Starburst's DVD Problem!

"**Starburst's DVD Problem!**"
"Starburst's DVD Problem!"
Episode no.	Episode 304
Written by	Starry; Blue;
Original air dates	August 2nd, 2024
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Chocolate Thief!"	Next →; "Dove's new Playstation"

Starburst's DVD Problem! is the 304th episode of Starry Productions Movies and the 29th episode to be uploaded this year.

Synopsis

Starburst's new Futurama Season 4 boxset is on the line after Mr. Shay snatches it from him for failing to deliver his monthly DVD player payment once again. Luckily, the opportunity to win one amazing Super Sonic funko pop worth millions has popped up just in time! All Starburst needs to do is learn how to parkour from Agent 101. Can’t be hard right?

- Video Description

Plot

The episode opens on the purple sofa as Starburst the Shinx and Skittles the Skitty watch TV, which is airing what seems to be a parody plush skit of Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus. Skittles mentions that movies had really fallen off nowadays, with Starburst briefly boasting about his massive physical media collection until the two hear the doorbell.

Starburst goes to answer and is greeted by Mr. Shay the Shaymin who demands for Starburst’s monthly DVD player payment. As usual Starburst does not have it and comments how these new DVD player payment rules are “bogus” but Mr. Shay goes into an angry tangent, barging in and storming up to Starburst’s collection room to take a DVD instead.

Mr. Shay inspects shelves pulling many off before settling his eyes on the Futurama Season 4 boxset, gushing over the amazing episodes to Starburst and then rudely taking it as payment much to Starburst’s dismay.

Returning to the purple sofa angry, Starburst tells Skittles everything that had just happened with Mr. Shay, Skittles being upset over Starburst losing his prized box set until suddenly a commercial pops up on the television with Sonic the Hedgehog. He mentions he’s hosting an awesome parkour competition for a Super Sonic Funko Pop supposedly worth millions and tells everyone to come on down to show off their skills.

Hearing this news Starburst grows excited finding a way to pay off over months and months of DVD player payments, though Skittles brings up that he had never even attempted parkour before and should probably get training. Starburst grows sad over her comment, but suddenly remembers someone who can help darting off to the landline.

Afterwards Starburst calls up Agent 101 to help him parkour and after a conversation, he agrees to help and the video cuts to an abandoned warehouse where Agent 101 intends to teach Starburst parkour.

A montage then occurs of Starburst failing basically all of Agent’s 101’s makeshift parkour challenges much to his annoyance, until he suddenly has a backup idea. He pulls out a laptop with Minecraft: Java Edition installed on it and tells Starburst to master the downloaded parkour maps in game. He believed that’d teach him to translate those skills into real life.

There’s then a cut to the next day with Skittles and WALL-E at the parkour centre. Skittles is enthusiastic to watch Starburst though WALL-E responds saying he was mostly just here to use the Wi-Fi. The two watch Mario and Luigi in the background, pros who get around with ease though mention they aren’t a part of the competition or else they would’ve quickly won with no issue.

Starburst and Agent 101 then arrive. After nicely greeting Skittles and WALL-E, they go over the centre rules. Sonic the Hedgehog then comes over and says Starburst will have to face Austin, an amazing sassy Azumarill for the prize. Starburst is puzzled asking if more people signed up, though Sonic mentions they didn’t have enough video run-time to do a full tourney.

Next the competition begins and Agent 101 comes over to give Starburst some water and tell him to keep in mind his training. Sonic The Hedgehog then walks over to Starburst and and playfully stalls with obscure trivia about his franchise much to the two’s annoyance before pulling out his phone in a flash, blasting “GO!”

Both are off, but it seems Austin was in the far lead as Starburst struggled through most of the course. Agent 101 was maddened by Starburst's skill not improving even after all the laptop time, while Skittles and WALL-E tried to encourage him. Through tons of trial and error, Starburst did find himself catching up to Austin who was struggling on a huge gap jump of over 4 metres.

Austin kept jumping and falling into the foam pit with no clue what to do, until Starburst has a flashback to his Minecraft playtime remembering about “4 block jumps”. They require a sprint jump. With a deep breath Starburst took a few steps back and dashed towards the ledge and jumped. Triumphant music plays and Starburst thinks he’s going to make it until he splats against the wall, the scene hard cutting to a hospital.

Skittles, Agent 101 and WALL-E are by the bead watching Starburst, saying his jump was very good, though he mentions that he’s simply just not cut out for parkour. Just as he said that, Sonic The Hedgehog somehow finds his way to the group to give Starburst the Funko Pop saying that he deserved it for making it further than Austin, who still wasn’t able to make a further leap than him, then running off.

Lastly, Mr. Shay enters the scene to give Starburst his Futurama box set back after the news of hearing he won the competition, though takes Funko Pop as payment instead, the video ending with WALL-E failing to figure out the hospital’s Wi-Fi password.

Featured Characters

Reception

Like most modern Starry Productions Movies episodes of what viewers call the “Purple Sofa Era”, Starburst’s DVD Problem received a mostly mixed response, though there praise thrown towards certain aspects.

Many appreciated the pro-physical media message the episode wanted to spread, with most liking Agent 101’s comedy and WALL-E’s return after his almost three year absence, stating they were funny as ever.

However, others thought the episode dragged on for far too long in places and found the training montage to be too unnecessary. People weren’t also keen on Mr. Shay’s appearance in this episode, noting that he was way more mean-spirited towards Starburst than usual. Some viewers also found Austin to be annoying, hoping he stays a one-off character.

Trivia

This episode was delayed by one day as Starry’s computer had technical difficulties rendering the video.
Dove the Delcatty does not appear at all in this video, making this only the third time this year she’s been absent from an episode.
- The other episodes she didn't appear in this year were Skittles’ Rainbow Ride and Ducky's Lemonade Problem.
This is WALL-E's first episode appearance since 2021.
- They hadn’t appeared in any episodes since No Batteries
The "GO!" voice line heard from Sonic's phone when he starts the race is from Jason Griffith in Sonic Unleashed (2008).
- It's said by Sonic at the start of all day stages.

This is the first time Starburst’s DVD collection room has been seen physically in an episode, in the past only being mentioned.
There is a behind the scenes video of Starry showing off this room for the first time a week before this episode was released.
The “Parkour Centre” in this video is actually just an indoor trampoline park the crew rented out for the day in Basingstoke.
- The empty warehouse they filmed at for the training scenes was also in Basingstoke.
The Super Sonic Funko Pop used in this video typically goes for above £40 online.
During Starburst’s and Agent 101’s phone call we learn that Agent 101 likes garlic crackers.

Goofs

A doorbell sound effect is missing at 0:50 when Mr. Shay arrives in the opening scene, though Starburst and Skittles act like they heard one.
Skittles mentions that Muppets Most Wanted is her “favourite movie” in her conversation with Starburst at the beginning, which contradicts the Skittles and Maltesers' Big Date as she stated her favourite movie was Muppets Treasure Island.
Skittles' plush still has bits of chocolate powder remaining on it if you look closely, meaning the plush wasn't cleaned properly after the filiming of The Chocolate Thief
At 8:20 in the training montage, a boom mic can be slightly seen in the top right corner if you look closely.
- Others had tried to counter this saying it was just a fuzzy part of the set, but the behind the scenes video clearly shows the boom mic accidentally moving slightly into frame.
The fade transition at the end of the training montage (7:03) happens too late. When introducing the parkour center to Starburst, Agent 101 says “see that rule sheet over there” when he's actually pointing towards the poster advertising the restaurant's Sundaes, not the rule sheet.
Mr. Shay comments that Jurassic Bark is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Futurama, when it’s actually the seventh.