Minor

August 12, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

August 12, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

@coolbluevenusdemilo001 (Mei)

Favorite Card:

Amazoness Swordswoman

Attribute: Earth

Type: Warrior

Level: 4

1500 ATK

1600 DEF

Special Effect: Your opponent takes any battle damage you would've taken from battles involving this Card instead.

Signature Move: Amazon Slash Attack

Known Owner: Tania

Magic:

Amazoness Call

Description: Activate only if you control a face-up "Amazoness" Monster. Select 1 face-up Fusion Monster on the Field and return it to the Fusion Deck. If all of the Fusion Material Monsters that were used to Fusion Summon that Monster are in the Card Graveyard(s), Special Summon them to their owner's side of the Field.

Known Owner: Tania

Trap:

Mirror Force

Description: When an opponent's Monster declares an attack: Destroy all of your opponent's Monsters in Attack Mode.

Known Owner(s): Yugi Muto, Atem, Leon von Schroeder, and Jaden Yuki

The Card I Believe Represents Her:

Goddess with the Third Eye

Attribute: Light

Type: Fairy

Level: 4

1200 ATK

1000 DEF

Special Effect: This Card can be used as a substitute for any 1 Fusion Material mentioned by name on the Fusion Monster Card, but the other material(s) must be correct.

Signature Move: None

@coolbluevenusdemilo001 (Martha)

Favorite Card:

Amazoness Blowpiper

Attribute: Earth

Type: Warrior

Level: 3

800 ATK

1500 DEF

Special Effect: Select 1 Monster your opponent controls during each of your Standby Phases. It'll lose 500 ATK until the end of this turn.

Signature Move: None

Known Owner: Tania

Magic:

A Feather of the Phoenix

Description: Discard 1 Card, then target 1 Card in your Card Graveyard; return that Card to the top of your Deck.

Known Owner: Adrian Gecko

Trap:

Magic Cylinder

Description: When an opponent's Monster declares an attack: Target the attacking Monster; negate the attack, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.

Known Owner: Atem

The Card I Believe Represents Her:

Cure Mermaid

Attribute: Water

Type: Fish

Level: 4

1500 ATK

800 DEF

Special Effect: As long as this Card remains face-up on your side of the Field, increase your LP by 800 during each of your Standby Phases.

Signature Move: None

August 6, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

August 6, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

Yesterday was my last day of Fitness class at the Playhouse. It was a potluck instead and the participants got a Certificate of Achievement. I got one too, surprisingly. I had a great time and it was good to see my friends again. I love hanging out or visiting there a lot, so it always makes me sad when it closes for the season. Hopefully, I'll be able to see them again soon.

Meanwhile, I still haven't had any luck with finding a job. So I've enrolled in some Child Development classes and even one that'll teach me the skills as a Behavior Technician just to gain more education, training, and experience to keep myself busy. It's all online but doesn't start till October. So until then, I'm gonna try and complete as much of my projects as I can. As well as spend time with my sisters.

Things in the Valley are going fine, I suppose. I completed the Pop City Star Path in 3 days, just leaving only the bonus stuff left. I also got Ralph and got him to Level 10 in 3 days. All that's left is to do his quests and maybe I'll find another clue regarding the Realmweaver. An acquaintance of mine in a DDV group gave me pictures of a clue they found, but I don't know what it means. At least, not yet.

I guess I'll have to wait for the DDV Royal Court at D23 to tell us, which will be happening in 9 days. God, I can hardly wait to see what's coming up next for the next expansion. I've mostly been spending my time in Honeyglow Woods. It's just so...peaceful here. Sitting with Pooh in his Thoughtful Spot was very relaxing. I can't remember the last time I just let myself go from thinking and just looked up at the clouds. Pooh and his friends are just so...pure and innocent like Olaf and Mickey. There's just something about characters like them that makes me happy and want to protect them from things that might harm them.

I soon felt heartbreak and anger when I discovered the horror movies made by Jagged Edge Productions based on Disney characters like "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," "Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare," "Bambi: The Reckoning," and the newest one "Pinocchio Unstrung." I haven't seen any of them since I'm not a horror fan, nor will I ever, but I've seen the trailer for the newest one. It's hard to avoid when social media posts photos, or videos of the trailers everywhere. How dare this company takes pure and innocent Disney characters and turns them into...heartless and evil monsters. The reviews they receive from them are negative, but somehow, they end up turning into profits. I hate that! I want that company shut down now! Along with the one that made "The Ice Cream Man." What they're doing, that's not funny! That's sick!

The only movies that I'm looking forward to this year are "The Magical Faraway Tree," "The Forgotten Island," and Jumanji: Open World." Those are the only ones that I'm interested in. There'll probably be more, but these are the only 3 I know at the top of my head for the moment.

Other than my projects, I've mostly been taking a trip down memory lane with classic movies and video games from either my childhood or my father's. He introduced me to a comedy film called "Uncle Buck" and it's a riot. What I wouldn't give to see my father do something similar to what Uncle Buck does to those who hurts his family. As for video games, I played the original "Spyro the Dragon" for the Playstation. I'm surprised that it still works and happy that I still got it with Spyro. Peace Keepers is my favorite place to bust bad guys since they've got cannons and because the soldiers make funny noises when they're defeated. Quite frankly, they deserve it as I unintentionally found out what "mooners" were. Disgusting! So all the more reason for Spyro to charge at them with his horns. He could also flame them, but I prefer charging horns over fire.

August 4, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

August 4, 2026

Daily Pictures

Happy Color

Original Language: French

Translation: English

TW: Self-Harm

John Dory smiles as a few rays of sunlight, bold enough to slip through the curtains, brush against his eyelids. They’re persistent enough that the Troll finally cracks open one eye, then the other. A moment later, a mighty yawn escapes him, and he runs a hand over his face to rub his eyes and shake off the lingering sleepiness. Then, with a contented sigh, he rolls onto his stomach and begins to stretch lazily in the middle of his bed. 

Ah, how pleasant it is to take one’s time in the morning…

Before, he hadn’t really had the chance: life in the Neverglade Trail was a constant struggle, and he couldn’t afford to linger in one place for more than a few hours. 

But today, having settled into Pop Village for an indefinite period, he can finally allow himself a break. 

That’s why he lies there as long as he likes, savoring the warmth of the sheets, the softness of the pillows, and the gentle purr of Rhonda, who’s still asleep. 

When Poppy suggested he settle down here, John initially thought he wouldn’t be able to get used to a sedentary life. After 20 years spent crisscrossing the globe without ever putting down roots, he was convinced that boredom would soon catch up with him and he’d leave again. 

That was almost a year ago. 

He has seriously reconsidered things now, having tasted the comfort of a stable life - where he can walk outside without the risk of being eaten at any moment, and where he once again has the chance to socialize, something he’d missed more than he cared to admit. 

A year had already passed, and not once had he felt the urge to leave this place. 

Worse still, he’s even starting to consider settling there for good. And he’s certain Rhonda wouldn’t mind at all, given how much she loves spending time with the Trolls - especially Queen Poppy. 

But while he mulls over his decision, John Dory summons the courage to haul himself out of bed, following another stretching session that his aging back appreciates. Once fully awake, he heads to the tiny dresser where he keeps his few clothes and pulls on a pair of old shorts - patched on one side and torn on the other - thinking to himself that he really ought to go shopping sometime. Next, he grabs his favorite jacket, its massive fur collar tickling his cheeks. Finally, he picks up his only glove, intending to put it on, but stops short; a sudden, violent, and unexpected pain flares in his left hand, causing him to drop the garment with a grunt of discomfort. Then, lowering his head, he glances at his hand - that cursed hand, marked on both sides with a large star-shaped design nearly as wide as his palm, in a faded blue that stands out starkly against his skin. 

It’s an old, particularly ugly scar - a souvenir from a time before he’d mastered the art of surviving in hostile environments. Despite all the care he’s lavished on it, the bone, tendons, and muscles were irreparably damaged when he earned this “trophy,” and it causes him constant pain. On some days - like today, it seems - the agony becomes so intense that it feels as though a white-hot iron’s being driven into his hand, preventing him from performing even the simplest movements, such as flexing his fingers. He’s noticed that this happens mostly when rain’s approaching: the dampness seeps into his damaged flesh, ruthlessly reigniting and intensifying his suffering. And there’s nothing John Dory can do to ease the pain. He’s tried everything - medicinal herbs, meditation, acupuncture, ice, hot water bottles - but to no avail. 

He has no choice but to grit his teeth and force himself to pull on his glove, even though the friction of the fabric against the mark makes him want to scream. This garment’s the only thing he’s found to offer some relief: not only does it hide the scar, but it also provides a measure of support for his tired muscles, allowing him to move almost normally. 

“Almost” is the operative word here, since - glove and all - John Dory drops his coffee cup, can’t manage to zip up his jacket, and fails even to open a jar of jam. 

Annoyed, sore, and hungry, the Troll fortunately soon finds the solution to all his problems: his brothers. Spending even just an hour with them is enough to get him back on track, and he even manages to arrive in time to share breakfast with them.

“JD, you’re a genius!” he exclaims, leaping off Rhonda; her massive head turns curiously toward him, and a loud purr escapes her as he strokes her cheek. “I’m going to grab a bite with my brothers - you can go for a wander while I’m gone!” 

His dear friend doesn’t need to be told twice, and John watches her disappear into the bush with a delighted smile before setting off for the village - specifically, for Branch’s Bunker. 

At this hour, Bruce - who’s come to visit for the week - must be getting a meal ready. Floyd’s likely still asleep; his brief stint with Velvet and Veneer left some lasting effects, including debilitating chronic fatigue and joint pain that forces him to sit down frequently. Clay’s probably in the shower, and Branch’s surely already had at least his first 2 cups of coffee for the day. 

If John hurries, he might just make it in time to share the first meal of the day with them. 

As a rule, he avoids imposing his presence on them, contenting himself with being around them when the opportunity arises and adapting to everyone’s schedule; for even if he isn’t the most emotionally astute Troll, he senses when his presence is unwelcome and is fully aware that his brothers haven’t yet completely forgiven him for those 20 years of separation. Eager to properly make amends - and knowing they’re all safe now - John Dory gives them as much space as they ask for, watching over them from afar, as is his duty as the eldest. 

But every now and then, he allows himself to show up at Branch’s place - knowing the others are there - to ask for a bit of their time. Generally, they welcome him, mindful of the effort JD puts in for them and wanting to show him that he still has a chance to find a place in their hearts. 

That’s why he doesn’t hesitate for a second to knock on the doormat outside Branch’s Bunker, waiting until the hidden hatch beneath it opens to reveal Clay’s curious face - his still-damp hair confirming to John that he’d been right about the shower. 

“Hey, JD!” his brother greeted him with a friendly smile. “Coming for breakfast?” 

“You guessed it!” the older one replied with a cheerful nod, before hopping onto the elevator platform; Clay started it up to take them deep underground, to the nerve center of their younger brother’s bunker. 

“You’re in luck - Bruce made his famous potato omelet,” Clay hummed once they reached their destination. 

“The one with chunks of smoked pork belly? Pure bliss,” enthuses John Dory, his nose already assailed by the delicious aroma of the meal Bruce’s whipping up right now - a scent that makes his mouth water instantly. 

He and Clay soon reach the kitchen, where Branch has recently installed a massive wooden table after making sure his brothers would be staying in the area. The only one who leaves occasionally is Bruce, called back home by his beloved wife, their brood of children, and his restaurant. Yet, he makes the effort to return at least once a month, even if only for a day or two. Sometimes, he even brings along a few of his little ones, as well as Brandy. 

In any case, Branch now shares his living space with Clay and Floyd - both having decided to move in to make up for lost time - and getting the place ready for this shared living arrangement keeps him pretty busy; fortunately, he’d built the bedrooms long ago - JD actually knows that one of them’s earmarked for him and that he could move in there, if he wanted to. 

“What’s on the agenda for today?” John asks after greeting Bruce and sitting down at the head of the table, licking his lips at the thought of the feast awaiting him. 

“Finishing touches on the new bathroom,” Clay replies. “It’s bigger than the other one, and better equipped, to make things easier for Floyd.” 

JD nods, understanding. 

“I could lend a hand,” he suggests, ignoring the pain that now radiates from his fingertips to his elbow, promising a difficult day. 

“If you promise to do everything I say,” Branch’s voice reaches them. He appears in the dining room doorway, wearing a leafy robe, his hair still tousled from a long night’s sleep, his tail trailing behind him. 

John greets him with a broad smile before replying in an exaggeratedly solemn voice: 

“You have my word. I will obey your every command without hesitation or question!”

Branch narrows his eyes, only half-convinced, but doesn’t press the issue - apparently still too tired for that. Instead, he goes to sit next to Clay, who’s just brought over a pot of coffee - which the youngest immediately claims. 

“How much coffee have you had since you got up?” JD asks. 

“Two,” his brother replies, and the eldest grins broadly. 

It’s good to see that, even after 20 years, he still knows his brothers inside out. 

Floyd eventually joins them, greeting them in a groggy voice that makes John laugh. Then Bruce - bless him and his cooking skills - finally brings out breakfast: an omelet so huge it could double as a blanket, and from which everyone rushes to take a generous helping, as if they hadn’t eaten in a week. 

And there they are, having breakfast together just like in the good old days - fighting over the sugar and tossing objects across the table (because simply passing them calmly from one to the other isn’t funny enough, whatever Clay might say), not to mention the contest to see how many slices of jam-covered toast they can stuff into their mouths at once. 

John emerges the clear winner with a total of 7 slices - one of which nearly causes him to choke to death. He’s saved only by Bruce’s paternal reflexes; Bruce even takes the opportunity to lecture him, to the point where John Dory - despite his legendary carefree attitude and the fact that he’s the eldest - ends up shrinking a little in his seat, promising not to do it again. 

Then, having finished their meal, they clear away their cutlery, eager to finally start their day in earnest. 

Unfortunately, as he carries a stack of plates back to the kitchen, John Dory feels the pain in his hand return - as searing as a poker left in the fireplace flames. A strangled yelp escapes him, along with the dishes he was holding, and he can only watch in horror as they fall. 

Miraculously, Branch, who’s close behind him, manages to catch all the plates before they hit the floor and quickly sets them down by the sink.

“Watch it!” he snaps at his older brother. 

“Sorry, they slipped out of my hands,” John replies with an embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his neck as he tries his best to ignore the unpleasant numbness in his left arm. 

“You sure you’re okay? You suddenly went pale,” Bruce remarks - skilled at spotting such things after a long, impressive career as a family man. 

“Hm? Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” JD says quickly, shrugging. “Didn’t sleep well last night, that’s all.” 

Fortunately, his lie seems to suffice, and none of his brothers press the issue. For once, John offers to handle the dishes himself to give them time to get ready, and they agree without complaint. 

Left alone in the kitchen - after Branch has shown him where every utensil belongs (the eldest already knows the layout of the kitchen by heart, but he knows it reassures his younger brother to tirelessly repeat the rules he himself established, so he lets him do it without a word of protest) - JD begins the task. He makes sure everyone has truly left however, before removing his glove and setting it within easy reach, just in case. None of his brothers know what he’s hiding underneath, and he has no intention of revealing it to them. What would be the point, anyway? It’s his problem - his alone. 

Then, without further delay, he begins washing the plates. 

For as long as he could remember, he’d always enjoyed doing the dishes - even when he was just a tiny Troll. The feel of the warm water on his hands gave him a deep sense of well-being, while also soothing the muscles in his injured hand, and he loved the scent of the dish soap. It reminded him of afternoons back when they still lived in the Troll Tree in Bergen Town, when his grandma would give him a bowl of soapy water to blow bubbles and keep his little brothers entertained. 

John smiled at the memory of Bruce and Clay - clumsy on their young legs - scrambling to catch the lovely, translucent spheres. And then there was Floyd’s adorable, wide-eyed look of astonishment the day a bubble popped right on the tip of his nose.

Despite the threat hanging them over back then, John’s memories of that time were generally happy ones. 

Except, of course, for the day his parents were devoured by Bergens. 

“No, don’t think about it,” JD told himself as he cleaned the glasses, taking his time to ensure there wasn’t a single smudge left on them - well aware that otherwise, Branch would give him yet another lecture on hygiene, something the older brother would happily do without. 

But just as he was about to put the last glass away on the top shelf, a sudden stiffness seized his fingers, causing them to spring open against his will. And this time, Branch wasn’t there to catch it. 

The glass shattered on the floor between his feet, scattering sharp shards everywhere. The noise, combined with John’s startled shout, caught Clay’s attention, and he quickly came over to join him. 

“Is everything okay here?” he asks, and JD jumps before hurriedly pulling on his glove. “Damn, what happened?” 

“An accident,” the older one replies, looking a bit embarrassed. 

“Okay, don’t move; I’ll pick up the glass before you step on it,” the younger one tells him, quickly sweeping up the area around John’s feet. 

As luck would have it, Clay cuts the tip of his right index finger on a shard, the sharp hiss of pain that escapes him makes JD spin around to look at him.

“You okay?” he asks. 

“Yeah, it’s nothing,” Clay sighs, tossing the broken glass away and running his hand under the water in the sink. “Just a small cut.” 

“Want me to get you a bandage?” John offers; despite what he’d said to his brothers during their argument before saving Floyd, he can’t help but want to look after them and make sure they’re all okay. 

But Clay shakes his head. 

“It’s fine, I’ve got it,” he says, walking out of the kitchen before John has time to react. 

Still, the older brother clearly notices his sibling’s annoyed expression and the accusatory glint in his green eyes. 

Great, now Clay’s mad at him…

“Sorry!” John calls out, hoping that’ll be enough to appease the other Troll. 

Unfortunately, he gets no reply, and as he leaves the kitchen himself, he runs into Branch, who gives him a wary look. 

“What did you do this time?” the youngest brother asks suspiciously. 

“I just broke a glass - it’s no big deal, it happens to everyone,” John replies defensively, before trying to change the subject: “Is there anything else I can help with?” 

Branch stares at him for a moment and - miraculously - decides not to press the issue, opting instead to point toward one of the hallways adjoining the main foyer. 

“Well, there’s still the bathroom to finish outfitting. You can get started on your own - with the plumbing, if possible - and I’ll join you as soon as I’m dressed,” he says simply, and JD’s face lights up with an enthusiastic smile. 

“Consider it done!” he exclaims before darting off without a second thought - eager both to help his brother and to escape his scrutinizing gaze.

Some days, he misses Bitty B terribly - misses those big, happy eyes and those gap-toothed smiles. 

Still, all isn’t lost; perhaps Branch will eventually truly rediscover the joy he once had. As the saying goes, hope springs eternal! And JD has hope to spare.

But in the meantime, Branch has asked for his help, and John fully intends to provide it as quickly as possible - overjoyed and just a little honored that his youngest brother’s finally placing even a shred of trust in him.  

“If I finish before Bitty B catches up with me, he’ll have his morning free to spend with Poppy - and he’ll be grateful to me for it!” the Troll thought with a confident smile, hurrying down the hallway toward the work site. 

He soon found a toolbox and everything needed to finish the plumbing. Delighted at the prospect of helping his brother, he quickly set to work. Having lived with Rhonda for nearly 20 years, he’d picked up some DIY skills - including a thing or two about pipes - so he began the job with plenty of confidence. 

He soon became lost in thought, even humming a random tune as he started at the water connection, taking his time to ensure the job was done right. He was nearly finished when he heard footsteps behind him; glancing briefly over his shoulder, he saw that Branch had arrived. 

“You’re going to be happy, Bitty B - I’m almost done,” he sang out proudly. 

“Stop calling me that,” Branch grumbles back, eliciting a laugh from his older brother as he steps closer to check the work. 

Since Branch says nothing, John assumes he’s doing a good job and keeps going; his tail wags happily behind him, betraying the satisfaction he feels at having not only managed to help his younger brother but also off the feat of shutting him up. 

“See? I can handle myself,” the older one coos with a slightly teasing smile, before grabbing a wrench to tighten the final bolts. 

Unfortunately, the action aggravates an old injury, and a grimace slowly spreads across his face as he performs the repetitive motion of turning the wrench. He eventually has to give up, though he figures it should be enough: the bolts are securely in place and - despite Branch’s protests - John’s convinced there’s no reason for any trouble. 

So, naturally, there’s a problem: the second he opens the water valve to test his work, the bolts all pop off one after another, too fast for him to react. The next instant, a jet of water slams into both Trolls’ faces, and in the blink of an eye, the bathroom’s flooded. 

“Shut the valve!” yells Branch, who’s been pushed back to the doorway by the force of the spray. 

“I’m trying!” John shouts back, pulling at the valve with all his might - but to no avail; unable to close his left hand and lacking sufficient strength in his right, he cannot stop the flow. 

“What on earth is going on here?!” Bruce’s voice suddenly booms; appearing behind Branch, he quickly grasps the situation. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” 

He immediately shoves his younger brother aside to rush into the bathroom; roughly pushing John out of the way, he grabs the valve and hurriedly turns it to shut off the water. 

A deafening silence then descends upon the room.

Bruce’s soaked from head to toe, his magnificent purple mane forming a sodden cascade down his back - a mane that’ll likely take hours to dry. As for the floor - not even yet tiled - it’s now awash with water that quickly soaks into the bare earth, turning the room into a massive mud puddle; the youngest member of Brozone slips in it, landing hard on his backside with an impressive *Splash!* followed by a thunderous “Ouch!” 

John’s first instinct is to laugh at the astonishing spectacle, but he falls silent almost immediately when Branch and Bruce glare at him. 

“Look what you’ve done!” the youngest growls. “It’s going to take me all day to fix the mess! I told you the bolts weren’t tight enough!” 

“It was just an accident - calm down,” Bruce tries to soothe him with an annoyed sigh, pulling a dry towel from the cupboard and handing it to his younger brother, who snatches it angrily and tries to dry himself off. 

“Yeah, Bitty B, I’ll clean it up, don’t worry,” John adds, forcing a smile onto his face. 

Unfortunately, his attempt at reconciliation hits a wall of anger. 

“No way!” Branch shouts. “You aren’t touching anything else in here, got it?! Actually, it’d be great if you could just leave!” 

John Dory’s eyes go wide with shock; even Bruce looks a bit surprised. 

“Branch…” he begins, but the younger brother shakes his head and crosses his arms over his chest, looking deadly serious. 

“Don’t ‘Branch’ me, he growls, pointing toward the bathroom exit. “I’m not kidding - I want you out of this bathroom. I have to mop all this up, and I won’t have time to keep an eye on you.” 

“Keep an eye on me?” John asks, offended. “Branch! I’m your big brother; *I’m* the one who’s supposed to keep an eye on *you,* not the other way around! Come on, seriously - I’m sorry, okay? You…” 

“Go away,” his younger brother cuts him off irritably. “Go on. Floyd needs help shelving his books; that’s probably more up your alley…and it’s a lot less dangerous than letting you mess with the plumbing.” 

JD opens his mouth but shuts it again almost immediately, unable to think of a comeback. Beside him, Bruce gives him an apologetic look, and the older brother realizes he won’t be getting any support from that quarter. 

“I just wanted everything to be perfect,” he stammers again. “As usual,” Branch snaps, his voice icy, and John finally realizes his brother isn’t going to change his mind. 

So, swallowing his pride along with the bile rising in his throat, he nods. 

“All right,” he mutters. “I’ll go see if Floyd needs me. Sorry again about the mess. I’ll just… I’ll just go.” 

“Perfect,” growls Branch, stepping aside to let him pass as he heads for the door. “And do us a favor - don’t come back!” 

“Branch!” Bruce scolds him. 

“Nah, he’s right,” John mutters as he walks down the hallway. “See you later!” 

“Yeah, right,” he hears Branch grumble before Bruce scolds him again, but JD isn’t listening anymore; he shuffles his feet toward the library. 

When he arrives, the Troll pauses to shake off the barrage of negative thoughts. Then, forcing a cheerful smile onto his face, he enters the room, humming a “Hey, bro!” full of feigned energy. 

As agreed, Floyd’s there, busy moving several stacks of books from one end of the room to the other, toward the back where massive, already-packed shelves stand. Hearing John approach, the pink-haired Troll stops and offers a friendly smile. 

“Hey, JD,” he replies in a welcoming voice. “Come to help?” 

“Yeah, Branch said two pairs of hands would be better than one,” confirms the eldest, relieved that his warmest brother’s presence is easing the weight of the monumental screw-up he’s just caused in the bathroom. “Wow, he’s got a lot of books!” 

“Oh, most of them belong to Clay,” Floyd corrects, looking slightly amused. 

“Right, his famous sad books… I read one once. Never again,” John remarks. I cried through every single chapter. 

“Really? Are they that bad?” asks a surprised Floyd, as his older brother takes the stack he was carrying off his hands - earning a warm word of thanks from the younger one. 

“You have no idea,” John confirms, cradling the volumes against his stomach. “So tell me - where do I put them?” 

“Well, I was thinking of sorting them by genre,” Floyd replies. “These are novels; I’ve started shelving them here - look.” 

“You know, Branch might complain that they ought to be in alphabetical order,” John says with a chuckle as he goes to set the books down near the shelf Floyd pointed out. 

The latter joins him there and helps him quietly put the books away. 

“Just like he used to do with our albums,” he whispers with a knowing smile, which John returns. 

Of all his brothers, Floyd’s the only one who showed genuine joy at seeing him again, and the only one who seems enthusiastic about his attempt at redemption. JD’s therefore particularly happy to spend some time with him. They soon find a rhythm that works for them: John moves the heaviest books and arranges the highest shelves, while Floyd handles the lower ones and sorts the volumes however he likes. However, he has to stop regularly to catch his breath, and John can’t help but feel a pang of guilt at his brother’s fatigue - his brother, who used to be so full of energy and life. 

“I’m sorry,” he says after a while, as Floyd’s forced to sit in an armchair because his legs can no longer support his weight.

“For what?” his brother asks curiously. 

John Dory gestures vaguely toward him. 

“For that whole business with Velvet and Veneer. If I’d been faster… or if I’d alerted the authorities…” 

Floyd tilts his head, then smiles at him very gently. 

“John… You don’t have to apologize. You did everything you could to save me, and in doing so, you managed to bring us all back together. Do you realize that? It’s thanks to you that we’re here today.” 

The eldest swallows hard; setting down the books he was still holding, he walks over to his brother and kneels before him.

“But I was too slow,” he stammers, feeling shame and a sense of failure slowly tightening his throat. “And now, you’re paying the price for it…” 

Floyd’s smile softens even further before the pink-haired Troll leans forward to take his older brother’s hands in his own. 

“A tiny price, considering everything it’s given me,” he replies. “And the doctors say I’ll regain full function within a year or two, so you see, everything’s fine. And I don’t blame you at all, okay? So please, don’t blame yourself either.” 

“I can’t help it,” John whispers, his voice trembling more and more. “I keep telling myself that if I’d come back sooner, if I’d tried to reach out to you guys…” 

“And if you hadn’t done anything at all, I’d be dead,” Floyd states firmly, his fingers tightening slightly around the older one’s. “Johnny, you saved my life - do you realize that?”

JD nods awkwardly. Deep down, he knows Floyd’s right, but he can’t stop blaming himself. He should’ve been there for his brothers; he never should’ve broken up the band. It was his role, as the eldest, to protect them, and he failed completely. Because of him, two of his brothers suffered horribly, and the other two hold a grudge against him. The worst part is that he keeps hurting them, even now, and it’s absolutely crushing his spirit.

“Even if they don’t show it,” Floyd continues, pulling him out of his self-pity, “They’re happy to see you again.” 

“Even Branch?” asks John, struggling more and more to hold back his tears. 

As a rule, he’s the type to hold back tears - or only shed them in private, tucked deep in bed under the covers late at night. But with Floyd… With Floyd, he’s never managed to keep up the act. It’s as if his brother has a superpower that compels those around him to open up completely, to place the keys to their hearts in his caring hands. And John, for all his tough-guy bravado, has never been able to resist his younger brother’s kindness and understanding. 

“Especially Branch,” Floyd finally replies, and the next moment, John presses his face against his brother’s knees, his body racked by a heavy sob. 

Instantly, two hands slip into his hair, gently playing with his long turquoise locks in the way that’s always soothed him. They say nothing, because there’s nothing to say. JD simply pours out all the grief and frustration that’ve built up over the last few months, and Floyd accepts it all willingly, giving him all the time he needs to calm down and pull himself together. When John finally manages to do so, he pulls back to take a deep breath before offering his younger brother a shaky smile. 

“Sorry - and thanks,” he says, speaking rapidly, his voice still a little unsteady. “I think I needed…to just let it all out. It’s been a long morning.”

“No worries,” Floyd replies. “If you want to talk about it more… my door’s always open, okay?” 

John nods, and after wiping his eyes with a somewhat abrupt motion, he goes to pick up the books he’d abandoned in the corner. 

“You can open up to me too, you know?” he says as he goes back to tidying up. “I know, and I thank you for it,” confirms Floyd, who wastes no time joining him to help. 

Together, they go back to tidying up, chatting about this and that - mostly nothing in particular - in an attempt to lighten the mood. The older one eventually works up the courage to mention the two accidents he caused earlier that morning, and Floyd reassures him with all the patience and calm he possesses. 

He even manages to coax a genuine smile onto John’s face, and it isn’t long before the latter regains his usual good spirits. 

Alas, luck’s truly not on his side today; he barely has time to enjoy this brief moment of respite before his old injury flares up again. Just as he’s trying to put a book away on a shelf above Floyd, disaster strikes before he can react: a violent jolt of pain suddenly shoots through his hand, a sharp cry escapes his lips, and he drops the massive encyclopedia he’s holding. To make matters worse, the book slams right into Floyd’s forehead - so hard that the poor Troll staggers backward, dazed by the impact. 

Horrified, John rushes over to steady him and check his head, where a thin cut has appeared, trickling a fine stream of glittering blood. 

“Oh no, no, no, no,” JD stammers, his voice drained of color as he frantically looks for something to stop the bleeding. 

“It’s okay, it’s nothing,” Floyd replies, simply pressing his fingers against the wound. “The book slipped out of your hands, right? I’ll just have a bump.” 

But John doesn’t hear him; he’s deafened by the panicked pounding of his heart, which echoes right in his ears. He can focus on only one thing: his little brother’s hurt - he’s bleeding.

And it’s his fault. 

Just as it was his fault he was captured by two species of talent-stealing vampires; just as it was his fault Branch had to grow up alone for 20 years; just as it was his fault Bruce had to change his identity and flee to the other side of the world; just as it was his fault Clay cut himself off from the outside world and its joys for so long - just as he’d hurt three of his brothers in the span of one tiny, fleeting morning.

Everything - everything - was his fault. 

And this time, neither Floyd’s reassuring words nor his kind smile could calm the panic gripping John Dory. 

Before he could even think twice, he rushed into the hallway, shouting:

“I need help! Floyd’s hurt! Guys!” 

Within a minute, his three brothers had joined them. Branch even had the presence of mind to bring a first-aid kit. Soon they were crowding around Floyd, holding out bandages and disinfectant. 

“It’s a minor cut,” Bruce finally said - having become an expert on such scrapes since the birth of Bruce Jr. “Nothing to panic about.” 

But John Dory *was* panicking. 

He couldn’t help it; 20 years of guilt had just slammed into him with the force of a tsunami. Gasping and distraught, he hung back, his tail curling nervously around one of his legs. 

“It’s my fault,” he stammered. “My fault. My fault, my fault, my fault… The book was too heavy, and my hand… I didn’t mean to, but I let it go, and it fell and…”

Instantly, Branch closed the distance between them and grabbed him by the fleece-lined collar of his jacket. 

“And what?!” he roared. “You’re the one who did this to him?! That’s impossible! Can’t you be careful for once in your life?!” 

“Branch!” cried Floyd, joining them and trying to step in to make their youngest brother let go. “Stop it, I’m fine!” 

“No, you’re not fine!” the youngest continued, raging. “None of us are fine - because of him! Every time he’s around, things go wrong!” 

“Stop, that’s not true!” Floyd protested indignantly. “You don’t mean that!” 

“Yes, I do!” Branch shouted at the top of his lungs. “And it’s the truth!”

Every word felt like a knife to the gut for John Dory. Still in shock, nauseous, and with his arm throbbing more painfully than ever, he finally managed to break free from Branch’s grip and took a staggering step back toward the door. 

With a tight throat, he barely managed to stammer:

“I just wanted…” 

“Everything to be perfect - we know!” Branch spat out.

The eldest froze as if he’d been slapped.

Then lowering his head, he mumbled:

“Sorry. I think the best thing is… is for me to leave.” 

“No!” Floyd cried out emotionally.

“Guys, how about we sit down and talk this through calmly?” suggests Clay, finally stepping forward as he realizes the situation’s truly spiraling out of control. 

“Seriously, we just made up,” sighs Bruce. 

But their words fall on deaf ears; John waves them off dismissively. 

“No, Branch is right. I destroy everything I love - it’s always been that way, and there’s no reason for it to change. So, I’m leaving. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see each other again in 20 years.”

And, flashing a smile as fake as the fur on his collar, he whispers a barely audible:

“See you around, guys.”

Then he turns on his heel and rushes to the elevator platform, activating it before anyone can catch up to him. In any case, he doubts any of his brothers followed him. 

As he ascends to the surface, he tries to sort out his thoughts and figure out his next move, but everything’s a jumble in his head; he feels like both vomiting and crying, his hand throbs with agonizing pain, and it feels as though some invisible force is yanking his hair in every direction. 

He’s thoroughly disoriented when he finally reaches the bunker entrance; he steps out with a somewhat unsteady gait, walking away without paying attention to where he’s going. The only thing that matters to him right now is putting distance between himself and his brothers - for the safety of all four of them. 

He should’ve stuck to his original plan: reforming the group only long enough to save Floyd, then going their separate ways. But Branch managed to convince him to stay, to give their family a second chance… And look at the result. 

Now, Branch is the one who resents him the most; Floyd’s hurt, Clay is too, and Bruce has naturally sided with his younger brothers. As the second-eldest sibling, it really falls to him to step up as guardian and protector - a role John Dory failed to fulfill. 

At the thought of having failed once again - of having shirked his duty - the Troll feels tears welling up, but he swallows them back hard, refusing to allow himself a moment of respite after all the harm he’s caused. 

He has no right to cry when he’s the one at fault. 

All he can do is go find Rhonda and prepare to leave Pop Village for good. Maybe he should go back to the Neverglade Trail. At least there, there was no one he could hurt. 

Yes, that’s an excellent plan. 

Exile.

The solution to all his problems, and the only way to redeem himself without hurting anyone. 

Rhonda will likely be a bit sad to leave, but John knows she’ll understand - because she always understands, and she’s the only one he’s never caused pain.

He just needs to find her, and then they can…

Pain flares up in his hand again, and this time it’s so excruciating that it knocks the breath out of him. Feverishly, he looks down at his fingers - staring at them without truly seeing them - as he endures, in gasping silence, the vicious onslaught of a wound nearly two decades old. 

“This is all your fault,” he whispers as the agony recedes. “You’re the one who hurt my brothers. You’re the one who’s broken, incompetent, useless. Why do I even bother keeping you around?” 

He doesn't realize the weight of his words. The pain’s too intense; it numbs his senses and clouds his reason. He feels like an animal with its paw caught in a trap. He sees only one way to break free…

Pulling off his glove, he casts a final, hate-filled glare at the hand that’s betrayed him so often in the past - and continues to betray him now, just when he needs it most. The scar looks like a mocking grimace, laughing at the misery it’s caused. John Dory stares at it for a moment, then snaps.

His teeth sink fiercely into the tender skin of his wrist - hard enough that blood quickly fills his mouth, spreading a metallic taste that makes him nauseous, yet he refuses to let go. 

He has to free himself from the trap, rid himself of the source of his misery and…

His fangs suddenly strike a nerve, and pain explodes - blinding and searing - rippling through every single cell in his body. 

John screams. 

Glitter-flecked blood now trickles down his chin and along his arm; his hand trembles violently, and he suddenly realizes what he’s just done. 

Another cry escapes him - fainter, more muffled. 

Then, darkness swallows him, and he loses consciousness - here, in the middle of the woods, from the safety of his own people. 

When he regains consciousness, John Dory immediately notices three things:

First, he’s no longer outside.

Second, he’s in bed. 

Third, he isn’t in pain anywhere. 

“I must be dead,” he thinks simply, lacking even the energy to worry about such a possibility.

But no sooner has the thought crossed his mind than a familiar voice rings out right beside him:

“Holy glitter-crusted cracker, you’re awake!” 

Turning his head toward the sound, John meets the gaze of Floyd, who’s sitting on a chair next to the bed where John lies. The other Troll’s large pink eyes are filled with a mixture of relief and worry that JD can’t quite fathom.

“Bro?” the eldest stammers, once he remembers how to work his tongue - which is stuck to the roof of his mouth, feeling pasty and dry as cardboard. 

If Floyd’s here, that means he’s still alive after all. But if he’s alive… where is he?

Confused and unable to think clearly, he tries to sit up, but the world immediately starts spinning around him; he lies back down with a grimace, pressing his right hand against his temple. 

“Try not to move around too much,” Floyd advises, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. 

John Dory smiles faintly as he feels his brother’s tail gently wrap around his arm in a comforting gesture. 

“The doctor said you needed to stay quiet,” the younger one adds, and his older brother frowns. 

“The doctor?” he repeats. “Floyd, what happened? Where am I? What’s this about a doctor?” 

Floyd’s expression grows even more worried than it already was. 

“You don’t remember?” he asks, before lowering his gaze. 

Following his brother’s line of sight, John freezes when he spots his left hand. 

Resting atop the blanket, it’s completely swathed in a wide gauze bandage that extends almost to his elbow. When he tries to move it, he’s startled to find he has no sensation whatsoever in his arm. Then, surprise gives way to fear as snatches of memory come flooding back. 

His escape from the bunker, the forest, the guilt, then the anger… the desire to be rid of that cursed pain once and for all… 

“Floyd?” JD stammers in a tiny voice. “What can’t I feel my hand? Floyd? What did I do?” 

He immediately tries to tear off the bandages, terrified of seeing the injury he might’ve inflicted on himself, but his brother stops him at once. 

“Calm down,” he says in a gentle but firm voice. “It’s normal for your arm to be numb; the doctor numbed it to operate on you.” 

Anxiety turns to terror. 

“Surgery?” John repeats, his ears flattened and his tail nervously curled around his thigh beneath the duvet. “Floyd, what actually happened?” 

Floyd shifts restlessly, fiddling with his earring and avoiding eye contact. It takes him a few seconds to find the right words, and then he hurriedly summarizes the situation:

“When you left the bunker, Branch followed you. He realized right away that he’d gone too far and that you two needed to talk. But when he found you… you were unconscious. He came back to get us - you should’ve seen him; he was panicked.” 

John Dory closes his eyes for a moment. Guilt washes over him again, and he feels more wretched than ever for having terrified Branch like that. Floyd must sense it, for he places a hand on John’s - the uninjured one - and offers a small smile. Then he continues, his voice thick with unshed tears:

“We followed him to where you were, and… Johnny, there was blood everywhere. We thought you… that you were…”

He falls silent, on the verge of tears. John stares at him, devastated at having hurt him, too. He should’ve just grabbed Rhonda and left immediately! But that cursed hand… He couldn’t help it; he’d felt compelled to do something. 

“We thought you’d been attacked by a beast,” another voice suddenly chimes in from somewhere behind Floyd, who jumps and turns around. 

Bruce then appears, looking grim. Approaching the bed, he places a hand on Floyd’s shoulder, silently asking him to step aside. The younger brother reluctantly complies, holding JD’s hand in his own for as long as possible before returning to his chair. John laments the sudden separation, but Bruce quickly fills the void Floyd left behind, settling into the spot their younger brother had just vacated. Carefully, he runs his fingers over the thick bandage covering John’s arm; John savors the warmth of his brother’s hand, feeling it even through the dressings. 

“Then we figured it out,” Bruce continues. “Your mouth was full of blood, and with the teeth marks on your skin… Anyway, we tried to take you back to the village, but Rhonda blocked our path. When she saw you in that state… We only managed to calm her down once we got you settled in your room.” 

At these words, John glances briefly at his surroundings and realizes that, sure enough, he’s lying in the bed he occupies inside Rhonda’s belly. He also realizes he can feel the familiar vibration of his friend’s body, and he smiles, letting himself be soothed by the gentle, low hum of her breathing. 

“Clay went to get the doctor after that,” Bruce goes on. “He said… He said the wound looked worse than it actually was, but you’d still managed to do some serious damage to your hand. You… You severed two of your tendons.”

John Dory swallows hard. Glancing once more at his injured hand, he tries to move it again, but to no avail. 

“He managed to stitch them back together,” Bruce assures him. “But he said you’ll need several months of physical therapy to regain full mobility in your hand. He… He also told us that it wasn’t the only wound. That there was another one - an older one…” 

His expression shifts, filling with doubt - even fear. His fingers tighten around JD’s, and JD realizes his brother’s trembling. Suddenly, he understands what Bruce’s imagining. 

“No,” he says immediately. “I… That other injury - it wasn’t me, I swear. But it was because of it that… that I hurt you all today. I was in so much pain; I couldn’t do anything anymore… So I wanted… I wanted to settle the problem for good.” 

This time, sheer dread lights up Bruce’s eyes - and Floyd’s, too. Mortified by his own admission, John Dory looks away. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Floyd asks, his voice quavering. 

“We could’ve found a solution together,” adds Bruce, paler than fresh snow. 

“No,” John replies instantly. “It was up to me to handle it, not you.” 

“Why?” Floyd chokes out, his eyes brimming with tears. 

“Because you’re my little brothers!” the eldest exclaims. “It’s my job to look after you, not the other way around!” 

“Please, not this again,” Bruce breathes, running a hand over his face. “Do you realize what you tried to do - all because of this stupid idea that we aren’t allowed to take care of you?” 

John Dory’s expression darkens and he looks away again, but he refuses to back down. His voice trembling, he finally stammers:

“Looking out for you - that’s my role. It’s the only thing I know how to do.” 

“Oh, Johnny,” Floyd stammers, hurrying around the bed to sit on the other side of his brother and grasp his uninjured hand. “You’re capable of so much more than this! You’re so much more than just a big brother! And you don’t even see it… Look at yourself now. You wanted to…” 

He falls silent, and JD thinks he’s about to burst into tears. But his brother abruptly pulls himself together and says, in a strained voice:

“You wanted to tear your hand off.” 

There it is.

It’s out in the open.

The raw, naked truth, dropped like a stone into a still pond. 

And suddenly, John realizes that yes, he’d almost done exactly that. He’d nearly amputated his own limb out of… Pride? Shame? Guilt?

When he could’ve simply told his brothers. 

He could’ve confided his insecurities to them, just as Floyd had, and spoken about his health issues. And just as they had for Floyd, his brothers would’ve adapted. They would’ve found ways to make his life easier and erase his suffering. 

Instead, John had stayed silent, keeping it all to himself and focusing solely on his younger brothers’ well-being - as he’d so often done in the past - right up until that fateful concert where he finally cracked under the pressure. 

Suddenly, he feels like the king of fools - so much so that he curls up under his duvet, clutching his mangled hand against his chest. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispers in a wretched voice. 

Bruce and Floyd don’t answer. Instead, the former places a comforting hand in his hair, while the latter gently strokes his shoulder. 

“We’re the ones who should be apologizing,” Bruce sighs. “We should’ve seen that something was wrong. We should’ve… We should’ve put our grudges aside and made a real place for you among us again. Maybe if we had… you would’ve talked to us. So on behalf of all four of us, we ask for your forgiveness, John Dory.”

John Dory opens his mouth, closes it again, then pulls his blanket up over his face, unable to face his brothers’ sorrowful gazes any longer. They watch him for a moment before standing up. 

“We’ll let you rest,” Floyd says. “If you need us, we’ll be right next door. Just call out.” 

And they leave, abandoning John to his solitude. 

He remains hidden for a long time, replaying the events of the past few hours over and over in his mind. Remorse and guilt continue to haunt him, yet they’re tinged with a hint of… of relief.

Now, the others know his secret. He won’t have to pretend he’s perfectly fine anymore. He might… He might even dare to ask for help. The mere thought wrings a sob from him - then another, and another - until he’s weeping openly, his face buried in his pillow.

He loses track of time as he lies there, taking all the time he needs to rest, recover from the emotional turmoil, and think about what comes next.   

Having seen neither Clay nor Branch, he has no idea what they think of the situation. Are they angry? Disappointed? Worried?

And does anyone else know?

Poppy and Viva probably do - of if they don’t, they soon will. But the others? John Dory doesn’t want this getting out - just as he doesn’t want to get up - but he knows he’ll have to eventually.

“Might as well get it over with,” he tells himself, once he’s regained enough strength and found the courage to throw off his duvet. 

He sits up in bed - slowly, cautiously - waiting for the world to stop spinning before putting his feet on the floor. Then he stands, grimacing as he loses his balance and falls back onto the mattress. 

It takes two more attempts before he manages to stand up and stay upright. He takes a first step, feeling as fragile as a newborn. He’s even tempted to call out to his brothers, but old demons hold him back, and he ends up hobbling alone toward the door leading outside.

“Man, I don’t know what that doctor gave me, but it sure works wonders!” the Troll thinks. Besides having lost all sensation in his left arm - he has to support it with his right hand, keeping it pressed against his chest - he realizes he can barely feel his toes and feels strangely light-headed. 

Finally, he reaches the door and opens it, almost timidly. 

He’s surprised to discover that he isn’t actually outside, but rather underground in a sort of large, circular cavern; it takes him a moment to recall that Branch dug this space specifically so Rhonda could join them in the bunker if needed. The cave’s spacious and torch-lit, with an entrance well-hidden among the roots of a large tree near Pop Village. John Dory remembers the joy he felt when Branch first told him about the project, seeing it as a chance to live close to his brothers - while maintaining the personal space they all needed - and to keep looking out for his friend. The thought of being separated from the giant armadillo bus, even for just a few hours, had always bothered him, and he’s happy knowing she can come here for shelter whenever she likes. 

Speaking of Rhonda, she soon realizes her passenger has stepped out, and her big, round head turns almost immediately toward JD, who greets her with a wide grin. 

“Rhonda! My beauty!” he exclaims, just before a glitter-flecked tongue happily licks his face. “Yeah, I missed you too, you know!” 

Rhonda responds with a loud, rumbling coo, and John takes his time cuddling and reassuring her. Eventually, however, he has to leave her, knowing he can’t put off the inevitable forever. 

“I’ll be back soon, I promise!” he tells the armadillo bus before slipping into the corridor leading to the rest of the bunker.

The walk takes him nearly ten minutes; he has to pause frequently - sometimes because the world starts spinning again, other times to think about what he’s going to say to his brothers. Yes, the eloquent speech he’d prepared falls flat the moment he enters the main hall where Bruce, Clay, and Floyd are waiting. The instant they spot him, the room fills with a chorus of: “What are you doing up?!” “What part of ‘the doctor doesn’t want you moving around’ didn’t you understand?!” “Quick, come sit down here!”

A minute later, he’s seated in a chair, and Bruce’s placing a steaming cup of tea in his hands. 

Mint and Hibiscus - his favorite flavor… Clearly, he isn’t the only one who knows his brothers inside out. 

“What an idiot,” sighs Clay, standing beside him. “You should be in bed, resting! Not wandering around a bunker riddled with traps!”

“I wanted to see you guys,” John replies in a grumbling tone, sipping the delicious drink Bruce has prepared for him - and for which he offers warm thanks. 

“You should’ve called us,” Floyd gently chides him. “It wasn’t safe…” 

“Yeah, well, it’s too late now; I’m here,” the eldest hums airily, earning a light smack on the back of the head from Bruce. “Hey!”

“Don’t ‘hey’ me,” the other Troll snaps. “From now on, you do exactly what we say - and woe beside you if you disobey.” 

John Dory opens his mouth to protest, but noticing his brothers’ annoyed expressions, he retreats into a sulky silence - though he eventually breaks it with an awkward murmur:

“Thanks… Thanks for coming to my rescue earlier.”

His words at least serve to soften the gazes fixed upon him, before Clay replies:

“You really ought to thank Branch. If he hadn’t followed you…” 

He leaves the sentence unfinished, but John gets the point. Glancing down at his tea for a moment, he suddenly frowns.

“By the way, where is he?” he asks after a moment. 

The other three exchange a look, communicating silently. Finally, it’s Floyd who speaks:

“He’s locked himself in his workshop; we don’t know what he’s doing.” 

John Dory doesn’t try to pry, even though he’s consumed by curiosity - and worry - because he knows just how good Floyd’s at keeping a secret. While Bruce had no qualms about ratting out his brothers whenever they got into mischief, Floyd never breathed a word. To this day, John still doesn’t know which of his younger brothers had fun putting pink dye in his shampoo - forcing him to wear a hat for nearly two weeks. Floyd, the only witness, has always refused to say, even 20 years after that unfortunate incident. 

As it stands, he still isn’t letting anything slip, leaving his big brother in a state of anxious suspense.

To kill time, he tries making small talk with the others, but the atmosphere remains tense and awkward; none of them really knows what to do after what they’ve just been through. John can’t blame them - he’s the only one responsible for this disaster.

He makes sure Clay and Floyd are okay, checking that the minor injuries they sustained aren’t serious and hoping Bruce forgives him for ruining a blowout that must’ve taken at least three hours to style. Miraculously, none of his brothers hold a grudge over the chain of accidents and their aftermath. The cut on Floyd’s forehead has stopped bleeding, and Clay seems quite fond of the little ladybug-patterned bandage on his fingertip. As for Bruce - whose hair’s now as wavy as the surf he loves to ride - he seems to adore his new look.

“A blessing in disguise,” John muses with a faint smile, just before hearing footsteps echoing in the hallway behind him.

Instantly turning his head in that direction, he sees Branch walking toward them, carrying a box. Upon spotting his older brother, the Troll stops in his tracks, then frowns.

“I thought you were supposed to be resting,” he says, his tone vaguely accusatory. 

“That’s what I’m doing,” John replies with the most pleasant smile he can muster.

“Resting *in your bed,*” Branch clarifies, walking over to join them with quick, short steps.

“I’ll go back there later,” the eldest suggests. “But I felt it was important for me to come out here. So the five of us could talk - but also just you and me. We’ve got quite a bit to discuss, don’t we?” 

His brothers all nod and gradually take their seats around the table where they’d shared a wonderful breakfast just a few hours earlier. Branch and John end up at opposite ends of the table, facing each other. The youngest places the box in front of him, and JD tilts his head to the side.”

“What’s in there?” he asks.

“I’ll tell you if you answer a question,” says Branch.

“Lay it on me,” John encourages with a playful wink, to which the youngest responds with a brief sigh. 

Then, taking a deep breath, he dives in:

“That injury on your hand - where did it come from? The old one, not the one you got today.” 

John blinks, caught off guard by the question. It was the very last thing he’d expected!

However, he has no trouble answering, it’s a story he’s almost proud of - even though the ensuing consequences were catastrophic and leave him utterly embarrassed today. So, without much hesitation, he begins his tale:

“Not long after I left the group, I headed to the Neverglade Trail. You remember - I said I was going there to hike.”

His brothers nod, hanging on his every word. John can tell they’re eager to know the truth about his scar and, more importantly, want to be absolutely certain he didn’t inflict it on himself. 

He continues:

“Surviving out there was harder than I thought, and the first few days were absolute hell. Every time I escaped one critter, I’d land right in the clutches of another. It was endless; I even nearly came back after just a month. In fact, I was on my way home when I found her.”

The other four Trolls prick up their ears, eager to know more. 

“Found who?” Clay asks.

John smiles. 

“Rhonda.”

His brothers look briefly surprised before nodding, silently urging him to go on - which he does, quite willingly:

“She was still just a baby; she must’ve wandered away from her mother and gotten lost. When I found her, she was about to be devoured by Honey Scorpions. Nasty critters, take my word for it. They get that name because they secrete a sticky, sugary substance that looks like honey - they use it to lure in their prey. And Rhonda… poor thing, she was so tiny. She was trying to get away, but they were closing in on her, so… so I stepped in. I don’t even know how we made it out; it all happened so fast! The only problem was, one of those beasts managed to sting me - it drove its stinger right through my hand.”

A shiver runs through his four brothers around the table. Clay covers his mouth with his hand, his face turning an unsettling shade of pale blue; Bruce winces and rubs his left hand, as if feeling his brother’s pain himself; Floyd looks ready to throw his arms around JD and pull him close; and Branch… Branch sits perfectly still, his eyes now fixed on the box sitting in front of him.

“So… you didn’t hurt yourself on purpose.” 

“No,” he says, before deciding to add, “And I never have. I’ve never even felt the urge - except just now, when…” 

He falls silent, suddenly hesitating to finish his admission. But his brothers are staring at him, silently encouraging him to open up, and he finally gives in:

“When the pain became too much, I wasn’t myself anymore; I had no control over anything. And I know I could’ve… that I should’ve asked for your help. I’m sorry I didn’t.” 

“So now… do you think you’d be able to do it?” Floyd asks cautiously. “Ask us for help, I mean.”

John thinks about it for a moment, then offers his brother an uncertain smile.

“I think I could give it a try, yeah,” he says. His answer seems to satisfy his younger brothers, who all let out a sigh of relief - except for Branch, whose posture and facial expression haven’t changed at all for several minutes.

“Branch,” Floyd finally says. “I think you should show Johnny what’s in the box now.”

The youngest lifts his head slightly, meets JD’s gaze, and finally nods. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” he murmurs, before picking up the box to hand it to his older brother. 

“What is it?” John asks, curious. 

“Open it and you’ll see,” his brother replies, eyes cast downward and cheeks tinged with a delicate blue - a sign of his embarrassment.

The eldest raises an eyebrow, increasingly puzzled, before doing as his younger brother asked. Lifting the lid, he reveals the box’s contents… and freezes when he realizes what it is.

“Branch…” he whispers, touched. 

His little brother rocks back and forth, trying to hide his awkwardness behind an exaggeratedly serious pout. The combination gives him a funny look that almost makes JD laugh. 

“The doctor explained to us that the scorpion sting limited your hand’s mobility and could cause chronic pain. I guess that’s why you kept dropping things today.” 

John purses his lips but nods in agreement.

“That’s also why I couldn’t tighten the bolts properly,” he adds, earning an approving smile from Floyd, who clearly appreciates his honesty. “By the way, sorry again about the bathroom…”

Branch shrugs.

“It’s fine,” he murmurs, before pointing to the contents of the box. “So, are you taking it or not?” 

Suddenly remembering what they were doing, JD quickly reaches for the item Branch has just offered him - namely… 

“It’s a compression glove,” the younger one explains. “It should help reduce the pain and let you move your hand and fingers however you want. I tried to make it look like the one you usually wear. It’s not perfect - I threw it together in a rush because I thought you’d want one as soon as possible - but if you want, I can always…”

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence; John suddenly stands up and pulls him into a tight embrace, hugging him with all his might, his throat tight with emotion. 

“Thank you,” he stammers, his voice so altered by the overwhelming emotion that it feels like it belongs to someone else. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Bitty B.”

“Stop calling me that,” his brother replies in a relatively gentle tone before returning the embrace, clutching the older one’s back firmly. “I’m glad you like it, anyway.”

John smiles wider and, eyes welling up with tears, casts an almost pleading look at his other brothers; they understand the message immediately and quickly join the hug signalling to their eldest that they, too, are there for him.

As he savors this very first group hug where he’s the center of attention, John Dory realizes how lucky he is to have four younger brothers as wonderful as his. 

“You took care of us for years,” Floyd whispers to him. “Now it’s our turn, okay?” 

John nods and laughs when he feels Bruce lift him off the ground to hug him more easily.

His little brothers have certainly grown up; perhaps he really could consider leaning on them more, instead of staying locked into the role he more or less assigned to himself. 

“Then again,” Branch murmurs after Bruce sets him back down, “The doctor really did say you have to stay in bed until he tells you you can get up.” 

John blinks, then breaks into a wide grin.

“But I’m fine, I promise!”

His brother simply gives him a look that speaks volumes, and John’s smile fades as he feels Clay and Bruce each grab one of his arms.

“That wasn’t a suggestion,” Floyd says lightly, stepping up beside Branch. “Back to bed, John Dory.” 

No matter how much he struggles or protests loudly, his brothers eventually manage to get him back under the covers and even force him to swallow the medicine prescribed by the doctor - even though it tastes absolutely vile.

And against all odds, John can’t even bring himself to be angry with them; he’s too busy discovering the pleasures of being the one who gets fussed over, for once. 

He might even get used to it, in the end…

Reader's Note:

I came across this piece of art while browsing "Trolls" that came from a story I was curious about 6 days ago. After reading and translating it from French to English, it reminded me about @rydoesartandstuff story "John Dory's Quick and Concise Guide on How to Survive." The emotional details in this story feel similar to theirs. I highly recommend giving this and Ry's stories a read. Just make sure you have a box of tissues near you.

Credit for this story and art piece belongs to @azzzryel

Thank you.

"Smurfs" (2025)

The story takes place in the universe. In the beginning, it was in perfect balance. It was kept in peace and harmony by 4 magic books, each marked with a magic symbol. These 4 books represented the foundational pillars of arcane forces that were used to channel and balance magic. The Alliance of Evil Wizards made it their mission to capture these books and consume the universe in darkness. However, one of the books, Jaunty Grimoire (voiced by Amy Sedaris), escaped them and was rescued by a group of mighty blue guardians: the Smurfs.

They swore to protect her because the fate of the universe depended on it. So Jaunty was hidden away by them in a secret location: Smurf Village. It was a magical place and was led by Papa Smurf (voiced by John Goodman) with 100 of his children. All of the Smurfs may have looked the same, except for Smurfette (voiced by Rhianna) since she was the only female one, but everybody there had a talent or skill.

Actually, Papa calls it a “thing,” but I think it sounds…blank. So I’m using talent or skill instead.

Anyway, Everybody had a talent, except a new Smurf called No Name due to him not knowing what his was. It was hard for him to fit in, especially when Papa would sometimes bring up how great it was living in a magical place where everyone had a thing. It was a very sensitive topic that seemed to be brought up every day. No Name would always bring up to Papa that he still doesn’t have a talent and also found it a bit odd. He’d then bring up Smurfs that had talents like Hefty (voiced by Alex Winter), who smashed things with his muscles. Worry Smurf (Billie Lourd) worries about everything 24/7, which in retrospect doesn’t really sound like a talent. Brainy (voiced by Xolo Mariduena) was smart, Grouchy (voiced by Chris Miller) was…well grouchy 24/7, which again doesn’t sound like a talent.

He and Worry Smurf just focus on primary emotions like fear or anger.

Anyway, Camouflage Smurf (also Chris Miller) was able to blend into his surroundings. Out-of-Focus Smurf was blurry but at least could still be seen. Clumsy (Hugo Miller) was accident-prone, Way-Back-There Smurf (voiced by Chris Prynoski) always seemed to be at a distance for no reason. Handlebar Moustache Smurf had his mustache, Quiet Smurf always spoke quietly, which made it difficult for Smurfs to understand what he was saying.

Okay. A lot of these things I’ve just heard, the only ones that seem to actually have a talent are Hefty and Brainy. Everybody else…I can’t even figure out what to call them.

Anyway, the point that No Name was trying to make was that everybody had a talent, except him. Papa believed his name was a thing, but all that did was just leave No Name to believe that he was actually…nothing. He got interrupted by Sound Effect Smurf (voiced by Spencer X), who was literally doing a sound effect of a violin playing sad music. So he told him to back off and he did, doing the sound effect of a truck driving in reverse.

Okay. That’s impressive, but also easily annoying. Boundaries, man!

Anyway, Papa told No Name not to worry too much about finding his talent. Some Smurfs just took a little more time to find it. No Name did have one, he just needed to find a way to let it out. He started to think about trying magic, believing that could be his talent. But Papa told him that Smurfs can’t do magic.

I find that odd since Smurfs are technically magical creatures. If they can’t do magic, what is it that makes them magical? It doesn’t make any sense.

Anyway, Papa called out to List-Making Smurf (voiced by Rachel Butera) and asked him what was left on their giant list of Things-to-Try-to-Find-No-Name-a-Name.

Okay, now that’s going too far. If No Name is that determined or perhaps desperate to find his talent, he should be the one searching for it, not Papa or some other Smurf. I swear, it’s like they’re picking on him and treating it like a joke instead of taking his feelings seriously. Some family….

Anyway, List-Making Smurf brought up that they tried 10,248 talents. Only 2 things haven’t been tried yet: Clog making and Shark taming. Papa decided to let No Name try clog making and Smurfette called out the rest of the Smurfs to watch him try it.

Et tu, Smurfette? I expected more from you….

Handy rolled out a log to No Name then gave him a hammer and chiseler to help him get started. No Name gave it a try, but all he ended up doing was making sawdust. Smurfette suggested Shark taming next, but a Smurf (also voiced by Chris Prynoski) had already taken it and had his head in a shark’s mouth to prove it.

Yikes! I’m actually kind of glad that No Name doesn’t get to try that.

Anyway, No Name felt sad and empty as he still didn’t have his talent. Smurfette offered to cheer him up by taking him out to look for Smurfberries. It was hard for a Smurf to feel sad with a stomach full of them. During the walk, No Name told her that it was hard for him to be the odd Smurf out. Smurfette knew exactly how he felt since she’s the only Smurf that was created by a blob of clay by their mortal enemy, the evil wizard Gargamel.

It was a lot for her to process and it made No Name ask her how she was able to handle that. Smurfette told him that she just thinks about all the friends who love her and that she loves back and it gives her the strength to keep on going. She then believed that No Name would find his talent as long as he didn’t give up. No Name was grateful for her advice and said that he cherished them. Smurfette felt the same way, but to infinity. The 2 of them kept going and going about cherishing each other with infinity equations until Smurfette won, even though it wasn’t a competition.

Soon No Name was by himself. He knew that Smurfette was right as he needed to stop dwelling on what he didn’t have and start dwelling on what he does. Sadly, he found that hard for him to do then tipped a turtle (voiced by Christopher Comstock, aka DJ Marshmello), who started playing a sad tune on the piano. No Name soon found himself singing a song about his emotional journey while expressing feelings of self-doubt, isolation, and the search of an identity.

This song is sad but deep. I know exactly how No Name feels. I know what it feels like to carry a painful burden of feeling like you don’t belong, along with finding your own unique identity…. All the more reason it makes me glad that I have my sisters….

Anyway, No Name came across a star along his emotional journey and made a wish to have a talent. Little did he know that Jaunty had been watching him and felt sympathy for him. She couldn’t stand to see him so sad and decided to give him a little help. Soon No Name was briefly glowing and hovering in the sky. When he fell, his hand was glowing and it accidentally released magic.

At first, No Name was confused but it quickly changed to joy and showed his new powers to Smurfette. She couldn’t believe he was able to do magic now, but she was impressed. So No Name made his way back to the village and showed all the Smurfs his new powers by opening a portal to different dimensions. However, Papa was horrified and told No Name to stop, cancelling his powers. Somewhere in Munich, an alarm went off that was able to detect an energy pulse through magic.

A human named Joel (voiced by Dan Levy) woke up to the alert and carefully made his way to his master’s room. Frankly because he liked to be alone and didn’t like being disturbed. He woke his master up with a measuring tape and reported to him that Smurf Village had been located. His master, Razamel (voiced by JP Karliak) was pleased with the news, but didn’t want his brother Gargamel to be included as he’d only get in the way.

I’m sorry. Since when does Gargamel have a brother? I already knew he had Azrael, but a brother?! Creepy.

Anyway, because of No Name’s new powers, Papa ended up being smurfnapped. Before he disappeared, he told the Smurfs to find a Smurf named Ken. As soon as Papa was gone, the Smurfs started running amok in a panic. Luckily, Brainy managed to put a stop to it by bringing up the 1 person who had the power to do such a thing: Gargamel. So Smurfette told No Name to use his powers to find him, but he didn’t think that was a good idea since he just got Papa smurfnapped.

After words of encouragement on focus and concentration, No Name was able to summon Gargamel (also voiced by JP Karliak) and Azrael to Smurf Village. The Smurfs set a trap for them and they got locked up in a cage. With no escape, Smurfette demanded Gargamel to tell them where Papa was, but he didn’t know. They soon got more information from Clumsy, who found an album with a clue on how to find Ken. All they had to do was play the record and they’d be taken to him.

So the record was played and a small group of Smurfs, along with Turtle, got sucked in through the Grammy Phone. The portal brought them to Paris. Aside from No Name, Smurfette, and Turtle, the other Smurfs that were with them were Hefty, Worry, Brainy, Vanity, and Grouchy. After dusting themselves off, they began their search for Ken. Meanwhile, Razamel was in a meeting with the Wizards of the Evil Alliance. However, they couldn’t hear him due to his microphone being off, and brought up how they couldn’t consume the world in darkness without all 4 books.

Razamel brought up that he was close to getting it, but the wizards were tired of waiting since it’d been 106 years and thought of replacing him. Before he could stop them, Joel interrupted him and informed him about Smurf activity. So the 2 of them rushed over to his evil lair, though Razamel had to catch his breath due to not being in good shape. But as soon as he saw Papa trapped in a glass jar, he got his energy back and started ranting about him. However, he noticed that Papa didn’t have the book and asked Joel where it was.

Apparently, he didn’t think the whole way through, just saw Papa and snatched him. Joel thought Papa would have the book, but Razamel didn’t believe him since his prisoner was the size of a slice of apple pie. On another note, Joel picked up another energy pulse before he snatched Papa and activated the machine. Instead of summoning the Smurfs, he ended up summoning Gargamel and Azrael. Razamel hated that since Gargamel had treated him like a baby due to him being the younger brother. While annoyed by his brother’s presence, Papa told him that he’ll never find the book and his Smurfs were safe and sound.

Sadly, he was only half right. The Smurfs were being chased by a pack of dogs all because Hefty asked them for help to find Ken. Unfortunately, dogs don’t speak Smurf and can be easily scared by strangers. Luckily, the Smurfs were rescued by other Smurfs who wore black masks and suits with a red stripe and were dropped into the sewers. There, they met the International Neighborhood Watch Smurfs, Paris Division that was led by Ken’s daughter, Moxie.

When she asked what kind of Smurfs they were, No Name just said that they were the standard Smurf Village division. Moxie was familiar with the village as she asked about Papa. Smurfette explained to her that was why they were here as he told them to find Ken. Moxie said that they’ll take them to him, then gave orders to her group in French. She took the Smurfs and Turtle to the Disco Tortue, explaining that Ken was inside the discotheque.

They hitched a ride on peoples’ legs to get inside and made it across the dance floor. Moxie brought them to the disco ball, which was where she and her group of Smurfs lived. It was also where Ken (voiced by Nick Offerman) lived and he already knew that Papa was in trouble. When No Name asked him how he knew that, Ken told him that he was Papa’s brother. He then brought up a plan they once formed in case the worst thing in the world ever happened. From where he was standing, it looked like it already did.

At first glance, the Smurfs got a bit of a fright from him. Ken briefly apologized about the mud mask as he was doing quick exfoliation, noting that he never had time for self-care.

Yup. He’s Papa’s brother, all right. The only difference is the color of his beard, his personality, and I think I also saw a tattoo on one of his arms.

Anyway, Ken asked the Smurfs if the book was safe, but none of them knew what he was talking about. He then realized that Papa never told them about it. Smurfette pointed out to him that they didn’t know Papa had a brother. The 2 of them had quite the argument and used the word smurf a lot until Smurfette won again using an infinity equation. Moxie told them both to just leave it at that and move on.

As far as Ken knew, Papa’s smurfnapping was the work of Razamel, an evil wizard who played for keeps. Smurfette didn’t see him as a big deal and Hefty agreed, believing they could just smash him. Ken grew a liking to him, impressed with the way he thought. However, he refused to team up with them to rescue Papa, not interested in working with amateurs, only the City Smurfs. Turtle served him a drink at the bar and he gulped it down in seconds flat.

Ken informed the Smurfs that Smurfs, in general, were descendants of mighty guardians. They swore to protect the 4 magic books from the Alliance of Evil Wizards. But Papa walked away from that. Smurfette didn’t understand why he’d keep a secret like that from them. All Ken told her was that they’ll have to ask him and still refused to let them help.

Unfortunately, he soon gave in as they wouldn’t take no for an answer. The plan was simple: storm Razamel’s Castle, rescue Papa, and take no prisoners. So Ken ordered Moxie to hold down the fort and began leading the Smurfs to the top. They’d usually use the turntable to get to Razamel’s Castle, but none of the Smurfs had one. Their only option left was for No Name to try and create a portal that’d take them there.

However, No Name wasn’t feeling confident with his powers, especially when Ken said he’d never heard of a Magic Smurf. Nor did he seem to believe in one. Once again, Smurfette encouraged him and he tried out his magic. His 1st attempt ended up with Ken losing his beard and having it on Smurfette’s face, much to his amusement. His 2nd attempt actually succeeded in making a portal, much to Ken’s surprise, but that moment passed by quickly as he pushed them all into the portal. Smurfette thought he needed some serious therapy and a hug.

Therapy, big time. A hug, sounds like a death wish. Ken doesn’t strike me as a hugger.

Anyway, at Razamel’s Castle, Gargamel was torturing Papa by banging on the glass jar as he covered his ears. He then turned his attention to Razamel, bringing up how it’d been 62 years since he’d sent him on his mission to infiltrate Smurf Village. Razamel knew that, but didn’t expect his brother to do it then brought up that he blocked him, much to Gargamel’s shock. Brotherly business aside, Razamel asked Papa where the magic book was. Papa tried lying by telling him that he destroyed it, but Razamel could see through him as he said he was weak like his best friend, Ron.

As soon as Papa heard that name, he got angry and punched the jar. Razamel thought that if Papa didn’t have the book, then maybe his Smurfs did. So he asked about them, but Papa refused to tell him anything. Suddenly, the energy-pulse detector went off as Joel picked up readings of a fresh portal being opened. The Smurfs tried to infiltrate the castle, but the force field knocked them off course. Razamel knew exactly where they were gonna be and left Gargamel behind, taking Joel with him since he was his hench-minion.

Meanwhile, the Smurfs found themselves falling and landing in a desert area. Ken recognized the place and informed the Smurfs that they’ve been bounced to the inter-portal way station in the Australian Outback. It was the home of the Snooterpoots, tricky creatures who survive by taking advantage of lost travelers by pickpocketing what they thought was valuable. They also liked cake for some odd reason, but it was unclear why. Ken took out a slice of cake and gave it to No Name, telling him to hold it inside their rock until they bite.

No Name was scared, but he approached the rock and held out the cake. Suddenly, something grabbed his arm and began dragging him underground. The Smurfs ran over to help him, but they got dragged down too. As for Ken, he just simply knocked on the rock and was easily sent down.

Hmph. Bully.

Anyway, the Smurfs fell underground and had a wild ride from the Snooterpoots.

They’re…kind of cute. Ken wasn’t kidding about them being pickpocketers and loving cake though. Perhaps they have a sweet tooth.

Anyway, the Snooterpoots took the Smurfs to their leader: Mama Poot (voiced by Natasha Lyonne). Not only was she the ruler, she happened to be the mother of these creatures. Just like her children, she too loved cake, especially if it was Double double chocolate with extra chocolate from Fou de Patisserie, Paris. Although it made Ken look predictable to her. The Smurfs assumed that they were a couple as they started oohing and making kissy noises.

Ken tried to explain, but Mama Poot wasn’t interested in what he had to say. She was the kind of woman who believed words were cheap and actions speak more loudly, along with cake.

I’m beginning to like her.

Anyway, the Snooterpoots began snatching stuff from the Smurfs while Ken and Mama Poot talked. The Smurfs didn’t take too well of some of their possessions being taken. Mama Poot guessed that they needed help, which Ken confirmed by saying it was an emergency. She warned him that it’d cost him, but Ken was prepared as he had plenty of cake to spare. As soon as he brought it out, the Snooterpoots began chewing not only the cake slices, but his arms too.

Ken shook them off and called one a swindling scoundrel. Mama Poot got angry as no one talked to her children like that. She then comforted the one that got thrown off. Ken just frowned in response and was now out of cake. Mama Poot told him that she also took cash…or a watch she noticed he was wearing on his wrist. Ken refused to give it up since it was a gift from his grandpa, but after Smurfette told him to just give it to her, he did.

Mama Poot added his watch to her collection of them she wore on her wrist. She then banged on her staff and the crystals throughout their lair began to glow. When Ken brought up they were trying to get to Razamel’s Castle, Mama Poot shut the deal down and gave back his watch. Smurfette brought up to her that Papa was in trouble, but guilt didn’t work on her. No Name told her to just drop them off at the castle and no one will ever have to know she or her children were involved.

However, Mama Poot pointed out to them that the Alliance of Evil Wizards knew everything. Nobody comes back from Razamel’s Castle alive. Smurfette brought up No Name being a Magic Smurf and believed he could stop them. But Mama Poot wasn’t convinced and brought up the Alliance of Wizards had only 1 goal in mind: to rule the world with evil by getting rid of all the goodness in the universe. Nothing will stand in their way.

Mama Poot asked No Name how he was gonna handle that, but ended up running away in fear. Smurfette chased after him and stopped him in his tracks as they both fell. No Name told her that he didn’t have what it takes and knew he was gonna let everyone down. Smurfette told him not to beat himself up as pressure gets to all of them. He just needed to believe in himself.

No Name knew that, but he admitted that he didn’t know how he was doing all of this magic to begin with. He also didn’t believe he could face Razamel. Smurfette grabbed his face and told him that the voice he heard inside his head that was telling him he wasn’t good enough wasn’t who he was. He was the only one who noticed that voice. Now No Name just needed to decide who he wanted to be and everyday he’ll become himself a little more. Before he knew it, that voice would go away. Smurfette knew this because it worked for her.

Soon she began singing a song while taking No Name throughout the desert. Her song was about personal choices, inner choices, and overcoming doubt. No Name’s identity was defined by his own choices, not labels. Plus, sometimes having support from friends like Smurfette can help turn feeling like you don’t belong into confidence.

This song is very encouraging. I feel like this would be something one of my sisters would sing to me. The theme really fits the song too. Although I have to agree with No Name on the kangaroo part being weird.

Anyway, No Name and Smurfette saw a portal open in the sky. They rushed back to the Snooterpoot Lair, but it was destroyed. Mama Poot managed to survive, but she wasn’t happy. She told No Name and Smurfette that Razamel captured 2 of her children and the rest of the Smurfs. In her book, if any of her children were captured, big mistake.

So Mama Poot joined No Name and Smurfette on their mission. They took her transportation vehicle, the Scream Buggy. The reason it was called that was because it was fueled by fear. So the more fear that was shown, the closer they’d get to Razamel’s Castle. With Mama Poot at the wheel, and a crystal, it was a wild ride. No Name and Smurfette screamed while hanging on tight as the Scream Buggy went faster and faster.

Meanwhile, Razamel and Joel returned to the castle and put the Smurfs and Snooterpoots in the jar with Papa. The Smurfs were happy to see him and so was he. Once again, Razamel asked about the book and Ken told him that they don’t have it. He then asked Joel about his brother and he told him that he and Azrael were relaxing in the solarium. Razamel hated his cat and wondered if there was a way to “accidentally” shed its mortal coil then ordered him to fetch him a Clamato. Joel obeyed him, no questions asked.

Clamato? …Clam and Tomato Juice?! Yuck!

Anyway, Razamel turned his attention back to the Smurfs. He decided to play a little “game” with them by squishing a Smurf every time Papa didn’t tell him where the magic book was until they were all squashed. Joel returned with his drink and Razamel ordered him to bring the Smurfs to the Squishadrome. He obeyed then left the room to get it ready. Once the Smurfs were alone, Ken and Papa got into an argument about the book. Papa told him that the book was safe, but he didn’t understand why his Smurfs were here as it was too dangerous.

Ken brought up that if he hadn’t been hiding in Smurf Village for the past 100 years, none of them would be in trouble. Once again, Ron was brought up and the Smurfs asked who he was. Frankly because of the fact that the jar couldn’t give them any privacy. Meanwhile, No Name, Smurfette, and Mama Poot landed in Munich, Germany, which was where Razamel’s Castle was. Now that all was left to come up with a plan to get inside.

No Name suggested pole vaulting over the walls, but Mama Poot thought that was a dumb idea. Smurfette thought of exploiting a weakness that no evil wizard could ever exist. In the case of Razamel, it was fried food. So No Name, Smurfette, and Mama Poot somehow ordered a meal for him then snuck their way inside the food deliverer’s scooter. As they hid, No Name was impressed with Smurfette’s plan. He never thought fast food would get them inside Razamel’s Castle.

Smurfette ate a French Fry while going over her plan: they sneak into the castle inside the bag and when they’re delivered to Razamel, they’ll save everyone.

Okay. I cannot believe I’m gonna sound like Branch here, but that’s not a plan. That’s a wishlist.

Anyway, Smurfette thought that they should’ve gotten more fries as she was stress eating. In the solarium, Gargamel was viewing stuff that belonged to his family. He came across the pen that belonged to his great, 3 greats, grandfather Zazamel that used it to sign the Treaty of the Alliance of Intergalactic Wizards. Unfortunately, it kind of got destroyed by Azrael as he ate the feather from it. He tried to hide it behind an urn, but Razamel caught him.

Luckily, he didn’t bring it up, but he did mention the urn that Gargamel was holding were the ashes of their father. Razamel added that sometimes he’d sprinkle his father’s ashes into Joel’s protein shakes, much to Joel’s shock and disgust. Gargamel remembered the time their father wanted them to rule the world together. Razamel…sort of did too, but all he cared about was finding Jaunty and using her powers to destroy the world. Neither of them paid attention to Joel fighting Azrael or saw things getting destroyed.

Meanwhile, the food deliverer had just finished dropping off the delivery. The butler (voiced by Conrad Vernon) grabbed the bag and Smurfette made a hole using a straw to observe their surroundings. They watched as the butler brought them into the dining room, Smurfette continuing to eat the fries. No Name suggested she slows down on the fries, but she couldn’t help it. The butler began removing the order from the bag, starting with the burgers, so the Smurfs had to avoid his hand.

Unfortunately, Smurfette had eaten all of the fries and the butler thought that the bellhop (voiced by Tyler Peterson) forgot to order fries again. The 2 of them got into an argument and Smurfette suggested that No Name use his magic to make some more. As the butler’s hand returned in the bag to check again, No Name quickly used his powers, but he ended up making onion rings instead. Luckily, onion rings were Razamel’s favorite. They quickly made their escape before the butler crushed the bag in his hands and threw it into the fireplace.

As soon as the coast was clear, they began making their way through the castle. Although Smurfette briefly stopped to grab an onion ring. Somewhere in the castle, Razamel was having Joel test out his Squishadrome. He really got his hand crushed, but Joel stayed strong. Once satisfied with the test, Razamel decided to choose a Smurf to squish.

Papa begged Razamel not to hurt his Smurfs, but he wouldn’t listen. To protect them, Papa decided to be the 1st one to be squished and was attached to the machine. Smurfette heard the sound of chains clinking and found the door on where it was coming from. Joel lifted the chain up to the battering ram while Papa was pinned down on the table. Razamel gave Papa 1 last chance to tell him where the book was, but he didn’t say anything.

Before the Squishadrome started, No Name, Smurfette, and Mama Poot burst through the door. No Name prepared to face Razamel with his powers while moonwalking and demanding the release of the Smurfs and Mama Poot’s babies. However, before he could unleash his power, something or someone sneezed from inside his hat. It flew off and Jaunty was revealed in the same pose No Name was in. Everyone was shocked to see her, but Jaunty didn’t seem to notice their reactions, only brought up that she was allergic to cats, which was due to Azrael.

Razamel’s shock soon turned to joy due to her exposure. Jaunty hid behind No Name. Ken’s shock turned into anger and towards Papa as he thought the book was safe. No Name asked Jaunty how long she had been on his head and how he didn’t feel her. She brought up that she has soft hands and feet. As for how long, she’d been up there since No Name made a wish. She used her magic to turn herself back to her normal size.

No Name realized that Jaunty was the one doing the magic the whole time, not him. She also admitted that she did the moonwalking too. No Name was devastated, no longer seeing himself as a Magic Smurf, or…any Smurf for that matter. Jaunty told him not to quit on himself and reminded him about his wish. She didn’t grant his wish, just gave him a head start on how to find it. Jaunty believed that No Name had a lot more magic in him than he thought, he just had to let it out.

After the advice, Jaunty saw Papa and ran towards him. Razamel thanked No Name for bringing him the final magic book to him. He didn’t say anything since he was stuck in a state of depression and identity crisis. When Razamel saw Smurfette, he shoved No Name aside and called her their lost family member. Smurfette called him a freak while saying that she wasn’t part of their family.

However, Razamel wasn’t fooled. He somehow pulled out a photo album and it had pictures of her with them, including one of her enjoying french fries, a wizard’s favorite snack…apparently. Smurfette didn’t understand what was happening. Those were really photos of her from her childhood. So…why didn’t she remember any of this?

Ken knew he was right about not trusting her and considered her an enemy. Smurfette put her foot down and claimed she was a Smurf now. Who she was in the past wasn’t who she was now. However, Razamel pointed out to her that she could never change what she really was. Papa told her not to listen to him as he still saw her as his daughter, now and always.

Soon Joel trapped them in a separate glass jar then put them in with the others. Even worse, Razamel used a dark spell on Jaunty to turn her evil. Papa was horrified as Jaunty tried to reach for him, not wanting to be evil. Sadly, she had no choice. Darkness corrupted her pages and she obeyed Razamel under his command.

Razamel grabbed her then betrayed Gargamel before escaping to meet with the Alliance of Evil Wizards. Gargamel was hurt by his brother’s betrayal and Azrael felt sympathy for him. Soon everyone was on the table of the Squishadrome. Joel didn’t want to do this, but he needed a good review on his LinkedIn for his 1st job out of college. Ken refused to give him a good one, but Joel just brushed it off and made his way towards the button.

A few of the Smurfs said some final words, Smurfette stared at the photo album with depression, and Ken confessed his love to Mama Poot. Joel pushed the button, but Gargamel jammed the chains with a broom. He may loathe the Smurfs, but he loathed his brother even more for disrespecting him and Azrael. Bottom line: he’d had enough of respectfullessness. Azrael cut the Smurfs and Snooterpoots free while Gargamel told them to run.

However, Smurfette stayed put while the others ran. Now it was she who was stuck in a state of depression. No Name grabbed her hand and ran before Joel could grab her. The broom broke from the chain and Joel got his hand squished…again. He alerted about a prison escape and the butler and bellhop burst through the door, cornering them.

Lucky for them, Gargamel used his magic to turn Azrael into a griffin and rescued the Smurfs and Snooterpoots. They all escaped from the castle but had a rough crash landing since the spell wore off. As everyone began picking themselves up, Smurfette began blaming herself for everything. No Name approached her and said that it was actually his fault. The only reason any of this happened was because he made a wish to find his talent. It made him think he was selfish and none of them would be here if it wasn’t for him.

Papa approached them and said that it wasn’t their fault, it was his. He kept secrets from them and realized that was wrong. He was just scared of losing any of them the way he and Ken lost Ron. Smurfette asked about him and Ken explained that Ron was the greatest Smurf who ever lived. He fought alongside Papa and Ken while protecting Jaunty while she was a baby long ago.

He was armed with a shield and metal glove and had very long blonde hair that stretched for miles. Papa saw Ron (voiced by Kurt Russell) as a Smurf of tremendous courage and valor with really great hair. In their battle against Razamel, Ron dispatched baddies with a Smurfy blend of elegance and lethality. He also loved everyone and everything, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. But Razamel somehow soon got the upper hand.

He destroyed most of the battleground. The impact of his dark magic created a huge crevice in the center. Jaunty got sucked into it and Ron dove down, much to Papa and Ken’s shock. He was able to rescue her and get her up to his brothers, but Razamel created a vortex in the crevice. It grabbed Ron’s long hair and began pulling him in. Papa and Ken tried to save him, but it was too late.

The vortex sucked him in and Ron was gone. Papa and Ken finished what their brother started. They defeated Razamel and silently promised to protect Jaunty. When the story was over, Papa explained that was why he created Smurf Village so he could keep all of the Smurfs safe. He couldn’t lose any of them like how Ron was lost.

Ken admitted that there wasn’t a day that he didn’t think about him. Papa knew how his brother felt. He then decided to tell the Smurfs of their higher calling. The Smurfs were the Guardians of Good, always being protectors of peace and harmony in the universe. Papa believed that they could stop Razamel if they worked together. However, Brainy brought up that they didn’t know where Razamel or Jaunty were.

Lucky for them, Gargamel knew exactly where his brother had taken Jaunty. He’d help the Smurfs on the condition that he gets to be in the room so he could see his brother’s face when he sees them alive. Bottom line: he was proposing a temporary alliance. Once his brother is defeated, they’re back to being enemies. The Smurfs didn’t have a choice, so they accepted his alliance.

Mama Poot had her children steal a car and asked Gargamel where they were going. Gargamel told her to the 9th dimension, the nexus of space and time itself. In the said dimension, Razamel met up with the other wizards: Asmodius (voiced by Octavia Spencer), Chernobog (voiced by Nick Kroll), and Jezebeth (voiced by Hannah Waddingham), but they mocked him for being both late and lame. Tired of being mistreated, Razamel used Jaunty to trap them in a 10-gallon water jug. He then gathered the remaining 3 magic books and began chanting the evil spell.

The Smurfs, Snooterpoots, Gargamel, and Azrael rammed through the door, but they were too late. Papa saw that Razamel had linked all 4 magic books. He then grabbed Smurfette and No Name and hid them underneath the car. The rest of the Smurfs and Snooterpoots charged at Razamel, but he used Jaunty to steal their goodness and it got sucked into the vortex. All that was left behind were their hats.

Papa noticed this and knew they could be saved. They just needed to break Razamel’s spell by rescuing Jaunty. Razamel trapped Gargamel and Azrael in the water jug next, knowing that what he was doing was a spite mission. Once he was taken care of, he focused on the remaining Smurfs, aiming at Smurfette and No Name. They hugged each other tight, but the blast never hit them.

Papa sacrificed himself to save them and his goodness was sucked into the vortex, his red hat left behind. Suddenly, Smurfette changed sides and No Name couldn’t believe she was betraying him. Luckily, she was faking it. The moment Razamel let his guard down, she scratched his nose and snatched Jaunty out of his hand. With Jaunty in the right hands, she turned back to being good.

Razamel began to chase her and No Name. She kicked the door open, which according to Jaunty, led to the interdimensional abyss. Anyone who went in there never came back the same. Despite her warning, Smurfette and No Name jumped in and Razamel fell after them. While they were falling, Jaunty told Smurfette to lose her heels as she wasn’t going to like the 1st dimension.

Soon they found themselves in a dimension where everything was clay. It was really freaky and also not a good luck on Razamel as it made him look bloated. Somehow Jaunty got stuck in his back, but Smurfette got her out. They found a door and found themselves in another dimension. In the 2nd one, everything was a childhood drawing. Jaunty considered this the worst dimension while warning Smurfette and No Name to stay away from erasers.

Razamel tricked them by making them look and snatched Jaunty back. Luckily, Smurfette found a pencil and erased the lower half of his body. Jaunty fell into No Name’s arms and Smurfette used the pencil to draw a door so they could escape. Razamel followed after them, though he had to use the pencil to help him since the lower half of his body was gone. The 3rd dimension they ended up in was like an 8-bit video game.

It was a rough start, but they soon got the hang of it. Razamel somehow set up a fence. No Name tried to jump over it, but they were soon transported into the next dimension that looked like an anime Japanese action cartoon. They clashed together and Razamel somehow ended up victorious, capturing Jaunty and moving to the next dimension. The next one was his least favorite as he encountered something called a tardigrade, the most rugged micro animal in the universe.

Smurfette snatched Jaunty away while saying hi to Tardi quickly before she and No Name escaped. Razamel followed after them, not wanting to be stuck here or worse, be Tardi’s friend. Soon Smurfette, No Name, and Jaunty found themselves in Smurf Village. However, something was wrong as there were no signs of the Smurfs. When they made it to Papa’s mushroom and handed him Jaunty, he had Razamel’s voice and turned into him. The scenery changed into a dead forest.

Razamel explained that they were in the surreal dimension, which was made of their dreams and nightmares. Soon they were all back in the 9th dimension and Razamel continued to erase all the goodness in the world. Smurfette demanded him to release Jaunty and No Name stated they were gonna stop him. Razamel laughed at their threats and told No Name that he was nothing. No Name didn’t believe that. But when he couldn’t answer who he was, Razamel blasted him with his magic, knocking him out.

Smurfette ran to him and tried to wake him up, but he wasn’t responding. No Name found himself falling into a void of clouds, surrounded by voices of his friends and family. At first, they were negative, which dragged him down further. But then they started becoming positive by Jaunty and Smurfette. Soon No Name was lying down on a cloud with Papa right above him.

He told him that he doesn’t know who he is and probably never will. Papa told No Name that he knew who he was. No Name was kind and fair. He was strong because he was determined. In fact, No Name reminded Papa a lot about Ron.

No Name wondered how that was possible. Papa told him that his brother was resilient. When he got down, he got right back up on his feet just like No Name did. However, No Name brought up that Ron knew who he was and had a talent. To his surprise, Papa told him that Ron didn’t have one at first. He then reminded him of what he said to him back in Smurf Village: Some Smurfs just take a little more time to find their talent.

Now, it was No Name’s time to find his. Suddenly, No Name’s heart began to glow. He discovered the magic inside himself and was able to hold it in his hand and wake up. Smurfette watched as he opened his eyes and began singing. She helped him get up then proudly watched him take on Razamel with his own magic.

He sent him flying, but it wasn’t enough. Razamel didn’t care about No Name’s new powers since 1 Smurf couldn’t defeat him. No Name pointed out to him that he was wrong as he wasn’t alone. He offered his hand to Smurfette and she stood beside him, beginning to sing. Their friendship made No Name’s magic stronger and restored the goodness of the Smurfs and Snooterpoots. Soon all of them were singing as they approached Razamel.

No Name began fighting back with his magic against Razamel’s dark magic. Everyone watched in amazement as No Name went all out, setting Gargamel free, sending the Alliance of Evil Wizards to a different, and eventually restraining Razamel. He tried to break free, but it was no use. No Name told him that the Smurfs may be small and adorable, but their kindness mustn’t be mistaken for weakness. Papa agreed with him because in the end, kindness always wins.

The Smurfs and Snooterpoots combined their magic and broke Razamel’s spell. Jaunty and the other magic books were turned back to good and all of the goodness in the universe was restored. Razamel declared he hated No Name, but he already knew that and released him. Smurfette thanked him and wondered what to call him now. Obviously the last one was terrible and too long, so No Name thought of Kick@ss Smurf, much to everyone’s shock.

Smurfette considered that inappropriate and was lucky that Sound Effect Smurf was here to make that beeping noise. So No Name decided to stick with calling himself Magic Smurf. It had a nicer ring to it and Smurfette agreed. Same with Ken as he believed he’d earned his name. Magic approached Razamel and did his next trick for Ron by summoning a door that began to pull him in.

Razamel begged his brother to save him, but Gargamel refused, now seeing his true colors. Soon the door closed and Razamel was gone. Gargamel considered the spite mission a success then disappeared with Azrael. Suddenly, there was banging on the door. At first, the Smurfs and Snooterpoots thought it was Razamel. However, golden locks of hair came out and Ron appeared.

He was happy to see that the Smurfs accomplished the mission of protecting all that was good throughout the universe. After doing a fist bump with Magic, Papa and Ken ran over and hugged him. They were very happy to see that he was alive. Turns out Ron was stuck in the 10th dimension, guarded by every variation of vicious dragons in every possible variation of the universe. Smurfette suggested that they continue their reunion back home, where life is good and things don’t crunch their brains so much.

Magic couldn’t agree more and used his powers to create a black hole and sent everybody home. Soon everybody back in Smurf Village were celebrating. Papa decided that they’ll no longer hide from the world and would help whenever they were called to action because they were stronger together. As for Razamel, he’s gonna be stuck with a Tardi for a very long time. Joel saw him on the detector from his castle, but he refused to help. Before he could start to enjoy himself, Gargamel burst through the door and told him that they had unfinished business with the Smurfs.

"Smurfs: The Lost Village" (2017)

The story takes place in a secret place deep in a forest. A blue creature was whistling a happy tune on a branch while moving a cart of blue berries. That is until the creature had a little clumsy moment. This creature is called a Smurf. That one specifically is Clumsy Smurf (Jack McBrayer).

His name is pretty obvious. He’s kind of a klutz, but still very sweet. The berries he was carrying in his cart were Smurfberries. They’re like Blueberries, I guess, only bluer and smaller. In his own unique way, he brought the cart of Smurfberries to his home: Smurf Village.

There was a Smurf for just about everything, each with its own role or talent. There was Jokey Smurf (voiced by Gabriel Iglesias), who loved to pull pranks in the form of “gifts.” Every time he gave a Smurf one, there would be a surprise inside. In these cases, he gave Gullible Smurf one that exploded glitter and then the next one had a springy boxing glove that punched and sent him flying. Jokey always laughed after his pranks went off.

Gullible Smurf is again obvious as he’s easily tricked, but he’s also innocent. The one doing push-ups with 1 hand with a heart tattoo on his arm is Hefty Smurf (voiced by Joe Manganiello). He’s really strong and does a lot of heavy work around the village. He also loves to exercise to help himself stay in shape and continue to increase his strength. The one with the glasses that’s reading a book on a wooden transportation vehicle is Brainy Smurf (voiced by Danny Pudi).

He’s the smartest Smurf in the village, though has been teased of being called a nerd. He loves books and doing experiments. He and Hefty sometimes butt heads with each other, brains vs. brawn, but they still love each other. They just have different ways of showing it. The one on the tree branch with binoculars is Nosey Smurf (voiced by Kelly Asbury).

He peeks on private activities going on in the village, which the other Smurfs don’t like.

Not that I blame them. Snooping or stalking somebody is very wrong, especially if it’s family.

Anyway, the one hiding in his house with a freaked out expression is Paranoid Smurf. He…hardly shows himself in the Village because well…he’s paranoid. So he mostly just stays inside his mushroom. The next 2 are Winner and Loser Smurf. The names again are obvious; Winner Smurf always wins and Loser Smurf always loses. The next one with the black belt is Karate Smurf (voiced by Danik Thomas).

He loves karate and practices new moves all the time. Well, with a little help from 1 of the other Smurfs.

I don’t know if he learned karate somewhere or he’s self-taught. Either way, it’s very impressive.

Anyway, the next ones are a little fast: Handy (voiced by Bret Marnell), Vanity (voiced by Tituss Burgess), Farmer (voiced by Jeff Dunham), Painter, Baker (voiced by Gordon Ramsay), Magician, Scuba, Policeman, Therapist, and even Table Eating Smurf. Although no one really knows why the last one does that. Biting on tables, that is. Then there’s Papa Smurf (voiced by Mandy Patinkin). Not only is he the leader of Smurf Village, but he’s also the father of ALL the Smurfs.

For those counting, that’s 100 Smurfs total; 98 sons, 1 daughter, plus Papa.

Anyway, this story isn’t about Papa or any of the other Smurfs. This story is about the only girl in Smurf Village: Smurfette (voiced by Demi Lovato). She was a beautiful Smurf and a friend to everyone. However, her life wasn’t simple and beautiful. She had a very dark past.

The Smurfs were brought into the village by a stork when they were babies. For Smurfette however, she was created by an evil wizard named Gargamel (voiced by Rainn Wilson). He was obsessed with finding the Smurfs so he could extract their magic and become the greatest and powerful wizard in the world. For many years, he had no luck. So 1 day, he decided to create a Smurf out of clay to help him find Smurf Village.

That Smurf was Smurfette. Using dark magic, Gargamel brought her to life and ordered her to find Smurf Village. Unlike the Smurfs, Smurfette was gray with dark brown hair. Somehow, Smurfette found Smurf Village and could’ve destroyed the Smurfs. However, Papa had some of his own magic: Love and Kindness.

The most powerful kind of magic, yet sadly…easily overlooked…

Anyway, Papa saw the good in Smurfette’s heart and she transformed into a Smurf; her skin turned blue and her hair turned yellow. She betrayed Gargamel and had been living in Smurf Village with Papa and the Smurfs ever since. However, there was still 1 problem: Smurfette didn’t seem to know what her role was. She had tried everything: she helped Brainy with his experiments, but ended up making a hole in his mushroom, which he fell into. She tried karate with Karate Smurf, but she ended up kicking a Smurf right in Smurfberries. She even tried baking with Baker Smurf, but the cake just melted into a pile of pink goo.

So the question everyone in Smurf Village had was: What is a Smurfette? Everybody had different answers and opinions. Baker said that she was a rubbish baker. Brainy tried looking it up in a dictionary, but there was no entry on her name. Farmer said that a Smurfette was a combination between a Smurf and an ette, though he had no clue what an ette was.

In the case of the Smurfs, an ette is a forming noun that denotes the female gender. So the ette designates a feminine role or identity. Hence, Smurfette’s name since she’s a female Smurf.

Anyway, Paranoid and Handy couldn’t think of anything to describe Smurfette. Hefty said that she’s the greatest, mostly due to the fact that he has a crush on her. Table Eating Smurf said something, but no one understands him. Vanity said the most gorgeous creature on Earth, though he was referring to himself, not Smurfette. The last Smurf thought it was 1 of those questions that nobody would know the answer to.

I don’t know who that Smurf is since a name wasn’t given.

Anyway, Smurfette heard that and looked very sad. She soon found herself sitting on a bench, watching the Smurfs do their thing in the village while trying to figure out who she was. Nobody wanted that question answered any more than she did. As she was thinking, she was interrupted by Grouchy Smurf (voiced by Jake Johnson). Again, name’s obvious because Grouchy’s always in a grouchy mood and ill-tempered.

He asked Smurfette what she was doing sitting on his bench. Smurfette tried to apologize but obviously he wasn’t in the mood to hear it. Every day, Grouchy would come to his bench and sit there being grouchy. Smurfette tried to do that as she frowned and crossed her arms like Grouchy did. Sadly, no matter what she did, she always ended up saying something optimistic.

So she left Grouchy alone on his bench and decided to go see Brainy. He was in the middle of an experiment when Smurfette came over, but he was happy to see her. He quickly pulled her inside and showed her his latest invention: the Smurfy Thing Finder. With it, the device powered by the Smurf’s magic could hone in on a Smurf’s traits. Hefty was in the middle of testing it, which made Smurfette wonder if it was safe.

Brainy was convinced it was safe, though he told her to get behind his wooden window. He then brought out his assistant, a ladybug named Snappy and began recording. Once Hefty was ready, Brainy pulled a lever and Smurfy Thing Finder began to work. In a few seconds, it honed in on Hefty’s traits, which was his strength. Brainy somehow distilled it into a small bottle and called it his Super Smurfy Powered Fuel.

He gave it to Smurfette so she could try it out. When she opened it, Clumsy barged in the door, causing her to drop the bottle and blow a wall in Brainy’s mushroom. They said hi to Clumsy, though looked annoyed doing so.

Give him a break, guys. It was an accident. At least no one got hurt.

Anyway, Brainy started telling Clumsy about his latest invention. Although he had to cut it off since Nosey was snooping around and they had to get him to go away. Once he was gone, Smurfette wondered if Brainy’s invention could tell her who she was. So she took it off Hefty’s head and placed it on her head. She gave Brainy the all clear and he pulled the lever.

However, something strange happened. The lab began to shake. Instead of it telling Smurfette who she was, it got destroyed and the magic got absorbed into her. Brainy was fascinated and believed it was based on the fact that…well, he didn’t finish saying it. Smurfette knew what he was going to say though.

The Smurfy Thing Finder didn’t work on her because she wasn’t a real Smurf. Smurfette understood this, but that didn’t mean it hurt. Hefty decided to change the subject by saying they should have some fun. Clumsy said Pizza, but Hefty, Brainy, and Smurfette said Smurfboarding.

I would’ve gone with the Pizza.

Anyway, somewhere in the forest lies Gargamel’s Castle. Gargamel was in the middle of his own experiment. He created Freeze Balls in order to capture the Smurfs. One was tested out on a mouse and it ended up petrified. As Gargamel started blabbering about Smurfs, his pet cat, Azrael (Frank Welker) decided to look through the telescope.

He spotted Smurfette, Clumsy, Brainy, and Hefty getting ready to go Smurfboarding. Gargamel was too busy going over his plan to hear him. It wasn’t till his plan was over did he hear Azrael say that he spotted Smurfs. So he called his pet vulture, Monty (Dee Bradley Baker) and told him to capture the Smurfs. Soon Monty was off, though he was going the wrong way; he may be ruthless, but he’s also a dimwit.

Meanwhile, Hefty, Brainy, Clumsy, and Smurfette were enjoying their time Smurfboarding. Each 1 of them had their own Smurfboard. For Hefty, it was a small snowboard. Brainy had the top piece of a roller skate with a small firework attached to it. Clumsy had a barrel, which broke into 1 piece. As for Smurfette, she had something with a yellow flower on it.

Everyone was having a great time, until Smurfette lost her Smurfboard and was flying away from the others. Brainy started to get scared because she was getting too close to the Forbidden Forest. More importantly, she was getting too close to a wall that led who-knows-where outside Smurf Village. Luckily, she didn’t make it across the wall, but she did crashland into a tree. After she crashed, Smurfette saw something…or someone staring at her from some big leaves.

They made eye contact for a few seconds before the mysterious creature took off. Smurfette tried to go after it, but the creature disappeared through the wall. The only thing it left behind was an object. Smurfette picked it up and it looked like a Smurf hat. But the color of it was different; a Smurf’s hat was white, but this one was yellow-ish.

It made Smurfette wonder if she saw another Smurf. But she didn’t get a chance to find out as Hefty, Brainy, and Clumsy found her and began asking questions. Before Smurfette could answer them, she was kidnapped by Monty and taken to Gargamel’s Castle. Gargamel was pleased to see him return with a Smurf and gave him a kiss, much to Azrael’s disgust. However, as he put the captured Smurf in a cage, he was angry to see that it was Smurfette.

She called him a Smurf obsessed wizard wannabe, but he didn’t feel offended. He just reminded her who created her and preferred she call him Papa. Smurfette said she’d never call him that. As Gargamel dropped the cage on the table, the Smurf hat that Smurfette found was discovered. She tried to hide it from him, but it was too late.

Azrael snatched it from her and gave it to Gargamel. The 1st thing that was noticed about it was the design. Gargamel tried to get Smurfette to tell him where she found the hat, but she refused to say anything. He even tried reverse psychology, but that didn’t work either, only made Azrael snicker.

Makes me glad that Gargamel’s not very bright, though he is still very dangerous.

Anyway, Hefty, Clumsy, and Brainy managed to sneak their way inside Gargamel’s Castle to rescue Smurfette. While they were keeping out of sight, Gargamel created a spell or potion in his cauldron to find the whereabouts of the Smurf hat that was in Smurfette’s possession. However, the cauldron didn’t know where the hat came from. Gargamel was furious and kicked his cauldron in anger, damaging his foot. The cauldron did however, end up giving away a clue.

It looked like 3 trees. Gargamel thought they were a symbol or code, but Azrael had something else in mind. On Gargamel’s map were the same trees in the top right corner. They lived in the Forbidden Forest, the only place on the map that Gargamel didn’t check for Smurfs. With the location now discovered, Gargamel began planning his trip to the Forbidden Forest.

While he was distracted by the map, Hefty, Brainy, and Clumsy reached Smurfette. Quick as they could, Brainy picked the lock and Hefty opened the door. Before they could escape, Smurfette pointed out the map to Brainy. So he brought out Snappy and took many pictures of the map. Unfortunately, Gargamel spotted them and ordered Azrael and Monty to get them.

Lucky for the Smurfs, they had a little help from a mouse. It dropped a Freeze Ball on Gargamel from above and it petrified him. The Smurfs used a crossbow and shot themselves out through Azrael’s cat door. They ran onto a bridge with Azrael right behind them, but Monty swooped down and broke it in half. Azrael could no longer follow them, so it was all up to Monty now.

It was a close call, but Smurfette, Clumsy, Brainy, and Hefty safely made it back to Smurf Village without Monty finding out their location. However, they got caught by Papa and he did not look happy. They were brought into his mushroom and began explaining everything. Although it was hard for Papa to understand anything since they were all talking at once. When Smurfette brought up going to the Forbidden Forest however, he silenced them with a whistle and reminded them that the Forbidden Forest was forbidden.

He didn’t seem to be convinced about the map, mystery Smurfs, and Gargamel’s Castle either. From his perspective, Papa just didn’t understand why the 4 of them couldn’t just follow simple rules since they snuck out and put themselves in danger. He figured the only way to keep them safe was to ground them, so it was done. The 4 of them weren’t allowed to leave their mushroom unless they told Papa where they were going. Clumsy, Brainy, and Hefty began to protest and complain, but Smurfette believed he was right.

Papa was surprised and so were the boys. As an added measure, Smurfette believed that they should go to their rooms and think about what they’ve done. A tough but fair punishment. So she began pushing the boys out of the room. Papa tried to say something, but Smurfette assured him that they were seriously going to think about their misbehavior and wouldn’t leave their rooms until they did.

Soon the 4 of them were gone and Papa was left confused. Later that night, Smurfette packed a bag. She knew the mystery Smurf was real and was determined to find it. Maybe she might find out who she was. She quietly opened her door and looked around.

There was no Smurf in sight for they were all asleep in their mushrooms. Smurfette crossed the bridge and made it to the log. She took 1 last look at Smurf Village. For a long time, this was her home. Now she was leaving it to look for her place in the world and find the mystery Smurf.

Smurfette reached the wall and began to make her way towards it. However, she discovered she wasn’t alone. Hefty, Brainy, and Clumsy had followed her with their own bags. Smurfette didn’t want them to travel with her since she was responsible for them getting punished. Hefty refused to let her go in the Forbidden Forest alone as it was too dangerous.

Smurfette wanted to at least try and warn the lost village of Smurfs about Gargamel. Hefty understood that, but declared that the 4 of them were Team Smurf and would do this together. Smurfette couldn’t ask them to do that, but she didn’t, they volunteered to. She was very grateful to them. Before they got started, Brainy had Snappy draw out the map onto a piece of paper.

With the map now in their possession, the 4 of them proceeded to the wall. They made their way through the crack and followed the light at the end of the tunnel. When they reached the Forbidden Forest, the only Smurfette could say was Wow. Suddenly, she and the boys had an encounter with some very strange flowers. They trapped them inside and spit them out then did the same thing all over again while being watched by plants with eyeballs.

Clumsy was spit out into flowers that were shaped like lips and began kissing him. He was disgusted since he’d never kiss someone that he just met. He got out and grabbed a leaf to wipe off the lipstick, but it came from a flower with big red petals that looked like boxing gloves. He got his butt kicked and was sent flying. The others reached him and Smurfette asked if he was okay.

Clumsy didn’t answer her question, but he did think he was seeing stars. Right behind them were these very colorful insects with wings that were sparkly and scaly. 1 of them sniffed Clumsy’s hat and accidentally sneezed fire, covering Clumsy’s face in soot. Brainy was fascinated and wondered if they were a new insect species. Snappy decided to call it a dragonfly; Brainy wanted to call it something else, but it was too difficult to pronounce.

Kind of cool, actually. Reminds me of Sparx.

Anyway, the dragonfly captured Clumsy and brought him to its nest. He was okay, just stuck, which made the others laugh. Meanwhile, Gargamel, Arazel, and Monty had reached the Forbidden Forest. They too, encountered the same flowers the Smurfs did. Azrael did well against the boxing flower but laughed his tail off at Gargamel stuck with the spitting yellow flowers. As for Monty, he kept on being watched by the eyeball plants but he never noticed it because the eyeballs disappeared every time he turned around.

In the end, Azrael hissed the yellow flowers away, releasing Gargamel. Meanwhile, Brainy was investigating the dragonflies’ nests. They were made out of a material that he’d never seen before. Clumsy succeeded in escaping the Dragonfly’s nest, but they soon ran into trouble as Monty, Azrael, and Gargamel had them cornered. Hefty did some quick thinking and told everyone Smurfentine formation.

They ran left and right, avoiding Monty and Azrael. Hefty grabbed a stick and whacked Gargamel’s legs, which caused him to shout in pain and stumble into the Dragonflies’ nests. He got a Dragonfly’s egg and threw it to Clumsy, who successfully caught it. However, when the Dragonfly saw it in his possession, it screeched and the other dragonflies came swarming in his direction. They were very angry and started breathing fire at Clumsy.

Hey, you stupid bugs! You should be going after Gargamel, not Clumsy! That yellow one saw Gargamel had its egg but didn’t do anything about it! What’s that all about?!

Anyway, the Smurfs ran as fast as they could while dodging fire from the Dragonflies. Clumsy tried to get rid of the egg by tossing it, but the egg kept going back to him. During the chase, Smurfette spotted multiple tunnels. They each went in a different one. Clumsy was the last one in as he apologized to the dragonflies for catching their egg then fell.

The dragonfly that had its egg stolen retrieved it while the rest breathed fire. Gargamel was satisfied as he watched them from afar. He was convinced that the Smurfs were burned to a blue crisp, but Azrael wasn’t. Underground, each of the Smurfs woke up but were in a different tunnel. They could hear each other, but not see them.

Hefty and Brainy started arguing while Clumsy began to panic and Smurfette stayed where she was. Brainy soon ceased the arguing and told everyone to open their backpacks and find the glass vial labeled light. Inside was a firefly sleeping. Brainy shook the vial really hard and it woke up angry, glowing with a very bright light.

Oh, I get it. They’re like glow sticks. Very clever, Brainy.

Anyway, after the Smurfs got their lights on, Brainy told everyone to stay calm and don’t eat all their rations. Unfortunately, Clumsy already did that due to panicking and stress eating. Smurfette decided to try and find Clumsy, but Brainy was against it, thinking they’d just get more lost. Hefty was with Smurfette on this and followed her lead. However, no matter where the Smurfs went, they did just get more lost.

When Clumsy’s light started going out, Hefty decided to punch their way out and began smashing rocks. All his punching started making the tunnels collapse. So Brainy shouted at him to stop before he got them all killed. In a panic, Clumsy took out the fuel from earlier and threw it at the tunnels. There was a huge explosion, but nobody got hurt.

Afterwards, Clumsy heard something burp and an eaten carrot was tossed. Then there were a lot of glowing green eyes staring at Clumsy. He freaked out, which caught the others’ attention. Suddenly, the tunnel was filled with a stampede of Glow Bunnies. The Smurfs tried to outrun them, but it was no use.

Luckily, Smurfette managed to tame one and gather her brothers. There was a bit of a funny moment with Brainy as his glasses landed on his butt, which made it look like it had eyes. Everyone was laughing while Brainy wondered what was so funny. All Hefty said was that he was talking out of his butt. During the ride, Smurfette spotted the trees from the map.

She believed Bucky, which she named the Glow Bunny, would get them to the Lost Village in no time.

That’s a nice name for a Glow Bunny and he kind of does look like a Bucky. They’re so cute, soft, fluffy, and glow in the dark. I wish I could keep one as a pet.

Anyway, in Smurf Village, Papa decided to check on Smurfette. He wanted to apologize for being too hard on her and the boys yesterday. When there was no answer, Papa decided to go in. When he opened the door, Smurfette’s room was empty. He checked the boys’ rooms next and found either their rooms empty too or decoys in their beds.

He realized they snuck out and decided they'd be grounded for many blue moons once he found them. Meanwhile, the Smurfs continued making their way on Bucky. They saw more beautiful things on their travels like butterflies and fireflies. Soon they stopped to make camp for the night. Smurfette fed Bucky some carrots and pet him while her brothers did their thing.

Well, Clumsy was too exhausted to help. Hefty and Brainy had another argument after a fire was started. Brainy was mad at Hefty for starting a fire using his Smurf Manual. He managed to save it, but parts of the book got burned. Soon the 4 of them were by the fire, roasting Smurfberries and eating them.

Smurfette’s curiosity grew about the mystery Smurfs, but Brainy and Hefty thought they should be careful. These mystery Smurfs might be different from them, not even be blue. Soon they began guessing what the new Smurfs might look like. Clumsy thought they might be orange while Brainy thought they all wore glasses. Hefty guessed that they had big bushy mustaches.

Brainy added that they might have scaly skin and sharp teeth while Hefty added sharp claws and big beady eyes. Clumsy thought they might have hands, which made his brothers and sister laugh. To Smurfette, it didn’t matter what the mystery Smurfs looked like. What mattered was warning them about Gargamel. She also believed that Gargamel was wrong about her.

It wasn’t her purpose to help him, she was meant to save the mystery Smurfs. Her brothers understood this and decided to stick with her. As a bonus, Brainy set up Snappy for a Smurfy Selfie to cherish the moment. The picture was taken after they all said blue cheese. Soon the Smurfs’ riding with Bucky led them to a river that made waves and moved in a vertical pattern.

Unfortunately, Bucky couldn’t swim, so he couldn’t go any farther. Luckily, Brainy knew how to build a raft. So they all worked together and built one. Hefty found a flower that looked like a tube and put it on Clumsy. That way, he could stay afloat in case he went overboard.

Soon the Smurfs pushed their raft into the river and said good-bye to Bucky. At the pace they were going, Gargamel didn’t stand a chance. However, luck wasn’t on their side. Gargamel was on a log with Azrael and Monty. When he saw the Smurfs were alive, he was furious and tried to stop them.

It was a very crazy river chase as the water zigzagged in different directions. The Smurfs made it through safely and cheered in victory. As for Gargamel and his pets, they crashed into a floating boulder. They started flailing their arms while calling for help, in the process of drowning. Hefty looked at them from behind and stopped the boat.

He believed they should help him, but Brainy was against it. He pointed out that Gargamel was their enemy. Hefty wouldn’t listen as he literally wore his heart on his sleeve. So Brainy tried getting Smurfette to talk some sense into him. Smurfette didn’t like taking sides and hated Gargamel, but she said that they were Smurfs and do the right thing.

Brainy was still against it, but the Smurfs successfully rescued Gargamel and his pets. However, instead of being grateful, he smacked them off their boat and they fell into the river. Even worse, he stole it and they went down a waterfall. The Smurfs got washed up on a beach. Each of them woke up and were okay.

Although a group of crabs took off with Clumsy’s pants, so he stayed buried in the sand. Brainy found his backpack in the water and rushed over to grab it. Unfortunately, his manual was ruined and that was the last straw for him. He got very angry and blamed Hefty for the mess they were in. Smurfette told him to cut it out, but all that did was make Brainy switch the blame onto her.

Hefty tried to defend her, but Smurfette didn’t like that and got mad at him.

She can look after herself, Hefty. She’s not a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued.

Anyway, Clumsy, who managed to get his pants back from the crabs, wanted to just join the argument by yelling about something. Brainy told him to stay out of it, which made Hefty mad and the 2 of them began to fight. Smurfette tried to break them up, but they were soon attacked by wooden stakes. It came from some kind of creature up in the trees. They tried to take cover, but they somehow ended up trapped in a wooden cage.

When the creature got closer, it separated into many small creatures. They wore colorful leaves for clothing and their masks while yielding sharp sticks for weapons.

Sounds similar to what Branch does for weapons.

Anyway, Hefty asked who they were and what they wanted. The creatures were interested in Smurfette as they removed her from the cage but kept the boys in. Soon Smurfette found herself locking eyes with the one she met in the forest. She recognized her and the mask was removed, revealing a girl. Soon all of them lifted up their masks; all of the Smurfs from the Lost Village…were girls.

The one that met Smurfette introduced herself first. Her name was Smurf Lily, a very gentle but smart girl (Ariel Winter). Smurfette introduced herself and then was hugged by a girl named Smurf Blossom (voiced by Ellie Kemper), who was very friendly and energetic.

She introduced a lot of the Girl Smurfs, but I couldn’t catch them all since she was going too fast. All I’m getting is that they’re mostly named after a flower.

Anyway, Smurf Blossom also introduced Smurf Storm (voiced by Michelle Rodriguez), who was armed with a bow and arrow. She’s tough and tomboyish and didn’t seem to trust Smurfette. She began asking her what she was doing here. Or rather, what was her business here. Smurfette explained that they came here to warn them about Gargamel.

None of them knew who she was talking about, so she described him. She even added that he knew the location of their lost village, which made Smurf Storm silently laugh. They weren’t the lost ones, it was actually the opposite. Smurf Lily decided that they should take Smurfette to Smurfy Grove, including the boys. Soon the Smurfs had reached the Lost Village: Smurfy Grove.

It was so different from Smurf Village. Aside from the Smurfs being girls, they lived up in a giant tree with houses made out of leaves. They were amazed to meet Smurfette and were curious about the boys. Frankly because they’ve never seen one before. As Smurfette introduced them to the boys, she wondered where their boy Smurfs were.

A voice from above said that they wouldn’t find any boys here. It came from up high in the tree. There was another Smurf wearing a leaf mask with flowers on top while holding a flower stem. She jumped down from the tree and the stem opened up revealing a white flower that floated her safely down. The girls removed her gear while she took off her mask.

She introduced herself as Smurf Willow (voiced by Julia Roberts), leader and mother of the Smurfs. At first, Smurfette and the boys were speechless. But then Smurf Storm stepped and told Willow to be careful, knowing something didn’t feel right. Smurfette explained to Smurf Willow about Gargamel and also the map with the trees. To prove it, she had Brainy show her the picture by using Snappy.

Smurf Storm warned him not to do anything funny, but he just rolled his eyes and drew the trees in the dirt. When he was done, Smurf Willow told them that they weren’t trees. The girls stepped aside and revealed what the drawing really was: waterfalls. Smurfette realized that Gargamel was going the wrong way. Smurf Blossom revealed that the trees actually led to the Swamp of No Return, believing Gargamel wouldn’t survive.

Same with Smurf Storm. Smurfette meant no disrespect, but they didn’t know Gargamel like she did. So Smurf Willow told Smurf Storm to do a recon. She still didn’t trust Smurfette and the boys. But when Smurf Willow assured her they’ll be fine, she whistled for her pet dragonfly, Spitfire.

She had Clumsy come with her so he could point Gargamel out. Soon the 2 of them were off, which made Hefty concerned. Smurf Willow assured him that his brother was in good hands. Afterwards, she told the girls to show their guests some hospitality, Smurfy Grove style. Soon music was played and pink flower petals were thrown into the air.

The girls gave Smurfette a yellow flower for her hair and gave her a handmade necklace. Hefty and Brainy also got a necklace. Smurf Lily showed Smurfette how to do archery. When Smurfette tried it, she missed the target but Smurf Lily comforted her. Hefty tried to do it, but he got hit by an arrow by Brainy.

I don’t know if that was an accident or if he did that on purpose.

Anyway, the next thing the girls did was teach Smurfette how to fly with a flower. It was a little scary, but she succeeded with flying. Brainy did a complicated math or science problem to impress some of the girls that were smart. When she showed it to them, they laughed and Brainy was confused until he saw what was on his chalkboard. Turns out Hefty erased it and drew a little toot cloud close to his butt to make it look like he farted.

Okay. Now I know their shenanigans. They’re doing it to each other on purpose. I guess they’re still mad about their argument back on the beach.

Anyway, Smurfette attempted to try archery again. This time, she hit the lower circle of the target. Slowly her skills were improving. Hefty decided to lift weights with some of the girls that were strong. When he tried to lift a heavy set of them, it wouldn’t budge, which made the girls laugh at him.

He could easily lift it. The problem was that it was glued down by nectar, courtesy of Brainy. He got caught as Hefty spotted the bowl in his hands.

Busted!

Anyway, other things that Smurfette learned were Tai Chi and also Bee Gliding.

That’s what I’m calling it, by the way.

Anyway, Smurfette soon succeeded in hitting all the bullseyes on the targets. The girls cheered and praised her. For the 1st time in her life, Smurfette actually felt like she belonged here. Meanwhile in the Swamp of No Return, Gargamel was hanging onto Monty to avoid some nasty-looking devil piranhas. 1 of them bit his bottom, but he made it to shore. As he yanked it off and began slapping it, Azrael spotted the Smurfs in the sky.

They were getting close to the swamp, so Gargamel told Monty to get them. Clumsy was filling Smurf Storm in about Gargamel. Unfortunately, he accidentally revealed Smurfette was created by him. Smurf Storm got angry and knew she didn’t trust Smurfette. Clumsy tried assuring her that Smurfette was nice once she got to know her, but they were soon ambushed by Monty.

Smurf Storm had Clumsy fly Spitfire while she tried to shoot Monty down. When Monty got close, Clumsy panicked and grabbed Spitfire’s antennas. He was holding on to them tight, which caused Spitfire to do a crazy trick in the sky. Smurf Storm didn’t know what he did, but she was impressed and told him to do it again. During the chase, Gargamel noticed something odd and took out a pair of binoculars.

He recognized Clumsy, but not Smurf Storm. Azrael pointed out that she was different and Gargamel realized that the Smurfs had found the Lost Village. Smurf Storm wasn’t having any luck shooting Monty down. Obviously he wasn’t dimwitted enough to avoid arrows. Luckily, Clumsy had an idea.

He took 1 of Smurf Storm’s arrows and told Spitfire to spit fire on it. Soon the arrow was lit up, which impressed Smurf Storm more as she liked the way he thought. It made Clumsy think he was good with dragonflies after all, which Spitfire nodded in agreement. She took the flaming arrow and successfully shot Monty down. Gargamel caught Monty in his arms and was very angry at what the Smurfs had done to him as they flew away.

Back in Smurfy Grove, Brainy was enjoying some alone time in the spa. He was in a hot tub wearing a mud mask and had cucumbers over his eyes. Or rather, over his glasses. He was also in the middle of getting a manicure from a crab. Soon Hefty came in and lied down on a massage table.

They both noticed each other, but didn’t say anything. A caterpillar appeared and began providing a Swedish massage for Hefty. Obviously, the 2 of them wanted to apologize, but neither of them could find the right words to say. The crab rolled its eyes then pinched Brainy’s nose and pointed to Hefty. Brainy didn’t like that, but knew that the crab was right: he had to apologize to his brother.

The caterpillar was the same way with Hefty. So, in an awkward way, Brainy and Hefty apologized to each other. Soon Smurfette came flying down to them with some of the girls. She was really enjoying herself and her new look. She looked like…well, one of the Smurfs.

Smurf Blossom thought Smurfette should stay with them then gave her a hug. However, Hefty and Brainy were against it. Smurfette laughed at them, unable to take them seriously with the mud masks on their faces. So they quickly wiped it off, though Brainy still had a little bit of it on him that looked like he had a mustache. Afterwards, Hefty reminded Smurfette about the mission.

They found the Lost Village and had warned the Smurfs about Gargamel. So they needed to start thinking on how to get home. However, Smurfette looked sad. She loved her brothers, but she didn’t want to leave Smurfy Grove, she wanted to stay. Before Smurfette could tell him that, Clumsy and Smurf Storm returned.

She told Smurf Willow that Clumsy was right about Gargamel. He was real and on his way to their village. Smurfette tried to say something, but Smurf Storm silenced her. From her perspective, she believed that Smurfette and her brothers led Gargamel to their village. Smurf Willow warned her to take it easy, but Smurf Storm refused to stop.

She then revealed what Clumsy told her about Smurfette being created by Gargamel. The Smurfs were shocked as they didn’t know that. Smurf Willow asked Smurfette if this was true. Smurfette hesitated to answer, but she said it wasn’t like that. Smurf Storm considered her a traitor, which made Hefty mad.

He explained to Smurf Storm that Smurfette came here to warn them, not capture them. They all did. Smurfette told him that it was okay and said this was all her fault. Smurf Willow felt sympathy for Smurfette, but before she could do anything, she heard something. She ordered the girls to go into protection mode.

They began arming themselves with bows and arrows while climbing up into the tree. The boys went over to help them. Smurf Storm gave Smurfette an angry and hateful look then went with her sisters. Smurfette looked sad and hurt, but she didn’t say anything. Night soon fell and everyone was armed and hiding in position.

There was some rustling in the bushes. When it got closer, Smurf Willow ordered the girls to fire. Arrows were shot and a Glow Bunny came out.

Whether that was Bucky or another Glow Bunny, I have no idea.

Anyway, Papa was riding it, but then got himself tackled off and cornered by Smurf Willow. She thought he was Gargamel and demanded him to surrender. That just left Papa confused and then he was surprised to see the Smurfs were girls. He thought what he was seeing was impossible. Before any of the girls could attack him, Smurfette shoved through them and told them to wait.

Papa was surprised to see her. Smurfette explained and introduced the girls to Papa, her father. No longer considered a threat, Smurf Willow let him go. The girls awkwardly said hello to him and he did the same. The 1st one that introduced herself was Smurf Jade (voiced by Melissa Sturm).

After awkward introductions were made, Papa gave Smurfette a hug. He then asked her where the boys were. Soon they came out 1 at a time by the Glow Bunny. They awkwardly greeted Papa once they were exposed. Papa didn’t get mad this time, more relieved that his children were all right.

Smurfette asked him how he found them. Papa just laughed and said that he wasn’t born yesterday, which made Smurf Willow chuckle. Obviously, that was very clear to her. Papa ignored her then said that the 4 of them were coming home with him right now. Smurf Willow stopped him and also called him a “Papa thing,” which made him feel offended.

He then asked her if she was in charge here. Smurf Willow said she was, then introduced herself as the leader of the Smurfs. Papa thought that was impossible since he said he was the leader of the Smurfs. They had some playful bantering going on for a little bit. Until it got to a point where Papa was impressed with Smurf Willow’s self-taught moves and complimented her.

Looks like Papa’s in love.

Anyway, Smurfette broke up the awkward moment and reminded Smurf Willow about Gargamel. Papa didn’t understand why he was kept being brought up. Before Smurfette could explain, Papa and Smurf Willow were petrified by a Freeze Ball. Gargamel had found the village. The Smurfs tried to run, but Azrael blocked their path.

They were all trapped. It was total Garmeggdon. Gargamel and his pets destroyed Smurfy Grove. All of the Smurfs were petrified and captured into a sack by Azrael and Monty…including the boys. Soon Smurfette was by herself with Smurf Jade petrified.

Gargamel thanked Smurfette and told her she finally did what she was made to do: capture Smurfs. That made Smurfette horrified as she didn’t believe it was true. But Gargamel pointed out why she led him to Smurf Village and saved him back at the river. No matter how hard Smurfette, Gargamel knew that she could never escape her destiny. Now that he had the Smurfs, he had no further use for Smurfette and hit her with a Freeze Ball.

However, instead of being petrified, Smurfette somehow absorbed it. Just like how she did with the Smurf’s magic back in Smurf Village. It turns out that Gargamel’s Freeze Balls only worked on real Smurfs. Since Smurfette wasn’t a real Smurf, it had no effect on her. Smurf Jade felt betrayed and asked Smurfette how she could do this to them.

Gargamel picked her up and said that it was her purpose then put her in the sack as it started to rain. Soon he left with the Smurfs and Smurfette…was left behind in the now destroyed village of Smurfy Grove. Smurfette was heartbroken. She lied down on the ground and started to cry. Snappy managed to avoid being captured and found her.

He hated seeing her so sad. So he played a recording of Brainy when they first started their adventure into the Forbidden Forest. Smurfette opened her eyes and saw Snappy on her wrist, but she couldn’t understand him. Bucky soon found Smurfette crying, along with a couple of dragonflies and butterflies. She paid no attention to them as she just buried her head in her knees and continued to cry.

Snappy found a giant leaf then drew the Smurfy selfie he took with her and the boys. When he was done, Smurfette lifted her head up and saw the drawing. She picked it up and said she was sorry to her brothers, even though they weren’t here. They looked like a happy family in the picture. Snappy told her that she should rescue them, but Smurfette said no.

She believed she had done too much damage already to both Smurf Villages. Snappy refused to let her give up. So he played a recording of Hefty next, saying they were Team Smurf and were in this together. When that didn’t work, he played a recording of her next, saying that they were Smurfs and do the right thing. Smurfette sadly reminded him that she wasn’t even a real Smurf.

However, that somehow ended up giving her an idea and she came up with a plan. At Gargamel’s Castle, all of the Smurfs were in cages. Gargamel was powering up his Smurfalator so he could extract the Smurfs’ magic. Brainy soon came up with an escape plan: he’d pick the lock, then swing the Smurfs over to the shelf, grab something heavy, and use it to kill Monty. The Smurfs liked his plan, though they didn’t like the idea of having to kill something; so Brainy changed it to knocking Monty unconscious instead.

Smurf Willow knew they had an escape plan, but were going to need their help. Papa agreed, deciding it was time to rock the cage. Smurf Willow told him not to be weird. Brainy succeeded in picking the lock then did a quick Smurf Pound with Hefty before opening the door. They all held hands while Papa and Smurf Willow began swinging their cage towards them.

When they got close enough to reach them, the Smurfs jumped out of the cage and grabbed their hands. Unfortunately, they got spotted by Azrael. He tried to tell Gargamel they were escaping, but he was too busy to notice. So Azrael went after them himself. He cut the Smurf line they made, leaving only Hefty and Brainy to reach the shelf; the girls and Clumsy were hanging onto the cage Papa and Smurfwillow were in.

Some beakers broke after Azrael’s failed attempt to capture them. That caught Gargamel’s attention as he noticed their little jailbreak. He grabbed a net to capture Clumsy and the girls then put them in his Smurfalator. Papa and Smurf Willow could only watch with horror as the machine began extracting their magic. Gargamel pulled a lever and the magic poured down on him.

He began transforming into a powerful wizard, with a new look and wizard mane. Although Brainy found it stupid that the 1st thing he did with the magic was give himself a new head of hair. Once he had all of the Smurfs’ magic, Gargamel would have all the power he needed to conquer the world. However, someone pointed out that he’d have almost all the power. Gargamel turned around and saw Smurfette standing in Azrael’s doorway.

Hefty was surprised to see her but also looked scared. Gargamel on the other hand, not so much. The 1st thing he did was ask Smurfette if she was done crying in the woods. Smurfette walked inside and said she’d shed enough tears for the Smurfs. This time, Gargamel was surprised.

Smurfette walked right up to him and said she was done pretending to be something she wasn’t. She had come back to pledge his loyalty to him, even calling him her true papa. Smurf Willow didn’t believe she was serious about this and Papa looked horrified after what Smurfette said. Gargamel wasn’t convinced, but he did ask her what she could offer him. She already knew the answer to that: the rest of the Smurfs and the location of Smurf Village.

Papa was even more horrified, knowing that the village would be destroyed and the rest of the Smurfs would be captured. Even the boys and girls were shocked Smurfette would give away the location of her own home. Gargamel knew that if he had ALL of the Smurfs, he’d have lots of power. However, he didn’t understand why Smurfette was doing this. Smurfette told him that she was so tired of being good and to use his magic to turn her back into her evil self.

Papa begged her not to do this, but Gargamel silenced him. He then accepted Smurfette’s deal and began using his magic on her. She got hit very hard by the magic, which terrified Papa, but something blue from her started to glow. Suddenly, Gargamel started losing his magic. Brainy figured out her plan: she tricked Gargamel into using his magic on her so she could absorb it.

Once Gargamel realized what was happening, he told Azrael to help him as he needed more power. So Azrael pulled the lever and Gargamel was showered with more magic. Brainy knew Smurfette needed help, but he didn’t know what to do. Luckily, Hefty did as he spotted a wooden spoon on the shelf. He grabbed his brother and the 2 of them smurfboarded into Monty, causing him to slip off the treadmill and send him flying into a wall with Azrael.

Smurfette continued to absorb all the magic until Gargamel had nothing left. She then let it all out, destroying the Smurfalator, setting the Smurfs free, and blasting Gargamel, Azrael, and Monty out of the castle and back into the Swamp of No Return. Gargamel and his pets soon ran away screaming as the devil fish began biting them. At Gargamel’s Castle, the Smurfs cheered after they were free. After Hefty reunited and hugged his brothers, he wondered where Smurfette was.

He noticed the girls gathering around something, but…they looked very sad. When Hefty got close, he was horrified by what he saw. In the middle of the gathering…was Smurfette. All of the magic she absorbed reverted her back to a model of clay. Papa was by her side, heartbroken and trickling tears.

Hefty didn’t understand what was happening as he and his brothers approached them. Papa sadly explained to him that this model of clay is what Smurfette once was. Smurf Blossom was horrified then hugged Smurf Willow and began to cry. Papa didn’t want to lose his only daughter. He began going through Gargamel’s spellbook to try and find a spell that could turn her back into a Smurf.

Brainy sadly approached Papa and stopped him. He never wanted to admit it, but nothing, not even magic or science could bring Smurfette back. That was all it took for Papa to break down in tears. Hefty calmly said that they should take Smurfette home. He gently picked her up and the Smurfs followed him, holding vials of blue light up as they lit the way.

As they reached Smurf Village, lights came on from the mushrooms. The rest of the boys were shocked at what they were seeing. Soon the Smurfs made a memorial for Smurfette. She was laid out on a pile of yellow flowers, which were her favorite. They all gathered around her and formed a circle.

Brainy held his hand out to Papa and he took it. Soon all of the Smurfs were doing it, including Grouchy. He tried to look grumpy after holding hands with 2 of the girls, but not even his temper could hide the sadness and tears he felt for Smurfette. Even Snappy and Bucky were crying. Once all the Smurfs were holding hands, they shut their eyes in grief while shedding tears.

Papa knew that Smurfette never thought she was a real Smurf. But to him, she was the truest Smurf of all. As the Smurfs grieved over her loss…a miracle happened. Their magic, combined with their love for Smurfette, brought her back to life. She was a Smurf again.

Smurfette opened her eyes and saw the Smurfs surrounding her, crying. She didn’t understand what was going on. She heard Clumsy crying and wondered why everybody was crying. Clumsy never opened his eyes, but he did say that they were crying because Smurfette was now a lump of clay. Smurfette laughed a little and told Clumsy that she was right here.

Clumsy opened his eyes and was shocked to see Smurfette smiling at him. He reached out to touch her face, wondering if she was really real. When Smurfette just smiled at him, Clumsy was overcome with joy. He broke out of the circle to give her a big hug. He then began laughing with joy and saying that Smurfette was alive.

Brainy didn’t notice, just told Clumsy to be quiet. Papa told him to leave Clumsy be as they all grieved in their own ways. Hefty opened his eyes to wipe away some tears. But when he saw Clumsy holding Smurfette’s hands and jumping for joy, he joined them. Brainy didn’t like him joining Clumsy until he opened his eyes and gasped at what he saw.

Hefty lifted Smurfette up and twirled her around then put her down to give her a big hug. Afterwards, he told her not to ever do that to him again. Smurfette took his hand and sympathetically smiled at him, promising that she wouldn't. Brainy cheered and let go to join his brothers. Papa opened his eyes and was shocked to see Smurfette alive and getting a big hug from Brainy.

Soon all the Smurfs opened their eyes and rejoiced over Smurfette being alive. Smurfette approached Papa and took his hands. Papa was very happy to see his daughter was back. He hugged her close and told Smurfette that she never ceases to amaze him. Smurfette just smiled at him.

The Smurfs gathered around her and cheered then celebrated. So, the answer to the previous question of “What is a Smurfette?” was now clear. Brainy said that Smurfette couldn’t be defined as just 1 thing because she was many things. Smurf Blossom already considered Smurfette her new best friend. Clumsy said that Smurfette was a bunny wrangler as he petted Bucky, which caused him to purr and glow.

Smurf Storm finally said something nice about Smurfette. She thought she was tough. Not as tough as her, but tough enough. Hefty answered that Smurfette could be anything she wants to be. The Smurfs lifted her up and carried her to Smurf Village.

"The Smurfs 2" (2013)

The story takes place in the enchanted forest. Narrator Smurf was reading a book of Smurfology to a group of Smurfs. Not only did the story tell of their history, but also how Smurfette became a Smurf. In Smurf Village, the Smurfs were going about their happy lives. They were completely unaware that not too far away, Gargamel was concocting a diabolical plan.

Unfortunately, Narrator Smurf got interrupted by a horn playing off-key. He told Smooth Smurf (voiced by Shaquille O’Neal) that he and his brothers were upstaging him. So Smooth Smurf told them to take the music down a notch. With that problem quickly fixed, Narrator Smurf continued the story. Gargamel was making his most irresistible creation: Smurfette, who would infiltrate Smurf Village and betray the Smurfs.

She was created by modeling clay and brought to life by dark magic. When she awoke, Smurfette was gray with brunette hair and blue eyes. To Grouchy, she was like a Frankensmurf. Smurfette found Smurf Village and her naughty nature took the Smurfs by storm. She hit them with frying pans, made potions explode, even opened the dam and flooded the village.

The Smurfs wanted her gone. But even though she was Gargamel’s creation, Papa saw the good in her. So with love, kindness, a complete makeover, and a secret magic formula, he turned Smurfette into a true-blue Smurf. Speaking of Smurfette, she said hello to the Smurfs above a small waterfall. All of them watched her in awe, her blonde hair fluttering in the breeze until she took a dive into the water.

The Smurfs were impressed by it, though Grouchy muttered of her being a show-off. However, they were surprised to see that her hair wasn’t wet. Smurfette didn’t notice it since she was busy playing in the water. But that soon changed when she noticed she was turning gray. When it was over, Smurfette returned to her naughty self and somehow obtained a dragon wand. The first thing she did with it was send the Smurfs flying then summoned Gargamel and Azrael. Gargamel laughed evilly while telling Smurfette that she truly was daddy’s little girl and she joined him in evil laughter.

Suddenly, Smurfette woke up in her bed. She was in her mushroom and still blue. It was just a nightmare, but it made her cry. Papa heard her and rushed over to help. Smurfette was relieved to see him and cried into his arms as he comforted her.

It was that time of the year again: Smurfette’s birthday. Most Smurfs were happy when it was their birthday. But for Smurfette, it was the opposite. She always had nightmares of her betraying the Smurfs and becoming evil again. Since she wasn’t like the rest of the Smurfs, it always made her wonder who she really was. Papa reminded her that every year he told her that it doesn’t matter where she came from. What mattered is who she chose to be. To prove his point, he told her to go out to the village and see for herself and she’ll know that this is where she belongs, not with Gargamel.

Speaking of Gargamel, he was…in Paris doing a magic show?!

How long has it been?

Anyway, Nancy O’Dell from ET was reporting another performance well done by Gargamel in Paris, France. People were calling it “Gargamania,” a magical sensation that had captivated the nation from New York to Las Vegas. Apparently, Gargamel had gone from unknown lunatic to unstoppable wizard after a surprise discovery in New York. He drew attention when he used his dragon wand to lift an angry driver’s taxi up in the air after he called him a freak. Of course, what really got him views on the media was his survival. Azrael asked him if he was dead and after receiving an “Ow” in response, he rolled on his back laughing. The numbers on the video have skyrocketed since.

Gargamel had just finished performing a show at the Paris Opera House and was getting into his private carriage with Azrael. Although he wished to have 1 quiet carriage ride without his cat tormenting him about using up all of the Smurf essence. Of course, that was easier said than done. Either way, Gargamel believed he still had plenty of essence left to carry out his diabolical plan. But for now, he opened the roof to the carriage and waved to the people of Paris. As for Azrael, he pushed a button that made the roof closed with half of Gargamel’s body stuck to torment him.

Soon they arrived at the hotel they were staying at undercover. When they entered the room, there was a present on the floor for Azrael. That led them to having a quick argument at who was more popular. When Azrael opened it, there was nothing in there, but a green light dot. He began to chase it, but couldn’t catch it. Turns out, someone was messing with him using a laser pointer. 2 of them actually.

One of them was a sassy and mischievous girl named Vexy (Christina Ricci) and the other was a dimwit named Hackus (J.B. Smoove). They were created by Gargamel, which technically speaking made him their father and them his children. He called them Naughties because of how they always caused trouble. They loved messing around with Azrael as it was their favorite game and always came up with new ways to trap him. Although it amused Gargamel to see his children torment his cat, they never could please him.

The only way that they could please him was if they were blue like real Smurfs so they could endow him with real magic. Until then, he only saw them as deeply disappointing experiments like his traitorous daughter, Smurfette. Hackus didn’t understand what an experiment meant and Vexy frowned the moment Smurfette’s name was brought up.

Back in Smurf Village, everyone was getting things ready for Smurfette’s birthday, or Smurfday as they called it. Grouchy had a pinata shaped like Gargamel, already approved by Gutsy as he wanted to be the 1st one to knock the Smurfberries out of it. Clumsy greeted them as he walked by and was amazed by Smurfette’s birthday cake that Baker had made. He knew she was going to love it. However, one of the Smurfs noticed that someone smurfed a bite of her cake and wondered who did it. A couple said that they didn’t until it came to Greedy, who had cake frosting on his face.

Brainy was keeping track of Smurfette’s presents. Jokey brought over his present for her and also had a card, but Brainy wasn’t buying it since he always did that to pull pranks. It was so high school level. So he took the card from Jokey, but when he opened it, it exploded with confetti. Jokey laughed in response, for once his present was real instead of a prank. Brainy couldn’t believe that he got out-smurfed by a simpleton of his brother.

Before anything else could be done, Panicky Smurf (voiced by Adam Wiley) alerted the Smurfs that Smurfette was coming. With a Code Blue, all of them hid the birthday stuff and pretended to act natural, not wanting the surprise to be ruined. Smurfette greeted them while asking if anyone wanted to do something fun with her on this special day. She asked Vanity if he wanted to join her at the fountain and look at his reflection, but he said that he was tired of looking at that. Of course, that was far from true. She then asked Party Planner (Kevin Lee) and Social Smurf (Mario Lopez) if there was anything fun today, but all they had down was Smurfapalooza.

Smurfette just couldn’t believe that no one remembered her birthday. Farmer Smurf suggested to her that she have some alone time, so she did and left the village. She would’ve known about it due to Clueless Smurf (voiced by Shaun White), but he got pummeled down by Brainy and some other Smurfs to shut him up. It was called a surprise for a reason. Unbeknownst to them, their surprise ended up doing more harm than good as it made Smurfette believe that she didn’t belong here.

Smurfette wasn’t the only one with a birthday today. In New York, it was also Blue’s birthday too. He’d grown into a beautiful boy and had just turned 4 years old. His birthday cake was shaped like a Smurf’s mushroom, specially designed by his parents. After Blue (played by Jacob Tremblay) blew out the candles, Patrick made sure everyone’s issues were covered: Blue’s birthday cake was an organic, gluten-free, antioxidant-rich, acai berry flavored cake made locally by a cruelty-free baker who swears he’s never even seen a peanut. Plus, the plates they were using to serve the cake were PCB and BPA-free.

Once all of that was covered, Grace began cutting the cake. Patrick never thought parenting would be so complicated. One of the fathers didn’t believe that as he thought Patrick and Grace made it look so easy. One of the moms agreed, believing that Patrick had a great role model, but he didn’t. He started bringing up that his father took off when he was 5 years old, but he got interrupted when a man showed up.

Blue was happy to see him as it was his grandpa, Victor Doyle (played by Brendan Gleeson), who had a wagon filled with presents for him. He ran towards him and he picked him up while wishing him a happy birthday and kissing his cheek. Victor introduced himself to the other parents, saying he was Patrick’s father and giving them hugs. One of the fathers got confused and brought up what Patrick said about his father leaving him. Patrick confirmed that he did and explained that Victor was actually his stepfather. Grace welcomed him with open arms and a hug. Patrick…not so much as he preferred his boundaries and his hugs from Victor were always tight.

One of the mothers recognized him as the Korndog King from the commercials on TV. Victor was happy to be known, so in honor of Blue’s birthday, he presented each and every one of them with a free Korndog. Another mother asked him if his Korndogs had any peanuts and Victor assured her that he’d never put those in. However, he brought up that his company deep-fried them in peanut oil. As soon as he said that, the mother and father told their son Johnny to spit it out since he had a peanut allergy. Grace quickly grabbed the phone and called the hospital.

In Paris, Gargamel told Azrael to bring him his plan. Vexy informed him that it was feeding time. She and Hackus looked very drained and dizzy. Gargamel almost forgot that he had to feed them Smurf essence in order to keep them alive. Once he fed them, he reviewed his plan as he was going to raid on Smurf Village tonight.

Creating the Naughties was the 1st part of his plan. Now the next part was to create a portal to Smurf Village. After that, he’d capture Smurfette and have her tell him the formula so he could turn the Naughties and many just like them blue. Once they became Smurfs, he’d put them inside a machine and extract their essence then have the entire world bow before him. Vexy liked her father’s plan, except to the last bit as she wondered if the extracting would hurt. Gargamel lied and told her that it’d be excruciatingly painless, but she wasn’t convinced. She and Hackus looked scared.

Soon Gargamel made his way on top of the Eiffel Tower and used his dragon wand to create a portal to Smurf Village. However, it wasn’t big enough for a human to fit as his head got stuck and spun around in the fountain. Vexy, Hackus, and Azrael laughed at his failed attempt. Gargamel didn’t have enough essence to make a human-sized portal, but maybe one of his children could get in. Vexy offered to go and get Smurfette, but Hackus wanted to go too.

Gargamel started doing eeny-meeny-miny-mo, but Vexy managed to make herself win by tricking Hackus. He was impressed by her trickery, so he had Vexy go. Before she went, Gargamel warned her about Smurf Village, a place of peace and joyfulness. Vexy already felt disgusted and considered it a nightmare. Gargamel agreed as he brought up that it completely ruined Smurfette. Vexy thought it was a shame when a bad girl turns good and Gargamel couldn’t agree more. He then dropped her into the portal and told her to get Smurfette.

In Smurf Village, Smurfette was at the fountain. She didn’t understand why the Smurfs forgot her birthday. They knew how tough it was for her. It made her believe that Papa was wrong about her and she’ll never be one of the Smurfs. She looked at her reflection in the water and remembered what she looked like before being turned into a Smurf.

Suddenly, Vexy emerged from the water and scared Smurfette. She started to run, but stopped when Vexy weakly told her to wait and escaped from Gargamel. Smurfette was shocked to meet someone just like her, but that was all it took to let her guard down. Vexy grabbed her and she screamed. The Smurfs heard her and realized she was in trouble. Unfortunately, they were too late to rescue her as Vexy shoved her through the portal and got away.

Soon Smurfette was in Paris and trapped in the hands of Gargamel. He took her back to the hotel and tried getting her to tell him the formula. Smurfette told him that he was wasting his time and knew that Papa and the others were gonna come for her. Gargamel didn’t think so and she reminded him how they came for Clumsy. However, Gargamel brought up something sensitive and hurtful: Clumsy was a real Smurf, she wasn’t.

Despite what he said, Smurfette refused to call him her father and demanded that he let her go home. Gargamel was happy to do that, if she gave him the formula that Papa used to turn her into a Smurf. If he had it, he could turn his Naughties blue and use their essence to continue with his magic show in Paris. That way, he’d never have to bother her or Smurf Village ever again. Smurfette didn’t trust him and refused to tell him anything. Gargamel tried giving her some persuasion by having his Naughties attack. However, they ended up attacking each other since Hackus thought it was like a game. Smurfette couldn’t help but laugh a little while Gargamel continued to be disappointed.

At Smurf Village, everyone made their way inside Papa’s mushroom. They had to rescue Smurfette, but they didn’t have a plan. Luckily, Papa had a start in one. He’d saved enough grotto water from the last Blue Moon and was able to smurf it into smurfportation crystals. In other words, they didn’t need a portal. Instead, they just needed to swallow one and it’d transport them directly to Patrick and Grace’s apartment in New York.

Clumsy liked that since they helped them before. He then volunteered to help along with some other Smurfs. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Papa only had 9 crystals for him, 3 others round trip, plus Smurfette on the way home. Grouchy didn’t believe he’d find her and Clumsy called him out on his smurfy attitude. Although he slipped and accidentally broke something he tried but failed to catch, which made Grouchy smirk.

Papa believed that this rescue mission would take courage, intelligence, and strength. So he chose Gutsy, Brainy, and Hefty (voiced by Gary Basaraba) for the mission. Passive-Aggressive Smurf (Jimmy Kimmel) believed that Brainy was a good choice while giving 2 thumbs up and wishing him luck. Brainy wasn’t fooled as he picked up his sarcasm and knew what his passive-aggressive brother said wasn’t a compliment. Hefty shrugged it off then approached Papa and took a crystal.

Clumsy accidentally bumped into Papa and the crystals ended up inside Hefty’s mouth, causing him to choke. Gutsy took quick action and did the Smurflich maneuver on him. All of the crystals came out, but they ended up inside Grouchy, Clumsy, and Vanity instead. The crystals soon took effect and they were transported. Papa decided to smurf with the changes then ate his crystal and transported himself too.

The Smurfs told Papa to travel safe and bring Smurfette back home. Brainy told him that he’ll be in charge of the village while he’s gone. In New York, Patrick was on the phone with Johnny’s parents. Their son’s breathing was back to normal and they decided not to press charges, much to Patrick’s relief since they were both lawyers. Victor, who was playing with Blue, thought that Johnny’s parents overreacted. He then placed a crown on top of Blue’s head, which was something that Patrick loved when he was a kid, no matter how much he denied it.

Having enough, Patrick made his way into the kitchen. He asked Grace if she saw what Victor and Blue were doing out there. She said that they were bonding then laughed when she heard them blowing raspberries. Patrick pointed out that technically they were spitting, but Grace believed that Blue needed to learn that family wasn’t just about his parents. Plus, it was good for him to play with his grandfather.

Sadly, Patrick didn’t agree. Every time Victor showed up, he somehow ruined things. Patrick brought up the time Victor first moved into his house and sent his parrot away. His name was Zeus and he technically belonged to his father. Patrick loved that bird since it was the only thing he had left of him.

Suddenly, the apartment started to rumble and stuff began flying in the air. The portal was opening in the living room. Patrick and Grace tried to get to Blue, but they got trapped in the kitchen due to furniture blocking the door. Victor grabbed Blue in a protective hold and watched as something burst out of the portal. Grouchy was the 1st one through and landed in the wagon of Blue’s presents.

Victor put Blue on the couch then grabbed a small chair and toy light saber and approached the wagon. His Korndog puppet popped out screaming, which caused him to scream. Grouchy was running amok stuck inside, believing he was trapped in a dark, lifeless planet that smelled like corn dogs. Blue laughed at the situation that was happening as he found it very funny.

Yep. That’s George Lopez for you. Always good for a laugh.

Anyway, Clumsy was the next one to be shot out of the portal. He smack-landed into Victor and they both fell to the floor. Clumsy began to apologize, but when Victor saw him, he screamed, which caused him to scream. Grace recognized Clumsy’s voice and she and Patrick realized that the Smurfs were here. Clumsy tried getting Grouchy out of the corn dog puppet, but he wouldn’t keep still.

Vanity was the next one to pop out. He hit Victor on the back of his head and landed on a mirror. As he stood up, he began thinking that this new place was terrifying until he saw his reflection. Papa was the last one to come out and landed in Victor’s Korndog bag while asking if everyone was okay. Grouchy answered no while still trapped in the puppet. Victor smacked it off of him and the Smurfs believed him to be Patrick.

Just when he was about to attack them, Patrick and Grace managed to get out of the kitchen and stopped him. Patrick told Victor that they were friends while Grace took care of Blue. At first, Victor thought they were blue aliens. But Patrick explained to him that their friends were called Smurfs. Grace added that they were the sweetest little things while petting Grouchy underneath his chin. He didn’t like that and pointed out that he wasn’t sweet and Grace already knew that, respecting his reputation.

Patrick was happy to see Papa and Clumsy. Same with Grace and Blue, who finally got to meet them and also grew a quick liking to them. The Smurfs felt the same way about him. So Victor decided to consider them friends since his grandson liked them. They also got a chance to meet Vanity, who was introduced by Papa and considered a narcissist by Grouchy with a fake cough.

After the reunion, Patrick wondered what they were doing here. Clumsy told them that Smurfette had been taken by Gargamel. He also added that she was off alone because she thought they forgot her birthday. Papa explained to them that there was a misunderstanding. He then believed if they can find Gargamel, they’ll find Smurfette.

Patrick didn’t think that’d be hard since Gargamel was a big star now in Paris. Grace started calling the dog sitter to look after Elway and told Patrick to get their son’s passport. Victor decided to come along too since the Smurfs were gonna need all the help they could get. Patrick didn’t believe that they should stop what they’re doing and go to Paris. At least, not all of them as he looked at Victor.

So Grace decided to do a vote count. Patrick already said no and wondered who would vote yes. She raised her hand, along with the Smurfs, Victor, and Blue. So it was decided: they were going to Paris to rescue Smurfette. They took a plane to get there then a cab to take them to the Celeste de Paris Hotel. If they were gonna be here a while, they were gonna need a place to stay.

As Patrick began unloading the trunk, he asked if everyone was clear on the plan, which Grace confirmed. He and the Smurfs would go to Gargamel’s show and see if Smurfette was there. Grace would go to Gargamel’s hotel to see if she could find out what room he was in. As for Victor and Blue, both of them wanted to stay and check in at the hotel. Patrick asked the driver to take him to the L’Opera House in French. Grace was impressed with his accent and the 2 of them had a romantic moment until Grouchy told them to get a shroom. So they quickly shared a kiss and wished each other good luck before going their separate ways in the plan.

At the L’Opera House, Gargamel was trying to hypnotize Smurfette into telling him the formula. His attempts were useless since he was using an ad that was just colorful swirls and not for hypnotism. Smurfette, who was tied up to a lamp, began singing. Vexy banged her head on something as she hated it. Hackus, surprisingly, found himself entranced, but he couldn’t tell Gargamel the formula because he didn’t know it. Eventually, the screen buffered and it was time for his magic show to start.

Azrael told Gargamel that he was out of essence. However, Gargamel had his ways of getting some more. He took a pair of scissors and cut off some of Smurfette’s long, blonde hair. Smurfette hated that and told him that when Papa gets here, he’s gonna be sorry. Once again, Gargamel brought up that Papa wasn’t coming because her real one was already here. He then brought up that she could give him the formula or spend the rest of her life miserable and harvested by his new powered Smurfalator.

Somehow, Smurfette managed to get out of the ropes. Unfortunately, she didn’t get very far due to Vexy and Gargamel trapped her in a glass vase. Once she was trapped, he made his way down to his lab to extract the essence from her hair. Smurfette felt sad and begged for Papa to hurry as she was so scared. Vexy and Hackus kept watch and made faces at her on the glass.

Meanwhile, Grace managed to find the hotel that Gargamel was staying in. However, the front desk wouldn’t give her the information on what room he was staying in due to hotel policy. Luckily, she had a backup plan as a pamphlet of Audrey Hepburn gave her an idea. Patrick and the Smurfs made it to L’Opera House and saw Gargamel make his debut onstage. He used his dragon wand to make a shroud of mist, much to Patrick and the Smurfs’ shock. Gargamel never had that much power before.

Grace dressed herself up like Audrey Hepburn and returned to the hotel pretending to be outraged. When asked who she was, she said she was Gargamel’s manager, Madame Dolittle. She judged the front desk on the Napoleon Suite, which made them uncomfortable and walked away. Patrick found a way in for the Smurfs using the backstage door. He was stopped by a security guard, but the Smurfs managed to get through while keeping out of sight.

Grace tried to use the elevator, but an employee informed her that she’ll need her key card to access it. So she left the elevator, but she had another idea as she came across the employee locker room. The Smurfs began climbing up the pulleys, but Azrael smelled something suspicious. He tried telling that to Gargamel, but he wasn’t buying it since he’d seen where he put his nose, which made the audience laugh. Patrick hid near an exit door and was shocked when he saw Victor and Blue behind him.

They didn’t want Patrick to go solo on the rescue mission. Victor believed that they could do this together. Gargamel continued to entertain the crowd by using his magic to enlarge Azrael. The Smurfs carefully made their way across the stage from above. Vanity pointed out the door to Gargamel’s dressing room then made a note to put a star on his mushroom when they got home.

In the dressing room, Vexy was trying to figure out how to get Smurfette to give Gargamel the formula. She tried asking Hackus for ideas and he came up with saying please. Vexy shrugged it off, forgetting that he was him. She then told Hackus her own plan: they trick Smurfette into acting like them, being naughty. They’d use all her goodness against her until she felt like she was part of their family.

During the brainstorm, Smurfette found an opening to escape. She pushed the vase to the edge of the dresser then quickly grabbed the end and the vase broke. Vexy and Hackus heard the crash and saw that Smurfette was trying to escape again. She managed to make it out the window and said Au revoir and called them trolls before she escaped.

Hey! Watch it, Smurfette!

Anyway, Vexy and Hackus chased after her. The Smurfs made their way inside the dressing room, but they were too late. Gargamel started looking for a volunteer to “play” with his new enlarged cat, but no one seemed interested. Patrick told Victor that he and Blue had to go now, but they refused to leave without Smurfette. So Victor came out of hiding and demanded Gargamel to hand him over Smurfette.

Gargamel got angry and cast a spell on him. Patrick warned him to duck, but it was too late. Victor was transformed into a duck. As soon as Patrick showed himself, Gargamel recognized him and cast a spell his way. Patrick managed to protect Blue but he got himself captured. Blue got excited as he thought his daddy was flying, even the people seemed fascinated as they thought this was part of the show.

Gargamel prepared to feed Patrick to Azrael, but Victor flew in his new duck body and knocked him down. It caused his magic to drop Patrick and lose control. One of the blasts returned Azrael to his normal size. Quick as he could, Patrick grabbed Victor and Blue and managed to get away. The crowd cheered for Gargamel, who only took their praise for a minute as he began making his way backstage.

In the dressing room, Papa found some locks of Smurfette’s hair and knew that she was here. Grouchy found a secret door. As for Clumsy, he found the tablet that had Gargamel’s plan in it. Before they could access it, Gargamel entered his dressing room. He saw no sign of his Naughties or Smurfette. Nor did he see the Smurfs as they hid behind his secret door, but got sent flying down the stairs. Gargamel assumed that they retreated back to the hotel and needed to hurry. If Patrick was here, then Papa wasn’t far behind.

The Smurfs soon reached the bottom of the stairs and came across Gargamel’s secret lab. Even worse, they came across his giant Smurfalator and discovered his plan: if Smurfette gave Gargamel the formula, he could turn as many Naughties into Smurfs as his greedy heart desired. It would be like…total Smurfaggedon. Meanwhile, Smurfette had made it onto the streets, but Vexy and Hackus were right behind her. However, Vexy stopped him and decided to let Smurfette run for a bit since she had nowhere to go.

At the L’Opera House, Patrick was arguing with Victor. He stated that he always showed up and ruined everything. Victor dared him to tell that to his face, but he couldn’t. Frankly because his eyes were on the sides of his head. All Victor could see was Patrick’s disrespect for him.

On the streets, Smurfette tried asking for help, but nobody noticed her. She took shelter behind a blue sign since the streets were too dangerous for her to cross and wondered where Papa was. The Smurfs made their way out through the sewers and regrouped with Patrick, Blue, and Victor. Papa gave him the tablet with Gargamel’s plan on it. Grouchy noticed the duck and Patrick explained that it was Victor. Gargamel turned him into a duck and now knew they were on his trail. Vanity couldn’t help but make a bird pun at him, but Papa reminded everyone to focus as they had to find Smurfette quickly.

Speaking of her, she was found by Vexy and Hackus. He was a little sad that the chase was over since it felt like a game to him. So Vexy told him to go to the candy store across the street and get himself in trouble while she took care of the rest. Hackus didn’t need to be told twice as he loved candy and making trouble and began making his way over. Vexy approached Smurfette, but she told her to leave her alone.

She then brought up Papa leaving her alone, but Smurfette still believed that he was coming for her. Vexy told her that he never would because Papa knew she’s where she really belongs. She then added that she didn’t kidnap Smurfette, she brought her home. Before Smurfette could even question it, there was trouble in the candy store. Hackus was being chased by a couple of bakers.

Vexy pretended to be concerned and tricked Smurfette into helping. As much as Smurfette didn’t like the Naughties, she didn’t like the idea of someone getting hurt. So with some help from Vexy, she rescued Hackus and the 3 of them got away on a candy cart, riding down the streets. Unbeknownst to them, they passed Gargamel, who was in his carriage trying to figure out how to get Smurfette to give him the formula. Azrael brought up her birthday and suggested giving her a present, birthday cake, and being nice to her.

At first, Gargamel felt disgusted since all of that stuff was something that Smurfs did, not him. But he changed his mind, believing that bribery and flattery would soften her. As he started thinking of a gift to deceive her, Azrael spotted Smurfette and the Naughties in the candy cart. He tried to show Gargamel, but he didn’t want to be disturbed. His multiple attempts to try ended up having him thrown out of the carriage.

Meanwhile, Smurfette and the Naughties continued riding the candy cart until they crashed into some stone bollards and landed in a puddle. The 3 of them laughed after feeling that rush of energy. Hackus began eating what he thought was pudding, which made Smurfette laugh then tell him that what he was eating was mud. They were found by Azrael and Smurfette told him to take his best shot. Azrael jumped at them, but he got his fur wet as Smurfette and Vexy dodged the attack then taunted him.

All that did was make Azrael mad and chase after them. Smurfette, Vexy, and Hackus hitched a ride on some storks that were in a photo shoot with pregnant women in dresses that were designed like them. Azrael missed them by a claw and got himself soaked in the fountain. Smurfette flew on 1 stork with Hackus while Vexy rode on the other by herself. They were having fun while getting a bird’s eye view on the beauty of Paris.

At the hotel, Grace was getting out of her disguise when she heard the door open. Patrick returned with Blue and the Smurfs. She asked them how it went and Grouchy answered by saying it was a complete smurftastrophe. Luckily, she had some good news: she borrowed a waiter’s outfit for Patrick, complete with a security card for the elevator. Patrick was impressed and wondered how she managed to do that.

Grace told him that the Plaza Athenee laundry room was paid a little visit by international apparel inspector Mademoiselle Dolittle, aka her. Grace loved what she did as she felt like Meryl Streep. Clumsy was impressed while Vanity wondered if everyone got a new outfit or just Patrick. Before his question could be answered or ignored, there was a crash at the window. Patrick knew that was Victor and opened the window so he could get into the room.

Grace was shocked to see him as a duck and Patrick explained to her that Gargamel zapped him. She asked Papa if he could change Victor back, but he couldn’t. Luckily, it was just a transformation spell and would eventually wear off. Victor told everyone to relax, but warned them that if they saw an egg, it’s just between them. The Smurfs laughed while Grace noticed that Victor didn’t seem too upset about his situation. Victor learned that it wasn’t in a duck’s nature to get upset, they just like to let things roll off their backs.

Patrick didn’t take that well, but Papa thought it was very smurfy advice. Victor thanked him then hoped that someday Patrick would appreciate him like the Smurfs. Patrick decided to not have a conversation, let alone an argument, with a duck. He then unexpectedly sneezed and believed he was catching a cold. Grouchy wished he had a cold as he brought up everything that’d happened to him so far: he’s had Hefty’s crystal shoved down his throat, got attacked as a corn dog, fell down a sewer, and had to travel by armpit just to find out they’re all gonna be extinct.

He could’ve kept going but he stopped when Vanity held out his mirror in front of him. Grouchy realized as he held his brother’s mirror that he was a downer, which Vanity agreed. Clumsy reminded him that the only way they’ll be extinct is if Smurfette gives Gargamel the formula. Grace also added that she would never do that and the Smurfs agreed, believing she could never be into being a Naughty. Little did they know that Smurfette was with the Naughties and flew past them.

As they flew, Vexy asked Smurfette if she ever did this with her sisters back in Smurf Village. Smurfette confirmed this, but added that she never had a sister before. That now seemed to be different since Vexy considered herself Smurfette’s new sister, which would make Hackus her brother. Soon Vexy challenged her to a race and Smurfette accepted the challenge. They flew through Notre Dame, had a little food fight with escargot, and even saw the Statue of Liberty.

At the hotel, Patrick was ranting about Victor. Grace understood why he was angry, but pointed out that he was here and lots of fathers don’t really do that. Patrick turned to her and said that Victor wasn’t his father, but she pointed out to him that if it wasn’t for Victor, he wouldn’t have a father in the first place. She then left the room and Patrick shrugged it off as he finished getting ready. Victor heard everything and couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.

Patrick stepped out in his disguise and told the Smurfs it was time. Grace informed him that she’ll stay here with Blue and Victor. Papa informed his sons that they were on their way to Gargamel’s hotel. Victor tried to tell Patrick something, but he didn’t get a chance to say it since he was threatened of being plucked. Grouchy believed that they were gonna get Smurfette back 100%. Papa was surprised and Grouchy told them that he was changing himself to Positive Smurf. He then tried to smile, but he sprained his face.

Papa assured him that he’ll get used to that then they all got inside Patrick’s paper bag. At Gargamel’s hotel, one of the employees recognized Azrael and brought him back to the Napoleon Suite. At the front desk, another employee answered the phone and felt a little uncomfortable when he heard Gargamel’s voice…or so he thought. Patrick was the one calling and doing his best impression of Gargamel. He told the front desk that he wanted ale, curds and blistered meats sent to his room in 10 minutes, or else he’d turn him into a legless tree sloth. He then hung up and asked the Smurfs of his impression, but they were more freaked out than impressed.

At the hotel, Grace and Blue were taking a nap. Victor kept himself entertained with cards of ducks and a goose at the end. He seemed to be having fun, but then he noticed a key card on the floor. It led him to believe that Patrick needed his help and decided to deliver it to him. Speaking of him, Patrick had made it inside the restaurant and spotted Gargamel’s room service.

He grabbed it and used the security to access the elevator. Afterwards, Patrick tried telling the Smurfs if there were any problems when they got to the room, but a few things interrupted him. One, Grouchy interrupted him by saying that there were no problems, only smurfitunites, which freaked Vanity out. Two, Patrick had to hide them inside the dish since another waiter was heading his way. Three, Victor arrived and gave Patrick the security card for the elevator.

However, what Victor actually gave Patrick was their room key as he already had the security card for the elevator. Speaking of which, the doors closed and the Smurfs got left behind. Even worse, Victor got snatched by one of the chefs and was taken into one of the storage rooms. Patrick found his situation unbelievable and followed after Victor. In the elevator, the Smurfs discovered that Patrick wasn’t with them.

Before they could do anything, they had to hide as someone was coming. An attendant spotted Gargamel’s room service and immediately brought it to the Napoleon Suite. There was no sign of Gargamel, but Azrael was there. Clumsy decided to take action and gave the attendant the smurf element of surprise by throwing the cloche in his face and knocking him down. Azrael saw them, but he hit his head and fell off his cat bed, knocking himself out.

When the attendant stood up and saw the Smurfs, he screamed and pushed the tray out onto the balcony. They managed to prevent themselves from falling by grabbing onto each other. Meanwhile, Patrick was on the search for Victor, but that was easier said than done. Frankly because there was a cage filled with ducks. Victor may look and quack like a duck, but he smelled like a corndog.

Patrick managed to find him, but Victor refused to leave the flock of ducks behind to get eaten, even though he just met them. So he had no choice but to help, though he did end up sneezing. Back at the Napoleon Suite, the Smurfs climbed themselves back up and got ambushed by Azrael. Luckily, he got knocked off by the storks as Smurfette, Vexy, and Hackus flew their way into the room. They released the storks then worked together to close the doors.

Afterwards they celebrated with a high-four. Vexy thought it was nice having another girl around. What happened next, she wasn’t expecting: Smurfette hugged her. She’d never been hugged before, so the feeling was all new to her, but it felt…nice. Hackus soon joined in as he hugged them both and spun them around, much to their amusement.

The Smurfs made their way towards the door and were shocked to see Smurfette with the Naughties…hugging. Hackus put them down and Vexy brought Smurfette over to a small mirror. She then told her that they looked like a family. The Smurfs banged on the door and called out to Smurfette, but she neither saw or heard them. Vexy felt bad that Papa didn’t come for Smurfette, but believed maybe her place was here with them. To her own surprise, Smurfette believed her.

Vanity didn’t understand why Smurfette was being nice to the Naughties. Grouchy thought it was a case of classic Smurf-holm syndrome. Clumsy, on the other hand, knew why she was doing this: Smurfette believed that the Smurfs didn’t care for her and the Naughties did. Papa believed she was just confused then told Clumsy and Grouchy to get up to the handle to help him get the door open. All he could think about was getting his daughter away from them.

Clumsy and Grouchy climbed up to the door, but they couldn’t open it because it was locked. They soon had to take cover as Gargamel returned. There was nothing they could do, except watch him give Smurfette a present. Gargamel wished Smurfette a happy birthday, much to her surprise that he remembered it. He then considered them a family, much to the Smurfs’ horror.

They thought they were Smurfette’s family. Clumsy wondered if Smurfette thought they abandoned her. It got worse when they heard Gargamel call Papa Smurfette’s step-papa. Gargamel briefly brought up his father, remembering when he threw him down the well when he was a child and was disappointed that he crawled his way out. Awkward moments aside, Gargamel, Vexy, and Hackus all wished Smurfette a happy birthday.

Hackus opened it and the present was a figure of Gargamel that came with a mini dragon wand. He then picked up the Gargamel doll and began mocking him, which made Smurfette and Vexy laugh. As for Gargamel, he played along but threatened to turn him into a cross-eyed newt if he kept it up. Hackus looked scared, so he stopped and hid himself behind the doll. He then returned his attention to Smurfette, who looked hesitant at the mini dragon wand.

Gargamel told her to take it, with Vexy adding that it was her birthday present. Smurfette continued to stare at it and Papa begged her not to do it. She picked it up and pretended she was using magic. To make it more lifelike, Gargamel filled the tiny dragon wand with some of the essence so she could perform real magic. The Smurfs were scared because now Smurfette had a dragon wand just like him.

She challenged Gargamel on questioning whether or not she’d use it on him. Vexy looked both surprised and uncertain. Smurfette gave her an assuring smile and threatened Gargamel to sing the Smurfs’ song by blasting at his feet with her dragon wand. Gargamel managed to sing a few lines of it, but he looked like a nervous wreck. Clumsy thought this was a good thing, but Papa knew better as she was becoming one of them.

Smurfette brought up something she always wanted to do and blasted at Azrael with her dragon wand. Papa began to climb up to the door, scared that they were losing her. Vexy cheered for her and Gargamel smiled at her first cat zap. Smurfette kept on blasting magic with her dragon wand and only stopped when she looked at her reflection. Gargamel told her that she was “daddy’s little girl” like in her nightmare. Papa desperately shouted at Smurfette, despite his sons’ protests, but his efforts were in vain.

Smurfette blasted magic at the mirror and it bounced off, knocking the Smurfs off the balcony without her noticing. Meanwhile, Patrick walked out of the hotel with Victor under his arm as he’d finished freeing the ducks. He then saw and heard the Smurfs falling. As soon as Victor saw them, he flew up and rescued them. However, Gargamel’s spell on him wore off and they ended up crashlanding in a laundry hamper. The good news was that no one got hurt. The bad news was that Victor was naked and Vanity had been scarred for life.

When asked about Smurfette, Papa sadly told them that they were too late. Patrick placed the blame on Victor. In the room, Azrael informed Gargamel that the Smurfs were here. To make sure Smurfette didn’t know about this, he offered to take her out to celebrate, much to her delight. At the hotel, Patrick was telling Grace about the mission being a failure. He was so angry at Victor, believing that they could’ve gotten Smurfette back if he hadn’t interfered.

As if that wasn’t hurtful enough, Patrick snapped and said that he wanted him gone. Grace tried to remind him that Victor was his father, but Patrick argued that he wasn’t. Victor, who’d heard everything and was hurt by Patrick’s words, told Grace that he was right. He wasn’t his father and then brought up that his real father left him to start a new family. Patrick had been upset about it ever since.

Victor just…couldn’t keep it quiet anymore. This just made Patrick even more angry at him. He told him that he never asked him to come barging into his life, marry his mother, or take away Zeus all because he was allergic. When Victor heard about the parrot, it ended up being…the opposite of what Patrick thought. Victor wasn’t allergic to Zeus, Patrick was. Every day, he watched Patrick wheeze and cough as it got bad.

Victor and Patrick’s mother knew how much it’d break Patrick’s heart if he thought Zeus had to go away because of him. Patrick already blamed himself for his father leaving. So Victor made a huge sacrifice by telling a lie of him having a bird allergy to keep Patrick safe. At first, Patrick thought Victor was lying, not believing he was allergic to birds. Since words weren’t enough, Victor decided to prove it with some of his duck feathers. He told Patrick to sniff them and he ended up sneezing.

Victor was telling the truth: Patrick had an allergy to birds, something he wasn’t aware of. After discovering the hurtful truth, Victor told Patrick that he loved his mother with all of his heart. He took care of Jeannette and made her happy and he also chose to love him as his own son. Now, Victor didn’t have to do that, but Patrick was just a kid with no father and no hope in his eyes, just a big hole in his heart. So Victor gave Patrick everything that he could. But after everything that’d happened throughout the mission, Victor decided that he was done.

He could see that Patrick didn’t want him here. So he gave him words of advice: Grow up. Stop blaming everyone else for his pain. Most importantly, don’t teach Blue that love’s conditional, because it’s not. Once he finished, Victor said good-bye to Grace, kissed Blue good-bye on the head, and said good-bye to Patrick, then left the hotel. Unbeknownst to them, the Smurfs had been watching and were upset to see him go.

Meanwhile, Gargamel took Smurfette, Vexy, and Hackus to the Rou de Paris. He used his magic to force people to bow and kneel to him. Smurfette looked worried, but Vexy assured her not to worry as everyone liked it due to him being a celebrity. She was right, even though they were controlled, they did enjoy his magic. Gargamel used his Fastpass to gain access to the ride. As they were boarding, Vexy started feeling a little dizzy. She informed him that it was feeding time soon, but all he told her was not now.

Soon everyone was onboard and Gargamel used his magic to start the ride. While getting a beautiful view of all the lights in Paris, Gargamel brought up the formula again to Smurfette. Vexy brought up to her to think about all the fun they could have. Smurfette seemed to agree with Vexy, so she used her dragon wand to make the wheel spin faster. The spell ended up being so powerful that it ended up breaking off the support towers. It picked up speed as it hit the streets of Paris. People watched and exclaimed in shock at what they saw. A few Japanese or Chinese tourists almost got squashed, but were able to duck. Surprisingly, that situation made them want to ride it tomorrow.

While Smurfette was having fun celebrating her birthday, Papa was out on the balcony thinking about her. Patrick was about to do the same thing but didn’t want to disturb him. Papa assured him that it was all right then asked him for some advice, papa to papa. He was worried about Smurfette and didn’t know what to do. Papa brought up how he turned her blue while teaching her love and kindness. But the hard truth was that Gargamel made her.

Smurfette was only a Smurf as long as she chose to be. Papa feared that she didn’t want to be one anymore and would go back with Gargamel. The Smurfs could lose her, but it felt like she was lost to them already. Papa believed that he hadn’t done enough, but Patrick knew that wasn’t true. He reminded Papa that even though Gargamel made Smurfette, he made her what she was by stepping in and loving her as his very own daughter. No one asked him to do that, he just did because Papa knew deep down she needed that. This was a very special kind of love.

Patrick believed that Smurfette was way too smart not to see that special love. Papa realized that Patrick was right. The Smurfs didn’t believe in Smurfette because she changed. She changed because they believed in her. Papa was very grateful for Patrick’s advice, believing that was exactly what he needed to hear. As he made his way inside, Patrick admitted to himself that he needed this advice too.

In the kitchen, the Smurfs were in the sink having a bath. Vanity was squirting soap to add bubbles. Grouchy made some bubbles of his own, which made Clumsy laugh but Vanity disgusted, wondering what he’d been eating. Papa approached them and said that they were getting Smurfette. Clumsy wasn’t so sure as he believed Smurfette was with the Naughties now. Papa didn’t care what they saw, reminding them that they never give up on family.

Grouchy agreed with him, much to Clumsy’s surprise as he got a brief reminder that he was Positive now. So Papa told the Smurfs to get smurfing then asked Patrick if he was coming with them. All Patrick did was ask him the same rhetorical question he gave him when they met, which made Papa chuckle and also know that he was in. Little did they know that when they left the room, Grace called Victor for help. Soon Patrick and the Smurfs were off with nothing but 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 15% pain and 100% reasons to remember the plan as they approached the L’Opera House.

They split up with the Smurfs making their way into the sewers to find Smurfette. Patrick would find the electrical room and cut the power. He told them he’d meet them inside and wished them good luck as they made their way into what Grouchy thought was like the belly of a beast. Down in the sewers, Gargamel brought Smurfette, Vexy, and Hackus down to his lab for the final part of Smurfette’s birthday. He used his dragon wand to summon a Blue velvet birthday cake, which was Smurfette’s favorite.

Smurfette was speechless, especially when it came to making a wish for anything she desired. At least, on an essence budget, which Gargamel brought up regarding the formula again. The Smurfs found Smurfette but were shocked to see her with them and a birthday cake. Clumsy remembered that they had one made for her too, she just never saw it. Grouchy thought they looked like a happy family, which made Clumsy ask Papa if she was gonna give Gargamel the formula. All Papa knew was that if she did, it’d mean the end of all Smurfkind.

They had to reach her before it was too late. So Papa had Vanity come with him while Clumsy and Grouchy would meet with Patrick. Speaking of him, he was struggling to get the manhole cover open. As he kept trying, Victor arrived, much to his surprise. He asked him what he was doing here and Victor told that Grace called and thought he could use a hand. He started to leave, but Patrick told him to wait, knowing that as usual Grace was right. He could use some help. Victor told him to start lifting the sewer cover, unless he planned on fixing the phone lines, which was what he was in the process of trying to open.

Back in the lab, Gargamel kept pushing Smurfette to give him the formula. Vexy and Hackus added that they could all be blue and a real family. However, even though Smurfette had bonded with Vexy and Hackus and enjoyed everything that’d been done for her birthday, she didn’t have the heart to betray the Smurfs. Gargamel didn’t understand why she wouldn’t give him the formula and had finally lost his patience. He then threatened her to give him the formula, but she still refused.

However, she soon found herself stuck with a difficult choice. Vexy and Hackus began to feel dizzy and Smurfette was scared of what was happening to them. Gargamel found it sad that she cared for the Naughties, but then found it perfect for him. He revealed his vial of essence and explained to Smurfette that without it, Vexy and Hackus cannot live. Smurfette was horrified that Gargamel was letting them die and begged him to take some essence from her so they could be saved, but he refused. Gargamel knew he could always create more Naughties to replace Vexy and Hackus.

So Smurfette had a choice: give Gargamel the formula and betray the Smurfs, or keep it a secret but lose Vexy and Hackus. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing them. So Smurfette told Gargamel that she’ll give him the formula, just feed Vexy and Hackus. However, Gargamel wouldn’t do it unless Smurfette gave him the formula first. Papa and Vanity reached a sewer grate that’d get them to Smurfette, but it was locked.

Gargamel set down a piece of paper and pen for Smurfette. She took it and began writing the ingredients for the formula. Papa tried calling out to her, but they were too far away. Vanity had an idea and held out his mirror for them to see her. They saw and heard Smurfette writing out the formula, not believing what they were seeing.

Smurfette finished writing the formula and begged Gargamel to feed Vexy and Hackus with essence, but he still refused. He decided to test it out first to make sure Smurfette wasn’t lying. In the electrical room, Patrick and Victor found the power cords, but they couldn’t get in due to the door being locked. Luckily, Clumsy and Grouchy found a small opening at the bottom of the door and used that to get inside. In the lab, Gargamel finished making the formula and 2 orbs of blue light came out of the cauldron.

They went into Vexy and Hackus’s bodies and lifted them up into the air. Smurfette watched as the formula not only revived them, but also turned them into Smurfs, their gray skin turning blue. Vexy thanked Smurfette for saving them and Smurfette tearfully hugged her, happy she was all right. Hackus was happy that he was blue then gathered Smurfette and Vexy into a hug. Papa and Vanity couldn’t believe that they’d been betrayed. Vanity noticed a pin on the grate and believed he could reach it.

The happy moment Smurfette had with Vexy and Hackus was brought to an end. Gargamel grabbed them and trapped them in cages. Smurfette started to cry, which Hackus noticed and made him cry. Vexy couldn’t believe that Smurfette sacrificed everything to save them. Smurfette told her that she had to because she cared about them and they were family.

In the electrical room, Clumsy and Grouchy climbed up to the lever that’d shut the power down. Patrick told them to try pushing it to negative, but Grouchy pushed it to positive due to his new trait. That ended up shutting down all of the power in Paris and getting Grouchy fried. The only thing in the situation that was positive was preventing Gargamel from activating his Smurfilator. Papa and Vanity succeeded in opening the grate and reached the Smurfilator.

Hackus mistook Papa for Santa and Smurfette was surprised but happy to see that he came for her. Papa assured her that they did, she’s his daughter. Clumsy and Grouchy found a way to reach the others. Patrick and Victor had to find another way in while promising them they’ll catch up. Gargamel made his way up to the roof of L’Opera House and cast a spell in the sky to power up his Smurfilator.

Vanity helped Smurfette get out of her cage and she hugged Papa, crying. She thought he’d be disappointed in her since she gave Gargamel the formula and in doing so, betrayed the Smurfs. Vexy and Hackus vouched for her by explaining that she saved their lives. Papa showed no signs of disappointment and knew that Smurfette was sorry. If anything, he was proud of her.

He told Smurfette that life was the most precious thing to protect. Vexy couldn’t believe how fast Papa forgave her like that, no punishment included. Papa explained to Vexy that they rise to the amount of love they’re shown, and sink only when that love stops. Hackus found himself crying again. Clumsy and Grouchy caught up with the others, happy that they found Smurfette. Grouchy couldn’t help but stare at Vexy, who giggled while waving at him awkwardly.

Soon the power came back on and Clumsy knew that they were running out of time. Vanity believed they should get the formula back and get out of here. However, Smurfette refused to leave Vexy and Hackus behind. Clumsy and Grouchy didn’t agree with her since they kidnapped her and were Gargamel’s creations. Smurfette pointed out that she was too and Papa never gave up on her, so she wasn’t going to do that to Vexy and Hackus.

Papa couldn’t be more proud of her. He told the Smurfs to help Vexy and Hackus out of their cages. Unfortunately, their rescue was interrupted by Gargamel. He trapped them with his dragon wand so they couldn’t get away. Soon all of them were in cages and having their essence extracted. Papa told Gargamel that was enough, but he wouldn’t stop until he drained every last drop of their essence to power up his new and improved dragon wand that was twice the size as his previous one.

He planned to use it to rule the entire world. As his 1st official order of business, Gargamel told Papa that he was gonna create a portal from Smurf Village to his Smurfilator so he could bring all the Smurfs here. That wasn’t gonna happen, not if Patrick and Victor had anything to say about it. Together, the 2 of them used the sharp end of the fireplace poker and broke the Smurfilator. It caused the machine to overload and explode. The blast sent everyone flying, setting the Smurfs free, and their secret formula destroyed.

Smurf essence exploded everywhere throughout the sewers of Paris. It looked like fireworks and created a beautiful aurora borealis of blue. Patrick and Victor got shot out of a manhole along with the Smurfs. As they got up, Patrick asked if everyone was all right. Papa confirmed by saying that they were all smurfy and accounted for. Afterwards, Patrick reunited with Grace and Blue as he gave them both hugs.

Smurfette called out to Grace and she rushed over to her. She brought up how she missed her and Grace told Smurfette how worried she was about her. Once the relief was over, Smurfette introduced Grace to Vexy, adding that she was her other sister. Grace smiled at her and accepted Vexy as her sister too. Vexy teared up a little, which concerned Smurfette, but she was just wondering if this was what feeling happy felt like. Hackus greeted Grace, who got a little startled by him but she accepted him as well when Smurfette brought up that he was her new brother.

Smurfette introduced Vexy and Hackus to Grace and Patrick. To her shock and joy, she finally got the chance to meet Blue. She told Grace that she did good as she thought her son was blue-tiful. Hackus noticed Victor and wondered who he was. Grace started to introduce him, but Patrick took charge by saying that Victor was his dad and Blue’s fantastic grandpa, not ever bringing up the stepfather part. Victor was touched as Patrick finally accepted him. The 2 of them hugged, which made Blue and Grace happy.

Grace told Patrick that she was proud of him. Clumsy offered Smurf pounds, which Vanity accepted. As for Grouchy, he went back to being his normal self, realizing that he felt good when venting out his anger. The victory got cut short when Gargamel emerged from the sewer and threatened them with his wand. Luckily, Vexy spotted Smurfette’s dragon wand on the ground and pointed it out to her. Smurfette quickly grabbed it and sent Gargamel flying by having his own wand lose control and shoot him into the sky.

He flew and got hit by the bells of Notre Dame and brought a gargoyle to life that bit his bottom, causing to scream high-pitched like a girl. He then ended up stuck crashlanded on top of the Eiffel Tower, the last of his essence falling into a set of fireworks and going off. With Gargamel taken care of, it was safe for the Smurfs to return home. They quickly praised Smurfette with a group hug then prepared to leave. However, there was a problem: Papa only had 5 crystals.

Luckily, Smurfette used her dragon wand to make 4 more crystals. Grace was impressed as she was pretty good with that dragon wand. Smurfette brought up that it was in her blood, which used to concern her. But then she remembered what Papa told her about mattering who she chooses to be. Papa was touched and proud to call her his daughter and got a kiss from her. Vexy gave him a hug next, accepting him as her new father.

She thanked him and the rest of the Smurfs for giving her and Hackus a new home and family. Vexy thought Papa was a good Smurf and he believed she and Hackus will be good ones too. Victor told the Smurfs he was gonna miss them and Patrick thought he could name a corn dog after them. He liked that and already thought of using blue corn while Blue thought of the name for them: Smurf dogs. Grace smiled at the Smurfs and wished them safe travels, hoping they’ll smurf back soon.

Papa thanked the Winslow family once again for their help as his way of saying good-bye. One by one, the Smurfs ate the crystals and turned into blue orbs. The Winslow family watched as they started to fly and waved good-bye to their friends until they disappeared. The Smurfs made it back to Smurf Village and were reunited with the rest of their family. They were happy to see that Smurfette was with them and welcomed her home.

Smurfette introduced the Smurfs to Vexy, who shyly smiled and greeted them. A few of the boys instantly took a liking to her like Gutsy, Brainy, and Greedy. She then introduced them to Hackus, who made a silly face upon arrival, much to the Smurfs’ surprise and the girls’ amusement. Smurfette told Hackus that all of these Smurfs were his new brothers. He got very excited until Brainy got scientific with the Smurf code and began measuring him.

Luckily, Gutsy whispered to him to give Brainy a punt and Hackus gave him a nice kick offstage. Grouchy and Gutsy instantly took a liking to him, believing that he got style and was one of them. Smurfette and Vexy laughed at his antics before being interrupted by Narrator Smurf, who tried but failed to end the story. Frankly because the Smurfs wished Smurfette a happy birthday and began celebrating with the music drowning out. Vexy performed onstage while singing alongside Smurfette as the rest of the Smurfs did their own dancing or poses.

Jokey gave Hackus one of his presents as a prank, but it didn’t go as he expected. He ate it and it exploded in his tummy, but they both ended up laughing. During the party, Papa packed his rag inside his chest and sealed it up. It didn’t take long for Vexy to win a Smurf’s heart. She had Grouchy join her onstage, much to his surprise and he blushed in embarrassment as he danced and sang with her.

As for Gargamel, he finally came down from the sky and used his wand to make a portal. Azrael thought that he was rid of him, but Gargamel grabbed him with his magic and sucked him into the portal too. Soon they were back home, Azrael already missing Paris and blaming Gargamel for their return back in the Dark Ages. The 2 of them got into an argument as Azrael brought out his claws and began attacking Gargamel’s face until the 2 of them crashed.

"The Smurfs" (2011)

The story takes place somewhere in an enchanted forest. Inside the said area lived happy creatures called Smurfs. 2 of them, Farmer (voiced by Joel McCrary) and Greedy, were riding on storks back to their village with a bushel of smurfberries. They flew through a magic barrier, which kept their village safely hidden from intruders. They lived in mushrooms the size of dollhouses.

The Smurfs were busy getting ready for the Blue Moon Festival. Some were gathering food or decorating. But most of them were practicing a special dance for the festival. However, 1 of the Smurfs named Clumsy (voiced by Anton Yelchin) was rushing through the preparations because he was late for rehearsal. Let’s just say though that his name is obvious for a reason. He might be accident prone, but he’s very friendly.

In Smurf Village, every Smurf has their own special role, which gives them a sense of harmony and tranquility: Handy (voiced by Jeff Foxworthy), Baker (voiced by B.J. Novak), or even Narrator Smurf (voiced by Tom Kane). There’s also Chef (voiced by Wolfgang Puck), Jokey (voiced by Paul Reubens), Grouchy (voiced by George Lopez), Gutsy (voiced by Alan Cumming), and Brainy. When Clumsy got to rehearsal, Grouchy and Gutsy wouldn’t let him in due to him not being on the list, even though that wasn’t true. Brainy told Clumsy simply but politely that the other Smurfs didn’t want to dance with him for fear of “fractures.” Clumsy didn’t believe that, but he accidentally smacked Grouchy and Gutsy’s noses from behind, which made Brainy laugh.

Clumsy apologized then left to get something for their injured noses. Brainy knew that they were gonna have big blue bruises. Grouchy and Gutsy kicked him and he was sent flying. Vanity (voiced by John Oliver) was supposed to be watching the Smurfs rehearse. He did have a compliment, but it was towards his reflection in his mirror.

Brainy crashed into the Smurfs, causing them all to fall down like a row of dominoes. Vanity wasn’t pleased, but then he panicked when he started getting a worry line. Now as much as the Smurfs were happy and safe, even a place with sunshine and butterflies have their dark clouds. For them, there was only 1 dark cloud: Gargamel, the evil wizard. Gargamel (played by Hank Azaria) lived up in the mountains, not too far from the enchanted forest.

He wasn’t very bright for a wizard, but his magic was very dangerous. He lived with his pet cat Azrael, who was much smarter than him. Gargamel never admitted it, just kept stealing his ideas and taking all the credit. He was obsessed with the Smurfs as he wanted to find them and extract their essence to make himself more powerful. Even worse, he had cages and a map that showed him where smurfroot grew. A magic ingredient that could be used to magically transport him into the Smurf’s village.

With the wave of his wand, Gargamel sent him and his cat flying out of the castle, literally blowing the roof off his house. Back in the Smurf’s village, Papa (voiced by Jonathan Winters) was getting ready to make a potion that’d show him a vision to see where their future holds. Magic was always at its strongest during the Blue Moon. So far, Papa was pleased with what he was seeing. There were lots of happy Smurfs smiling, dancing, and eating smurfberries while Clumsy was sitting still, which was a good sign.

However, everything changed when the vision revealed a dragon wand and Clumsy trying but failing to catch it. Even worse, it changed to the Smurfs in cages by Gargamel. Finally, the last thing the vision revealed was the Smurfs being sucked into a blue vortex. Papa didn’t like what he saw and wondered what Clumsy had done to make this happen. Soon Clumsy came in and Papa was surprised to see him, hoping he didn’t see the last part of the vision.

It didn’t look like Clumsy saw it because he asked Papa if he was okay. Papa assured him that he was fine then asked him why he wasn’t rehearsing for the Blue Moon Festival. Clumsy explained that some of the Smurfs got smacked in the face. So he thought he’d make them some Smurfroot Mud Masks to reduce the swelling. Unfortunately, Papa was out of smurfroot, so Clumsy offered to go and pick some.

However, Papa told him not to since smurfroot grew too close to Gargamel’s Castle. He then offered to get the smurfroot himself and told Clumsy to stay in the village and out of trouble. Clumsy understood, but he didn’t look happy about it. After he left, Papa was worried. The visions were never wrong and he refused to let anything bad happen to his children.

Clumsy ended up getting the smurfroot anyway, but he got ambushed by Gargamel and Arazel. Although he did make it back to the village, he led them to the barrier that kept their home hidden. Gargamel decided to test it out by throwing Azrael into the barrier. He then asked him if he was dead, which got him an annoyed meow as a response. In Smurf Village, Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) was asking Papa what he saw in his vision.

Papa didn’t want to worry his children about what he saw. So he lied to Smurfette and told her that everything was going to be fine. She bought it and thought they wouldn’t have to worry about Gargamel. Clumsy cut her off before she could say it while also pointing him out in the village. He then quickly explained that he accidentally led him here.

Soon the Smurfs were running for their lives. Gargamel began destroying the village by stomping on their houses. Azrael helped by chasing after them. Papa told the Smurfs to head into the forest then told Crazy to sound the alarm. Crazy wasted no time doing that as the Smurfs ran as fast as they could.

Papa tried getting to his house, but Gargamel destroyed it. Luckily, he managed to get some free time to reach the debris of it due to Gargamel’s net getting stuck in a tree. Papa broke the glass and pulled out a knapsack that had emergency smurfberries inside. Afterwards, he set off a trap but Gargamel dodged it since it was puny and primitive…or so he thought. The little trap was actually just parts for a bigger trap.

A log came swinging down and sent Gargamel flying into 1 of the houses. Papa laughed while asking Gargamel how primitive it was. In the forest, Clumsy came across a sign that was pointing to the left. He thought it was a shortcut and told the Smurfs to follow him. However, when he lightly tripped on a vine, the sign read not to go that way.

A lot of the Smurfs were running to the right, but Smurfette was the first one to notice that Clumsy was going the wrong way. Brainy added that the left path led to the Forbidden Falls. Papa told them to follow him as they had to reach Clumsy quickly. As they ran to try and catch up to him, Grouchy saw and read more signs that marked danger ahead. Clumsy reached the Forbidden Falls but fell off the edge and managed to grab a root.

The Smurfs reached him and formed a Smurf ladder to rescue him. As they were pulling him up however, Smurfette spotted the Blue Moon and something was happening to the Forbidden Falls. It looked like a portal or vortex was opening. Even worse, it was pulling them in and Gargamel grabbed them with the end of his wand. Not knowing where the vortex would take them and not wanting his children to be captured, Papa let go.

Soon he and the Smurfs were sucked into the vortex and found themselves in a new world. As they climbed up on a rock, they were shocked to see so many big buildings. The vortex had ended up taking them to New York City. However, they had bigger things to worry about as Azrael was thrown into the vortex by Gargamel and landed in the water. He ended up joining his cat too, though it was a bit of a tight fit for him.

The Smurfs started to run and headed over to some trees. Meanwhile, there was a business party going on. Patrick Winslow (played by Neil Patrick Harris) was making sure everything was in order and in top shape for the party. He was the president of marketing for a cosmetics company called Anjelou. His boss’s assistant friend Henri (played by Tim Gunn) asked him if everything was on top of the campaign.

Patrick liked to think so as he saw his boss Odile (played by Sofia Vergara) answering questions for the press up on the balcony. He tried to add more, but then Odile called him over and told him to meet her inside. When she came downstairs, she announced to the press that Patrick was her new VP of marketing. That just made him confused because that meant she fired the last VP. Odile explained that the campaign she was given to the last VP was rubbish; he gave her what she asked for, not what she wanted.

She then asked Patrick if he could give her what she wanted. Patrick was even more confused and asked her if that’s what she was asking for. Odile asked him how she could know what she’s asking for when she doesn’t even know what she wants.

I…don’t get it.

Anyway, Odile told Patrick that she wanted him to make a new digital campaign for the company so it’ll be on time for the launch. Patrick was surprised because that was in 2 days. Odile pointed out that it couldn’t be late then asked if that was going to be a problem. Patrick lied and said that it wasn’t going to be then grabbed a glass of champagne after she left due to the pressure. Meanwhile, the Smurfs had taken cover near some trees.

Brainy was worried about how they were going to get back. The portal was closed and that was their only way home. Papa assured him and the others not to worry, believing the Blue Moon would arrive tonight and reopen the portal. So he decided they needed to take shelter until dark. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

Azrael found them and tried to capture them. All he ended up doing was chewing off a piece of Smurfette’s hair. He accidentally swallowed it after she kicked him off her. Clumsy praised her but left himself open to get caught since he was on the ground and everyone else was in the trees. So he ran until he fell inside 1 of the boxes Patrick was taking home with him.

Patrick noticed Arazel but didn’t notice anything suspicious. He grabbed the boxes and got inside the cab. By the time Gargamel reached Azrael, he thought he was being lazy. Azrael pointed out the Smurfs on the tree. They were trying to get on top of the cab so they could reach Clumsy.

They landed on top of it and managed to get away from Gargamel. He was furious and his only clue to finding them was Anjelou’s business card. As the cab drove to Patrick’s address, the Smurfs got a chance to look at the view. They thought New York was amazing as there were “castles and palaces” everywhere. Plus, a “green goblin” and “red troll.”

Although it was beautiful, Papa believed that it was still dangerous. So he told the Smurfs to stay close to him and do exactly as he said. Night soon fell and Patrick made his way inside with the boxes. The Smurfs climbed up another tree and looked at the building. Grouchy wondered how they were going to find Clumsy in a place that big.

Papa decided that they’d look in every window and began climbing up. Meanwhile, Patrick made his way inside his apartment and called out to his wife Grace (played by Jayma Mays). She was in the living room reading a children’s book to her soon-to-be-born baby. Patrick asked her to guess what was exciting. Grace guessed that a 0-calorie pizza had been invented.

Patrick said no, but he thought that was a good idea. Before Grace could think of another guess, she felt something. She felt her baby kick then told Patrick to say hello to it after they shared a quick kiss. Patrick did so but also goofed around a bit, which made Grace laugh. Afterwards, Patrick told her about him being the new VP of marketing, which made her hug him.

Clumsy heard the noise and rarely managed to get a peek of what was going on. But he had to go back into hiding because Patrick picked up the box. Patrick told Grace about what Odile wanted him to do, including that he only had 2 days to make it. Grace was a little bit sad to hear that because he wouldn’t be able to come to the ultrasound. Somehow, Patrick got an idea and thought of using some of the backup ads he had on his computer to make the new campaign.

Meanwhile, Gargamel was sitting on a bench at night, wondering how he was going to find the Smurfs. Azrael soon gave him an answer as he coughed up a hairball, much to his disgust. However, he noticed that some of the hair belonged to Smurfette. He could use that to give himself some magic. In order to do that, he needed a lab to work in.

He came across one and went inside finding a cauldron. What he ended up going into was a porta potty and it was disgusting in there. Gargamel was disgusted and believed whoever used it last did some “terrible dark magic.”

Hahahaha! That still makes me laugh.

Anyway, Gargamel soon came across Belvedere Castle in Central Park. It looked abandoned and was filled with all kinds of things you’d see at a carnival. Gargamel decided to make this place his temporary laboratory. Back at Patrick’s apartment, Clumsy was struggling to get out of the box. He slipped and managed to open a gap from one of the box’s folds.

It was small, but Clumsy was able to successfully get out. However, he heard Patrick coming and began backing away fast in fear. Unfortunately, he ended up bumping into Patrick and Grace’s pet dog, Elway. He woke up and began to chase Clumsy. Luckily, Clumsy managed to get away from him but he locked himself in the bathroom.

Inside, Clumsy climbed up until he hid in the sink. As he hid, he discovered something with the words “Berry Boom” on it. Believing it was food, he pushed the handle and squirted some into his mouth. Unfortunately, what he ate was actually liquid hand soap, Berry Boom flavored. It made his stomach upset and he burped a huge bubble, which caused him to slip and turn on a hair dryer. The impact of the hot air sent him flying into the toilet.

In the bedroom, Grace woke up to Elway scratching at the door. She called out to Patrick, but he didn’t hear her. Clumsy managed to get out of the toilet, but he slipped and grabbed the handle, which made it flush. It made Clumsy very scared as he knew what would happen if he fell in. He climbed on top of the toilet paper, trying to escape, but he slipped and fell back in.

Grace got out of bed to see what got Elway so worked up. She was so focused on that, she didn’t see the rest of the Smurfs making their way towards the box. As soon as she opened the door, Elway began sniffing inside the toilet, much to her disgust. She moved him away and noticed a huge wad of toilet paper inside, believing that Elway did it. Outside, Gutsy and Grouchy succeeded in opening the box, but there was no sign of Clumsy.

Before they could figure out where to find him, they had to hide due to Patrick coming out of his study as he picked up the box. In the bathroom, Grace grabbed the toilet brush and removed the wad of toilet paper out of the toilet. As she was making her way towards a trash can, she saw something moving. The same thing happened with Patrick the moment he opened the box. As soon as the Smurfs were discovered, everybody, including them, screamed.

Grace tossed Clumsy away and he hit the window. As for the rest of the Smurfs, they heard Clumsy then climbed on Patrick until he fell on the floor. Luckily, he wasn’t hurt, though Grouchy did kick him in the jaw due to what he did with Clumsy. Grace was terrified and Clumsy begged her not to hurt him, he was just scared and wanted to go home. She wasn’t expecting him to talk, but Clumsy wouldn’t say anything until she put down her “giant spiky thing.”

Patrick didn’t know what to make of the Smurfs. He grabbed an umbrella and tried forcing them to leave. Gutsy informed the others to find Clumsy while he took care of “the giant.” Patrick tried but failed to hit him and ended up falling backwards over an ottoman. Grace stammered at Clumsy, struggling to find the right words. However, she noticed he was shaking and remembered what she did to him. So her fear instantly changed to concern.

Papa, Smurfette, Brainy, and Grouchy continued their search for Clumsy. They ran into Elway and quickly turned back towards Patrick. He soon got the jump on his dog and Gutsy hog-tied him using some orange yarn. Patrick yelled at Grace to run as they were being attacked and to not be fooled by their cuteness. Grace ran into the room with Clumsy in her hands and assured Patrick that it was okay.

Papa, Smurfette, Brainy, and Grouchy stood behind her. Grace realized that they were friendly. Gutsy considered Patrick lucky that she stepped in, or else he would’ve made haggis using his body parts. Patrick just exhaled then lied down in defeat. The next day, Gargamel successfully found a place for a makeshift lab: Belvedere Castle.

Using a single strand of Smurfette’s hair, he was able to extract the essence from it and put it into his ring. That single drop of their magic would be enough to not only create his Smurfilator, but also rule the world. Back at the apartment, the Smurfs were exploring the kitchen while singing and helping make breakfast. Gutsy was spinning around on an orange with the juicer, believing it was like a mechanical bull. Papa watched over him while Clumsy held glass cups out for the juice. Smurfette helped Grace rinse the strawberries while Grouchy tried to help make toast using the toaster, but he struggled with the handle. Brainy pointed out to him that he was doing it wrong, so Grouchy let him have a crack at it.

Once Brainy reached the top, Grouchy kicked the button on the toaster and sent him flying into Patrick’s bowl of cereal. Grace laughed while finding it crazy that there were little blue people singing in their very own kitchen. Patrick was still having a hard time believing that they were real. Brainy apologized for the mess he got himself in with his cereal, which made Grace chuckle in response. Patrick went back to his laptop with information regarding the Smurfs.

According to the information, Smurfs were mythical creatures from Belgium, aka Schtroumpfs that were documented by Peyo.

Makes sense since that’s in Germany…or is that Italy?

Anyway, Grace also noticed that the information also said that the Smurfs bring good luck like what leprechauns did for the Irish. Patrick pointed out to her that the information says they’re mythical, as if they weren’t real. Gutsy fell off the juicer and landed on the laptop screen, getting some orange juice on it. Papa apologized to Patrick for the incident, or “Master Winslow” as he called him while calling Grace “Miss Grace” since this was their home.

So polite. I like that.

Anyway, Grace believed the Smurfs were real and the evidence was clear in their kitchen. She saw Clumsy giving Elway a belly rub in his dog bed, which made her smile. Patrick wiped the orange juice off his laptop and picked it up with Papa hitching a ride. He then went over everything the Smurfs had told them. They came from a magic forest, live in oversized mushrooms, are being chased by an evil wizard, and are trapped in New York until there’s a blue moon. There was also the fact that the Smurfs also like to use the term “smurf” for just about everything and were named after their personalities.

It made Patrick wonder if they got their names when they’re born or after they exhibit certain traits.

I’ve actually been wondering about that myself.

Anyway, the Smurfs confirmed Patrick’s question. Papa asked him if there was anything about the Blue Moon on his “magic window machine.” Brainy got fascinated and wondered what this “magic searching device” was. Patrick just said that he was using Google, which got them all fascinated in awe. He shrugged it off and brought up information about the Blue Moon.

According to the page, a Blue Moon was a full moon that occurred twice in 1 month. A figurative construct, which Patrick thought was like the Smurfs and Grouchy got offensive, but the moon itself doesn’t appear to be blue. As soon as the Smurfs heard that, they started to panic. Papa assured them not to worry and if they were to open the portal home, he’ll have to smurf them a potion to invoke the blue moon. Patrick still refused to believe that all that was happening was real, even though Grouchy somehow got into the cream and popped out while offering him a strawberry, which he declined.

Aside from the potion and a full moon, Papa realized that the stars would need to be perfectly aligned, but when that’d happen was hard to determine without the proper instrument. So he asked Patrick if he could borrow his “stargazer,” but he didn’t know what Papa was talking about. It led Clumsy into thinking that all of this was his fault and Brainy panicking that they were all gonna die. Gutsy told him to snap out of it and Smurfette brought up Papa’s vision of everything turning out smurfy and asked Papa if that was true. Papa stammered and lied that everything turned out just fine.

*Sigh* You shouldn’t lie to your children, Papa.

Anyway, somewhere out in the city, Gargamel and Azrael were looking for the “smurf thief,” aka Patrick. He tried asking people if they’d seen any “little blue men,” but they all thought he was insane, except for hobo, whom Gargamel thought was a wizard like him. He told Gargamel that the little blue men were everywhere then left laughing. Gargamel believed him and Azrael just looked at him annoyed. Back at the apartment, Papa gave each of his children 1 Smurfberry from his bag while reminding them that they had to make them last.

Grouchy wondered how long they’d be stuck here. Papa assured them all that it won’t be for long: First, they had to get a stargazer, next find a book of spells, smurf a portal, and they’ll be home. The Smurfs saw Patrick in his suit and got curious on what he does. Patrick told them that he tries to get people to buy things by analyzing market trend predictions. It made Brainy believe that he was like a fortune teller, but Patrick didn’t have time to explain as he was super late for work.

Grace came into the room and Smurfette was surprised to see that she was wearing a new dress. Papa pointed out to her that Grace got her last outfit dirty and to not embarrass her, so Smurfette apologized. Clumsy thanked Grace for letting them stay in their “mushroom” while saying it was very nice. Grace smiled at him while saying that she’s glad he likes it. She then whispered to them while pointing to Patrick that he wants a “bigger mushroom.” Smurfette brought up the fact that they’d be further apart and Grace agreed with her before remembering she had to go for her appointment with the ultrasound.

However, Patrick didn’t like the idea of leaving the Smurfs alone in their apartment. At least, not without an adult. Papa laughed and brought up that he was 546 years old. Patrick shrugged it off, and gave Grace a light kiss good-bye while saying he loved her. Before leaving with his bag, he told the Smurfs not to go anywhere since people don’t do well with visitors from other places. He brought up an example of E.T., but they didn’t understand, so he simply told them to just stay instead.

Unfortunately, the Smurfs couldn’t do that. Any second they stayed here, they weren’t close to going home. Brainy brought up Patrick being a fortune teller and believed that he might have a stargazer at where he works. Papa was impressed, so they all began making their way outside to follow Patrick. However, Papa thought it’d be best if Clumsy stayed here to smurf an eye on the place. Clumsy could tell that the others didn’t want him to come along, so he agreed to stay put.

So the rest of the Smurfs made their way outside and saw Patrick get inside a taxi. They jumped down and used their hats as parachutes to land on top of it and follow him. When the taxi came to a stop, Patrick got out and started making his way towards the office. But he stopped when he heard Papa call out to him needing his help. Patrick was shocked to see them since they weren’t supposed to be out in public.

So he quickly grabbed and hid them as best he could and made his way inside the office. He tried to act natural, especially when in front of Odile. She told him that the launch for Jouvenel was tomorrow night while asking if his concept was ready. Patrick informed her that it was close as he had a crazy morning, though it was hard for him to act casual since the Smurfs were squirming around. Once he reached his office, he let the Smurfs out, thought they were crazy, and pointed out to them that they’re gonna get him fired.

The next thing he did was put up some of his projects to cover the windows in his office so the Smurfs couldn’t be seen. Papa apologized for following him, but they needed a stargazer badly. Patrick informed him that he doesn’t have one and started getting to work. Papa decided they could sing to help move things along, but Patrick found it annoying, which Grouchy agreed with him on. When Papa asked him what he sings at work, Patrick told them that he doesn’t sing, much to the Smurfs’ shock. Smurfette offered to switch to humming, but that just made Patrick even more annoyed.

Not even words of positivity could put a smile on Patrick’s face. But at the same time, he did seem to relate with Grouchy regarding the situation. Somewhere out in the city, Gargamel was goofing around with a ventilation shaft on the streets. It was releasing vapor and he loved walking through it. He thought it made him look so deliciously mysterious, along with giving his skin a wonderful glow. Azrael brought up Angelou and Gargamel held up the business card, but didn’t know it was the place since he had it upside down. With that problem fixed, the 2 of them began making their way towards the building.

Back at the apartment, Grace returned home from her appointment. She greeted Clumsy and asked him what he was doing. Clumsy told her that he was greening things up a bit. He’d already planted a lot of things into many flower pots to keep himself busy. Grace thought that was so sweet, but she wasn’t sure if the stuff he planted was gonna grow out here. Clumsy assured her that she’ll see since Smurfs have a very blue thumb.

Grace asked him where everybody else was. Clumsy told her that they went to get a stargazer and she was surprised that they left without him. He wasn’t happy about that and accidentally knocked over a flower pot behind him. A man got angry and yelled. Grace apologized then offered Clumsy to come inside so they don’t cause trouble.

Inside Angelou, Gargamel searched for the Smurfs. He came across Odile, who was using a new anti-aging cream on her mother to show her employees that any woman can look beautiful, young, and vibrant, almost like magic. Gargamel looked at Odile’s mother and wasn’t convinced by the cream’s “power,” calling her an eye-offending dogfish. Odile was furious at the insult towards her mother and told Henri to escort this lunatic out. Henri called security while Gargamel got offensive being called a lunatic.

He grabbed a pin from a woman’s hair and added it to his power. Gargamel used it like a wand and cast a spell on Odile’s mother: Alakazootiful. Suddenly, her white hair turned brown and her body got slim with no more back pain or aches. Gargamel’s spell made Odile’s mother young, much to her shock. Soon people were wondering how Gargamel did that while wanting to be next.

However, Gargamel refused while revealing that a wizard, or a “lunatic” as they called him, never reveals their secrets. Odile stopped him and asked him if he could do that again. Gargamel told her that she may attempt to persuade him. So she asked him what he desired: Riches. Fame. Fortune. With her help, the whole world would know the name Garbagesmell.

*snickers*

Gargamel corrected her on his name and she brought up his genius, which made Azrael meow questioningly then laugh. That caused him to have his tail stepped on by Gargamel. At the apartment, Clumsy was keeping Grace company while watching her paint a jewelry box that looked like a wardrobe. He was bringing up everything that’d happened to him and his family so far. Sure, he got them stuck in New York and may be accident-prone, but they got to meet Grace and Patrick in their apartment.

Grace smiled at him and thought he was so sweet. She then told him that she knew how he felt as she was clumsy too. At first, Clumsy didn’t believe her. But when she added that she used to be, he asked her how long it took for her to un-fumble her feet while trying not to break anything. Luckily, he didn’t, much to Grace’s relief but she did chuckle. She told him that it took her about as long as it took to realize that nobody’s just one thing. You can be anything you want to be.

Clumsy liked the idea and imagined himself being like a Hero Smurf. But he quickly brushed that off due to his traits. In Patrick’s office, the Smurfs were doing anything they could to keep themselves busy or entertained. Gutsy played around with a remote control drone. Brainy and Grouchy were playing golf, but they weren’t exactly playing the right game. More like a sucker game since Grouchy kept tricking Brainy into stepping on something, which sent him flying up to the ceiling, into a toy basketball net, and down in a trash can. Grouchy couldn’t help but laugh since his trick worked every time.

I find his game both naughty but funny at the same time.

Anyway, Smurfette sang songs and Papa took a fascination to Patrick’s “wind machine” or fan. It was very hard for Patrick to get any work done, so he called Grace and told her to get the Smurfs. Meanwhile, Gargamel and Azrael were being treated to lunch at a very fancy restaurant by Odile. She told him that rival business companies of hers like Clinique, Lancome, and MAC would kill to get what he had in his ring. Gargamel didn’t look too worried as he brought up knights in shining armor, bowmen, poison arrows, and spikes to mount their heads on. Odile seemed to agree as long as all of their testing would be animal cruelty-free and if Gargamel could recreate whatever he did to her mother but on a massive scale. Do that, and the world would worship him. However, Gargamel wouldn’t accept Odile’s offer unless he had the Smurfs.

Speaking of them, they were with Grace and Clumsy in a taxi. Grace told them that Patrick’s under a lot of pressure right now and must lie low. Papa promised her that they would, but then Gutsy spotted a stargazer, which was a telescope, across the street. As soon as he said that, the Smurfs got out of the bag and jumped out of the taxi window. They crossed the street while avoiding traffic and Grace followed them towards F. A. O. Schwarz.

Back at the office, Patrick was struggling with his concepts for the launch. His original idea didn’t seem to be working. But when he came back to the tab on a Blue Moon and started humming the Smurfs’ song, he created a new concept and believed it’d go well. Before he could think more about it, Grace called him and told him the Smurfs had gone AWOL. She was afraid about them getting killed and told Patrick that she needed him. So he began leaving his office while asking her where she was.

Meanwhile, Odile was in the city with Gargamel, but she didn’t look happy. She was talking to someone on her phone, saying that Gargamel was a lunatic and it wasn’t going to work due to him needing “Smoops.” Gargamel corrected her as he needed Smurfs, but accidentally bumped into Patrick. When Azrael saw him, he told Gargamel that he was the Smurf thief. Soon Gargamel and Azrael began to chase him.

F. A. O. Schwarz seemed to be a toy store. There were toys and candy for children of all ages everywhere. Smurfette searched for the stargazer while hiding through some stuffed animals and discovering where all the unicorns went. Brainy accompanied Papa to get the stargazer as they hitched a ride on the railing of an escalator. Gutsy found himself a “Smurf cannon,” which was either a toy pellet or BB gun. Either way, he got in and shot himself while shouting “Smurfabunga!”

Not sure my Turtles would approve of that since that’s their catchphrase they’re smurfing up.

Anyway, Grace ran in too late to see him shoot himself up to the 2nd floor. Grouchy checked the top of the shelves for a stargazer. Unfortunately, he got startled by an animatronic owl he thought was a predator and fell. He accidentally got hit by a racket and was sent flying into a container of blue M&M’s. Although he thought they were Smurf droppings until he accidentally swallowed some and found them disgusting…ly tasty. Afterwards, he had his eyes and also his heart set on a green female M&M plush doll.

Oh, that is just too cute.

Anyway, Smurfette found herself in an aisle of dolls. Although she was a little freaked out by all the doll heads. They were only being displayed like that to show off different hairstyles, but Smurfette didn’t know that. However, her fear soon turned into amazement when she saw Madame Alexander dolls wearing different outfits, believing she could have more than 1 kind of dress.

Madame Alexander dolls. I used to have some of those when I was a kid….

Anyway, Papa and Brainy succeeded with finding a stargazer, but it was too high for them to reach. So they used a bear display to help them reach the top, missing Grace by a small distance. Clumsy tried to follow them up the escalator, but the steps kept disappearing. A girl spotted him, thinking he was a toy and picked him up. Soon a whole bunch of children were wanting one. Grouchy didn’t move from the candy section as he stayed talking to the green M&M plush doll.

It didn’t take long for Clumsy to get the whole store’s attention. A cashier was trying to scan him at check-out, but he had no tags or labels. Meanwhile, Patrick had reached the toy store, but Gargamel and Azrael were right behind him. Even worse, he spotted Grouchy in the window and attempted to capture him. Luckily, due to using his power to make Odile’s mother young, he no longer had magic. However, that didn’t mean he had other ways to trap the Smurfs as Azrael motioned him to a man using a leaf blower.

When Patrick entered the store, he saw the crowd at check-out and heard Clumsy’s voice. As soon as he talked, people started running amok and out of the store. It didn’t take long for the rest of the Smurfs to draw attention to the children. Whether they were toys or not, kids wanted them. Smurfette somehow managed to get a new dress, but didn’t have time to try it on due to the children.

Luckily, she was rescued by Grace, who promised her that they’ll go shopping later. Patrick managed to find Clumsy, but he got kicked in the shin by a little girl, who was trying to grab him.

Skai Jackson. I’d recognize her anywhere.

Anyway, Grouchy had an emotional moment with his crush before being the 1st Smurf to get captured by Gargamel using the leaf blower. Papa, Brainy, and Gutsy managed to get a stargazer, but they were drawing too much attention from the children as they thought they were toys. They knocked over the display bear and the 3 Smurfs stole a ride from a teenage boy’s skateboard. Unfortunately, Brainy and Gutsy got caught by Gargamel while missing Papa. Gargamel began to chase him, but stopped when he saw Grace, who was warned by Smurfette that he was their enemy.

Grace tried to walk away casually, but Azrael wasn’t fooled. He knocked down her purse and started going for Smurfette. She managed to get away from him with some help from Grace, but Gargamel was right in front of her. When he cornered her, she acted like a damsel until Papa arrived on the skateboard and rescued her while getting Azrael stuck in the leaf blower.

*snickers* Hahahahaha! I always loved this part

Gargamel: “Azrael. Azrael, what are you doing? Get out of my suckamajig!”

Patrick: “Let me help you with that.”

Gargamel: “Oh, thank you, kind… You! You…”

Funniest rescue I’ve ever seen.

Anyway, Patrick switched the leaf blower in reverse. It not only released Azrael, but also the Smurfs and leaves too. As he got stuck losing control of the leaf blower in the elevator, Patrick and Grace regrouped. She got the stargazer while he got the Smurfs. As for Gargamel, he made it down to the 1st floor and then was arrested by the police for stealing the man’s leaf blower, though they had to tase him to do it.

Night soon fell. At the apartment, Papa was on the roof with the telescope while charting the stars. Patrick was in his study, humming the Smurfs’ song while trying to figure out which concept to send to Odile. As for Grace, she was brushing Smurfette’s hair with a doll hairbrush in the bedroom. She kept her promise on shopping as she bought some doll dresses for Smurfette to try.

As she brushed her hair, Grace asked her how she could be the only girl in her village. Smurfette explained to her that she wasn’t brought by a stork like the others. She was created by Gargamel to trap the Smurfs. But Papa saved her and cast a special spell then helped her become the Smurf she was meant to be. Patrick soon came to a decision: he decided to play it safe and sent Odile his previous concept idea by email instead of his new one.

Once he was done with that, he checked on the Smurfs. The boys were homesick and also worried now that Gargamel knew where they were. All of this waiting was killing them, which Patrick could relate to. Better yet, he knew the cure. He introduced them to the video game Rock Band. Soon everyone was having a great time. Grouchy learned how to shred a guitar, Clumsy learned how to play the drums and was really good at it, Brainy rapped with his brothers, and Gutsy did an Irish Jig on Patrick’s guitar. The Smurfs also somehow managed to add their song to the mix and Patrick was able to sync with it well.

Little did they know that Grace had been watching them. She was smiling as she couldn’t remember the last time Patrick had fun or smiled, a real smile. Smurfette was with her in a new sparkly white dress with matching shoes and a red flower in her hair. The boys loved her new look, though she got a little embarrassed when her dress started going up. Frankly because she was standing on an air conditioning duct, which gave Gutsy…sort of a disturbing idea.

I’d rather not say what.

Anyway, Patrick’s laptop dinged with an email from Odile. He went over with Clumsy beside him and opened the message. She approved of the concept’s ad and Grace hugged him in delight. Clumsy cheered for Patrick’s victory, but he accidentally slipped on something and fell on his laptop. While trying to regain his balance, he ended up attaching Patrick’s new idea to the email without anyone noticing.

So Patrick sent the email. Tomorrow his ad will be on every billboard in New York. Everyone began celebrating, including Papa, who’d returned from his task. However, it was proving more difficult than he thought. So they weren’t going home tonight. Papa sent his children to bed since it’d been a long day.

The Smurfs made themselves comfortable in the living room. Papa lit some candles so they wouldn’t be afraid. Brainy hoped he’d be sleeping in his mushroom. Smurfette missed the other Smurfs. Clumsy agreed with her while noting that he’d never spent the night away from home before. Grouchy pointed out that it happened last night, but none of them could sleep. Papa silently hushed them while assuring that everything was gonna be just fine.

Smurfette seemed uncertain and had to ask Papa if he really believed that they’ll make it back home to the other Smurfs. Unbeknownst to them, Patrick was watching them with concern. Papa assured his children not to worry and they’ll be reunited with the others soon enough. However, even he didn’t seem so sure about that. He sighed heavily about the stars needing to be aligned before making his way back to the roof. As soon as he was gone, the Smurfs began naming others that they missed. The only one they didn’t miss was Passive-Aggressive Smurf as Clumsy pointed out that he might be so nice, but when he leaves, they feel bad.

Meanwhile, Gargamel was in a prison cell in an orange jumpsuit. He was upset for failing to capture the Smurfs. Suddenly, he had a visitor: a little moth. Somehow, Gargamel told him to fly and bring back an army of mighty eagles to free him. Back at the apartment, Patrick joined Papa on the roof. He figured he had a long night ahead of him and asked if he drank coffee. Papa laughed while rhetorically asking if a Smurf’s bottom was blue, which made Patrick smile.

As he brought Papa the extra mug of coffee, he asked him about Gargamel. He wasn’t sure if he really was a wizard. Papa told him that he was a wizard, not a very smart one, but still very dangerous. Patrick placed the mug down next to him and gave him a straw, which he was grateful for. After a sip, Papa told Patrick how he was usually able to hold Gargamel at bay with a spell or 2 back home.

However, without his books and potions, he believed that they were just lucky today. But next time, who knows? Patrick asked Papa what he was going to do. Papa told him that he’ll do anything and everything he can do to get his Smurfs home. They were his family and you never give up on them.

Patrick couldn’t help but feel nervous since he was gonna be a dad soon. He asked Papa if it sometimes freaked him out with having all of those Smurfs depending on him. What if he screwed up? Patrick felt like he had to know how Papa knew when he was ready to be a father. At first, Papa offered to have Patrick sit on his lap, but quickly scratched that due to size differences. Afterwards, he asked Patrick why he came for them when Grace called him.

Patrick told him because she needed him as he could hear it in her voice. Papa smiled and told him that’s what being a father is: when it comes time, you just do. But knowing what to do doesn’t come from your mind, it comes from your heart, where it matters most. Although Patrick thought he meant his spleen since Papa was reaching up to him. Papa told him that he meant his heart while pointing out that he’s trying to have a moment with him, which made Patrick smile and him laugh. Patrick told Papa that he was a good father and Papa believed that he’ll be a good one too. The 2 of them looked up at the night sky, both of them lost in thought with concerns about their children.

The next day, Gargamel was outside with all of the prisoners. He was growing impatient for the moth’s return with his army of eagles. Some of the prisoners got mad at him for sitting on “their” bench and were about to pummel him. But then the moth returned, though it had an army of flies instead of eagles. Apparently, there was a sort of misunderstanding. Either way, Gargamel succeeded with a bizarre yet disgusting prison escape.

Meanwhile, the Smurfs were decorating the apartment with lots of colorful flowers while humming their song. It was a surprise for Patrick and Grace as their way of saying thank you. When they came into the living room, they were surprised to see it so…colorful. Grace was so happy and approached Clumsy, who reminded her about Smurfs having blue thumbs. She then greeted Smurfette and held her hand up for a high-five, but switched it to a four since the Smurfs only had 4 fingers. Either way, Smurfette returned it.

Papa came in and gave his children great news: the stars have revealed a perfect time to smurf the Blue Moon. Bottom line: they were almost home. The Smurfs cheered or hugged while Patrick and Grace smiled at them. In order for the Smurfs to return home, it had to be done tonight between the first star and high moon with a magic spell that worked in New York. Papa asked Patrick if there was a place that sold either spells, potions, or old books.

Although there wasn’t a place for the first two, Patrick recalled an antique book shop right near where he worked, but he couldn’t remember the name of it. Papa considered that a start and then they all gathered together for a Smurf hug to show their love for each other. They then tried getting Patrick to do it since they wouldn’t have made it this far without him and Grace’s help. Patrick wasn’t sure at first. But with some encouragement from Grace and Grouchy, he did it. Grace couldn’t help but smile as it looked like he was hugging small children in his arms.

During the Smurf hug, Smurfette noticed something outside on one of the billboards. It was a Blue Moon, which made her believe that they didn’t have to make one because they already got one. When Patrick saw it, he realized that he’d sent the wrong ad. He began making his way into his office, but the Smurfs had turned it into a makeshift nursery for Grace’s baby. It was supposed to be another surprise for them, but Patrick wasn’t happy about his computer being messed with and wondered who did it.

Papa started to say something, but Clumsy confessed that he tripped on his computer. Grace tried to assure Patrick that it was an accident, but he wouldn’t listen and said some very hurtful things to the Smurfs. He then started getting dressed to try to save himself from being fired and left the apartment in frustration. Grace followed him outside and tried getting him to listen to her. She was sorry about the situation he was in with his job and hoped he could straighten that out. But she also pointed out that he wasn’t seeing the big picture: out of all the people in New York, the Smurfs chose them. This was a once-in-a-lifetime thing for them, their Blue Moon. If Patrick didn’t stop for a second to see that, he would miss it.

Grace went back inside the apartment to be with the Smurfs while Patrick grabbed a taxi. At Belvedere Castle, Gargamel was looking for more Smurf essence. He was shaking and pounding old machines, but he couldn’t find any…or so he thought. Azrael pointed to where he first got the essence. Surprisingly, there was still 1 more drop left. Gargamel let it fall into his ring and complimented Azrael, though he brought up a time where he thought about eating him, which made him meow questioningly.

With that tiny drop, Gargamel and Azrael set off to find Patrick, knowing that he’d lead them to the Smurfs. Speaking of him, Patrick was on the phone with someone from the billboard agency trying to get his ad down, but it couldn’t be done until tomorrow. After he hung up, the ad of the Blue Moon was displayed everywhere in Times Square. It certainly looked more beautiful and mesmerizing than his previous ad. Unfortunately, Odile texted him to fix this or he was fired. Patrick put his cell phone away while telling her to smurf him.

As he was putting his phone away, he found something in his pocket. It was a card from Grace with a picture of their baby from her ultrasound. He looked at the picture and couldn’t help but smile then noticed a couple not too far from him with their own baby. They looked so happy and Patrick knew that’s what he wanted: for him and Grace to be happy with their first child. More importantly, he wanted to be a good father to his future son or daughter.

Meanwhile, the Smurfs were on their way to the bookstore. Clumsy stayed behind with Grace at the apartment. They no longer wanted to be a burden to Patrick and decided to take care of things themselves. They took the subway to Chinatown and hid themselves in popcorn buckets, though it was hard for them to see where they were going even with eye holes. It took some time, but they safely made it to the bookstore: Wong’s Mystical Emporium.

Love the name. Sounds magical.

Anyway, the Smurfs made their way inside through the store’s mail slot. The store was huge and filled with not just old books, but also artifacts too. It didn’t take long for Gargamel and Azrael to catch up to them as the hobo informed him that he saw the Smurfs go inside the bookstore. He also brought up that the song they sang was really annoying.

And yet…you’re singing it.

Anyway, the Smurfs were searching shelf after shelf for the book. Gutsy eventually found a blue book and pushed it down on the table. The title was “L’Histoire des Schtroumpfs,” which was French for “The History of the Smurfs.” When the Smurfs opened it, the 1st page showed a photo of someone named Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs. They were shocked to see pictures of themselves in all of the pages. Papa was pleased because this book was the one they needed to find the spell and make a Blue Moon.

Unfortunately, Gargamel and Azrael reached the library and found them. Even worse, he found a dragon wand, which Papa remembered seeing from his vision. The Smurfs ran for their lives and headed towards the exit. Papa grabbed a small mirror and used it to reflect Gargamel’s magic as it hit Azrael, leaving him stuck in midair and also made a bookshelf fall on Gargamel. It bought the Smurfs some time as they managed to reach an exit through the gutters.

However, Papa stayed behind. He gave the spell to Brainy and told him to brew the potion to smurf the moon tonight. Brainy felt scared and didn’t believe he was ready, but Papa wasn’t giving him much of a choice. He shoved him inside with the rest of the Smurfs and locked the door. No matter what happens, he told them not to come back for him.

The Smurfs tried to stop him, but he’d already made his choice. Papa got captured by Gargamel and the Smurfs had no choice but to leave him behind. They made it out, but they were scared about what was gonna happen to Papa. Grouchy reminded them about smurfing the moon, so that’s what they were gonna do. Smurfette wondered how they were gonna get back to Clumsy.

Gutsy had an idea as he saw a flock of pigeons right below them. So each of them hitched a ride on one and began flying their way back to the apartment. Speaking of the apartment, Clumsy and Grace were getting worried. It was getting dark and the rest of the Smurfs haven’t returned. Grace believed that they should go out and look for them. Before they could, Patrick returned home.

He asked where the Smurfs were and Grace told him that she and Clumsy believe they’re still at the bookstore. He then tried to apologize to Grace for his behavior earlier, but it got interrupted by a phone call from Odile. The launch was tonight and she wasn’t happy. So Patrick told her that before she fires him, he knew that the ads that were running weren’t the ads he sent. But they were the ads he should’ve sent. The reason that he didn’t was because he second-guessed himself: he gave Odile what he thought she wanted, instead of what he thought was right.

But this choice that he was making…it was right. This ad of the Blue Moon meant something to him and Patrick believed it was gonna mean something to others too. It wasn’t just a moon, it was a few moments in your life when something truly memorable and magical happens to you. The Smurfs and Grace’s baby were living proof of that. If you hesitate or are afraid, you might just miss it. That’s what the image of the Blue Moon means: don’t let those moments pass you by.

Odile decided to call Patrick back after the launch to tell him if he was fired. Grace was very proud of him and said that she loved him then they shared a kiss. Soon the Smurfs came crashlanding into the apartment, except for Gutsy and Smurfette, who had better control over the pigeons than Brainy and Grouchy did. Patrick, Grace, and Clumsy heard the crash and made their way over. Brainy brought out the spell and Patrick asked what happened to Papa.

Grouchy informed them that he was captured by Gargamel. Smurfette added that he took him to BelleVedaRay Castle. Grace wasn’t sure about the name, but Patrick figured it out. Gargamel had taken Papa to Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Brainy also added that Gargamel was going to extract Papa’s essence, much to Patrick and Grace’s shock.

They wanted to rescue him, but Smurfette pointed out to them that Gargamel was more powerful than before. Gutsy brought up the last thing Papa said to them and knew he was doing this to protect them. However, Clumsy refused to leave Papa behind, same with Patrick and Grace. Smurf promise or not, they had to rescue him. Eventually, the rest of the Smurfs agreed and joined them. Even Elway joined the team. All for one and one for Smurf!

At Belvedere Castle, Gargamel had Papa strapped to a small chair. He used a razor blade to cut pieces of his beard and put it inside his machine. It powered up and extracted all the essence out of it, falling into his dragon wand. With more power, Gargamel used it and transformed his machine into the ultimate Smurfilator, equipped with extracting devices and cages. Papa was terrified as this was also seen in his vision. Gargamel had plans to extract essence from all of the Smurfs, from their sweat and tears to their hair.

Papa wouldn’t let Gargamel frighten him. He considered him a fool as his Smurfs were already on their way home by now. Unfortunately, Papa couldn’t be more wrong. Right now, the Smurfs were with Patrick, Grace, and Elway, armed and ready. Patrick cracked his neck while twirling a crowbar in his hand. The Smurfs followed suit while Elway just followed. Grace released a bunch of balloons from a covered dumpster that had a bowling ball tied in their strings. Gutsy, who decided to use the drone, had plans to use it.

He took flight and Grace wished him good luck as she’ll see him at the castle. Meanwhile, Patrick, Smurfette, Clumsy, and Grouchy made it to Belvedere Castle. He contacted Brainy, who was in the process of making the potion, but he was scared. Patrick encouraged him that he could do this and just say the incantation. Brainy still had his doubts, but he successfully recited the incantation.

2 beams of blue light shot up into the sky and consumed the moon in a glowing blue light. Everyone watched in amazement, including Brainy as the portal began to open. Not only that, but the people at the launch saw the Blue Moon as well. They too, were mesmerized by the glow from the moon and wondered how Odile did that. Odile was amazed at what she saw and everyone started clapping for her, but she knew who deserved the real credit for this: Patrick.

Back at Belvedere Castle, Gargamel strapped Papa to a different chair that was attached to his Smurfilator. He planned to remove ALL of his essence until Papa had nothing left. Grouchy called out to Gargamel to come out and play. As soon as he heard that, Gargamel turned on his Smurfilator and told Papa to enjoy the ride. Papa knew what he was gonna do and shouted at the Smurfs to run while his essence started being extracted.

Gargamel made his way outside and searched for the Smurfs. However, he didn’t need to as they found him…ALL of the Smurfs. Since Brainy opened the portal, they were able to cross over to New York and help, arming themselves with weapons as best they could. An entire army of Smurfs had Gargamel surrounded. As soon as Crazy imitated the sound of an alarm, the Smurfs began firing their weapons of golf balls, walnuts, eggs, paper clips, anything sharp or hard basically. The only one who wasn’t fighting was Narrator Smurf, much to Grouchy’s annoyance, but that’s just what he does.

With Gargamel distracted by the Smurf army, Patrick helped Smurfette find a way to get inside the castle through the ventilation shafts. The Smurfs continued to fight using apples filled with sharp needles, some make-up products from Angelou, and even a small statue of the Empire State Building. That last one hit his bottom, which made Gargamel scream in pain. He then slipped on the make-up products and got hit with a frying pan, causing him to fall to the ground and get his nose bent.

Meanwhile, Smurfette managed to reach Papa. Unfortunately, she couldn’t get him out of the Smurfilator. Even worse, she was attacked by Azrael. With Gargamel down, the Smurfs jumped down and charged towards him to try and get the dragon wand. Gutsy released the bowling ball above him, but Gargamel blasted it to bits and then sent him flying out of control.

Smurfette had her own battle against Azrael. She knocked down a jar of thumb tacks and he meowed in pain. Papa got moved to the next part of the Smurfilator and more of it got extracted through his tears due to sliced onions. Smurfette spun herself around and kicked Azrael back, causing him to get thumb tacks on his bottom. She then lured him over to somewhere she could get high enough and grabbed one of the cages.

Papa tried to keep track of her, but it was hard due to the onions. Smurfette managed to hitch a ride on Azrael’s back and began to move him around. Soon Gargamel declared that playtime was over and unleashed a powerful spell from his dragon wand. It created a huge blue tornado and sent the Smurfs flying in all directions. Soon Gargamel began snatching the Smurfs one by one and putting them inside his burlap sack.

Patrick saw the storm and told Smurfette to hurry. Smurfette still had a firm grip on Azrael, but Papa had made it to the last part of the Smurfilator and more of his essence was extracted. She was done smurfing around and trapped Azrael in a cage. One of the ends landed on his ear and tore off a part of it when he pulled. Azrael now had a scar because of Smurfette and vowed revenge. All Smurfette told him was that he smurfed with the wrong girl. With him out of the way, she rescued Papa.

Outside, Gargamel snatched up more and more of the Smurfs. Smurfette and Papa rushed out and saw what was happening. Papa grabbed a grill fork and shouted at Gargamel while throwing his weapon. However, his attack did no good as he got captured. Gargamel decided to break the Smurfs’ little blue wills by destroying Papa. He had those that weren’t captured yet let them look at their father 1 last time before he finished him.

Gargamel sent Papa flying and tried to blast him with his dragon wand, but Patrick jumped in and caught him in his arms just in time. Boy was Gargamel mad, but not as mad as Gutsy. He came back on his drone and snatched the dragon wand from him. Unfortunately, the drone glitched and caused him to drop it. Clumsy began running towards it and Papa believed that they were done for since his visions have never been wrong.

To everyone’s surprise, Clumsy managed to catch the dragon wand and sent Gargamel flying into piles of garbage. As a bonus, he got hit and also got stuck on a bus. Azrael asked him if he was dead then laughed and fell off on the bench he was sitting on. Back at Belvedere Castle, the Smurfs made their way towards Clumsy and cheered for him. A couple of them picked him up and began tossing him. Patrick and Grace regrouped and watched Clumsy be celebrated.

As he was set down, Grace told Clumsy that he was a hero. Clumsy was happy, but accidentally knocked down Gutsy and Greedy and realized he just killed the moment. Aside from a celebration, Papa approached Clumsy and owed him an apology. He believed more in a vision than he did in his own son. Papa couldn’t be more proud of him and gave him a hug, which Clumsy returned. He then broke the dragon wand and threw the pieces away into the lake.

With Gargamel defeated, it was time for the Smurfs to go home. Each of them lined up and said good-bye before going through the portal. Patrick and Grace waved good-bye as they disappeared. Brainy had a speech, but Gutsy and Grouchy kicked him through the portal so went with a quick good-bye instead. Grouchy found himself hating being stuck in New York less than he expected. Patrick said good-bye to him while he said that he still hated it, just less. Gutsy somehow got himself some New York boxers as a souvenir and jumped through the portal.

Grace approached Smurfette and called her “girlfriend.” Smurfette was happy as she never had one of those before. One thing was certain: they’d never forget each other. They said good-bye with a high-four. Clumsy said hi to Smurfette then Grace, who called him a hero and picked him up in her arms. Clumsy blushed with embarrassment but asked her if she could say that 1 more time as it had a nice ring to it.

Grace gave Clumsy a kiss on the top of his head then gently put him down so they could say good-bye. Papa thanked Patrick for his help as he saved both him and his family. But if Patrick was being honest, he believed Papa and his family saved him and Grace. Either way, Papa was grateful but knew he should get going. The Smurfs had a village to rebuild and New York had given them some ideas. Afterwards, Patrick hugged Papa goodbye and he left with Clumsy and Smurfette through the portal.

Once again, Narrator Smurf continued to tell the story of Smurfs leaving New York, leaving it a little sweeter, wiser, and smurfier. He could’ve kept going, but Grouchy emerged from the portal out of patience and told him to stop before grabbing him through the portal. With the Smurfs safely back home, Patrick and Grace began making their way back to their apartment. He soon got a phone call from Odile, but instead of firing him, she thanked him. Finally someone had given her what she wanted as she looked up at the Blue Moon smiling before leaving.

So Patrick had his new job, Grace had her new baby, and they also made unique new friends along the way. Grace told Patrick that if he wanted a bigger place, she’d be okay with it. To her surprise, Patrick changed his mind then told her he smurfed her. He then sealed it with a kiss before they continued their way back home. Eventually, the spell of the Blue Moon wore off, but the people of New York would never forget the magic that came with it.

Time passed. Patrick and Grace soon became proud parents of a beautiful and healthy baby boy. They named their son Blue to remember their new friends. The Smurfs rebuilt their village and it looked like a small version of New York. Once that was done, a celebration was in order.

They had a parade with Clumsy leading it since he was the hero. Although he wasn’t watching where he was going as there was a rake nearby him that’d lead to an accident. Brainy ended up forming a band: The Brainiacs. Grouchy and Gutsy played guitar while Clumsy did the drums. Brainy was the lead singer, which sometimes led to him getting kicked offstage by his brothers. Luckily, a crowd of Smurfs were there to cushion his fall.

Painter created a masterpiece of the battle against Gargamel in New York. He called it “The Battle of Belvedere” and showed it in the village so everyone could see it. Papa was impressed as the portrait was very detailed. Tailor ended up making Grouchy a copy of his crush of the Green M&M lady. It didn’t look exactly like her, but Grouchy didn’t seem to mind. As soon as she was finished, he ended up taking her out on a date. A nice carriage ride driven by a Smurf who used a chipmunk for transportation while continuing to open himself up more.

July 31, 2026