"Cover Story" is the thirty-ninth episode of Season 1 of the CGI TV series, The Smurfs.
Characters[]
- Reporter Smurf
- Gargamel
- Azrael
- Mummy
- Papa Smurf
- Brainy Smurf
- Drummer Smurf
- Painter Smurf
- Jokey Smurf
- Hefty Smurf
- Chef Smurf
- Grouchy Smurf
- Smurfette
- Scaredy Smurf
- Large Spider
- Farmer Smurf (Does not speak)
- Lazy Smurf (Does not speak)
- Marmagel (Mentioned only)
- Unnamed Smurfs
Synopsis[]
In search of the scoop of the century for his newspaper, Reporter Smurf attempts to interview Gargamel.
Summary[]
Nothing is going on in the eyes of Reporter in Smurf Village - Jokey's story of when he got his first gag box makes him fall asleep (and he ends up getting a box in the face), his encounter with Hefty bores him, and his interaction with Chef about his new dish also bores him until he mentions Gargamel, which gives Reporter an idea.
Reporter has arrived near Gargamel's hovel, where he lectures the viewer through a microphone as he is going to get a look at how the evil wizard became a wizard in the first place. He goes inside to take a look on how it started. In the hovel, Gargamel's mom berates him for getting expelled out of wizard school and all he thinks about is the Smurfs. Mummy says the hovel looks disgusting and shows him a spider, to which he gets scared at. Reporter chuckles at this, but when Gargamel accidentally hits his cupboard, Reporter falls and the microphone that he used to record audio plays. He tries to turn it off, but Gargamel sees him and chases him. Reporter slides out from a mouse hole and says he has a scoop to write. Mummy calls Gargamel hopeless.
Later in the village, Drummer Smurf passes out the papers as the Smurfs go to see what's going on. The Smurfs read the newspaper and like the story. Drummer knocks on the door and asks Reporter if he's got anything new yet since he has a mob nearby. Reporter says that was all he was able to get. Papa Smurf comes by and says they need to talk. Papa Smurf tells Reporter going to Gargamel's hovel is dangerous and he could have been caught. Reporter says what better way to understand the enemy than learn about him. Papa Smurf doesn't listen and orders him not to go back to the hovel. He also tells him to drop the story. Reporter is more upset since he can't serve his readers if he doesn't take the risks. While Drummer plays his drum, Reporter says he's here to show the truth and he's going back.
Reporter has gone back to the hovel and tells the viewers through the microphone he's decided to dig deeper into Gargamel. Just then, he is caught by Azrael and he hits the stick that held up the window, hitting Azrael and he falls off the hovel. Reporter laughs at him until he falls onto the ground. Gargamel finds him and recognizes him from earlier.
Gargamel captures him and says he's going to make him a potion for his mom. Reporter says he wouldn't count on it since he's been thinking about their relationship since he listened to his voice recording. Reporter plays the recording of earlier and says he's been wanting to write a longer profile on him to show the Smurfs that Gargamel isn't just a "two-dimensional" character. He tells Gargamel that if he says something close and personal, his mother is sure to respect him once he has made the headlines. Gargamel wants to do this, on one condition - he set him free. Gargamel agrees to this.
Reporter starts the conversation by asking Gargamel what his best quality is. Gargamel ends up telling him the negatives of him, with the only good thing about him his "beautiful nose". Reporter asks him how he became a wizard. Gargamel responds by saying he didn't take any classes and he learned it all himself - which he shows as a potion blows up. Reporter asks him what music he likes, and Gargamel tells him "The screams of Smurfs as they fall into his cauldron". Reporter sees this isn't working.
Later, they are out in the Smurf Forest as Reporter asks him what he loves more than anything. Gargamel tells him evil, suffering, pain, and blueberry jam. The things he hates are happiness and says blueberry jam again. Reporter asks him how his relationships with other people are. Gargamel tells him they are terrifying and menacing. When Reporter asks him what he plans to do in the future. The wizard says when he is done with his work, he will decide to get married! Reporter is surprised as Gargamel goes into the details that the ceremony is tomorrow under the big oak tree. He says that Mummy will be proud of him, and Reporter can make the scoop as long as he gets first edition.
In the village, Drummer passes out the newest edition as the Smurfs read that he is going to be married to a princess. Papa Smurf reads this as well and gets extremely mad at Reporter for doing this. Brainy tells him Reporter is in the forest covering the wedding. Papa Smurf runs off to find Reporter. Brainy leaves as well and Jokey catches onto his lie that he will just be leaving. He and the other Smurfs run off with them.
Papa Smurf is in the forest and finds Reporter, who watches from the tree. Papa Smurf yells at him for disobeying him, but Reporter tells him one minute longer as he wants to see her face. Painter, Jokey, and Brainy also ask Papa Smurf and Reporter believes he sees her waiting for Gargamel. The reporting Smurf goes to take a closer look, but Papa Smurf tries to stop him. The three other Smurfs go to see her as well. They see her from the back as they comment on her ugly laugh. It is revealed that the princess is Gargamel in a costume! He captures the three Smurfs and Papa Smurf while Reporter tries to stop him. Gargamel jokingly asks him to write a story on how much of a genius he is. He leaves Reporter while he and Azrael go back to the hovel. Reporter realizes he made a mistake and is upset. When he remembers that Gargamel is afraid of spiders, he gets an idea.
In the hovel, Gargamel keeps the Smurfs in the bag and asks them if they're ready to be put into his cauldron. He gloats to Azrael that this is his favorite music of Smurfs screaming. Reporter has gone into the hovel and sees a spider. He tells him he needs his help. While Gargamel makes a potion, Reporter orders him to release the Smurfs. He refuses, but the spider goes onto his face. He begins screaming and tries to hit it with a broom, which startles Azrael as the cat hides near the door. He is hit by Mummy, who is hit by Gargamel's broom. She is knocked out while Gargamel panics. He sees the spider and screams. He hits himself with the broom and is knocked out too. Reporter saves the four captured Smurfs and they run out of the hovel.
Reporter asks Papa Smurf how it felt to be in a bag. Papa Smurf tells him that's enough news for one day, to which the five Smurfs laugh at.
Trivia[]
- It is revealed Gargamel is afraid of spiders.
- The plot of that episode is similar to "Smurf The Presses" from Season 8 of the 1981 TV series and the comic book story "The Reporter Smurf".
- In the English dub, Scaredy's voice is notably different from past episodes, sounding raspier than usual. His voice is the same in the original French version.
- The scene of Chef preparing the soup is very similar to the scene from "Kitchen Klutz".
- The ending is very similar to "Forget Me What?" as the ending has Reporter (in place of Jokey) and Papa Smurf (in place of Brainy) as the latter nudges the former.
- When Gargamel explains the fake princess, his voice slips into Dimwitty's, as both are voiced by Mark Irons.
- It is revealed that Jokey has been using his joke boxes since his thirteenth smurfday. This also reveals that smurfdays exist in place of birthdays.
- The pan of the village in the beginning repeats footage from "Where's Papa Smurf?".
- Mummy says Gargamel has been expelled from wizard school, which is also his story in "The Enchanted Quill" and "Gargamel's Time Trip".
- This is the final episode in which Charlie Cattrall voices Painter. Madeleine Fletcher takes over the role starting from "Say Smurf For The Camera!".
Goofs[]
- If one looks closely, Reporter uses his microphone and turns it on after Mummy says, "Until you got expelled from wizard school, and now it's Smurfs, Smurfs, Smurfs!". However, when the microphone drops and it plays the audio, what she had said before he turned it on plays instead.
- Various Smurfs, including Smurfette, are seen running after Jokey and Brainy, who leave to go to the oak tree. However, they disappear for the rest of the episode, though it is slightly possible that they lost interest.