Ep 4. Tapping a Hero

In "Tapping a Hero," the fourth episode of Season 3 of Robot Chicken, viewers are treated to a slew of hilarious sketches and parodies that take aim at some of the most beloved figures in pop culture. From superheroes to classic children's characters, no one is safe from the show's razor-sharp wit.

The episode opens with a sketch in which Batman and Robin find themselves up against a foe they can't quite defeat: a villain whose power is tapping into the nostalgia of the show's audience. The scene quickly devolves into a series of ridiculous callbacks to various 80s and 90s pop culture touchstones, making it clear that the rest of the episode will be similarly irreverent.

From there, the sketches come fast and furious. Viewers are treated to a send-up of classic children's book Harold and the Purple Crayon, in which the titular character wreaks havoc on the world around him using nothing but his trusty writing utensil. And in another sketch, Charlie Brown finally snaps and takes his frustration out on the rest of the Peanuts gang.

Superheroes are a recurring theme in "Tapping a Hero," with sketches that poke fun at everyone from the X-Men to the Green Lantern. One particularly funny segment sees the Justice League spending a day at the beach, with predictably disastrous results. And in another sketch, Aquaman tries to convince the rest of his superhero team that he's just as cool as they are, with decidedly mixed results.

In addition to superheroes, the episode also takes aim at classic sci-fi and horror movies. In one sketch, the cast of the original Star Trek series are forced to deal with an unwelcome guest on their ship: the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters. And in another, Dracula tries his best to adjust to modern technology – with predictably hilarious results.

As the episode goes on, the sketches become increasingly surreal and absurd. In one particularly bizarre sequence, a couple visits a psychic who claims to be able to communicate with the ghosts of celebrities. The couple is initially skeptical, but they're quickly won over when the psychic conjures up the spectral image of none other than M*A*S*H star Alan Alda.

The final stretch of the episode is no less zany, with sketches that include a parody of the classic video game Pac-Man, a send-up of MTV's Pimp My Ride, and a bizarre reimagining of the movie Back to the Future that involves a sentient car. The sketches come fast and furious, making it clear that this is one episode that viewers won't want to miss.

Overall, "Tapping a Hero" is a hilarious and irreverent episode of Robot Chicken that delivers the laughs from start to finish. With its clever parodies and razor-sharp wit, it's a must-watch for fans of pop culture and comedy alike.