When Hex mistakes an exclusive magic club for a top-secret wizard society that snubbed him, Ben has to figure out how to work around the club's strict code of conduct to stop him without getting booted by security.[ATV 1]
Plot[]
Hex and Steam Smythe in jail
At a mansion known as the Presto Palace, Team Tennyson wait in line to experience some non-dangerous magic acts. Ben imagines himself as Slapback and Diamondhead performing tricks, but Max shoots down any alien shenanigans. As the doorman lets the Tennysons in, Hex teleports onto the scene, furious. He demands to be speak to the high council of the Presto Palace, but the doorman asks how he even heard of the club. In a flashback, it is revealed Steam Smythe performed a card trick he learned at the club before Hex, and mistaking the club as an actual wizard society, Hex teleported out of jail in a fit of rage. Still devoid of context, Hex demands entry, but is forced to change into a tuxedo using his magic. Impressing the doorman, he is let in.
Rath's plan falls through
The Tennysons make their way into the palace's foyer, where they see multiple people doing magic tricks. Max permits Ben to wander off on his own, while he and Gwen go their own way. Meanwhile, the doorman leads Hex to the club's authorities, Shasta Fey and Hal Kazam. Hex prepares to fight them as a means of initiation, but they instead ask him to do a performance. Soon, he is on a stage, performing dark arts as Ben passes by the door. He prepares to transform, but is stopped by the doorman, who claims the Omnitrix qualifies as distracting jewelry. Ben instead crawls into the vents, and transforms into Rath, only to find himself stuck. He falls to the lower floor, and the doorman kicks him out for being a pet.
Back with Hex, he finishes a magical technique, impressing Hal. Shasta is decidedly less impressed by his showing, infuriating Hex. They let him have another performance, and he promptly teleports to another theatre. In another room, Gwen watches a magician, before she is distracted by Ben as Shock Rock at the window. She follows him down his ladder to a lower floor, where they see Hex performing. However, as they re-enter the building, they are quickly kicked out by the doorman, and Shock Rock reverts back to Ben. At the main stage, Hex asks for a volunteer, and he selects Max. He quickly realizes who he is, and vice versa. Hex puts together that none of the attendees practice real magic, and flies into a rage. Red light bursts from the palace, and Ben transforms into Omni-Kix Heatblast to stop Hex.
Hex torments Omni-Kix Heatblast
Omni-Kix Heatblast bursts into the main theatre, where Max, Shasta and Hal are all bound by Hex's magic. They begin to fight, with Hex gaining the upper hand, hurling Omni-Kix Heatblast through portals. However, he is caught off-guard when a rabbit latches onto his face, courtesy of Gwen with a magician's hat. Gwen keeps him distracted with doves, and causes him to fall off of the balcony. Hex attempts to retreat, but Omni-Kix Heatblast foils his escape by destroying his portal. He spews flames at Hex, who defends himself with a magical shield. Gwen once again distracts him, this time with a deck of cards, causing him to lose concentration and get blasted back by the fire. He lands inside a box to be sawed in half, and is trapped inside. Hex attempts escape, but Gwen surmises he can't teleport with his body segmented. Later, a cop takes him to prison. Ben suggests that they've learned it's okay to break the rules sometimes, but the doorman shuts the lesson down, banning Team Tennyson, Hal and Shasta forever.
Max: I hate to burst your bubble there, Ben, but you can't do any alien stuff here, kiddo. Ben: Why not?! Max: This is a very exclusive club, with very specific rules. Dress code is strictly enforced. No pets, no distracting jewelry, no uninvited guests, no phones, no open flames, and definitely under no circumstances can you perform magic, unless you're a member of the club.
”
“
Cop: Oh, no, no, no, no, no! (to Steam Smythe) Did he do the poofy thing again?! Steam Smythe: Can I have his desert?
”
“
Hex: I'd almost forgot how relaxing it is to let loose and torment humans! Omni-Kix Heatblast: Lucky for me, I'm not exactly human right now! Hex: That device might change your form, but you'll always be a petulant little brat on the inside!
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding information. Which Robin Atkin Downes character said the line and what the line is needs to be determined.
After Max takes his hat off, he is seen wearing it again in the following shot.
When the club is affected by Hex's magic, for a brief moment, the entrance stairs overlap Gwen's legs.
When Hex's box is initially separated, there is no line on the end where it was cut. In the next shot, however, a line is present.
Takes off the hat
Wearing the hat
Not wearing the hat
Stairs overlapping dress
No line
Line
Trivia[]
The Presto Palace is re-purposed from the hotel in Scared Silly.
This episode allowed Kelly Turnbull to fulfill two of her long-standing goals for the series: showing how Hex keeps escaping prison and getting Robin Atkin Downes to say a MGS quote.[KT 1]
During the production of this episode, Kelly wanted to Hex team up with Zombozo because they are both monochromatic pointy-toothed cat-eyed "magicians" and have an odd-couple energy with Hex's snobby serious no-fun attitude and Zombobo's maniac glee.[KT 2]
The original pitch was that Zombozo would trick Hex into thinking that the magic club was a secret wizard society that snubbed him so he could rob them blind while they were distracted by Hex going nuclear.[KT 3]
However, the episode was rewritten and Zombozo was removed because Kelly could not add John DiMaggio to the voice cast just for a one-off gag at the beginning. Luckily, Zombozo was replaced with Steam Smythe because Roger Craig Smith was voicing Scottie Fang/Hal Kazam.[KT 4]