"Monsters in the Dark" is the seventeenth episode of Monsters at Work. It premiered on April 27, 2024, and is the seventh episode of the second season.
Synopsis[]
Mike and Sulley lead a morale-boosting company retreat in the spooky sub-basement of Monsters, Inc.
Plot[]
Tylor is getting dropped off at work by his family when Val fails to pick him up like usual. Millie deduces that she is most likely still mad at him for the softball game, though Tylor ignorantly doesn't pick up on this and hopes that the "stinkerdoodle" cookies that Millie made will most likely make it up for her.
At work, Tylor goes to Val who gives him a cold shoulder. They are then greeted by Ms. Flint who realizes that "Brenda" had not given them a memo, which was to join the rest of the workers for a company retreat down in the subbasement of the building. The Monsters, Inc. team is there with Mike and Sulley leading the whole group to a section of the building that has been cut off: the first monster door room. They also explain that the ghost of Karloff the Shrieker has been roaming the floor. He was once the best scarer, but despised laughter, not just from children, but from monsters as well. They caution everyone that Karloff's ghost is not real.
Mike and Sulley have everyone anonymously write down complaints they have, with it being very obvious that everyone is still mad at Tylor for the softball game, Val in particular. Mike and Sulley attempt to calm the entire group down, but when they begin to chuckle, they suddenly disappear after the lights flicker. Believing that the Shrieker is behind it, everyone panics, especially when they learn that they are locked in. Fritz decides to try and get the door port working while Tylor, Val, and Roger go looking for Mike and Sulley.
While searching the tunnels, Tylor and Val voice their frustrations with one another with Roger trying to mediate between the two. Val accuses Tylor of not listening to her or her desires, while Tylor is angered over the fact that she never tells her what she is thinking or voice her complaints. They find scratch marks on the floor, which they assume came from the actual Shrieker, only it leads to a custodian closet. When they return to the main room, the only working door they found is a banishment door that leads to the Sahara Desert. Tylor suggests that they lay a trap to catch the Shrieker, which Val takes over by giving everyone a play by play about the plan.
Val tries to get everyone to laugh to lure the Shrieker. To make it convincing, She reminds everyone of the incident involving the vending machine, which successfully draws out the Shrieker. The door trap does not come down like it is supposed to, forcing Tylor to drop it manually on top the creature. To everyone's surprise, the monster turns out to be an elaborate costume worn by Mike and Sulley who congratulate the group on working together.
Afterwards, Tylor is finally able to share his cookies with everyone. He apologizes for not listening to Val and she in turn apologizes about not being so vocal. However, Tylor misinterprets her anger to still being about the softball game and apologizes for not letting her win. Instead, Val tells him that she has decided to accept the Jokester job instead. While happy, Tylor is visibly uncomfortable about the decision. As everyone leaves, Mike congratulates Sulley on the effects he used, though Sulley is confused by the scratch marks from earlier. A red light begins glowing from a custodian door.
Cast[]
- Billy Crystal as Mike Wazowski
- John Goodman as James P. Sullivan
- Ben Feldman as Tylor Tuskmon
- Mindy Kaling as Val Little
- Henry Winkler as Fritz
- Lucas Neff as Duncan P. Anderson
- Alanna Ubach as Cutter
- Rhys Darby as Roger Rogers
- Stephen Stanton as Needleman and Smitty and George Sanderson
- Dee Bradley Baker as Banana Bread
- Christopher Swindle as Phlegm
- Bob Peterson as Roze
- Aisha Tyler as Millie
- John Ratzenberger as Yeti / Bernard
- Jenifer Lewis as Virginia Tuskmon
- Bonnie Hunt as Ms. Flint
Trivia[]
- Karloff the Shrieker is named after Boris Karloff, best known for his portrayal of Frankenstein's Monster during the 1930s.
- The Shrieker's ghost story is similar to Bloody Mary's urban legend as both stories are about people who got disappear after performing specific actions that the titular ghosts hates, such as laughing at Monsters, Inc. basement and saying "Bloody Mary" three times at bathroom's mirror around midnight respectively.
- Cutter reveals that she's a blond.
