| Time is Money | |
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| The title card for Time is Money. | |
| Episode | 4b |
| Season | 1 |
| Airdate (US) | September 20, 2002 |
| Invention(s) | Time Booth |
| Previous | Granny Baby |
| Next | Raise the Oozy Scab |
Time is Money is the seventh episode of season 1.
Plot
The episode starts with Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen watching a show on TV about the brain and how it works.
No one likes the show because it's boring, so Jimmy is about to change the channel, but then they see a commercial for a product called "The 1000 Volume Set of the Encyclopedia of Infinite Knowledge," which is an 1000-volume set encyclopedia that has all the information in the universe. The commercial also says that if the viewer buys the set, they get a new volume every week for 19.23 years. Jimmy decides to get the set, he tells his mom about it, and she calls, but it costs too much ($500.00).
Jimmy talks to his dad about how much he wants it and how he desires to be rich. Hugh tells Jimmy about an investment that he almost made with the owner of McSpanky's (which wasn't that famous at the time), which he ended turned down at last minute, but would have made them very wealth had he done so. He also tells Jimmy to be thankful for what he has.
Jimmy realizes he has a time machine, so he uses it with him, Carl, and Sheen in order to go back 15 years ago in order to get Hugh to invest with McSpanky in McSpanky's Burger Factory and get that money.
Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen travel back in time 15 years. They arrive in the basement of the house, though it looks unfamiliar at first: the basement, where Jimmy's lab would later be, is a simple unfinished utility room. The three go upstairs to the living room, where they find Jimmy's parents (who appear as hippies) dancing to a groovy disco tune.
Glancing around, the kids notice numerous lava lamps, a turntable stereo, a disco ball, and a number of other items common in the 1970s. The decor of the living room is a stereotypical 1970s design: green carpeting with orange rugs, yellow wallpaper with flower designs, "PEACE" posters, and wood panelling on the other walls.
Jimmy introduces himself and his friends, claiming that they came in due to an unlocked door. Hugh and Judy don't recognize the three kids, as they don't actually exist in that time. Upon talking with them, Jimmy realizes that his parents aren't even married yet.
Jimmy then has a little talk with his dad, and convinces him to invest in McSpanky's. He also tells him to get "his son" the 1000 Volume Set of the Encyclopedia of Infinite Knowledge to give to him when he's older.
Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen head back to the present, and find that Hugh took Jimmy's advice and invested in Mcspanky's, resulting in the Neutron family now being incredibly wealthy, with their house is now made of silver, has fancy chairs, gold bricks, solid gold statues, and even antique duck statues (probably for Hugh). Jimmy is initially very excited, but unfortunately discovers that both Hugh and Judy have been corrupted by their wealth and are now materialistic, self-centered snobs who are more interested in their possessions than their son (or other family members, as shown with Hugh refusing to give his own father money for a crucial operation purely out of stinginess), not even remembering his name. After insulting Carl and Sheen and then bribing them with some gold bricks to leave, Judy summons Hilgo, a man-woman who sends Jimmy to his room for being all "sonish" and makes Goddard leave the house.
Upon entering his room, Jimmy then finds out that he has every volume of the 1000 Volume Set of the Encyclopedia of Infinite Knowledge, as he wanted. But Jimmy knows that the set (or being vastly wealthy in general) is not worth the cost of his parent's unconditional love and affection, so he and Goddard go back in time to prevent Hugh from the investment, and turn the alternative world back to the original.
Jimmy and Goddard return to find Hugh and Judy back to their original non-wealthy but good-hearted selves. Judy tells Jimmy that she and Hugh have decided to postpone the family vacation and buy the encyclopedia using their money. But then Jimmy remarks he heard the set isn't that great, but thanks them anyway. The episode ends with Hugh talking endlessly about what life would be like if his family had $100.00 at the time of the investing.
Trivia
- During the scene 15 years in the past, a pendant light fixture hangs near a zebra-skin chair and shelf of albums. This light fixture remains in the same spot beside the stairs throughout many other "present day" episodes, despite the rest of the room being largely remodeled since.
- Hugh comments about how he loves "those three guys with the high-pitched, female-type voices". He is talking about the Bee Gees, a popular disco band at the time.
- Hugh and Judy have been living in the same house for fifteen years.
- When the boys go to the past, it resembles the 60s and 70s, which ironic, since Retroville is supposed to resemble the 50s (as you can probably tell from the town's name) and the fact that it takes place around present time, besides the 60s and 70s fashions being different.