"Clockwork's Powerplay" is a Season 8 episode from the Smurfs cartoon show.
Characters[]
- Clockwork Smurf
- Clockwork Smurfette
- Handy Smurf
- Snappy Smurfling
- Sassette Smurfling
- Brainy Smurf
- Reporter Smurf
- Papa Smurf
- Gargamel
- Azrael
- Scruple
- Puppy
- Tailor Smurf
- Greedy Smurf
- Nat Smurfling
- Vanity Smurf (Does not speak)
- Clumsy Smurf (Does not speak)
- King Gerard (Mentioned only)
- Unnamed Smurfs
Synopsis[]
Clockwork Smurf experiences a power overload after being struck by lightning.
Plot Summary[]
Snappy and Sassette are both watching Reporter at work with his new all-weather printing press, which he is printing the latest news right in the middle of a lightning storm. Brainy, however, is impatiently waiting to get his memoirs printed and tells Reporter to hurry it up with printing the newspaper. Reporter tries to get the printing press speed cranked up, but as he turns the crank, Brainy's face gets all covered up with ink, to which Reporter says that his friend will now have an "ink-credible" new chapter to add. Then the winds pick up, and Reporter sees that it is time to shut down the press and get inside, but Brainy is still insistent on having his book being published. Then the wind knocks over the covert of the printing press, and Brainy sees that he will never get his book published now. As the four Smurfs run for shelter, Sassette assures Brainy that Handy will get the printing press fixed when he comes back from visiting King Gerard.
Meanwhile, Gargamel is out in the rain showing off his latest invention to Azrael and Scruple, the Skate and Bake Smurf Snare, with which he intends to not only capture the Smurfs, but also bake them at the same time. Scruple touches the invention when a lightning bolt strikes it, causing his hair to frizz up. Gargamel explains that the iron rod on the invention is what attracts lightning to it, and now all they need to do is to attract some Smurfs.
Handy is escorting the Clockwork Smurf couple home to the Smurf Village from King Gerard's castle, where he plans to do a checkup on his mechanical friends. The Clockwork Smurfs are a bit fearful about walking out in a lightning storm, but Handy assures them that they will be safe with his new lightning-proof umbrella. But then, Gargamel appears and Handy makes a run for it while the two Clockwork Smurfs bravely approach the wizard and his cat to give them a spin. Gargamel calls for Scruple to come, and he arrives with the new invention to see his master and his cat get thrown by the Clockwork Smurfs. Gargamel tells Scruple to do something, and Scruple decides that he's going to hightail it out of there. But as he runs, the new invention rolls down the incline and bumps Clockwork Smurf, causing him to be catapulted onto it just before a lightning bolt strikes him, charging him with so much electricity that neither Handy nor Clockwork Smurfette can safely touch him. Soon, Clockwork Smurf is able to stand on his feet again, but now Handy needs to get him to the village so he could cool down.
Later, as Papa Smurf prepares a quart of oil for the overheated Clockwork Smurf, Reporter tries to report the news of the mechanical Smurf's condition, but he is producing so much heat that Reporter's notebook burns up. The cup of oil bubbles as Papa Smurf hands it to Clockwork, and even a bouquet of flowers from Clockwork Smurfette instantly incinerates. After Papa Smurf's favorite rocking chair becomes ashes when Clockwork sits on it, the village leader tells Clockwork to go wait outside while he works on something to restore the mechanical Smurf's normal temperature. As Clockwork goes outside, Puppy brings him a ball so he could play catch, but the ball also burns up in Clockwork's hands. Despite this, he does become useful in helping to dry Tailor's laundry and baking foods for Greedy.
In Papa Smurf's laboratory, the village leader reads from one of his books that a mixture of No Spark Bark and Flameless Fern can cure a lightning shock. Handy asks if it will work on Clockwork, and Papa Smurf says he hopes so, but he still has a few more ingredients to add, and he has to hurry before Clockwork Smurf burns himself out. Handy goes to see how Clockwork is doing and finds him being used by the Smurflings, Tailor, and Greedy for their own purposes, warning them that if they drain his energy, they will cause him permanent damage. Handy has Clockwork follow him to be workshop where he will be safe. On his way there, Brainy is still eager to get the printing press working again so that he could get his book printed, but Handy's main concern is Clockwork at this point. As they cross past the printing press, Clockwork walks over some exposed wires and causes the printing press to briefly activate. Brainy notices this and sees what he could use Clockwork Smurf for.
The following day, Brainy takes Clockwork Smurf to the printing press and hooks up the power cables to him so that the bespectacled Smurf could use his friend to power up the press. But soon after Brainy gets the press rolling to start printing his book, another lightning bolt strikes Clockwork and charges him up with more energy, causing him to turn Brainy's printed pages to ashes as he walks over them. Brainy tells Clockwork that maybe he should go back to Handy's workshop, but Clockwork isn't in control of himself as he walks off into the forest.
By nightfall, Papa Smurf is ready with his formula when he and Handy find out Brainy has been using Clockwork Smurf's overheated condition, and they both scold him for doing so, saying that now Clockwork's hotter than ever. Papa Smurf says that they must go and find Clockwork to pour the formula on him before he burns himself out -- a thought that makes Clockwork Smurfette shed a tear. Meanwhile, Clockwork Smurf leaves a flaming trail in his wake as he walks further into the forest, but when he sits down near a tree, he accidentally causes it to go aflame.
In Gargamel's lair, the evil wizard has been making improvements on his Skate and Bake Smurf Snare so that it will now be foolproof. Scruple sees that his master has attached a mechanical arm with a broom that will sweep whatever is in the machine's path into the dustbin, which Gargamel says will take care of the two Clockwork Smurfs. He boldly sits back in his chair and tells Gargamel he will believe it when he sees it. The evil wizard then activates the machine and soon it knocks Scruple off his chair and chases him all around the room, ready to sweep the young boy into the machine, as his master laughs.
Meanwhile, Papa Smurf leads a group of Smurfs into the forest in rain gear to look for Clockwork Smurf. Brainy hears a mechanical sound and peers through some tall grasses, thinking he has found Clockwork. But rather, Gargamel has found them, as Brainy sees the evil wizard's new invention coming straight toward them. Papa Smurf tells his little Smurfs to run, but soon all but one gets swept up into the machine, and Scruple sees Clockwork Smurfette preparing to roll a log straight toward the terrible trio. Gargamel uses the machine to deflect the log so that it rolls back toward Clockwork Smurfette, knocking her flat on her back.
Clockwork Smurf is still roaming the forest when he hears his fellow Smurfs have been taken captive by Gargamel, ready to have an instant Smurf bake with the next bolt of lightning as they are trapped inside his machine. He goes to confront the evil wizard, who then tries to use the machine to sweep him up as well, but when Clockwork Smurf touches it, the sweeping apparatus is rendered inoperative. Scruple has no interest in directly confronting Clockwork Smurf and flees with Azrael following him. Gargamel, however, sees that Clockwork has short-circuited himself and is now immobile, which would give him another chance to use the machine to bake the Smurfs inside it. Clockwork doesn't stay immobile for long, though, as he charges himself up and electrocutes Gargamel, causing him to fly high in the air and shout "I HATE SMURFS!".
Finally spent of all his energy, Clockwork Smurf falls flat on his back into a mud puddle, and the Smurfs wonder if their mechanical friend will be all right. Upon their return to the village, the Smurfs watch through the window of Handy's workshop as the village builder tries to restore Clockwork to his fully functioning form, only for Handy to say that it's no use. Brainy says that he regrets hooking up Clockwork to the printing press cables, which then gives Papa Smurf and Handy an idea for how to restore him. Outside, the Smurfs use a turnstile made from windmill sails to try generating enough power into the cables to reactivate Clockwork, but after a while Handy says that they're not fast enough. Then Clockwork Smurfette comes and spins the turnstile really fast, which generates enough power to bring Clockwork Smurf back to life.
The Smurfs cheer as the two Clockwork Smurfs are united in life once again, and Reporter finally has the ending he needs to wrap up his new article. Brainy tries to offer some advice to Reporter when he trips over the wires of the printing press and gets his backside printed. Handy comments that Brainy has finally made the front page, as the two Clockwork Smurfs laugh and Brainy mutters "very funny".
Trivia[]
- This is one of the few episodes in which electricity plays a part in an episode (the other episode being "The Baby Smurf").
- Handy gives the Clockwork Smurfs a 10,000-mile checkup. Clockwork therefore travels about 27 miles a day.
- Slouchy is the only Smurfling not to appear in this episode.
Goofs[]
- A very strange error occurs in this episode: when Nat and Sassette are playing smurfball, Nat is speaking in Snappy's voice. It is likely that this Smurfling was supposed to be Snappy, as Nat disappears after this scene.
Videos[]
