Partners in Crime is an episode of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures.
Summary[]
Blueberry and Huckleberry become writing partners, but she rejects all of his story ideas, so he teams up with Cherry Jam to write a song in hopes of reaching out to her. However, Blueberry grows envious at the seemingly loss of their friendship.
Episode Review[]
Blueberry is in the middle of writing her newest book, while Scouty runs on a machine that flings books up to Bosley Bookworm, who is nearby on the shelf putting them away. Strawberry and Cherry come inside. Blueberry explains that she is trying to think up a good mystery for the heroine of her book to solve. While Strawberry is looking forward to reading the story, Blueberry reveals she has 200 copies of the newest Patty Persimmon's book "The Mystery of the Mangled Macaroon" and entices them into taking a copy of it by revealing two exciting details within it.
Both girls refuse the book though, explaining how far behind they are in the series as of late, and they haven't even finished reading "The Mystery of the Haunted Cellphone", "The Case of the Gone Gone Gondolier", "The Half Explained Case of the
Half Empty Milk Glass", and "Patty Persimmon's Curious Case of the Crumbling Cookie" yet, so they shouldn't read the newest one. They go on to point out they actually came to check out the newest issue of the Berry Big Glitz & Glamor magazine to see how well Cherry's newest song is doing in the charts. While looking for it, Blueberry decides to show the girls Scouty's newest trick, which takes a bit of time to properly execute. However, Scouty decides he wants to play instead and she's forced to chase him around until the berry girls manage to corner him and take the magazine. Then Cherry and Strawberry leave while Blueberry laments her friends' lack of interest in Patty Persimmon. Until she recalls there is one person who likes Patty Persimmon as much as she does, and she decides to call Huckleberry using video chat on her computer. She asks him to come back to Berry Bitty City for a couple of days before explaining that she's been working on a mystery story to submit to "Berry Bitty Mysteries" magazine, figuring that he can help her out. She also points out that if he helps her, he could use this to help fund his pet shelter, to which he agrees with and promises to come by that evening.
That night, Huckleberry arrives- once again taking a wrong turn and his Pup-Mobile stalls, this time inside a giant log.
Blueberry receives a distress call from Huckleberry and the following morning, Berrykin Bruce and his crew use their saws and tools to free Huckleberry from the giant log he got stuck inside.
The following evening, they get straight to work on the book. However, the noisy puppies distract them for a moment until Blueberry is able to go over her ideas. She names her character Peggy Periwinkle, but the entire time she remains oblivious to the fact Huckleberry finds it very similar to the Patty Persimmon books. He thinks the readers would want something different but she thinks it's fine to copy a good series, since it means her stories are bound to be good too. Huckleberry then tries to tell her of his idea but she doesn't listen and instead has him write down what she tells him.
That morning, Huckleberry has fallen asleep while Blueberry is printing out the story. He suddenly wakes up and claims he barely got to do anything, but Blueberry doesn't seem to think so and she tells him to meet with her later at the Berry Bitty Cafe. She then takes off, heading to the post office to send in the story.
Later, Blueberry arrives and sits down to eat something at the Cafe while telling the others that everyone at the post office loved the story. She claims Huckleberry is a great partner, only to realize he isn't there with them and asks about it. Strawberry informs her he came by earlier and was busy writing something of his own. This makes Blueberry curious but she says nothing of it and chooses to take Scouty on a walk.
Still curious, Blueberry hears someone nearby and investigates to find Huckleberry and Cherry writing and discussing
something. Shocked, Blueberry attempts to make sense of it before running from the scene as the feelings of betrayal begin to set.
At home Blueberry resumes working on a sequel when Huckleberry shows up. She apologizes for keeping him that morning, but he doesn't mind, instead asking to borrow some pencils and paper. Blueberry tries to determine why he's acting odd and she distracts him with her amazing Patty Persimmon merchandise collection, but it's no use, and he takes off after he snaps out of his amazement. With that, Blueberry takes it upon herself to try to figure out what's going on.
She manages to find him in the same spot with Cherry Jam and eavesdrops on them. But Scouty manages to accidentally catch attention of their puppies and when they notice it there, Tom Tom approaches Blueberry and she's forced to go into hiding with Scouty until Cherry and Huck notice the dogs causing a commotion. At this point, Blueberry feels even more upset and she goes to visit Strawberry. She asks to borrow her guitar, and with confusion Strawberry agrees as she takes off.
Later, Blueberry goes to Lemon's salon after seeing how horrible she is at playing the guitar. Blueberry tries to vaguely ask to have a stylish hairstyle, in the desire of having it styled like Cherry's hair. Lemon struggles to understand why she'd want that when her own hair style is fine, but realizing the time she asks her to reschedule.
Back home, Blueberry miserably attempts to write more of her story when Strawberry comes in. She asks where Huckleberry is and Blueberry admits that she thinks Huck isn't working with her anymore and she mentions the song Huck and Cherry had been working on. Seeing how sad Blueberry is, Strawberry reveals to her this was supposed to be a surprise: Huckleberry was trying to write her the song to prove how good of a song writer he was in hopes of finding a way to tell her how he felt about their partnership, also in hopes of getting Blueberry to listen to his feelings.
Blueberry realizes how badly she messed up and later she apologizes to Huckleberry when he comes to Blueberry Books. After Huckleberry points out that she was the one who first told him to just be himself, they decide to give the story another try and she offers to let him start it while she sits down and types it up and together their partnership begins on the right foot.
Quotes[]
- (opening scene: Blueberry is typing a story, while Bosley and Scouty placing books on shelves)
- Blueberry: (talks aloud while typing) It was a dark and stormy night. (discontent) I was a VERY dark and stormy night. No, no. A very dark and a VERY stormy! A night perfectly made for crime! But... little did the crooked criminals know it was also a PERFECT night for ace detective, Peggy Periwinkle, to be on the prowl for purloiners, pilferers and petty cooks. Not cooks, crooks!
- (Strawberry and Cherry enter the store)
- Strawberry: Hi, Blueberry!
----
- Strawberry: Do you think they'll buy it?
- Blueberry: Ah, not in its current form... no.
----
- Blueberry: But that's just it... being me isn't good enough...
----
- Cherry: Would you happen to have the new "Berry Big Glitz & Glamor" magazine?
- Strawberry: We wanted to see where Cherry's latest song is on the charts.
- Blueberry: Coming right up. Wait. Watch this. Scouty! Here, boy!
- (Scouty rushes to Blueberry)
- Blueberry: "Berry Big Glitz & Glamor" magazine! Fetch, boy!
- (Scouty does not move)
- Blueberry: No, that's "point". Fetch, Scouty fetch!
----
- Blueberry: Uh, here you go, Cherry. Sorry about the, uh... slobber.
- Cherry: No worries. (pets Scouty) Thank you, Scouty!
-----
- (Huck's Pup-Mobile, stuck inside a log, is lifted by butterflies and brought to the village)
- Blueberry: Huckleberry, you're OK in there?
- Huckleberry (from inside the log): Blueberry? Hi. Eh... any idea how long before I can get out of here?
- Berrykin Bruce: Tell him not to be afraid. We'll have him out of there by dinner time.
- (Berrykin Earl approaches, holding a chainsaw. Nervously, he starts the chainsaw, and the other Berrykins quickly get out of his way)
-----
- Blueberry: You had good ideas, I just wasn't listening. I'm sorry.
- Huckleberry: I'm sorry about the whole misunderstanding about the song. Were you really going to change your hair style?
- (Blueberry nods)
- Huckleberry: But you're the one who taught me that you always have to be yourself. Then you know people like you for who you are, remember?
- Blueberry: (slightly embarrassed) I remember.
-----
Lessons[]
Blueberry learns several lessons throughout the episode.
Like Lemon before her ("Vanishing Violets"), she learns not to rush to conclusions over things she thinks she understands after witnessing them.
She also learns that being herself is good enough and she doesn't need to try to be someone else just to get attention. This lesson she taught to Huckleberry during "A Boy and his Dogs".
She also realizes the value of teamwork and what it means to ask someone to help as a partner. It means listening to their input and opinions, even if they differ from our own.
Trivia[]
- Cherry Jam doesn't seem to like Patty Persimmon anymore, given how she reacts to it when it's brought up.
- This episode implies that Lemon's shop stays open until 11:00 pm.
- Strawberry and Plum can be seen on magazine covers behind Blueberry and Scouty, before the show goes on its first commercial break.
- As of this episode, only Orange's puppy hasn't had its name revealed.
- The song that Huckleberry and Cherry are working on has the same music and tune from the song Blueberry made for her commercial during "The Big Freeze".
- Strawberry lacks her hat in this episode - as she did in the previous one for most of it.
- The girls on the hair magazine seem to be modified versions of Raspberry and Lemon.
- Plum, Raspberry, and Orange make no appearances in this episode.
- This is the first episode in the series in which several Berry girls are missing.
- This is the only time that Berrykin Earl performs a task without teaming up with Berrykin Ed.
Goofs[]
- Berrykin Bruce's color is green, while he is blue in the former episodes.
External links[]
- Partners in Crime at the Internet Movie Database