Soup Opera

"**Soup Opera**" is the second segment of the fourteenth episode of the first season of *Kiff*. It is the twenty-eighth episode overall.

## Synopsis

Miss Deer Teacher goes to Kiff for dating advice, not knowing Kiff has been getting her tips from a soap opera.

## Plot

It is the end of the school day and Miss Deer Teacher has forgotten to assign any homework, as she is busy thinking about her date that night. With nothing to do after school, Kiff spends the rest of the day with Martin watching his favorite soap opera *Smoldering Cove*, eventually getting hooked on the show as well. While watching, she notices that the character Marlina Deena Turina shares many similarities with Miss Deer Teacher, right down to having the same initials.

The next day, Kiff overhears Miss Deer Teacher telling Secretary Prince about her awkward date the previous night, during which she pulled her date's chair and caused him to fall, gave him a flower he was allergic to, and spilled soup on his pants. Realizing that this aligns perfectly with the plot of a *Smoldering Cove* episode about an awkward date between Marlina and her boyfriend Giancarlo, Kiff advises Miss Deer Teacher to spill soup on herself to make things right, just as Marlina did. Later, Miss Deer Teacher visits Dante, her date, at his home, and splashes soup from a can on herself. He finds this funny and invites her to stay for coffee.

Without mentioning that she is taking inspiration from *Smoldering Cove* episodes, Kiff continues to give Miss Deer Teacher tips for her subsequent dates, and the tips turn out to be effective. Eventually, Dante invites Miss Deer Teacher to a secluded cabin for a surprise, advising her to bring her files and personal records along. Secretary Prince is disturbed upon hearing this, but Kiff overrules his suspicions and insists that Miss Deer Teacher go.

In that night's *Smoldering Cove* episode, Giancarlo takes Marlina to a cabin, where he ties her up and reveals that he plans to steal her identity. Fearing that Dante intends to do the same to Miss Deer Teacher, Kiff has Martin drive her to the cabin. They unbolt the door and make their way inside, but it turns out that Dante has actually taken Miss Deer Teacher there to do her taxes as a surprise. Miss Deer Teacher admits to Kiff that she has realized that she and Dante are not compatible, and that for now she will be focusing on loving herself. Some time later, at Café Penguino, Miss Deer Teacher orders soup for one, while behind her, Barry gives Slent *Smoldering Cove*-inspired dating advice.

## Cast and characters

* Kimiko Glenn as Kiff Chatterley
* James Monroe Iglehart as Martin Chatterley
* Eric Bauza as Dante and Ridgeway Burlington (playing Giancarlo Monteforla)
* Deedee Magno Hall as Miss Deer Teacher and Forlington Slarvly (playing Marlina Deena Turina)
* Eugene Cordero as Secretary Prince

## Locations

* Table Town
	+ Table Town Middle School
	+ Chatterley residence
	+ Dante's house
	+ Cabin
	+ Café Penguino

## Trivia

* **Opening sponsor**: Frooty Tooty.
* The episode's title is a pun on "soap opera".
	+ Coincidentally, the title is identical to the English-translated title of the French stop-motion television series *Soupe Opéra*.
* This is the first episode not to feature a speaking appearance by Barry, who only makes silent cameos at the beginning and end of the episode.

## Errors

* After Miss Deer Teacher hugs then lets go of Kiff, Kiff's backpack disappears.
* In the end credits of *Smoldering Cove*, Marlina Deena Turina's first name is spelled "Marlena", but in the end credits of *Kiff* itself, it is spelled "Marlina". "Marlina" is later indicated to be the correct spelling in "Hungee Squirrel", where Forlington Slarvly signs her character's name as such.