Walk of Doom

	Invader Zim Episode
	Walk of Doom
	Chronology
Previous:	Parent Teacher Night
Next:	Germs
	Information
Episode No:	Episode 03b
Production No:	03b
Airdate:	April 6, 2001
	Credits
Writer(s):	Jhonen Vasquez; Rob Hummel

They've booby-trapped their sun somehow! I'll just wait 'til the skin grows back on my eyeballs.
— Zim

Plot Summary

SPOILER WARNING OF DOOM: This section or article may contain spoilers!

Guidance Chip Worked on (Walk of Doom) — Zim prepares the Guidance Chip.

When Zim gets annoyed by GIR's inept nature for the last time, he upgrades GIR's guidance technology, and decides to test its capability. The initial tests look good, so Zim takes GIR into the city to test if GIR can get them safely back to the base.

However, when GIR purposely leaves the new guidance chip at home to make room for a cupcake, Zim and GIR must find an alternative way to get home, despite having very little understanding (at this time anyway) of the way the city functions.

Zim tries several plans of his own, including using a makeshift compass, getting on a bus (only to be kicked off, as neither of them have any money), staring at the sun, again attempting to take the bus (this time with money they earned by dancing in the park; however Zim finds he can't stand it and they get off before the bus can go anywhere), climbing to the top of a bank that was just robbed, and eventually taking a taxi, only ending up more lost than before. How Zim and GIR got home is unknown.

End of Spoilers: There are no further spoilers for this section or article. You can breathe now.

Facts of Doom

Cultural References

When Zim gets on the bus, there is a bomb under the driver's seat. It could have been a reference to the film Speed.
The drooling baby on the bus looks a lot like Stewie from Family Guy. This was even mentioned in the audio commentary on the Doom Doom Doom DVD during the episode.
In one scene, the "Z?" logo is seen on a sign on a building.

Trivia

The title is the second to use the squiggly Invader Zim font instead of the official.
This is the first time in the series that neither Dib nor Gaz appear.
Behind Zim the second time he is on the bus is an African-American woman that was also seen in Parent Teacher Night.
Once Zim ends up in Mexico, there is a sign saying Carne, translating to Meat.
Throughout the entire episode you can hear noises such as people screaming, car crashes, gunshots and explosions in the background.
This is the first episode where Zim uses his PAK's spider legs.

Things You Might Have Missed

When Zim and GIR are in the park, the screaming man's sign says "Will stop screaming for food".
When Zim winds up in Mexico a little girl tries to sell him some candy, The word 'feo' is on them. Feo is Spanish for 'ugly'. Feo can also refer to unpleasant taste. Similar to awful, as in "this tastes awful."
The little girl in Mexico trying to selling candy to Zim has a resemblance to Trixie Tang from The FairlyOddParents!
After burning his eyes staring into the sun, Zim sits against a building side, with a sign above him that reads "Z?" from Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. It also says, "got 23?". But, after the view raises above the building and it turns to night, the sign has changed and the light is overhead.
While on the bus, Zim watches Eugene Levy get in a taxi, behind Eugene there is a sign saying "Stop making babies".
When Zim enters the park after running from the Chihuahua, there is a darker-skinned man dressed in a sparkling suit who closely resembles a young Michael Jackson doing the moonwalk. It is not known whether this was put there on purpose or if this was a random and inconsequential event.
In the crowd watching Zim and GIR dance is Zita, the girl that sits behind Zim in Skool. Also, this is the first episode where Skool isn't seen.
The bobble-head on the Bus Lady's dashboard is Fillerbunny.
There is a Bloody GIR above Zim's head after he and GIR get in the taxi.

Changes and Cuts

This episode originally had a different ending, with the taxi arriving at a sign that said "Welcome to Mexico". Nickelodeon thought that it would be offensive to Mexicans, so they made the Zim crew change it. Jhonen says he likes the new version better.

Inconsistencies and Animation Errors

At the part of the episode where Zim shakes his fist and yells "I will beat you, city!", look at his hands. In this scene, his hands are green, despite the fact that he was wearing gloves just before that scene.
When the bus is first seen from a bird's-eye view, it is backing up quickly. However, when GIR is reading the ad "What about the bus?" the bus is backing up slowly.
When GIR pulls a cupcake from his head, he has to access it from a zipper on his hood. Such a zipper does not exist.
A goof is seen in the bank scene as a guard passes through the scene and is gigantic in comparison to the other guards there. This is mentioned by Jhonen in the audio commentary of the episode.
When Zim and GIR crash into the dumpster, the dog that is seen running away makes the sound of a cat.

Music

Main article: The Kevin Manthei Invader Zim-phony Special

To the City

In the entire opening sequence, up to the point where Zim asks GIR to lead them home.

I'm Blind!

When Zim stares at the sun too long.

Bank Robber Chase

During the chase sequence with the cops.

To the Barrio
Carne Beat

When Zim winds up in Mexico.