The live action segments of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show never failed to disturb, but this near-surreal ending to each episode took things to the next level. The superbly cast Captain Lou Albano would enter the seizure-like trance known as "the Mario", and inexplicably begin disappearing and reappearing all over the screen, which contained an animated desert landscape seemingly right out of Road Runner cartoons. The credits would roll while "Mario" implored viewers to "take one step, and then again" in a voice halfway between singing and yelling. The song and dance were clearly created in less than five minutes.
Kids loved it. Although an episode of SMBSS always created more questions than it answered – Is today Friday, aka "Zelda day"? Does Mario wash his hair with the pizzaphone? What the fuck is the Radigator? – we could always count on it ending with Mario shaking his ass around like an idiot, followed by the comforting DiC logo. Who would have guessed little kids would have fawned over a couple of goofy ethnic stereotypes singing (poorly), dancing (poorly), and engaging in nonsensical adventures? But we always did the Mario along with Captain Lou, because kids know two important things: The real world doesn't make sense anyway, and sometimes the ugliest faces have the warmest smiles. No wonder we were "hooked on the brothers."