)
Gandhi (Pictured)
Mr. Scudworth (Mentioned)

Trivia[]

This episode's theme song is altered to be given an eerie horror theme. Halfway through the song, the screen turns monochrome, the vocals go away completely, and the music turns slow and creepy.
All of the clones have fears that they're constantly anxious about;
- Abe is worried that Joan will never be his girlfriend, since she's so happy with her current boyfriend, JFK, who he feels is actually treating her better than he ever could.
- Joan worries that she's going to lose her true identity in her relationship with JFK, mostly because of the weird JoanFK Necklace she feels obligated to wear for him.
- JFK can sort of tell, deep down, that Joan didn't like the necklace he got her and worries that he's not being a good enough boyfriend to her.
- Harriet's worst fear is never having a real career and growing up to become a basic "wine mom".
- Cleopatra comes to grips with the reality that her looks will someday disappear with age, meaning she'll have to rely on things like her personality, charisma, and talent to get by in life, none of which she has.
Confucius usually hides from all his problems in the wood shop class.
Principal Scudworth remembers how at his father's funeral, the mortician Moitra, comforted him while he was crying and later on slept with him.
Candide apparently has issues with her mother, thinking of her as a body-shamer, who made her feel anxious and uncomfortable about her appearance.
Harriet Tubman's license plate number is "2HC2HRT".
For some reason, Abe and Frida take a bath with their clothes on.
Frida channels her fears into painting murals for sick children.
Harriet Tubman announces Ian Ziering's phone number, 310-626-1317. Calling this phone number will give you a pre-recorded message from Ian Ziering, telling you about the importance of mental health. In it, he says the following:
- "Hello, this is Ian Ziering. You're probably calling to see if the number's real. Well, it is, just like mental health. So take yours seriously and remember to breathe every now and then. You got this. For more information, go to NotAnxious.org. [beep] [singing] My name is Ian and I ain't home so leave a funky-ass message on my telephone and I'll get back to you when I got time. That's right, I kick it with a funky rhyme."
  - Included in the message, is a reference to NotAnxious.org, which directs you to a certain page on MentalHeathIsHeath.us, which details everything about how mental health is portrayed in this episode.
    - This phone number has been taken down as of May 2024.

Continuity[]

Frida Kahlo spray-paints a mural of Mahatma Gandhi on the wall, although it seems to more closely resemble the original Gandhi rather than the clone. The mural later winks at Abe and startles him, making a reference to the disappeared character from Season 1.
This episode introduces phase two of Operation Spread Eagle, where they manufacture a mental health crisis to see who breaks. People who crack under pressure are kidnapped by the Heebie Jeebie and taken to a Reputable Spa, where they are brainwashed into being mind-controlled by a flute, played by Candide Sampson.
- Kidnapped and mind-controlled students include but are not limited to; Topher Bus, Sacagawea, Catherine the Great, Julius Caesar, Marie Curie, and Toussaint Louverture.

Historical References[]

JFK worries that if Joan of Arc dumps him, he'll be the first Kennedy to have a relationship fail. This is a play on how several marriages in the Kennedy family tree ended in either divorce, adultery, or untimely death.
Joan of Arc sweating and asking "Is it hot in here?", could be a reference to the old joke, "Q. What were Joan of Arc's last words? A. Is it hot in here or is it just me?", which references how she was burned at the stake.

Cultural References[]

The title is a reference to Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
The episode has many nods and tributes to various tropes and films of the horror genre;
- Principal Scudworth has a pet bunny rabbit named Biscuit, who ends up killing all of Candide's monitor lizards. This is a utilization of the somewhat comical "Killer Rabbit" trope.
- Cleopatra breaking out of the supplies closet with her hair covering her face is a take on the "Stringy-Haired Ghost Girl" trope, namely the Onryō from Japanese mythology. Most specifically, this is likely a reference to Sadako Yamamura from The Ring.
Principal Scudworth and Moitra go to a 60's-themed restaurant, which has pictures of The Beatles and Elvis Presley in the background.
Topher Bus' emotional support possum "Lucy Fur's" name is a pun on "Lucifer", which is another name for the Devil.
Harriet Tubman mistakenly believes that the three parts of the atom are "the Driver, the Levine, and the Sandler", referring to celebrities Adam Driver, Adam Levine, and Adam Sandler.
Harriet's "9021-OMG!" when Ian Ziering is discovered as the Heebie-Jeebie is a reference to Beverly Hills, 90210, a TV show that Ziering starred in.
- Ian Ziering's comment about how good it feels to be back in fake high school is also a reference to Beverly Hills, as Ian's character Steve Sanders was a teenager at high school.