Somebody's Hidden Talent

"Somebody's Hidden Talent" is episode two of Season 11, created by Numbuh 404. It is set to run between 23 - 26 minutes in length.

This episode is also directly in line with the LD Storyline leading up to Story Two.

Synopsis
Just when Somebody Smurf works up the courage to pursue Moxette, he is befuddled when she has no interest in furthering their relationship. At first, all he has is "the ability to hide," which is what he wants to avoid doing around her, but "Somebody" isn't her idea of "Prince Smurf."

Meanwhile, Falla seeks the villagers and requests help hiding a potion she stole from Gargamel's hovel. Somebody is entrusted with the job, but by the time he is ready to leave, Gargamel's trio has begun capturing his fellow Smurfs - including Moxette - looking for it. ''Will Somebody Smurf ever find a new name? Will he succeed when putting his talents to use against the villainous trio or be turned into gold for trying?''

Story
The episode opens with a shot of the Great Oak’s tree branches from worm’s eye view as they sway with the gentle wind. It is a gorgeous August day without a cloud in sight, and the chirping bluebirds above are met with the voices of several approaching Smurfs. Jokey is seen first trying to tell Grouchy and Harmony a joke, but when he reaches the punchline, they hardly crack a smile. He tries another one about a horse and an old woman, but it is clear that his fellow Smurfs are not interested, so he admits defeat and picks up his bucket.

Hefty takes charge of the group by leading them up the tree trunk, stating, “Sorry, Jokey, but now’s not the time for a joke. We’ve got acorns to smurf for the village.” He begins climbing, and so the rest of the group follows suit with Somebody Smurf racing towards the Great Oak. Hefty notices him and waves, telling him he would be on time if his legs were in better shape.

With a boost from Jokey and a hand-up from Tracker, Somebody joins Hefty on the first branch, and they begin collecting acorns in their buckets. As they fill them, Tracker waits below with Grouchy and Clumsy. Since they are almost out of earshot from each other, Hefty shouts down to alert the group of their buckets when they are being lowered, giving Somebody the confidence to speak his mind.

“Hefty, can I smurf you something?” he asks. Hefty glances at him and nods, so he continues, fidgeting somewhat. “Well, there’s this Smurf I know who finds a certain Smurfette really smurfy, and he kind of wants to smurf her attention, so I was wondering...”

“SMURF OUT BELOW!” Hefty shouts to the others. He lowers the bucket, briefly apologizing to Somebody for interrupting him, which he forgives. “You were saying?”

“Oh – so, this other Smurf? Well, h-he wants to smurf her heart,” he reiterates. Hefty nods again, still collecting acorns, and he finishes by asking, “What smurfy things should I tell this other Smurf to do?”

With a curious smirk, Hefty lifts up and suggests that “this other Smurf” should consider his appearance, claiming that girls are first interested in a Smurf who “looks the look and walks the walk.” Somebody shrugs in half-hearted agreement and wants other suggestions. Hefty reminds him to fill his bucket, so he quickly does so.

“Looks only smurf you half the battle,” Hefty states, “but heart is the other half. Your friend should show her you care about what smurfs her fancy.”

Somebody agrees and thanks him for his advice, and so they fill their buckets for the last time. Once received by Tracker and Clumsy, they discover they have enough acorns; Hefty and Somebody hop down from the Great Oak, and the entire group returns to the village.

. . . Awaiting their arrival are Papa and Greedy, both of whom are standing outside Handy’s house; Greedy explains that he is waiting to receive a new Smurf-O-Matic Food Peeler, which will make his cooking process twice as fast as before. Papa Smurf shares his eagerness, but his attention turns to Hefty as he calls for their leader. Behind him are his fellow group members, all of whom carry two buckets of acorns each and proudly present them.

“Very smurfy work!” Papa exclaims after a quick inventory count, “Two buckets are for Greedy’s acorn stew tonight and the rest will smurf into the storehouse.”

Tracker takes one bucket from both Hefty and Somebody before leading Clumsy and Jokey towards the storage house. Hefty and Somebody approach Greedy and give him their remaining buckets, overjoying the culinary artist after he test-tastes one of the acorns.

Just then, Handy leaves his workshop and presents Greedy with his Smurf-O-Matic Food Peeler, which he is eager to try out. He takes one acorn and carefully uses the utensil while the others watch; he is delighted by the nut being so consistently peeled in a matter of seconds. He thanks Handy and assures him it will become one of his most valued tools as he takes the buckets back to his kitchen.

Papa Smurf takes his leave as well, claiming he must check with Farmer for the next harvest before winter arrives, and Handy is about to return to his workshop when Somebody stops him. He asks if he may be of help to him regarding “a Smurf he knows,” to which Hefty chimes in and says, “He knows a Smurf who wants to smurf the heart of a certain Smurfette in the village.” Instantly Handy understands and welcomes them inside so they can chat in private.

The camera pans away from the workshop and falls on the home of Smurfette where she is shown sitting at her dresser and humming the Smurf song as she brushes her golden tresses. Rocking Baby Smurf behind her is Moxette, who is pacing back and forth with a look of thoughtfulness; Smurfette notices this expression from her mirror and asks what she is thinking about.

“Okay, don’t tell any Smurf, but I’m thinking about Johan again,” she admits. Smurfette puts her brush down and stands up, briefly smoothening out her dress.

“You wanna smurf about it, Moxie?” She asks; softly smiling and holding her hands together makes her friend feel safe enough to talk. Thankfully, Baby Smurf has fallen asleep in Moxette’s arms.

“I wonder what he’ll do to the village under Gargamel’s control because, let’s smurf it, if he’s evil and all...”

She pauses until Smurfette puts a hand on her shoulder. Her friend nods in discomforted agreement, but reminds her that they should be optimistic.

“As every Smurf knows, Johan smurfs a heart of gold,” Smurfette adds with a smile, “and no amount of smurfery can change that.” With that, she suggests they prepare a bottle for Baby for when he awakens from his nap, and so Moxette follows her out. The scene fades to black for a short break.

. . . When the scene reopens, the focus is on Somebody with a hand behind his back as he approaches the girls; they are watching the Smurflings play near the River Bridge. He catches their attention and says there is something he would like to ask Smurfette, so she excuses herself and walks several feet away with him. Moxette briefly notices the handful of daisies he is keeping hidden and believes she knows what he is up to.

When they are far enough away, Smurfette asks what he wants, so Somebody explains that he has strong feelings and wants to confess them. Flattered, she tries to let him down gently, but is surprised when he says it is not her he is love with.

“Don’t smurf me wrong, Smurfette – you’re as smurfy as the chirping birds – but Moxette’s the girl for me.” He further explains how he would like to know what she favors in romance so he may have a better chance of becoming her “Prince Smurfing.”

Unfortunately, Moxette has only fallen in love with a human boy, so Smurfette must think about what traits he may possess. She suggests that Somebody tries showing her he is compassionate, noble, and chivalrous. He graciously thanks her and puffs out his chest before walking back to Moxette; Smurfette watches them and hopes for the best.

Sitting with her knees together at one side, Moxette looks up and asks, “So, did she smurf you down easy?”

“Not exactly,” he replies. She sends her condolences and goes back to watching the Smurflings, briefly reminding them to stay further away from the edge of the river. Somebody clears his throat and regains her attention, bashfully adding, “It’s not her heart I’m smurfing after. I, uh... I’d like to be y-your special Smurf, if – that is, if you’ll have me...”

He offers her the daisies from behind his back, but is disappointed when she declines his offer, although she admits she is pleasantly surprised knowing another Smurf likes her this much. He asks if there is something he can do to change her mind, but she is simply not romantically interested in him.

Disheartened, he picks himself up and starts to walk away, but turns around to ask if there is someone else she may favor.

“Sorry, but my idea of Prince Smurfing isn’t a Smurf named ‘Somebody’,” she states truthfully. “I mean, anybody can be a somebody, right? I need a Smurf I can identify from the crowd.”

With that, she apologizes again, so he hangs his head and trudges back to the village. Likewise, Smurfette returns to her side and tries to comment on her observation, but hesitates; instead, she sits and offers to braid Moxette’s hair, which she allows.

. . . Back in the village, Handy and Hefty are amongst a small group of Smurfs waiting for the dinner bell to ring, but they break their conversation to greet Somebody. They are eager to know how things went with Moxette, so he confesses that she was not interested in him romantically.

Hefty pats his arm and tells him to keep trying, assuring him that persistence may be what shows her his feelings are true – much like how he patiently awaits the day Smurfette returns his own feelings. Handy agrees that patience is a virtue.

Regardless of their kind words, Somebody is dejected and starts to wish he had more talent than “the ability to hide,” as Papa Smurf had once said. The tantalizing smell of acorn stew wafts through the air, swaying every Smurf’s head towards Greedy’s kitchen again.

However, a human voice calling out for Papa Smurf captures every Smurf’s attention, and so the group scurries away just as Greedy steps out to ring the dinner bell.

“Huh? Where’s my dinnertime fan club?” he wonders.

Suddenly, Papa Smurf and Brainy race to the other end of the Village Square towards the human’s direction and recognize the voice: it is Lady Falla’s. Papa Smurf instructs his assistant to bring her into the village, and in the meantime, the other Smurfs can safely congregate at the Dining Hall (much to Greedy’s delight).

Brainy takes Falla directly to Papa Smurf, reminding her of how well he can follow directions, but she quickly turns to the village leader and asks for his help with something. He inquires for the details, so she withdraws a palm-sized triangular corked bottle filled with purple liquid, claiming it is the antidote Johan was meant to take before she accidentally destroyed it.

“Gargamel is drawing near, so please keep this hidden until I return,” she adds hurriedly. She glances over her shoulder when they hear the old wizard shouting not too far away and tenses up.

“I’ll lead them away and buy you some time, okay?” She jumps to her feet as Papa Smurf and Brainy agree, lifting the bottle off the ground.

“There she is!” Gargamel barks. Immediately she flees, so he gives chase only to discover the Smurf Village. Overjoyed, he commands his apprentices to join him; within seconds, Scruple and Johan are at his side and overlooking the village with mixed expressions of confusion.

The observant Smurfs panic and scramble to their houses as Gargamel thrusts himself onto the scene while the boys stay behind.

Papa Smurf watches in horror as the villains arrive, so he points to each Smurf that passes by with emergency instructions: “Jokey, smurf a group diversion! Hefty, smurf this vial to a safe place! Vanity, smurf the light into Gargamel’s eyes! Smurfette, take the Smurflings to the River Smurf!”

They all obey and take action while Gargamel is busy telling his apprentices to start capturing the Smurfs.

Hefty takes the vial from Papa and Brainy and scurries away only to nearly collide with Somebody, who wants to know how he can help. Thinking quickly, Hefty shoves the vial into his arms and tells him to hide it outside the village with some encouraging words: “Put your ability to good smurf! Go!”

Then he heads back towards the Village Square.

Somebody wobbles from the weight of the human vial, but manages to carry it out of sight. He does not look back despite all the commotion and comes across some loose dirt beneath a patch of tree roots – an optimal hiding place. Without a second thought, he clears a space large enough for the vial, puts it down, and then covers it up again.

Once done, he steps back and tells himself it will work for the moment, so he returns to the village. Unfortunately, he sees the villainous trio leaving with a large sack and a look of devilish satisfaction on Gargamel’s face.

“I’ve done it! I’ve captured them all!” Somebody overhears him proclaim.

While Scruple is trying to emphasize their team effort, the little Smurf is overcome with concern for his fellow Smurfs. He tries to race after them only to remember that he alone cannot face three humans, so he starts pacing in circles and tries to calm his nerves.

Suddenly, he remembers Falla and darts away, telling himself that she must be nearby since Gargamel had not given chase.

Luckily, she appears near the village and he catches her attention to tell her what has happened. She picks him up and apologizes for her inept planning, but he tells her it is not important because now they must rescue his fellow Smurfs. When she asks for his ideas, he sighs and states, “All I can smurf is the ability to hide. What good can that smurf anyone?”

“It’s just us…” Falla murmurs. She frowns in thought, but soon looks at him and claims, “I know just what to do. Listen up – here’s the plan.”

Somebody leans in closer and they begin discussing their options. . . . Pending more...

Trivia

 * The original title was "Somebody Learns to Hide" in October of 2014, but was changed to the current title in February of 2015.
 * In the Word Document, this episode is seven pages long and exactly 3,663 words. The first paragraph was written on October 4th, 2014 while the rest was written between February 6th - 21st, 2015.

Continuation

 * Episode 1 -- "Woeful Smurfs"
 * Episode 3 -- "King Gerard's Squire"