“Waterloo, Or How Horatio Won The Prank War” is the first episode of the 6th Season of the USAmerican television situation comedy Dad’s Casa. The plot centers on the end of the prank war between Horatio and Nappy. This is one of the few episodes where Dad and the Casa get little screentime. The title references The Battle of Waterloo.
Plot
The episode opens with Horatio at a bar nursing a beer and sighing. Horatio had wearied of the prank war. He had tried to forfeit but Nappy wouldn’t agree to end things. Nappy tried just ignoring Nappy but that didn’t work either. The only recourse left to him was to win the war definitively. At this time, Horatio had come into some money. Consequently, Horatio came up with a plan, his own Manhattan Project, if you will. There’s a montage of Horatio reading up on strategy, game theory, espionage, acoustics, optics, ghosts, and haunted houses. Horatio tells Dad that he’s going away for a short summer trip. Horatio books a train to NYC but interrupts his trip, cuts/dyes his hair, changes his wardrobe, puts on fake prescription glasses and heads to Edison, NJ. Horatio moves into an apartment and checks his watch. 6 months pass. Nappy receives a weekend getaway in the mail from Horatio. Nappy doesn’t know what to think but goes on the trip and has a great time. While he’s gone, Horatio turns Nappy’s house into a haunted house. There’s a montage of Horatio disabling the security, picking locks, and installing mics, projectors, speakers, and lights. Nappy returns but doesn’t detect anything. Two weeks pass and it’s now Christmas Eve. Nappy is watching A Christmas Carol and when he gets to the part with Marley rattling the chains, he hears rattling chains in his house. A ghostly: “NAAAAAPY, NAAAAAPY” is heard. Nappy is freaked out. A ghostly image of Horatio is seen in the hallway. Oh, this is a prank thinks Nappy and then Horatio, dressed and made up as a ghost, jumps out and says: “Waterloo”. Nappy collapses. “Shit”. Horatio calls 911. While the paramedics are loading Nappy on the ambulance, one of them says: “Prank gone wrong?” “Yeah,” mutters Horatio, looking down. At the hospital, the next day, Horatio sheepishly enters Nappy’s room. “It’s ok, Horatio. You win the prank war-and Merry Christmas.” Horatio laughs and cries and laughs and cries.
