"Dumptown USA" is the first episode in Season 7 (and one-hundred and eighty second episode overall) of Regular Show. It first aired on June 26, 2015. It aired during the first ever "Regular Show Bomb".
Synopsis
Rigby must bring Mordecai back from a bizarre land of dudes also known as Dumptown USA or Benson will fire him.
Plot
The episode opens with Rigby playing video games with Eileen to decide where they will go for lunch. Just as Rigby wins and chooses Wing Kingdom, Benson comes in to remind Rigby of his chores. Rigby insists on waiting for Mordecai to help him, but the three realize they don't know where he is, noting that no one has seen him in the two weeks since his breakup with CJ through the events of "Dumped at the Altar." Benson comments that he has tried to call him, but Rigby finds Mordecai's phone in between the couch after calling it (with 300+ missed calls from Benson).
Rigby gets a call from Eileen who says that neither Margaret nor his parents have seen or heard from him. Searching in their room, Rigby finds a postcard of "Dumptown USA" under Mordecai's mattress, a bizarre place consisting entirely of men struggling through breakups signed by Sad Sax Guy. Benson surprises Rigby when he reveals he knows all too well of the town already, having been there on at least four different occasions, including after his breakup with Audrey. Benson informs Rigby that the only way to get there is to get dumped.
Rigby then goes to Eileen's house, and convinces her to fake dumping him. She is initially reluctant and fails at the first attempt, but then she acts it out well enough to the point that Rigby almost believes he actually got dumped. Fortunately, Sad Sax Guy sees the whole ordeal and buys the breakup, taking him to Dumptown USA (oddly enough by flying).
When they arrive, Rigby sets out to investigate. He is disgusted with seeing all of the town's residents wearing a robe, seem unbathed, and looking generally unhygienic. Arriving at a market, he asks a local about Mordecai, but is mortified to discover that the stranger is Mordecai, and is taken aback by his drastic appearance overhaul(Mordecai now has unkept long brown hair and a long brown beard, and he is wearing novelty sunglasses, a bathrobe, a dirty tank top and shorts, and flip flops, basically giving him the appearance of a bum). Mordecai, trying to justify Dumptown USA, shows him the beach house where he's staying
Mordecai takes Rigby to his beach house, inhabited by five "roomies" who wait impatiently for Mordecai to bring them food. The house, much like the rest of the town, is trashed and unhygienic. Mordecai decides to show Rigby around town, only for Rigby to notice how everyone has little life in them everywhere they go.
After an out of tune sax practice, Rigby explodes at Mordecai, having had enough of the aimless lifestyle of Dumptown USA. He tries convincing Mordecai that the town is horrible and that CJ is just another girl among many that he'll get over, but to no avail. Finally, he gets through to Mordecai when he notes that he's been there for two weeks (Mordecai was under the impression it had only been a few days). Rigby tells Mordecai that due to the aimless lifestyle nobody knows or cares what the timeline is because they are either too depressed or in denial and show Mordecai what he really looks like through the saxophone reflection. Having taken a good look at himself and his surroundings, Mordecai and Rigby leave. However, the roommates he was living with, needing someone to bring them food, give chase. Mordecai and Rigby finally lose them by jumping a drawbridge, where on the other side Sad Sax Guy flies them away.
Mordecai and Rigby make it back safely to the Park. Mordecai acknowledges that Dumptown was lame but simpler, and takes advice from Rigby to just move on from dating and focus on what is best for himself. Benson appears and yells at Mordecai to finish his tasks or be fired, and leaves greeting Sad Sax Guy. Rigby then gets a call from Eileen, and ends the episode complaining about having to go to the Ethiopian restaurant instead of the Wing Kingdom to get back with her.
Characters
- Mordecai
- Rigby
- Benson
- Eileen
- Sad Sax Guy
- Men in Dumptown USA
- Margaret (mentioned)
- CJ (mentioned)
- Audrey (mentioned)
- Ashley (mentioned)
- Monica (mentioned)
- Patrica (mentioned)
- Lisa (mentioned)
- Stacey (mentioned)
Trivia
- It's revealed that Benson has been to Dumptown USA four times before, including after his break up with Audrey.
- It is not known how Benson left Dumptown, after breaking up with Audrey.
- The episode info on the TV version incorrectly says that Mordecai and Rigby must save Benson from Dumptown USA or he will fire them, But Rigby had to save Mordecai from Dumptown USA or Benson will fire him.
- It is unknown how Mordecai's hair turned brown.
Production Notes
- This is storyboard artist Sam Spina first episode and working with Benton Connor.
- This is the first episode that wasn't directed by John Infantino as he left the show in late 2014.
Pop culture references
- Mordecai's outfit while in Dumptown is a reference to fictional slacker Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski.
- There's an E.T. reference when Mordecai and Rigby jump the drawbridge gap.
- Starting with this episode, the Regular Show title cards no longer have the "A CARTOON NETWORK ORIGINAL" subtitle like Seasons 1 through 5. The subtitle later returned for Terror Tales of the Park V and stayed permantely since Crazy Fake Plan.