Blast From The Past

Blast From The Past is the 84th episode of 6teen and the fourth episode of the fourth season. It aired on Teletoon in Canada on October 1, 2009, and on Cartoon Network in the United States on April 26, 2010.

A boy from Jen's past comes to visit the Galleria Mall. Caitlin decides to take a break from boys and becomes an artist. Jude, with a lot more free time to play video games since being fired from his job at the ice rink, tries to purchase some new games.

Main Plot
The gang is gathered around the table while a working Caitlin cries because she's just been dumped by a guy named Spencer. At that moment, an attractive guy walks up, looking for Jen. Jen brushes him off, however, and when he leaves, her friends ask her why she did that. Jen then explains that the guy in question was Travis Gibson, who spent the entirety of second grade throwing rocks at her, and that as a result she doesn't want to see him.

Later, the girls have gathered by the fountain while Caitlin laments how she's sick of boys. Upon hearing this, Nikki suggests that Caitlin take some time off from boys, and Caitlin agrees to do so. She demonstrates her commitment almost immediately when she growls at Jude after he surfaces in the fountain with a sock full of coins. After Nikki explains that Caitlin's trying out a new personality, she asks Jude what he's up to, and Jude explains that he's been collecting coins to purchase new games for his GameGuy. Unfortunately for his plan, Ron shows up, confiscates his ill-gotten gains, and writes Jude a ticket.

After this occurs, Jen takes off for work, while Caitlin goes off to purchase a new wardrobe for her new life. When she comes back to the lemon, however, it turns out that a new wardrobe did not spruce up her day, and she still feels as down as before. She then sees an art display and hears critics talking about it, which annoys her, as she feels even she could do better. Before she can travel too far down this road, however, Travis shows up looking for Jen. After a brief conversation, Nikki reveals that Jen is working at the Penalty Box, and Travis heads in that direction. Caitlin then asks why Nikki did this, since Jen mentioned that she hated Travis, and Nikki points out that Jen and Travis have a lot in common, which is unusual for Jen and another guy.

However, Nikki feels that she should give Jen a heads-up, so she calls her friend and tells her that Travis is on his way over to the Penalty Box. When he arrives, Coach Halder is instantly smitten, but Jen still doesn't want to see him. When Travis invites her out for lunch, she turns him down, but Coach Halder eagerly agrees, as his schedule is free.

Travis isn't done yet, though. He meets up with Jen by the Big Squeeze, and he asks her out again. She refuses, but Coach Halder begins pressuring her to get him to do an autograph session at the store. When he threatens her with eternal inventory-taking duty, she goes out and asks Travis to do it. He initially puts a condition on his acceptance, that she go out with him, but when she reminds him that he scarred her for life, he offers remorse, apologizes, and agrees to do the autograph session.

At the session, though, he lofts a shotput gently at Jen. This reminds Jen of the bullying she endured from him in second grade, and she angrily hurls it back at him. It slams into his right arm, breaking it. This causes Coach Halder to faint, and Travis to be taken to the hospital. Jen waits for him there, and when he comes out with his arm in a sling, she guiltily agrees to go to dinner with him.

At dinner that night, they talk about how they've injured each other, and Jen asks why he was throwing rocks at her in the first place. Travis reveals that he was doing it to get her attention, as he had a crush on her. This makes Jen blush, and makes Travis so happy that he decides he has to throw something. He picks up a piece of bread and throws it with his left arm. Jen notices that it was actually a strong throw, and points out that while Travis' aim may be shaky, his left arm is likely as strong as his right.

Jen resolves to train Travis so that he can get into the Olympics, and spends the next few days doing so. When the tryouts roll around, he aces them, but as a consequence will have to train a few time zones away, and so will be out of town. However, he and Jen agree to have a long distance relationship.

Sub-Plot One: Caitlin's Art
Caitlin decides to make some art as a new interest. Her first painting is a horribly-done one of her ex, and when he walks by, she puts her foot through it in anger and gives up. Nikki doesn't think that this is a good idea, as her drawing is as good as any of those in the nearby art show, and so she hangs it in the art show. When Caitlin comes back from cleaning up, she finds that her artwork is considered excellent, and the praise goes to her head.

Soon, Caitlin becomes obsessed with creating art and takes her misandry to new levels. This scares Nikki, who knows she needs to fix Caitlin. She calls Wyatt to help, and he agrees to come by. Caitlin is unwilling to listen initially, but Nikki points out that the art show is over, and that she's probably taken enough of a break from boys. Caitlin is at first unwilling to go back, but when Nikki holds up a mirror, she realizes she needs to visit the spa. The next day, she is back to normal and happy because two guys asked her out on her way into the mall.

Sub-Plot Two: Jude's Games
After Ron confiscates his collecting sock, Jude gets another one and starts scooping up more cash. When he's finally got enough, he heads for a game store, but when he arrives, it turns out that the proprietor of the store refuses to sell any game made after 1977. Jude is floored by this, and tries to convince the old man otherwise; in response, the proprietor makes him a deal. If Jude can beat him at a game in the store–one game, any game–the old man will begin to stock video games.

Jude agrees to the challenge, but is constantly defeated. When Jonesy arrives, Jude has lost ten games. Because Jonesy's been unable to remember where or what his job is, he starts taking bets that Jude won't win a single game, and gets everyone in the store to put in. However, his plans seem as though they will leave him bankrupt when Jude keeps losing and eventually loses every game in the store.

Jude isn't defeated yet, though. He comes up with a game in the store that they haven't played: the one on his GameGuy. The old man grudgingly agrees to play, but has a heart attack soon after starting the game. He collapses, and tosses the keys to Jude, whom he tells to take over the store. Jude goes off to order video games, while Jonesy tries to find his job.

Soon, Jude has ordered video games and is ready to resume gainful employment. Jonesy, meanwhile, finds his boss the next day at the Big Squeeze. Unfortunately, by not showing up for work the previous day, he's gotten himself fired–and more than that, fired from the highest-paying job at the mall that he could get.

Quotes
Jonesy: She won't tell us. Says we have too much testosterone to get it. Nikki: But necessary to the food chain. Caitlin: I get dumped, (to Jen) you get scarred, (to Nikki) and you—well you and Jonesy actually seem okay. Nikki: That's 'cause my standards are low. Caitlin: I'm just sick of them all! Nikki: Well, maybe a little time off from boys will do you good. Caitlin: You're right! From this day forward, I've got a new attitude and a new motto: no boys allowed! Caitlin: The name is Jen! Get it right! Nikki: Yeah, that guy who scarred you for life? He's kinda on his way over. Jen: Travis is coming here? Gotta go! Travis: Oh. Okay. Coach Halder: Masterson, drop and give me twenty for not having a clue what you're missing. Wyatt: Where you working at right now? Jonesy: At the, you know. Down the, next to, um—okay, I can't remember. Wyatt: You can't remember where you work? Jonesy: Hasn't anything ever slipped your mind before? Wyatt: Not a job! Jonesy: It was a quick interview. It'll come back to me. Just gotta give the old brain a little room to breathe. Nikki: Give it any more room, and it'll die of loneliness. Jen: Ugh! Never in a million years will I date Travis Gibson! Jen: Well, I'd come and help, but I'm on my way to dinner... with Travis. Nikki: Oh really? Jen: Yeah! It's the least I could do since I broke his arm. Nikki: What?! Nikki: Oh, come on. Wyatt hardly counts. Wyatt: Hey!
 * Jen: Hey guys, what's up with Caitlin?
 * Caitlin: It's not just Spencer; all boys are jerks and bums!
 * Travis: Hey, aren't you Jenny's friends?
 * Jen: Purgatory, Jen speaking.
 * Jen: I, uh, yeah. I've got this really contagious disease.
 * Nikki: Aren't you supposed to be at work?
 * Wyatt: You do realize you and Travis are perfect for each other?
 * Nikki: I've created a monster! Caitlin just went from interesting to psychotic in ten seconds flat!
 * Caitlin: Guy-free zone, Wyatt! Leave a message with the hand!

Trivia
Reason for firing: He could not remember where his job was until he found his boss, who fired him.
 * Goof: After falling over with his chair, Jonesy is upright again before he would have had time to get up and fix it.
 * Jonesy's job: working at a jewelry store
 * Camp Wawanakwa is clearly shown in a painting in the art gallery.
 * The title refers to two blasts from the past:
 * Travis Gibson, a boy from Jen's past.
 * Jude being stuck in a game store with nothing but board games, something he considers a relic of the past.
 * Jude's "GameGuy" is a parody of the real world's GameBoy.
 * Ax makes a cameo as one of the art show viewers.
 * This is the third time the hospital is seen. It had previously appeared in Parts 1 and 2 of "Labour Day."
 * Inside the hospital, the PA system can be heard saying "Paging Dr. Venture. Paging Dr. Venture." This is a reference to the cartoon The Venture Bros., where the main character is named Dr. Rusty Venture.
 * One of the games that Jude plays against the game store owner is obviously Clue. Another one they play is, though unnamed, obviously Twister.
 * The place Travis and Jen go to on their date is Cafe Coeur Brisé, which is commonly considered "the breakup restaurant." Interestingly, though, this date starts off one of Jen's more successful relationships, comparable in length only to the one she had with Charlie Dobbs.
 * The school sports field from "The Slow and the Even-Tempered" reappears in this episode.
 * Some of the stores Jonesy checks to see if he works there include Not Quite Naked (where he worked in "Dude of the Living Dead"), the perfume department of Huntington's (where he worked in "Fish and Make Up"), and Spin This (where Wyatt worked in the first season).
 * Caitlin mentions that Jen likes chocolate skis. This was first mentioned in "Mr. and Mr. Perfect."
 * According to Wyatt, a job at Immortal Diamonds is the highest-paying job for "regular Joes" in the entire mall.