Ep 17. Chess Mom

Dexter's Laboratory is an American animated series created by Genndy Tartakovsky. The show follows the adventures of Dexter, a young boy with a secret laboratory hidden behind a bookshelf in his bedroom. In season 4 episode 17, titled "Chess Mom," Dexter's mom takes up a new hobby in the form of chess and becomes quite good at it.

The episode begins with Dexter working on a new experiment in his lab. He's in the middle of explaining his project to Dee Dee when their mom interrupts them and announces that she's taking up chess. Dexter and Dee Dee are both surprised by this, as their mom has never shown an interest in the game before. However, she quickly becomes obsessed with it and spends all her time studying and practicing.

Dexter soon realizes that his mom's chess obsession is interfering with his own work in the lab. She keeps interrupting him with questions and requests, causing Dexter to become increasingly frustrated. He tries to talk to her about it, but she's too caught up in her newfound hobby to listen.

Meanwhile, Dee Dee becomes concerned that their mom's obsession with chess is unhealthy. She tries to distract her with other activities, such as shopping and cooking, but nothing works. In fact, their mom starts incorporating chess into everything she does, including her cooking and cleaning.

As the episode progresses, Dexter's mom becomes better and better at chess. She starts winning tournaments and gaining a reputation as an accomplished player. Dexter is initially proud of her, but his pride soon turns to annoyance as her obsession continues to interfere with his work.

Eventually, Dexter decides that he needs to take drastic measures to get his mom to stop playing chess. He challenges her to a game, hoping to beat her and make her lose interest in the game. However, his plan backfires when his mom proves to be a formidable opponent.

In the end, Dexter realizes that he can't force his mom to stop playing chess. Instead, he decides to embrace her new hobby and use it to his advantage. He incorporates chess into his own experiments, creating a chess-playing robot and a chess-based teleportation device. His mom is impressed with his creations and finally starts to listen to him about not interrupting him in his lab work.

"Chess Mom" is a fun and lighthearted episode that explores the theme of obsession and how it can affect relationships. It's also a great showcase for the characters of Dexter and his mom, who have a unique and quirky dynamic. The episode offers plenty of laughs and heartwarming moments, making it a great addition to the series.