Mickey Mouse Short: No

Season 3, Episode 10: “No” 1/8/16
Starring: Mickey Mouse
Co-starring: Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck, Pete, Uncle Scrooge, Mortimer Mouse, Huey, Dewey and Louie, The Three Little Pigs, Clarabelle Cow, Gubbles and Figaro.
Setting: Around Town
 
Plot: Mickey’s inability to say “no” results in humourous consequences a plenty.

Short Stuff:
 
The favours Mickey’s friends ask of him are as follows:

• Minnie asks for a stick of butter.
• Goofy asks to borrow Mickey’s chair (for chairity… ba dum chh) and car.
• Uncle Scrooge asks to borrow five dollars.
• Mortimer Mouse asks to borrow his “girl” (Minnie).
• Pete uses Mickey’s shower and doesn’t even ask.
• Huey, Dewey and Louie ask to borrow some toilet paper (which they promptly use to toilet paper Mickey’s house).
• The Three Little Pigs take Mickey’s house.

 
Not under the “favour” category but acts made against Mickey where he can’t muster up the strength to defend himself or his pets:

• The dog catcher nabs Pluto.
• Figaro gobbles up Gubbles.

 
After Donald teaches Mickey how to say “no,” he proceeds to deny the following people/things:

• Mickey refuses to give Clarabelle Cow directions to Main Street.
• He won’t help an old lady cross the street.
• He ignores a stop sign.
• Won’t let a cop pull him over.
• Refuses to tell the truth in court.
• It actually works to his benefit when he responds to his cell mate asks if the stripes make his butt look big.

 
This is Mortimer’s first appearance in the series after having only appeared in one classic short (Mickey’s Rival, (1936)). He would appear much later in the less-than-stellar Mickey Mouse Works (1999-2000) and The House of Mouse (2001-2003) as well as the Disney Junior show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2006 – present).
 
Uncle Scrooge makes his second appearance since Season Two’s Goofy’s Girlfriend.
Huey, Dewey and Louie have their first speaking role after the teensiest of cameos in Season Three’s Halloween episode Black and White.
 
Huey, Dewey and Louie’s Sunday-Best-looking outfits resemble those that were worn in the classic short Mr. Duck Steps Out (1940).
 
Gubbles and Figaro renew their feud from Season One’s Gasp.
 
In fact, this is Gubbles second appearance which puts him in league with Mickey’s Scooter as the only cast regulars to have been creations of this new Mickey series.
 
Where did Gubbles’ unnamed girlfriend come from?  She magically appears when Figaro pulls both him and her from his belly in returning the fish to Mickey. 
 
Classic short veterans Practical Pig, Fiddler Pig and Fifer Pig (a.k.a. The Three Little Pigs) also make their first showing in the new shorts.  They, of course, were stars of The Three Little Pigs (1933) as well as its sequels: The Big Bad Wolf (1934), Three Little Wolves (1936) and The Practical Pig (1939).
 
Practical Pig drives the crane while Fiddler and Fifer man the forklifts.
 
All it took were a few punches to the gut and wrench squeezes of the nose from Donald for Mickey to finally say “no.”
 
As per usual, it’s hard to tell whether that’s actually Clarabelle Cow or just some random heifer asking Mickey for directions but I’d rather assume it’s her – red hair and all.
 
Is Mickey’s cell mate gay or just “prison gay.”  Either way, he’d be the first *possibly* gay character in this series since the bear and walrus dinner-date-duo in Season One’s Third Wheel.
 
While everyone else returns the “favor,” Minnie returns the “FLAVOUR” (PUN-tastic!) in the form of that stick of butter she borrowed.

Final Grade: A-
This cavalcade of seldom used/previously unused characters almost feels like a response to all my belly-aching over the dearth of character appearances/variety.  While I do love this type of world building, I’d also like to see a few of these guys featured more prominently in a short or two.  For example, would it kill them to give us a classic Donald vs. his nephews or Pluto vs. Chip ‘N’ Dale short?  Really, I think everyone is here except for Daisy and the aforementioned chipmunk duo.  With all that said, this one had a unique and fun story and even gave us a Mickey behind bars.