21 May 2019
Discussions begin on how to allocate their resources during the Battle of the Bands, with many of the Doodlers (Party) having very minimal experience with instruments. Nick Close suggests that they split into two teams: one of himself, his father, Ellory, and Johnny No-Ear, and the other of the remaining members. He suggests that the dads can try to intimidate or bargain with the guy he was sold to to let him go.
Darryl calls for a dad huddle, raising concern about Nick’s plan. The team recalls that the whole reason they retrieved the Battle Axe of Hatred was to free him from his contract, and are weary about being called to fight after all that effort. Ron interrupts to ask what the F-word they had stopped Nick from saying, and concludes he won’t be saying fracas. Henry asks if they’re playing to keep the Axe or if they’re playing to keep their lives, and Glenn interrupts reminding the team they are responsible for this situation. Henry tries to claim that they had struck the first blow, and Lizardboy Scales McStuffins reminds him that they had been the ones breaking into the Redbrand’s base, thus making the Doodlers the aggressors. Henry yells at Lizardboy Scales McStuffins thinking he’s Nick.
After that deliberation, Darryl concludes that he knows what’s going on and calls over Nick. He tells Nick that if he doesn’t want them on his band, he can just tell them and doesn’t have to send them on a wild goose chase. Nick does agree that he does not want the other Doodlers in his band, but holds firm that everything else he said was still a problem. Still unconvinced, Darryl starts to explain his problems with that suggestion, but Glenn suggests that the other Doodlers use that time to suss out what’s going on.
The dads get lost in trying to figure out a way to both have the team all on stage and split apart to do stealth work for a short time, including Ron doing interpretive dance, two encores, and Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Album. Nick concludes that he would rather be killed by the Redbrands than do anything they just talked about. Glenn suggests that the other dads sabotage the opposing team before admitting he was excited to be on stage because he parted with the Glenn Close Trio on bad terms. Even though he told Nick that he had left the band, he reactions imply that he had rather been kicked out for being rowdy on the tour and almost killing the band with the same car stunt they pulled with the Redbrands.
Henry and Darryl reaffirm that they’re sticking with Glenn, and Glenn tells them to mess with the other team and make them sound terrible. Henry suggests that they infiltrate the band and just absolutely blow it, and Darryl holds up the Perfume of Bewitching. They agree that they’re going to get dressed in cloaks to hide their identity and attempt to join the Redbrand’s band. Ron decides he wants to be on lead vocals, and seems to quickly forget that the goal is to lose.
Glenn explains that the Battle of the Bands is decided by the crowd’s reaction, and that it’s completely subjective. Nick adds that in spite of the opposing views of the gangs, they both really appreciate good rock and will cheer honestly for whoever plays better.