Episode name reference to/pun on: The racing term of the same name used to determine the winner of a race since the naked eye can not.
Air date
October 8, 1997
Production number
213b
Written by
Don Shank
Storyboard by
Don Shank
Directed by
Robert Alvarez Genndy Tartakovsky
Photo Finish is the second segment of the thirteenth episode in season 2 of Dexter's Laboratory. It first aired on October 8, 1997.
In this episode, Dee Dee captures several photos of Dexter's laboratory with her camera and goes with Mom to have them printed out. Dexter goes to retrieve the photos before Dee Dee can show them to their parents, but ends up going on an adventure to a distant laboratory in the process.
In most scenes where Red-Eye appears, he has four fingers, but from his first viewpoint, he has five fingers. The next scene his eyepatch is fleshcoloured.
Cultural References[]
This episode reunites Christine Cavanaugh and Jim Cummings, the voices of Gosalyn and the title character in Disney's Darkwing Duck.
This episode references and parodies several elements from the James Bond film series.
The episode's score, featuring twangy guitar and strident brass stings, is written and played in the style of the classic Bond movies' scores.
While delivering the reconnaissance film to Mat Parallax, Dexter disguises his voice by imitating Sean Connery, who played James Bond in seven films.
Dexter's removal of a scuba suit to reveal his spotless evening wear directly references an identical scenario in the third Bond film, Goldfinger (1964).
The factory's workers (as well as Dexter's assistant Katka) are all stunningly beautiful women, referencing the Bond films' tendency to cast gorgeous women in even the smallest roles.
Villain Red-Eye parodies two Bond villains: Ernst Stavro Blofeld (as portrayed by Donald Pleasence in the sixth Bond film, 1967's You Only Live Twice) influenced most of Red-Eye's outfit, his disfigurement, and his baldness. Emilio Largo (from the fifth Bond film, 1965's Thunderball) is referenced in Red-Eye's eyepatch.
Dexter uses suction cups attached to his wrists and knees to climb a tower in the episode, similar to Bond's suction gadget in You Only Live Twice.
The laser interrogation scene is based on a similar scene from Goldfinger. Red-Eye and Dexter almost exactly quote an exchange between Goldfinger and Bond:
Bond: Do you expect me to talk?
Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!
Dexter: Do you expect me to talk?
Red-Eye: No, Agent Dexter. I expect you to smile!
Production Notes[]
This episode along with "Sassy Come Home" were produced in the same year of 1997 according to the credits.
