Probe Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype Over You - TV Tropes

Originally airing on 24 March 1988, "Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype Over You" begins with Mickey and Austin leaving his company with one of his CEOs trying to convince him to interview a scientist with a "Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype", or MAPE. Before they get to their car, they're ambushed by a Louise Boken (Tara Windsor), who is convinced that Austin has miscalculated the size of galaxies by a factor of 2. He invites her to follow him to his warehouse, where he discovers that Dr Deanna Hardwick (Kathryn Leigh Scott), creator of the MAPE, is already waiting for him.

Austin has to deal with flirting coming from both Josephine (the MAPE) and Ms Boken, both of whom want to replace Mickey as the only woman in Austin's life. Unfortunately, someone begins killing off these women. Louise Boken is discovered dead by gunshot wound that first night, and the prim(at)e suspect ends up being Josephine. Austin struggles to find who was behind the attack, quickly learning that the MAPE is just as intelligent as her creator tried to claim, even if he despises her choice in entertainment.

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This episode provides examples of:

• Animal Testing: Dr Deanna Hardwick has been testing a new method of increasing intelligence on an orangutan. The result is a highly intelligent ape that sends Austin into a fury as he realizes just how badly Josephine had been abused to advance Dr Hardwick's position in the scientific community.
• Animal Wrongs Group: An animal rights group attempts to free Josephine, an ape that Dr Deanna Hardwick had done been doing unethical experiments on. Ironically, when they release her from the pound, she locks them in her cell before making her escape.
• Call-Back: At the climax, Austin turns on "Blue Danube", and reminds Josephine that it is their song. He uses this as a distraction.
• Epunymous Title: The title refers to an English idiom, "going ape over you", meaning that someone is extremely excited or enthusiastic about someone. The ape, or "Metamorphic Anthropoidic Prototype", is the primary focus of the episode, and in love with Austin.
• "Eureka!" Moment: While decoding Josephine's writings, Austin realizes that she thinks all of reality is just like on television. Her morality is based on things like Soap Operas, where killing romantic rivals is acceptable behaviour. He immediately calls Mickey and tells her to lock down the warehouse for her protection.
• Framing the Guilty Party: Someone has planted evidence that an orangutan (Josephine) had killed Louise with a gun. Josephine was surgically modified to increase her intelligence. She has created a sign language and written language, and educated herself by watching TV. She murdered Louise because she was a romantic rival for Austin's affections, and planted the evidence because on TV, the obvious suspect that everyone thinks did it at first, is always found innocent.
• Genre Savvy: Although the audience rarely knows directly what Josephine is saying (other characters are limited to repeating what Josephine has said), it is clearly communicated that she loves television shows, and has trouble separating television from reality. Austin realizes that this means she was the one who had killed Louise Boken, and her next target is Mickey!
• The Glasses Gotta Go: When Josephine pulls off Louise Boken's glasses, Mr Decker retrieves them for her, and tries to convince her that she looks more attractive without them on.
• Last-Minute Reprieve: Austin and Mickey try to get the Judge to issue a stay of execution to prevent Josephine (an orangutan suspected of murder) from getting a lethal injection. At that same time, an Animal Wrongs Group tries to free her from the pound.
• Pounds Are Animal Prisons: Because Josephine (an ape modified with Super-Intelligence) is accused of murder, she is taken to jail. Er, the animal shelter. (A mistake that a cop makes In-Universe.)
• Red Herring: Because the first person accused of murder is always found innocent on television shows, Josephine frames herself so that she will be exonerated by the investigation.
• Skeleton Key Card: Josephine becomes the prime suspect in a murder due to being able to pick the lock on her cage with a credit card that she stole from Austin.
• Stalker with a Crush: Austin is pursued by a stalker who murders one woman and tries to murder another she sees as an obstacle to her obsession with Austin. The twist? The stalker is Josephine, a mentally enhanced orangutan.
• Standard Snippet: When Josephine invites Austin to dance, he requests the "Blue Danube" and waltzes with her.
• Super-Intelligence: Josephine, the titular ape, has been modified to be more intelligent. She's created her own Signed Language and written language, and is working on "The Great Orangutan Novel".
• This Bear Was Framed: Early evidence in the case for Louise's murder has Josephine, an orangutan, as the only possible culprit. Naturally, animal rights activists try to free her from an animal impound.

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