EPISODE NINE
- Production Number: 113
- Show Number: 9
Title: KILLJOYS- First Air Date: 9/11/97
A group of paranormal clowns that feed on laughter stalk New York City. The Ghostbusters chase one of them down and Eduardo traps a clown in a heartbeat, there's only one catch. Eduardo must replace the clown which he trapped by turning into one!
Production Supervisor Shannon Muir's comments (from our original interview):
NetSolo: In the episode "Killjoys" Egon uses an odd looking proton pack with a set of lights and what look like satillietes on the top. What was this piece of equipment?
Shannon Muir: I've been waiting for this question! It's the deluxe equipment Egon is marketed with. I just saw the toys in a store the other day for the first time, and what it got called on the toy is not the same name it had in the early prototypes we sent to Trendmasters (why I don't know). Unfortunately, I have gotten the name of this piece of equipment and the deluxe piece of Eduardo's equipment confused. All I can say is... check the toy shelves. It's original name was "Field Projector," FWIW.
Exactly what the added equipment is supposed to do, I'm not clear on. I definitely don't think "Killjoys" clearly shows what it does. The director added the use of this equipment to the episode, it wasn't originally scripted. These weapons were designed early on because I think they were considering moving away from using the proton guns in favor of different equipment on the show -- but what is Ghostbusting without proton guns? Just my opinion.
If I remember right, the "portable containment unit" Roland is marketed with was written into one of the later episodes of the series... but under its original name of "Ghost Vacuum." Actually, I just noticed that he's leaning on it in the group shot of the opening credits!
Neil Vitale comments:
- This is a rather strange episode, it reminds me of the movie called Killer Klowns from Outer Space. A spirit in the form of a clown, scouts the city for people laughing. When it finds them, it drains there energy. Only, when Eduardo traps a clown, another clown Bites him, and he takes the clowns place as one of them. The EGB's track the remaining clowns down to an abandoned circus(where else?), where they manage to find the boss... Which could prove to be a tough fight to win, unless Egon develops a sense of humor!