The Escape From Four
"The Escape from Four" is the 16th episode of Battle for BFDI, and the last episode of BFDI's Season 4a (also known as pre-split BFB). It was released on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.
At the end of the episode, the season was split into two seasons. Battle for BFB, and T:POT
| "The Escape From Four" | |
|---|---|
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 16 |
| Written by | |
| Original air date | March 24, 2020 |
| “ | Loser! Take these! Hunh! Hueh! Huuh! | ” | |
| — Liy | |||
Plot
Cold open
−89.2 °C (−128.6 °F)
After the intro
After the intro, the rest of the episode happened. There were many characters present in the episode, but less than there were in BFB 1. Characters include many of the characters found in BFB, and most of the characters found in BFDI. However, there was only one character present found in my room.
The Split in BFB 16
BFB 16 was a pivotal episode in the series. In this episode, the show’s creators, Cary and Michael Huang, introduced a dramatic twist: the split of the cast into two separate shows, "BFB" and "T:POT". This division was meant to shake things up and add new excitement to the series. However, the split had far-reaching consequences beyond the world of animation.
Fans of BFB were divided into two camps—those who supported "BFB" and those who favored "T:POT." What began as friendly rivalry soon escalated into heated debates, with each side claiming their show was superior. The arguments spilled over from online forums into the real world, and before long, the fanbase had polarized into two opposing factions. At the center of the conflict were the show's hosts, Four and X, who found themselves torn between the two factions. Four, representing BFB, and X, representing T:POT, tried to mediate the conflict, but their attempts only fueled the fire. Their debates became legendary, broadcasted live for all to see, and each side rallied behind their chosen leader. The green alien character who caused the showed up in the episode, representing the split, ended up winning by a landslide, and the final verdict was made: BFB would become split into two separate souls, each containing a piece of the whole. The whole being Jazz Huang.
End of episode
At the end of the episode, the season was split into two seasons, Battle for BFB and T:POT
The rest
The other sections of the episode have received little documentation. Importantly, since BFDI doesn't have a Wikipedia article, most of the events of the episode have been largely un-verifiable.
Some accounts of the episode, such as ones from news sources such as FOX News, report that Four was mean in the episode, but other accounts report that Four was the victim of mean. What do I believe? Well, personally, I think four's actions were a means to an end.
Initial Reaction
The Escape From Four was noted to be extremely controversial upon release, with many fans as well as unrelated figures giving their opinion on the episode. Originally however, in the first 30 minutes of its release, it was met with a lukewarm reception. As documented by BFB historian, FreeSmart, the first splitting of one show into two resonated with many of the proletariat. Here's what they had to say:
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When I reacted to it, I screamed aloud in excitement. After all, they were finally here.
Initial Backlash
Though resonating with many people, The Escape From Four also garnered notable backlash upon release, especially from figures such as Doug "Red Border" Walker.
Critics such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomato agreed that that the episode was "shallow", or that the green brit was "a one-dimensional antagonist". However, counter-critics pointed out that green brit's Great Game, the following canonical appearance of the green brit, portrays them in a more sympathetic light, ergo it's plausible they weren't intended to be an antagonist in the first place, and that the episode has no water in it, so it can't be shallow.
Counter-counter-critics say that's stupid.
The green brit's first appearance marked a dramatic shift in many of BFB's botanical viewerbase. Many members of this community began to shift their hue in appreciation of this character, and adopt the green brit's iconic accent. This led to a common misconception among the viewerbase up until the late 1950's, which was that all plants were British. While this is an extremely common belief held even to this day due to most plants adopting a British accent, modern science has revealed that most plants actually rose from the Ocean millions of years before humans. In reality-- British people have an Ocean accent.
Cultural Impact
Splitcore
After BFB 16 released, popular figures in pop culture began to take inspiration from its pro-split messaging. Starting in the middle of 2020, this resulted in the rise of Splitcore, a large global social movement known for splitting the world's biggest issues. Famous examples of post-splitting include The Britsh Empire, French king Louis XVI, and Seals. Slice n' Splice, noted cutter expert and leader in the Splitcore movement was quoted as saying, "Hey, I could use this to finally get that Kirby!"
Homestuck
Andrew Hussie (creator of Problem Sleuth) was always known to be a fan of Battle For Dream Island. However, the depths of his depravity had never truly been considered by the public until he announced that his most recent project, Homestuck (now known as Homestuck: Act 1) would be receiving 27 sequels, henceforth splitting it into the greater project known as "Homestuck", which consists of Homestuck: Act 1, Homestuck: Act 2, Homestuck: Act 3, Homestuck: Act 4, Homestuck: Act 5 Act 1, Homestuck: Act 5 Act 2, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 1, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 2, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 3, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 4, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 5, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 6 Act 1, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 6 Act 2, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 6 Act 4, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 6 Act 5, Homestuck: Act 6 Act 6 Act 6, and of course, Homestuck: Act 7.
BFDIA
Cary Huang, creator of 5b and longtime fan of BFB, announced that in solidarity with The Escape From Four, BFDIA 5 would be split into 5 different sections, each one encapsulating the most dramatic moments of FreeSmart and the other teams' journeys to the Summit of Yoyle Mountain.
BFDIA
Cary Huang, creator of Scale of the Universe 2, announced that in solidarity with The Escape From Four, BFDIA would be split into Season 2a, consisting of its first 5 episodes, and Season 2b, consisting of any episode of the season releasing afterwards.
Creation of "Battle for Dream Island" (BFDI)
Cary and Michael Huang, beloved creators of "Battle for Dream Island" (BFDI), were significantly inspired by the BFB 16 when conceptualizing their own series. BFB 16, an episode renowned for its humor, everchanging character dynamics, and competitive flair served as a creative catalyst for the Huang brothers.
Seeing the potential for a similar format, Cary and Michael were drawn to the idea of an animated competition featuring inanimate objects with distinct personalities, with one major distinction: Seeing the state of BFB's releases, they opted to limit the cast to a mere 20 contestants, rather than 64. This proved to be to their benefit, as the two brothers were quite a bit younger than that of BFB's creators. They admired how BFB 16 balanced light-hearted fun with suspenseful and ominous elimination rounds, and they aimed to incorporate these aspects into their own project.
This inspiration led to the development of "Battle for Dream Island," a series where contestants, represented by various objects, compete in challenges to win the grand prize — a luxurious island one could only dream of. The show's offbeat characters, enthralling plotlines, and added audience participation quickly made it a beloved series, much like its original, groundbreaking predecessor.
The Civil War
South Carolina, a known fan of BFB before The Escape From Four, took major inspiration from the split. In 1861, South Carolina split from the union, causing the Civil War. Joining with other states and BFB fans, South Carolina named the new nation the Confederate States of Goiky Land. Though shaken by this sudden split, the remaining states in the union decided to join in, splitting into the United States and the United States Jr.. However, it prefers to be called United States the Second.
Let's be friends. You're better than all the other lame-os around here.
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red white yahoo!
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The release of BFB 16 set off a chain reaction that would change the course of history forever. The characters of "Battle for BFDI" weren't just beloved by their fans — but by their soldiers. To the west, the Union first destroyed the Confederacy's river navy by the summer of 1862, then much of its western armies, and seized New Orleans. These actions were also inspired by the iconic part of BFB 16 when Taco, fighting on Four's behalf, decided to break it down in front of her fellow contestants. New Orleans has had a significant musical history, and the Union's love of Taco's bold and diverse new musical blend of dance and object inspired them to harness that same power for themselves, which was integral to their eventual victory. The new genre of music brought about by these events would then be given their namesake by the beloved Jazz Huang — the self proclaimed inspiration of BFB 16.
The civil war raged on for years, with neither side willing to back down. Families were divided, and friendships were tested as the nation grappled with its identity. Some sought a peaceful resolution, advocating for a return to the unified BFB days, while others believed that the split was necessary to allow creativity and freedom to flourish. In the end, it was the fans who brought about the resolution. Realizing that the conflict had gone too far, they began to organize peace talks, encouraging both sides to come together and celebrate what they all loved—the spirit of competition, creativity, and community that "Battle for BFDI" had always represented.
The Aftermath
The war eventually came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Dream Island, where both sides agreed to coexist and appreciate each show for its unique qualities. The nation began to heal, and the characters of BFB and T:POT became symbols of unity rather than division.
The legacy of the Great BFB Civil War lives on in the hearts of fans, a reminder of how a simple animated show could stir such passion and, ultimately, bring people together.
*Ahem* Back to United States Jr....
The creation of the United States Jr. imminently caused a problem for all nations involved. As a junior country, the Splitting Dictate of 1765 mandated all of the babies forfeit their citizenship to their original country and instead join the junior country. With no soldiers of proper age to fight United States Jr.'s new war against Disney World, the leaders of the state were forced to accept a honestly ridiculous deal no one was happy with.
United States Politics
In 1828, First Party Systemy famously announced a split inspired by the likes of BFB 16, causing the Democratic-Republican Party to become the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The whigs or federalists or whatever were like a thing as the other party that wasn't the Democratic-Republican party also ended up just dissolving, or something, because they just simply couldn't handle how awesome and prestigious the opponent's splitting was.
Sawblades
Known to be rabid haters of everything relating to and similar to Battle for BFDI, sawblades in the late 18th century decided to protest the messaging of the episode by creating their own satirical parody of it, known as "cutting things in half forever". However, over time, many popular sawblades ended up disagreeing with the original sawblades' ideas, and nowadays it's common to see a sawblade cutting things in half forever just for the love of the game.
In the popular internet show, "Battle for BFDI", series creators Cary and Michael Huang ended up referencing this in their famous episode, Getting Teardrop to Talk, when Blocky ends up splitting a pentagon into a t- quadrilateral and a triangle.
The Future
Gleep zeep! Zorp zap the green brit. Zoople dorp, pooble dooble finkle wedge. Zeeky Boogy Doog! T:POT zoogled the boog dog flibbity flib flob.
Behind the scenes
According an insider interview with Cary Huang, the iconic the green brit's Great Game would have originally been an acronym; the show's title would have spelt out "TPOT". This was abandoned last minute however, as it was deemed incompatible with the green brit's famous name, which was necessary to include in the title for marketing reasons. This caused an outcry within the Pot Community, who felt frustrated with "POT" being removed from the name. In response to this, the showrunners gave a subtitle to the show, deeming it "the green brit's Great Game: pot ot t", or "T:POT" for short. Or "TPOT" for shorter. Or "T" for shorterer. If you want it to be even shortererer then you're going to have to mouth out a weird, barely-existent sound.
Trivia
- At the end of the episode, the season was split into two seasons. Battle for BFB, and T:POT.
- This episode was written by Cary Huang and Satomi Hinatsu.
- This episode was the first episode with writing done by Satomi Hinatsu since The Four Is Lava.
- This means that this episode's release marked the first time in over 3 months that an episode had writing by one of the showrunners of Battle for BFDI.
- This episode marks the first of many appearances of the green brit.
- This episode marks the first time that a split happened in the series, as at the end of the episode, the season was split into two seasons. Battle for BFB, and T:POT.
- However, in the next episode, we see the second appearance of the green brit.