- “Who wants to see my 'flappy bappies'?”
"Jade in the Shade" is the twelfth episode in Season 14, being the two-hundred-and-seventy-second episode overall.
Plot[]
On a tour of the town's bootlegging history, Linda and Louise stumble into a treasure-hunting adventure. Meanwhile, Bob, Tina and Gene play host to a group of street performers looking to settle a beef.
Full story[]
It's Saturday morning, and the Belchers are preparing breakfast in the apartment, with Bob cooking pancakes for his family. Louise joins her family in the kitchen, enthusiastic about something and saying that something is "going to be so great." She tells her family that she's excited today because she and Linda are going on a bootlegging tour today with the two tickets they earned, with Linda chiming in and saying it's a tour at the hotel at the end of Ocean Avenue. The mother states they will have a "bootlegging time" and suggests wearing boots or something special for the tour. She also asks if they should call each other the "Bootlegging Flappy Bappies," which gets a half-hearted "eh" from Louise, so Linda tells her daughter she'll keep thinking of different names. Gene asks the table who wants to look at his "flappy bappies" as he pulls up his shirt and jiggles his chest.
Linda and Louise are at the hotel with other tour members while waiting for the tour to begin. The hotel manager ("Manager"), who is playing the part of a tour guide, welcomes everyone to the tour. The manager starts his introduction, which gets interrupted by the late arrival of two other tour members: Cynthia and Logan Bush. Seeing each other, Linda and Louise and Cynthia and Logan both express annoyance at the opposing mother-child pair. Logan and Louise start retching at each other until the hotel manager gets them to quit and resume his opening.
Bob, Tina, and Gene are in the restaurant getting ready for work, but suddenly, Bob points out that Balloon Lady is outside the restaurant. Bob and his kids become excited as they watch the Bubble Master and Doug the Juggler, two other performers, start assembling by the Balloon Lady. They see another man, whom Tina describes as "a guy with a bunch of dirty pipes" because he has a cart of dirty pipes, gather with the performers, but only Tina's the one to acknowledge him. They all enter the restaurant and sit in the booths. Balloon Lady tells themselves they're all here now, adding Pipe Guy with minor irritation that suggests she never informed him about her and the other performers meeting here. The man tells her he only found out after overhearing her and the others while he was lurking. Balloon Lady asks the Bubble Master and Doug the Juggler how they will decide who gets Giovanni's spot and proposes that they fight. Overhearing their conversation, Bob asks them what's happening. The Bubble Master reveals that Giovanni was a street performer who died. They add that he had the most profitable spot by the wharf, and they're trying to figure out which one gets his place now. Still confused, Bob asks the group if they want to order something before they sword-fight, and they approve while putting a pin on their fighting. The Belcher looks at Pipe Guy's cart of pipes and asks if they're leaking "something." The man aloofly tells them they probably are, which Bob gives in and accepts.
Meanwhile, the hotel manager shows Linda, Louise, and the other tourists around the lobby. They come to a bookshelf, which he reveals hides the secret entrance to the hotel's former speakeasy. They all pour into the secret room as the manager explains what the speakeasy is for. He then demonstrates the speaking tube that connects from outside the bookcase to the bar and tells them that they used it in case the police came and they had to inform everyone inside about them. He continues by saying that people would use a tunnel behind the bar that led to the pier, adding that people also used the tunnel to smuggle things, including alcohol, into the hotel. Louise asks if the tunnel is still here, and he tells her that the city filled it in at some point.
Back at the restaurant, Teddy is now here, catching up on what's happening. He expresses that he still can't believe they're here. As Bob hands the handyman his meal, Teddy states that he doesn't think anyone has ever seen them in one place. Bob, his kids, and Teddy watch as Ballon Lady, the Bubble Master, and Doug the Juggler resume quarreling over who gets Giovanni's place. Pipe Guy interrupts their discussion and tells the other performers he found his pipes in a dumpster by a grocery store. Disregarding him, the three performers agree they should let the street decide. As Bob comes over to pour everyone another cup of coffee, he asks what that's supposed to mean. The Bubble Master tells him they will perform and let the audience choose the winner, and Balloon Lady states that they will do it at the restaurant right now.
The hotel manager leads the tourists to Room 111 of the hotel, telling them that Slippery Sam made multiple changes to the room—adding that management was unaware of this—and said that they were to hide his treasures. He shows various unassuming areas around the room where Sam would hide his belongings but ultimately adds no one has ever found the hiding spot for his most prized possession: the Jade Jellyfish, worth over $700,000 today. The manager tells them how Slippery Sam's girlfriend, Mimi Molero, snitched on him so she could avoid jail time, but Sam died in a shootout when the police tried to arrest him and took his secrets with him. The manager reads a letter initially hidden in a bedpost meant for Mimi, revealing where the Jade Jellyfish should be: Our green friend has made a home 20 paces west of Poseidon. He tells the members that most people agree that "Posideon" refers to the ocean and the treasure must be in the tunnels connecting the speakeasy to the pier, but since the city filled in the tunnel, there's no way to confirm this. He leads the people back to the speakeasy, and everyone but Louise follows, who believes she discovered something about the Jellyfish as she begins reviewing the paper about the Jade Jellyfish and Sam's letter to Mimi.
All the tour members are back in the speakeasy, with some leaving as the tour is over. Louise catches up to her mom by the bar where her mom is and pulls her in to tell her they know something about the Jade Jellyfish that no one else does, which confuses her mom. Louise tells her "Poseidon" in Sam's letter isn't about the sea, but the Poseidon statue in the Orchestramaramatorium underneath Mr. Fischoeder's Mole Hill ride at Wonder Wharf. Linda asks if she's talking about the statue where they pinch the nipples, and her daughter confirms. Lousie tells her that if they go there, they will even find the Jade Jellyfish, but Linda is skeptical. Louise pleads with her mom, telling her they're the Bootlegging Flappy Bappies. Thinking this could be a moment for them, Linda agrees to her daughter's plan. However, they never realize that Logan heard their conversation by the bookshelf near the other end of the speaking tube. After Cynthia goes to the restroom, Logan tells his mom about what he learned from eavesdropping on Linda and Louise.
Linda and Louise are at Wonder Wharf near Mole Hill. Linda calls her husband and tells him about their plan, which confuses him. When Louise runs off to see if the door to the Orchestramaramatorium is unlocked, Linda whispers on the phone, making sure Louise can't hear her, that their daughter thinks she could find a smuggler's treasure they learned about on the tour. Linda admits that she believes it's gone already, but she reasons that this is one of the few things they do alone without forcing her. Louise shouts at her mom by the Mole Hill door to hurry up, and Linda hurriedly hangs up the phone. They realize the door is unlocked, and Linda, trying to shift Louise away from the Jade Jellyfish that is likely gone already, suggests they get a hotdog or ice cream. She inadvertently helps Louise realize that the under-pier has multiple ways, including through the ice cream parlor.
Cynthia and Logan watch from afar as they see Linda and Louise enter the ice cream parlor. They get rid of the scooper running the place by saying Mr. Fischoeder is throwing paper airplanes made of ten-dollar bills on the Wonder Wheel. Louise opens the hatch down the pier, and Linda follows her daughter as they go into the under-pier.
Bob, Tina, Gene, and Teddy are watching the Balloon Lady make an intricate Chinese dragon out of balloons at the restaurant. She tosses the dragon into the air as it flies to them, in their astonishment, into Gene's hands. He tells the dragon they're going to get married and starts hugging it, but he accidentally pops it. Teddy excitedly asks who is performing next, saying this is the most exciting day of his life. The Bubble Master goes next, making bubbles with a bubble wand and filling them with a smoke gun. Gene states that he just made smoking cool again, and Bob agrees, amazed by the bubbles. The performer pops the bubbles as the smoke releases and tinier bubbles form, saying he calls it "Reincarnation's Infinite Spirit." He ends by making multiple bubbles and taking a bow as Doug the Juggler impatiently gets up to do his performance. Pipe Guy asks Bob if he can wash his flip-flops in his sink, pointing to the flip-flops he took off his feet to the restaurateur. Baffled, Bob tells him yes, but only in the bathroom. However, the man changes his mind, saying he has more spit than he thought as he spits on his flip-flop to clean it.
Linda and Louise are in the under-pier of Wonder Wharf, navigating through the maze of old attractions and rides to find the entrance to the Orchestramaramatorium. Louise expresses frustration at being unable to locate it, but Linda tells her that the important thing is that they're spending time together. They find it and try prying the door leading to the Orchestramaramatorium. However, they hear people below the pier and realize it's Cynthia and Logan. Louise asks how they found her and her mom, and Logan reveals how. Louise curses, but she tells him that she respects him for that despite not liking him. To throw them off their trail, Louise suggests that the "Poseidon" in the letter must be part of a seahorse ride, and Linda realizes what her daughter is doing. Cynthia tries reminding her song about the seahorse rides they saw before, but Logan stifles her, thinking they know where the Jade Jellyfish is. Louise's plan works, and Cynthia and Logan leave, returning to the seahorse rides. Linda and Louise go back to the Orchestramaramatorium and attempt trying to open the door again. However, Louise realizes "20 paces west" means they wouldn't need to enter Fischoeder's secret clubhouse. Louise sees a wall that seems "20 paces away" from where the Poseidon statue should be and determines where the Jade Jellyfish is hiding. The mother-daughter pair start walking to the wall, but Linda points out that the wooden boards beneath them are cracking. Her daughter dismissively states they're crackling in a "not too dangerous in a way." They continue walking to the wall, but the mom tells her they will leave if another board cracks. Louise uncaringly agrees as another board immediately cracks below her, but she states it is more of a "creek."
Everyone in the restaurant watches as Doug the Juggler juggles a sword, an apple, and a lightbulb. He takes a bite of the apple while juggling it, and Teddy reacts in amazement, saying he did not just do that. Doug disagrees, telling him while still eating the apple that he did. Doug the Juggler finishes by chopping the apple in half with the sword, catching the sword's hilt in one hand, the light bulb in the other, and the two apple halves with the sword's blade. He declares that he deserves Giovanni's spot, not Balloon Lady or the Bubble Master.
Cynthia and Logan are back at the seahorses, confused about which seahorse is 20 paces away from the Jade Jellyfish. He groans and decides that he has to try out all of them. Cynthia tells Logan she seems cranky, asking if her son is hungry since she brought raisins. Logan hisses at his mom, saying he's not hungry, but changes his mind and asks for a handful.
Linda watches in fear as Louise continues walking to the wall. The mom expresses she's too scared to go to her and grab her since her weight will make them fall through and requests her daughter to walk back towards her. Louise disregards her mom's pleas and continues to walk to the wall. Suddenly, Louise hears the boards start collapsing under her. The Belcher steps back as a massive area of the under-pier collapses, and her mom lunges at her daughter to get her away.
Louise believes they could still get to the treasure, but Linda shouts at her daughter, telling her they won't find the Jellyfish. It surprises Louise, and her mom apologizes, telling her there's no way the Jellyfish is still here. Louise realizes that her mom never believed they could find it in the first place and asks what they're even doing down here. Her mom tells her that they're having fun and they're the Bootlegging Flappy Bappies, but her daughter refuses, telling her mother she's a "bootlegging flappy liar." Louise is in disbelief, expressing that her mom played pretend with her like she's a child. Linda tells her she is, but her daughter denies it, saying she's nine. Louise persists and affirms that she believes the Jellyfish is still there. Seeing her daughter is determined, Linda gives in and trusts Louise.
Everyone at the restaurant watches Pipe Guy getting ready to perform as he does his stretches. Bob expresses that he's a little terrified of what to expect. The Pipe guy starts by clapping his flip-flops together and hitting the ends of his pipes with his shoes to create music. He even begins blowing into a pipe to make more music. Everyone starts seeing him illuminated in light, and when he finishes, everyone claps, even the other performers. They agree that Pipe Guy should get Giovanni's spot, but Pipe Guy declines, saying they should all share it. He tells them that he only wanted the place for Thursday mornings and Sunday afternoons, telling him that it's what Giovanni would have wanted, revealing that Giovanni is his dad. That surprises the performers, but Pipe Guy changes his mind, saying Giovanni probably wasn't. He hands them a pipe showing them a proposed schedule, and they all accept it. Bob is glad they are finished and asks if they can order food. Balloon Girl asks the other performers if they want to split a burger, and they all agree. Doug the Juggler says he can split it four ways for them with his sword, and Gene chimes in, saying it should also be five ways for him.
Linda and Louise are dragging a sign across where the Jade Jellyfish should be so that they can reach the treasure. Linda groans and asks why she can't maneuver across the board to get the treasure, to which Louise points out that she weighs more than her. Sidling across the board, Louise checks each panel on the wall and realizes one is removable. She removes it and uncovers the Jade Jellyfish. She shows her mom, who is more focused on leaving the dangerous under-pier, but she tells her daughter she maybe will not doubt her again. Louise stuffs the Jade Jellyfish under her mom's coat to hide it. They try returning to the entrance underneath the ice cream parlor, making sure Cynthia and Logan, who are still at the seahorse rides, don't know they're there and that they found the treasure. Logan groans in frustration at not being able to find the treasure. Cynthia tells her son they could buy some bootlegger treasure on eBay, which cheers her son up. She asks if Logan wants any more raisins, and he accepts.
When Linda and Louise open the hatch below the ice cream parlor, they're surprised to see Mr. Fischoeder greet them. He asks if they took any "good bootlegger tours" recently, and the mother-daughter pair try denying it. He tells them that since he's the owner of Wonder Wharf, he's the owner of the treasure since that's where it was. Knowing that they have to give the treasure to him, Linda surrenders the Jade Jellyfish to Calvin. Happy to earn easy money, Mr. Fischoeder talks to his new treasure, telling it it will make him a lot of money.
A week later, Mr. Fischoeder goes to Bob's Burgers and tells the Belchers that the Jade Jellyfish is worth nothing. He tells them he got the stone appraised and found out it isn't made of jade, only dyed quartz. However, he tells him he sold it to the hotel manager and got $100 for it. Calvin tells Louise that since she found it, she gets half of the money, which excites her. However, he adds that he had to deduct expenses from getting locks for the under-pier hatches and a new keychain for the keys. Mr. Fischoeder takes out his wallet, gives Louise $17 while backing away, and tells her to stop trespassing on his property. When he leaves, Louise tells her mom they should try finding the Lost City of Atlantis next, and Bob suggests that they try finding "walking-distance treasures" instead. Linda tells her husband not to be jealous. Tina asks her sister what she will do with her reward money, and at night, Louise hangs the money she earned in her room like it's a plaque, naming it the "Jade Jellyfish Reward Discovered by the Bootlegging Flappy Bappies."
Videos[]
External links[]
- "Jade in the Shade" on IMDb
- "Jade in the Shade" press release via The Futon Critic
- "Jade in the Shade" script via Springfield! Springfield!