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1. Puppy Pursuit

Writer: Krystal Banzon

Director: Julius Aguimatang

Date: February 3, 2023

Synopsis: "Bo's puppy gets lost."

Talk about being everywhere at once. The episode involves Bo forgetting to feed fish dog Popcorn. He runs off to get some, and the Firebuds have to rescue him. The episode has a simple, but solid message on how you shouldn't do too much at once. Take things one step at a time. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Bo raking leaves in the backyard since his mother Beth asked him to when Popcorn jumps into one of them. He tells him that he's doing many things today and doesn't want this messed up. So he wants to be responsible and not do anything to undermine his work. That is admirable. He likes putting in his all for everything. Plus, he is gentle when telling Popcorn to behave himself, showing sensitivity. We see that he can get a bit in over his head. In addition to raking the leaves, he's helping Jayden test out his new invention and helping Violet and Axl with bandaging practice. That's certainly quite a lot, but he's not one to turn down a commitment. Flash tells him that this is a lot of people to help in one afternoon, but he says that he can do it all. Talk about overconfidence at its finest, but at least he doesn't think he's better than anyone. Popcorn comes by waiting to be fed, and Bo says he'll do it right after he helps Jayden out. Flash is about to say that he should finish raking, but he goes ahead anyway. Yeah Flash is someone who tends to be more about being supportive even when he knows one person can't handle everything.

We cut to Jayden, where he shows off his newest invention, the Jay Ear, which can help you hear sounds from faraway. He says that Piston will whisper something, but Bo says that he doesn't hear anything. Jayden tries to fix it, but then Bo leaves to help Violet and Axl with bandaging, and he says he'll tell him if he hears anything unusual. Yeah he's pulling himself in multiple directions, though this fits with how he's about action first and doing what's immediately at hand. The girls start bandage practice on his arms and legs in a fun scene which shows how they're very much like their parents. Jayden comes by with another modification, but Bo still can't hear anything Piston is saying. Popcorn comes by excitedly, and while he throws his stick, he leaves in the middle of his commitment when he jumps into the leaves. Yeah this isn't cool of him, though it's understandable. He inadvertently undid some of his hard work. He would immediately react in order to not let it escalate. Chef Fernando comes by and gives Popcorn some dog treats since he's hungry. Bo thanks him since he forgot to feed him. He says that his friend Mauricio (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) works at the puppy factory, so he has plenty of dog treats. Well, since he's someone knowledgeable about food, he would know how to feed any rowdy customers regardless of species. When he sees how frazzled Bo is with his commitments, he tells him that when the restaurant is busy, he does things one at a time so it's less stressful. Those are words to live by. Even those who run successful businesses should know how to keep their priorities straight. Bo tells Popcorn to not eat too much since it's almost time for lunch, and Chef Fernando gives him a special lunch delivery to give to his parents.

As Chef Fernando leaves and Bo goes to give him lunch, Popcorn runs off to get extra treats from inside him. Yeah this impulsive little fluff ball would follow his stomach for any form of instant gratification. Bo comes by and sees that he's gone, for which he tells everyone. When Piston asks for the facts, he tells him about what he did, and deduces that he ran off to get more treats. Yeah he's demonstrating the right way to do this, taking the time to get everything together before heading out. Flash says he knows Chef Fernando's delivery route, and they leave. As Mauricio eats his lunch during lunch break, Popcorn sneaks inside when he sees a conveyor belt full of dog treats and eats some. Yeah this is definitely going to lead to trouble, especially since you can't thinks straight on an empty stomach. They tell Chef Fernando what happened, and though he didn't see anything, he says he'll keep a lookout. Bo hears faint barking from faraway, meaning that the Jay Ear is finally working, and they follow the sound.

Second Half:

He's at the puppy grub factory, and they go inside. Things go from bad to worse. Flash tries to turn on the lights, but he accidentally turns on the conveyor belt, which gets stuck. Violet and Axl try getting him, but he goes into a hole too small for them. Violet tries going after him, but she ends up on a conveyor belt that has giant hands that almost crush her. She naturally tries running, but even she doesn't have the endurance to avoid them forever. Axl tries to get her, but via a dog treat mishap, she slips and ends up on the rollers. Yikes! Bo tries to find the lever to stop the conveyor belt, and Popcorn goes inside the chute. Jayden tries to get him, but he ends up on the slide and gets separated from Popcorn when Bo pulls the wrong lever. The stress is definitely getting to him. Piston tries to grab them, but Bo accidentally suspends them both when trying to find the right lever. Bo says he'll save them, but Axl reminds him that he should save them and Flash tells him to save Popcorn. He tells Flash to get Popcorn while he gets everyone else. This is chaos at this point.

He tries getting Jayden and Piston, but they get stuck in dog treat batter that's about to get flattened. He tries saving Violet and Axl until Jayden tells him that he didn't finish saving them. Yeah he's going all over the place in his attempts to do everything at once. Flash tries getting Popcorn, but Bo accidentally activates windows that separate them. Violet says she's getting tired from all the running, but Bo accidentally makes the conveyor belt go faster. Oh my! Bo tries freeing Flash, but he accidentally covers him in food coloring. At least he looks nice. They tell him they need help, and he feels stressed since he can't save all of them at once. Yeah Bo may be skilled at lots of things, but only when he's calm under pressure, not succumbing to it. He accidentally activates the factory voice, who says that the treats are made in step at a time. He remembers what Chef Fernando said, and tries freeing everyone one at a time. He sings "One Step At A Time", a song about how he should take things slowly and one step at a time and not do things quickly and all at once. The lyrics aren't anything special, but the techno beat to it makes it enjoyable. More importantly, it's seeing the process that makes this scene work. He pushes a white button to free Flash and pulls levers to free Jayden and Piston & Violet and Axl. The plan to get Popcorn out involves having Jayden and Piston launch the Jay hook so that Violet can grab him, and she'll get into Flash's ladder so she can get into Axl and ride off. Now that's what a good leader does. He acts calm and collected and looks to what's in the area to help him out. Having a full team to support him also helps out. It's with this where they get him and leave the factory. Bo comes back home and gets help to rake up the leaves. He'll presumably also take his time with the other activities. I call this solid.

2. The Ice Cream Truck Bandits

Writer: Alyssa Stratton

Director: Kris Wimberly

Date: February 3, 2023

Synopsis: "Wayne and Wiley Riley steal an ice cream truck."

Here's a little something to be proud of. It's about Jayden looking after Iris the ice cream truck (voiced by Hope Levy) after the ice cream gets stolen. However, he lets his pride about his inventing prowess get in the way of protecting her. This episode gives a solid message on how you shouldn't let your pride get in the way of doing the right thing. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with a bunch of kids eating ice cream when it gets stolen by some kind of fly drone. Yeah starting your episode with something like this will definitely make you curious. This is reported by Maria Ramirez, with the Firebuds are watching the news from their treehouse. The one exception is Jayden since he's a bit too preoccupied with fixing something called the Jay sprocket. They tell him about what happened, and he's impressed with the fly drone. This all shows that Jayden takes such pride in being a great inventor that he doesn't always think straight. At least he can recognize when others have great talent. Iris the ice cream truck comes by to give Jayden his usual triple scoop surprise, and Violet says to warn her. He tells her what's going on, and says that she should go into their treehouse until this is over. It is pretty spacious and high tech, so having one or two extra vehicles wouldn't be a problem. He closes off the exits. She thinks isn't necessary, but he says that it is and he has a high tech swatter to defend the treehouse. If nothing else, at least he likes to go above and beyond for any task. She goes off to warn her brother Ivan (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), but they say it's too dangerous. Bo and Flash & Violet and Axl volunteer to go out and warn him. That's probably a smart move. They help her with what she needs while making sure she isn't at risk for anything. Piston says he'll look after Jayden given how lost he can be in his inventions.

After a bit of time, Jayden invented the Jay Swat and wants to test it out. A fly drone comes by and he swats it. Wayne Riley says via video message that he knows where they are and plans to send more fly drones to get the last ice cream truck. Yeah he's shown to have quite a bit of pride in how he elevates his success. It fits with his ego and how he thinks he's better than he is. Wiley Riley wonders why he's saying their plan out loud, and he says it's because he's confident that they won't be able to counteract him. Yeah she tends to be more about stealth, so this is justified. When Wayne says how he's the greatest inventor ever, Jayden takes this as a challenge and wants to show him up. Piston says that if Wayne knows where Iris is here, they should hide her someplace else so that the ice cream is kept safe. Given how he's all about safety and taking as little risk as possible, he's completely justified here. Jayden just upgrades the Jay Swat into the Jay Swat Supreme. Well, he's not one to waste time with anything. Wayne comes in with more drones, and Jayden is ready for them. This leads to a really strong solo by Jayden called "Best Inventor Of Them All". It basically ways how he's the best inventor there is and that Wayne would basically be scared of him because of how he'll keep showing him up. He's shown to be rather prideful about this, but considering how he can create any invention as a counterbalance, it's understandable here. Plus, at least the techno rap vibe of it makes it all entertaining. At least he has the skill to back this up. He's shown doing all sorts of things to keep the fly drones out. Though Wayne tries various ways to get Iris (even lifting her out at one point), he still manages to show him up and get her back inside. Since he's actually focused here, it's no wonder he's on top of his game.

Second Half:

Wayne gets frustrated over losing, letting his bruised ego get the better of him. He says that he'll counter back with something bigger that'll make his invention look like a baby toy. Talk about quite the petty insult. Piston says that they should call the Firebuds for backup. There's strength in numbers, so this is pretty understandable. Jayden says it's not necessary and shows off his newest invention, the Jay Wham, where he'll upgrade Iris with all sorts of weapons. That's actually pretty cool sounding. Piston says he's going out to call the Firebuds on his walkie talkie, and he goes faraway to get better range. He reminds Jayden to close the doors, which the Jay Wham does for him. Yeah he's really getting lost in his work. Bo and Flash & Violet and Axl meet up with Ivan, but his ice cream was already stolen by them. Piston manages to contact the team and they head back home. Things get intense. As Jayden keeps upgrading Iris, she sees a young girl politely asking for ice cream, and she goes out to give her some. The girl is actually Wiley Riley in disguise. I do have to say that she's a pretty good actor with how she puts on an obviously fake nice girl facade, yet can still be convincing enough by leaning into it. She escapes with Jayden and Iris in her blimp Bubba (voiced by Nathan Arenas), who's the newest member. He's actually pretty friendly despite being an ally to them. The rest of the team sees what happened and goes to stop them.

When Iris tells Jayden what's going on, he's surprised at how they're on the blimp. She tells him that he was a bit sidetracked in trying to upgrade her. At least he's proactive in trying to get out, but there's a bit of impulse here. He uses the Jay Wham on the fly drones, and one of them flies out and punctures a hole in Bubba, causing them to fall. Talk about life or death stakes. Wayne says there's only one thing to do, and he and Wiley escape on a fly drone without him, which Bubba is surprised by. They think that he'll invent a way to save them all. This scene shows two fold how these characters operate. Bubba is mostly just about following orders and actually values teamwork and working together. You actually feel bad for him since he was just looking out for them. This also shows how the Rileys are only about looking out for themselves without much regard for others. That's just cruel. When Iris asks Jayden what to do, he says that he doesn't know. He apologizes for getting distracted since he was supposed to look after her. You definitely buy his apology because of how quick he is to admit his mistakes, yet doesn't wallow in his guilt. It helps that Iris says that it's fine since there's still time to save them. Despite not being related to him, you can tell that she's quite the motherly figure with how she tries to keep things in line yet still show encouragement for his skills. It's nice. Bo tells Jayden that they're below him and will race ahead to the fire tower so that he can launch the Jay hook and they'll tow him back. Piston says that it's he'll only be over the tower for a few seconds and should launch this at just the right moment. The stakes are definitely up. As he tries to launch the Jay hook, he sees Wayne and Wiley leaving. He initially thinks he could catch them, but focuses on meeting up with everyone else. Now that is cool. He showed enough humility to focus more on the situation and not stroking his own ego. That's awesome. This scene also shows how, unlike Wayne, he can ultimately focus on what he needs to do. A little patch up for Bubba and some celebratory ice cream end the episode on a good note.

Description
1. Puppy Pursuit

Writer: Krystal Banzon

Director: Julius Aguimatang

Date: February 3, 2023

Synopsis: "Bo's puppy gets lost."

Talk about being everywhere at once. The episode involves Bo forgetting to feed fish dog Popcorn. He runs off to get some, and the Firebuds have to rescue him. The episode has a simple, but solid message on how you shouldn't do too much at once. Take things one step at a time. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with Bo raking leaves in the backyard since his mother Beth asked him to when Popcorn jumps into one of them. He tells him that he's doing many things today and doesn't want this messed up. So he wants to be responsible and not do anything to undermine his work. That is admirable. He likes putting in his all for everything. Plus, he is gentle when telling Popcorn to behave himself, showing sensitivity. We see that he can get a bit in over his head. In addition to raking the leaves, he's helping Jayden test out his new invention and helping Violet and Axl with bandaging practice. That's certainly quite a lot, but he's not one to turn down a commitment. Flash tells him that this is a lot of people to help in one afternoon, but he says that he can do it all. Talk about overconfidence at its finest, but at least he doesn't think he's better than anyone. Popcorn comes by waiting to be fed, and Bo says he'll do it right after he helps Jayden out. Flash is about to say that he should finish raking, but he goes ahead anyway. Yeah Flash is someone who tends to be more about being supportive even when he knows one person can't handle everything.

We cut to Jayden, where he shows off his newest invention, the Jay Ear, which can help you hear sounds from faraway. He says that Piston will whisper something, but Bo says that he doesn't hear anything. Jayden tries to fix it, but then Bo leaves to help Violet and Axl with bandaging, and he says he'll tell him if he hears anything unusual. Yeah he's pulling himself in multiple directions, though this fits with how he's about action first and doing what's immediately at hand. The girls start bandage practice on his arms and legs in a fun scene which shows how they're very much like their parents. Jayden comes by with another modification, but Bo still can't hear anything Piston is saying. Popcorn comes by excitedly, and while he throws his stick, he leaves in the middle of his commitment when he jumps into the leaves. Yeah this isn't cool of him, though it's understandable. He inadvertently undid some of his hard work. He would immediately react in order to not let it escalate. Chef Fernando comes by and gives Popcorn some dog treats since he's hungry. Bo thanks him since he forgot to feed him. He says that his friend Mauricio (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) works at the puppy factory, so he has plenty of dog treats. Well, since he's someone knowledgeable about food, he would know how to feed any rowdy customers regardless of species. When he sees how frazzled Bo is with his commitments, he tells him that when the restaurant is busy, he does things one at a time so it's less stressful. Those are words to live by. Even those who run successful businesses should know how to keep their priorities straight. Bo tells Popcorn to not eat too much since it's almost time for lunch, and Chef Fernando gives him a special lunch delivery to give to his parents.

As Chef Fernando leaves and Bo goes to give him lunch, Popcorn runs off to get extra treats from inside him. Yeah this impulsive little fluff ball would follow his stomach for any form of instant gratification. Bo comes by and sees that he's gone, for which he tells everyone. When Piston asks for the facts, he tells him about what he did, and deduces that he ran off to get more treats. Yeah he's demonstrating the right way to do this, taking the time to get everything together before heading out. Flash says he knows Chef Fernando's delivery route, and they leave. As Mauricio eats his lunch during lunch break, Popcorn sneaks inside when he sees a conveyor belt full of dog treats and eats some. Yeah this is definitely going to lead to trouble, especially since you can't thinks straight on an empty stomach. They tell Chef Fernando what happened, and though he didn't see anything, he says he'll keep a lookout. Bo hears faint barking from faraway, meaning that the Jay Ear is finally working, and they follow the sound.

Second Half:

He's at the puppy grub factory, and they go inside. Things go from bad to worse. Flash tries to turn on the lights, but he accidentally turns on the conveyor belt, which gets stuck. Violet and Axl try getting him, but he goes into a hole too small for them. Violet tries going after him, but she ends up on a conveyor belt that has giant hands that almost crush her. She naturally tries running, but even she doesn't have the endurance to avoid them forever. Axl tries to get her, but via a dog treat mishap, she slips and ends up on the rollers. Yikes! Bo tries to find the lever to stop the conveyor belt, and Popcorn goes inside the chute. Jayden tries to get him, but he ends up on the slide and gets separated from Popcorn when Bo pulls the wrong lever. The stress is definitely getting to him. Piston tries to grab them, but Bo accidentally suspends them both when trying to find the right lever. Bo says he'll save them, but Axl reminds him that he should save them and Flash tells him to save Popcorn. He tells Flash to get Popcorn while he gets everyone else. This is chaos at this point.

He tries getting Jayden and Piston, but they get stuck in dog treat batter that's about to get flattened. He tries saving Violet and Axl until Jayden tells him that he didn't finish saving them. Yeah he's going all over the place in his attempts to do everything at once. Flash tries getting Popcorn, but Bo accidentally activates windows that separate them. Violet says she's getting tired from all the running, but Bo accidentally makes the conveyor belt go faster. Oh my! Bo tries freeing Flash, but he accidentally covers him in food coloring. At least he looks nice. They tell him they need help, and he feels stressed since he can't save all of them at once. Yeah Bo may be skilled at lots of things, but only when he's calm under pressure, not succumbing to it. He accidentally activates the factory voice, who says that the treats are made in step at a time. He remembers what Chef Fernando said, and tries freeing everyone one at a time. He sings "One Step At A Time", a song about how he should take things slowly and one step at a time and not do things quickly and all at once. The lyrics aren't anything special, but the techno beat to it makes it enjoyable. More importantly, it's seeing the process that makes this scene work. He pushes a white button to free Flash and pulls levers to free Jayden and Piston & Violet and Axl. The plan to get Popcorn out involves having Jayden and Piston launch the Jay hook so that Violet can grab him, and she'll get into Flash's ladder so she can get into Axl and ride off. Now that's what a good leader does. He acts calm and collected and looks to what's in the area to help him out. Having a full team to support him also helps out. It's with this where they get him and leave the factory. Bo comes back home and gets help to rake up the leaves. He'll presumably also take his time with the other activities. I call this solid.

2. The Ice Cream Truck Bandits

Writer: Alyssa Stratton

Director: Kris Wimberly

Date: February 3, 2023

Synopsis: "Wayne and Wiley Riley steal an ice cream truck."

Here's a little something to be proud of. It's about Jayden looking after Iris the ice cream truck (voiced by Hope Levy) after the ice cream gets stolen. However, he lets his pride about his inventing prowess get in the way of protecting her. This episode gives a solid message on how you shouldn't let your pride get in the way of doing the right thing. Let's break this down.

First Half:

We start with a bunch of kids eating ice cream when it gets stolen by some kind of fly drone. Yeah starting your episode with something like this will definitely make you curious. This is reported by Maria Ramirez, with the Firebuds are watching the news from their treehouse. The one exception is Jayden since he's a bit too preoccupied with fixing something called the Jay sprocket. They tell him about what happened, and he's impressed with the fly drone. This all shows that Jayden takes such pride in being a great inventor that he doesn't always think straight. At least he can recognize when others have great talent. Iris the ice cream truck comes by to give Jayden his usual triple scoop surprise, and Violet says to warn her. He tells her what's going on, and says that she should go into their treehouse until this is over. It is pretty spacious and high tech, so having one or two extra vehicles wouldn't be a problem. He closes off the exits. She thinks isn't necessary, but he says that it is and he has a high tech swatter to defend the treehouse. If nothing else, at least he likes to go above and beyond for any task. She goes off to warn her brother Ivan (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), but they say it's too dangerous. Bo and Flash & Violet and Axl volunteer to go out and warn him. That's probably a smart move. They help her with what she needs while making sure she isn't at risk for anything. Piston says he'll look after Jayden given how lost he can be in his inventions.

After a bit of time, Jayden invented the Jay Swat and wants to test it out. A fly drone comes by and he swats it. Wayne Riley says via video message that he knows where they are and plans to send more fly drones to get the last ice cream truck. Yeah he's shown to have quite a bit of pride in how he elevates his success. It fits with his ego and how he thinks he's better than he is. Wiley Riley wonders why he's saying their plan out loud, and he says it's because he's confident that they won't be able to counteract him. Yeah she tends to be more about stealth, so this is justified. When Wayne says how he's the greatest inventor ever, Jayden takes this as a challenge and wants to show him up. Piston says that if Wayne knows where Iris is here, they should hide her someplace else so that the ice cream is kept safe. Given how he's all about safety and taking as little risk as possible, he's completely justified here. Jayden just upgrades the Jay Swat into the Jay Swat Supreme. Well, he's not one to waste time with anything. Wayne comes in with more drones, and Jayden is ready for them. This leads to a really strong solo by Jayden called "Best Inventor Of Them All". It basically ways how he's the best inventor there is and that Wayne would basically be scared of him because of how he'll keep showing him up. He's shown to be rather prideful about this, but considering how he can create any invention as a counterbalance, it's understandable here. Plus, at least the techno rap vibe of it makes it all entertaining. At least he has the skill to back this up. He's shown doing all sorts of things to keep the fly drones out. Though Wayne tries various ways to get Iris (even lifting her out at one point), he still manages to show him up and get her back inside. Since he's actually focused here, it's no wonder he's on top of his game.

Second Half:

Wayne gets frustrated over losing, letting his bruised ego get the better of him. He says that he'll counter back with something bigger that'll make his invention look like a baby toy. Talk about quite the petty insult. Piston says that they should call the Firebuds for backup. There's strength in numbers, so this is pretty understandable. Jayden says it's not necessary and shows off his newest invention, the Jay Wham, where he'll upgrade Iris with all sorts of weapons. That's actually pretty cool sounding. Piston says he's going out to call the Firebuds on his walkie talkie, and he goes faraway to get better range. He reminds Jayden to close the doors, which the Jay Wham does for him. Yeah he's really getting lost in his work. Bo and Flash & Violet and Axl meet up with Ivan, but his ice cream was already stolen by them. Piston manages to contact the team and they head back home. Things get intense. As Jayden keeps upgrading Iris, she sees a young girl politely asking for ice cream, and she goes out to give her some. The girl is actually Wiley Riley in disguise. I do have to say that she's a pretty good actor with how she puts on an obviously fake nice girl facade, yet can still be convincing enough by leaning into it. She escapes with Jayden and Iris in her blimp Bubba (voiced by Nathan Arenas), who's the newest member. He's actually pretty friendly despite being an ally to them. The rest of the team sees what happened and goes to stop them.

When Iris tells Jayden what's going on, he's surprised at how they're on the blimp. She tells him that he was a bit sidetracked in trying to upgrade her. At least he's proactive in trying to get out, but there's a bit of impulse here. He uses the Jay Wham on the fly drones, and one of them flies out and punctures a hole in Bubba, causing them to fall. Talk about life or death stakes. Wayne says there's only one thing to do, and he and Wiley escape on a fly drone without him, which Bubba is surprised by. They think that he'll invent a way to save them all. This scene shows two fold how these characters operate. Bubba is mostly just about following orders and actually values teamwork and working together. You actually feel bad for him since he was just looking out for them. This also shows how the Rileys are only about looking out for themselves without much regard for others. That's just cruel. When Iris asks Jayden what to do, he says that he doesn't know. He apologizes for getting distracted since he was supposed to look after her. You definitely buy his apology because of how quick he is to admit his mistakes, yet doesn't wallow in his guilt. It helps that Iris says that it's fine since there's still time to save them. Despite not being related to him, you can tell that she's quite the motherly figure with how she tries to keep things in line yet still show encouragement for his skills. It's nice. Bo tells Jayden that they're below him and will race ahead to the fire tower so that he can launch the Jay hook and they'll tow him back. Piston says that it's he'll only be over the tower for a few seconds and should launch this at just the right moment. The stakes are definitely up. As he tries to launch the Jay hook, he sees Wayne and Wiley leaving. He initially thinks he could catch them, but focuses on meeting up with everyone else. Now that is cool. He showed enough humility to focus more on the situation and not stroking his own ego. That's awesome. This scene also shows how, unlike Wayne, he can ultimately focus on what he needs to do. A little patch up for Bubba and some celebratory ice cream end the episode on a good note.