Prolegomenon

Prolegomenon is the 20th episode of 12 Oz. Mouse overall. This is the last episode of Season 2, It aired on December 17, 2006.

Plot:
Fitz drops Skillet's flying gear on the ground and wanders into a burning diner. Once he enters the building, Fitz spots a red-glowing pinball machine and starts to play. The pinball machine's bumpers are covered in cryptic red symbols. Soon after he starts playing, a pink cloud descends from the sky outside and flashes brightly, causing the wrecked diner to return to pristine condition. The pink orb introduces herself as Archeus. Fitz greets her and tells the glowing orb that he can't understand the symbols plastered on the pinball machine. Archeus tells him he'll be able to read them, if he gives up the fight for "everything." Fitz says that she doesn't make sense, and Archeus responds "No one understands this." She tells him that his wife and child are alive, but they need his help and warns, "Don't believe what you haven't been shown." She tells him that "the square guy can afford technology to away the mind." Archeus insists that Fitz should look at her, but he tells her to leave. She says "Skillet needs you--" Then a tiny ball containing Skillet's image rises out of the pinball machine and floats in the air.

The screen then flies past many planets and zooms in on a forest in Georgia. Within the forest, on a tiny particle in the cap of mushroom, we are shown a four-story, weapon-guarded building. Once the interior of the building is shown, a purple man and a pink man are seen, both wearing glasses and business suits, conversing over an unconscious Fitz. The Mouse's head is shown to be attached to a giant brown machine, through which he is breathing. The purple man, who speaks in Shark's voice, asks the pink man, who speaks in Rectangular Businessman's voice, if he's prepared for the possibility that Fitz may awaken. They mention how they – as Shark and Rectangular Businessman – have been killed. The pink man tells the purple man that "money solves everything." The purple man says "that's great, but the rodent is still alive", referring to a liquid-filled tube in which Skillet floats. A man who speaks in the voice of the Eye is attached to another giant machine, with each of his eyes individually connected to the machine by tubes. The pink man tells the nurse (who speaks in the voice of Green-Sweatered-Woman) to give the mouse 1200 CC's of "steribolium." The nurse says that will kill him, but the pink man insists on her carrying out his orders. The pink man notes to the purple man that "she's there," referring to Archeus. The purple man says that's impossible because "we blew up the whole ship with my cool bombs." The pink man responds, "you can destroy the flesh, but you cannot destroy the faith." The purple man rants that he won't be taken down by religion, while the pink man says his god is his money. "I will not be responsible for an entire nation," the purple man states. "I can't, legally." The pink man says that the power of Archeus is drawing Fitz out. In another room, the nurse draws a gun and talks to a blue man, who speaks in the voice of Peanut Cop, telling him "Archeus lives in the stream." After this, the two of them shoot and kill the purple man. The pink man stops a bullet with his telekinetic powers, but the blue man appears behind him and shoots him in the back of the head. The nurse then turns to the blue man saying, "contact the new angel and tell her to come for us. Tell her it's time."

After this, we see the Clock on the wall of the diner, as its minute hand moves to 2:23. Peanut Cop and Golden Joe are standing over Fitz, who has just woken up, asking him to go get a sandwich. After realizing that the time has changed, Fitz is surprised by Skillet, who jumps through the diner window and lands on top of him. Everyone walks outside, and Archeus departs, saying, "Believe in it, Fitz. We believe in you." Fitz tells Archeus, "I will." Golden Joe is confused by what Fitz said, and he and Peanut Cop say that they thought "this was finished." Fitz says he did too, "but I guess we're not." Fitz, Skillet, Golden Joe, and Peanut Cop walk down the street of the now-restored town, and above them the sun sets in a real sky. Elsewhere, after the credits, a glass jar falls out of the sky and breaks on the street. The Shadowy Figure emerges from it in liquid form, and hops away.

Characters/Cast:

 * Mouse Fitzgerald (Matt Maiellaro)
 * Bow-tie Bots
 * Archeus
 * Music Notes (as a part of Archeus)
 * Rectangular Businessman (Human Form) (Kurt Soccolich)
 * Shark (Human Form) (Adam Reed)
 * Eye (Human Form) (Nick Ingkatanuwat)
 * Green-Sweatered Woman (Human Form) (Melissa Warrenburg)
 * Peanut Cop (Human Form) (Nick Weidenfeld)
 * Skillet
 * Golden Joe (Vishal Roney)
 * Clock
 * The Shadowy Figure

Trivia

 * This episode is rated TV-14-LV.
 * This episode reveals that the world of 12 Oz. Mouse takes place in simulation called Q109, and Shark, Rectangular Businessman, Peanut Cop, Green Sweatered Woman and the Eye are all revealed to be human beings.
 * The concept of the Q109 Simulation is also similar to the simulated realty in the Matrix franchise.


 * While the city got fully restored, it's unknown what happened to Rhoda, Liquor, Eye (normal form), the Human Citizens, New Guy, Producer Man, Man-Woman, Cyber Green Sweatered Woman (cyborg form) and Roostre, Hand, Corn-Droid, Amalockh and the Hovervacs.
 * Though (minus the latter four above) most of these characters do end up reappearing in "Invictus" (some of them), and the third season, with most of their fates revealed, minus the Hand, Corn-Droid, Amalockh, and the Hovervac, though one Hovervac did reappear briefly in a commercial in "Here We Come". and the Hand later appeared in "Francis, Cheap & Out of Control."
 * Its also possible that the Music Notes and CJ Muff in his orb form formed Archeus.
 * The music at the end of the episode was later played in an another Adult Swim show called Off The Air in the episode called "Falling", song, which is called "The Vision” by Ian Brody.


 * The episode's credits weren't shown when the episode was originally aired. Credits were added to the next replay. A secret message is at the end of the credits that reads: "Skillet Eats Extra Yummy Otter Uvula Over Nutmeg Tossed Huevos Especial With Every Breakfast." When reading the first letter of each word together, a secret message appears: "SEE YOU ON THE WEB", referring to the 12 Oz. Mouse webisode. Mouse published shortly afterward on the official website.
 * A prolegomenon is defined as "a critical or discursive introduction to a book."

Links

 * http://www.adultswim.com/videos/12-oz-mouse/prolegomenon