Adventures in Care-a-lot, Episode 7

Both parts of this episode get the subtitle "Go to sleep, you morons!" Because that's what I wanted to say to both Share and Funshine all throughout their respective episodes.


Part one - Belly Ball
Share needs not only an abacus and an old-timey calculator, but also advanced algebra to figure out that it's only two days until she goes to WooHoo World (that amusement park that's just down the street) with everyone. So she practices riding the Funderbolt by sitting in a cardboard box with a fan blowing on her. Luckily she catches sight of Grumpy, Tenderheart, Funshine, and Cheer playing a game outside. Turns out it's called Belly Ball (is it different from Belly Badge Ball, or just a shortened name?), and the rules are thus: whoever gets the ball into a cloud hoop three times is the winner. You can use your hands or your badge (which is more interesting IMO). For example, Tenderheart shoots a stream of hearts to collide with the ball, and Grumpy uses first a gust of wind from a cloud, and then a lightning bolt. Cheer takes the cheater route and uses a rainbow stairway to go straight up to the hoop and drop the ball in, but apparently this is within the rules, and she wins. Grumpy congratulates her, and Share wonders why, since he lost (although I really think that it's how upbeat he is in this scene that's throwing her off. It's not natural!). Grumpy delivers the lesson of the story early: play because it's fun, not to win. Unfortunately for us, Share apparently doesn't pay attention to this. Either that or she's blinded by her desire to win the ribbon she sees Tenderheart present Cheer. So much so that she has a daydream of everyone cheering for her as she blows them kisses from the top of a pedestal (her rationale is that the ribbon makes people like you. Oh, the stupidity...)
Tenderheart invites her to join in the next game, but she tries to back out, saying she's not good at sports, but is once again thrown off by Grumpy upbeatly delivering the message of the day again. And when Funshine assures her that she'll get a ribbon if she wins, she's in! So we get a montage of Share getting hit on the head while everyone else uses their badges for spectacular success. She does manage one hit (a volleyball move I remember learning, even though I don't remember what it's called. No, not a spike), but it ends up in Bedtime's house. Finally, it's too late to play anymore, but Funshine promises they'll play again tomorrow. In the mean time, Share decides to practice during the night, and ropes Wingnut into helping her, since he doesn't need to sleep. And we get a montage of Share making bad shots and Wingnut chasing after them. They practice so long that Wingnut goes into sleep mode, so Share keeps practicing by herself. Bedtime shows up and tells her that sleep is more important than a game, and even offers her a pillow. But Share rebuffs him, and just keeps at it.
The next day, Share is a mess, with deep bags under her eyes, but she still insists on playing, even when Grumpy points out that she looks all "tuckered and tired." Sure enough, she falls asleep on her feet, and when Cheer calls her on it, reminding her that winning isn't everything, she gets all defensive. "That's easy for you to say, you already won a ribbon!" Funshine suggests they take a break from playing today, but Share just goes off to find someone who'll play. Whether she succeeds or not, we don't know, since the next scene skips ahead to night again, with Share and Wingnut practicing. But it doesn't take long before they both fall asleep right on the street.
The next next day, Share is at the top of her game, winning each game easily. Bedtime presents her with a ribbon, but then the cheering throng disperses. Turns out it was all a dream. Still, Share is ready to play, until Funshine and the others remind her that it's the day they're going to WooHoo World. Grumpy apparently used up all his cheerfulness in the first part of this story, though. "I smile on the inside." But Share is in the middle of a game (against herself, apparently), so she doesn't want to go. She again pulls out the rationale of needing a ribbon to be liked, so Funshine and Grumpy explain that they like her without the ribbon, and they were just happy for Cheer and Tenderheart for winning. Funshine goes on about something and Grumpy gets bored and leaves (really!), so Cheer goes over instead to deliver the big line about how you shouldn't let a game make you miss out on sleep or something you really want to do. So Share goes with them to the amusement park and they all ride the Funderbolt. Share finally admits that it's better to have fun with your friends than win a ribbon, but Funshine gives her a ribbon anyway, for being the Best Funderbolt Rider Ever! (Grumpy said it, not me.) And then they all laugh at her. Seriously, that's how the episode ends.

Part two - Bubbles
This story is even worse than the previous one, although it does get a slightly higher mark for having Grizzle in it. Not enough, but some is better than none, and we haven't seen him since episode 4. Anyway, this story begins with Good Luck, Tenderheart, and Funshine playing soccer. Grizzle shows up, certain that he can take over Care-a-lot (even though his suit needs oiling) without anyone noticing because they're all too busy "caring" (his actual words). Unfortunately for him, it's Bouncy Cloud Season, so a well-timed move by Funshine sends him flying, and that is the last we see of him this time around. But it's getting late anyway, although Bedtime is still asleep in the clouds, so it can't be that late. Still, Good Luck and Tenderheart decide it's late enough to stop playing, even though Funshine gives them the most dejected look in the world (they weren't looking, so they weren't affected). So he decides to just play by himself. Sound familiar?
Sure enough, Funshine plays well into the night, and Bedtime shows up to send him to bed, warning that he'll get rundown and sick if he doesn't. Funshine promises to play for just five more minutes, but from the way Bedtime rolls his eyes, I think it's obvious even to him that he's just not getting through to these people. Morning comes and Funshine is still playing. Suddenly he starts to hiccup and bubbles come out of his mouth. And he starts floating. He bounces all around Care-a-lot (distracting Grumpy while he's oiling Wingnut; it leaks all over) until Cheer and Grumpy catch him. Once again, Cheer gives the diagnosis instead of Take Care Bear (c'mon, writers! Get on the ball!): "You didn't take care of yourself, so now you're sick. Stay in bed and rest or you'll get so bad you'll float way." (paraphrased) Funshine is not having any of that, it's bouncy cloud season! And then he starts talking about his feelings. I hate when they do that. I mean, talk about it, sure, but in a way that people actually talk about it, none of this "Missing all the fun makes me feel sad and lonely." Especially because he's telling this to himself! Oy oy.
Well, Funshine is not to be kept inside for long, as he hears a game of tag and has to join in. Surprise thinks his floating away is cheating, and Cheer forces him back inside again. She tells him that all he has to do is stay inside for one day, but Funshine still isn't having any of it. Cheer leaves him alone again, and Funshine spies Share and Oopsy going on a picnic, and he loves picnics! So he hatches a new plan: using bricks tied to his feet to keep from floating away. Share rightly calls Funshine on being out, and is rightly annoyed when Funshine ends up smashing everything. "You should be at home getting better!" she tells him, "And not causing problems for my girlfriend others!" Grumpy, who shows up out of nowhere, adds. Then he uses a cloud to capture Funshine and flip him upside down so he can admonish him personally.
Cheer explains, once again, that he's just gotten worse because he won't stay in bed, but Funshine insists that it's too boring. Which is why Oopsy brought him a super hero comic book and a jar of grape jelly! And they all leave to let him rest. So Funshine reads the comic book, and is enjoying himself a little, but then a soccer ball flies in through his window. Turns out it's Harmony's, and she taunts him about how almost everyone is playing in the best game of kickball ever. Apparently she hasn't forgiven him for blowing her off back in The Best Bear in Care-a-lot. Funshine can't stand to miss that game, but knows that Cheer and Grumpy will just put him back in bed if they see him out again, so he comes up with a plan...
Which turns out to be covering himself with the grape jelly and wearing sunglasses and a blanket poncho. Introducing himself as Smiley Bear from Big Smile Valley, he fools everyone, except Surprise (I think. She definitely winks when she says, "We've never seen you before."). He gets everything all sticky, leading the others to hypothesize that he must be Grizzle. At this point, Funshine's hiccups return, leading Surprise to wonder why Funshine's covered in jelly, to which Oopsy replies, "Believe me, it happens." Everyone chases him, and Cheer manages to lasso him, but his hiccups are so strong that he carries both her and Grumpy along with him. Finally, after they crash into everyone else, they get Funshine down and back in bed.
At long last, Funshine has realized the error of his ways. Not only did he keep everyone else from having fun (because they had to chase him), but he put himself in danger, and all because he wouldn't rest. Cheer, Grumpy, and Oopsy are glad he's learned his lesson, but because they spent so much time chasing after him, they caught the hiccups from him, and they all have to stay inside. Funshine points out that it's not as boring together (and Wingnut is there to wait on them), but it's not really reassuring.

Now, what I want to know is why, if Funshine can supposedly turn anything into a game, why couldn't he do that for staying inside? Then again, it's like how Share couldn't share in Growing Pains, but at least the characters pointed that out in the narrative. Thankfully, the next episode makes up for both of these duds.