The Genie

## Episode guide

**"The Genie"** is the thirteenth episode of the first season of *Nate Is Late*.

## Synopsis

Melanie the mailwoman entrusts Nate and Malika with a package to deliver.

## Plot

While walking through the park to school, Malika is listening to some music on her headphones. When Nate inquires what, she reveals it’s a new single by a pop idol called Marco Vega. Nate claims he loves the singer and takes the headphones for himself to hear the song, to Malika’s annoyance. She spots  Mrs. Rainford and her dog, Ajax sitting on a bench looking lonely and feels sorry for her, though Nate doesn’t hear her due to the headphone. Malika accuses him of being selfish when a bike courier, Melanie yells to look out, swerving out of the way into a trashcan. Malika apologizes on Nate’s behalf and Nate tries to fix the wheel on the bike. Instead, Melody has the duo go deliver a package to Cosmo. They go to do so, but are tripped by Terry, who takes the package and opens it revealing a lamp inside. Finding it worthless, he tosses it to the ground and runs off. Nate inspects it for damages but wonders if there’s a genie inside though Malika is doubtful. However, when he rubs it, indeed a genie comes out.

The Genie is initially ecstatic to finally be back outside but becomes dejected when Nate states he owes him three wishes. He expresses his woes to Malika about people only caring about their wishes and not his own to be free from the lamp, having been imprisoned in it for years and begs her to free him. Malika agrees to do so but Nate interrupts with a wish for muscles. The Genie woefully grants it, giving Nate big muscle arms. Malika is horrified by the new look, but Nate tries to reassure her with some poses, right before his legs give out unable support his weight. He stumbles into a tree, knocking it off its roots and nearly into Malika, but manages to save her by uppercutting the tree into the air. Realizing he didn’t think his wish through, Nate states he wishes “he could be the way he was at the beginning”. Hearing this, the Genie interprets this as his second wish, but rather than change him back to normal, he turns Nate into a baby.

Malika points out that’s not what Nate meant by the wish, but The Genie takes advantage of the situation to have baby Nate unwittingly agrees to a third wish to become a genie himself and grants it. This returns Nate back to this rightful age, but likewise turns him into a genie. Freeing the main genie and imprisoning Nate in the lamp. Malika scolds the Genie for his actions stating that Nate would’ve helped him. But the Genie rebuffs the claim figuring Nate would’ve used his wishes for himself before running off. This does make Malika realize that since Nate’s a genie he can grant her three wishes. She rubs the lamp and frees him, but rather than instantly go after the Genie, she decides to use one of her wishes to meet Marco Vega. Nate begins to see the Genie’s point about people only wanting wishes for themselves as he reluctantly grants the wish. Marco Vega’s limo pulls up and Malika gets a few selfies and a brief time to spend with the singer before seeing Nate and getting back on task. She uses her second wish to teleport the two to where the Genie is, which he gladly grants.

The Genie attempts to try to make some friends but ends up weirding people out before the duo arrives. The Genie tries to run away but Malika uses her last wish to turn him back into the main genie of the lamp. Nate is returned to normal while the Genie begins to be sucked back into the lamp. However, he grabs Nate and drags him into the lamp with him. Once inside, the lamp suddenly starts rumbling which the Genie presumes that it can’t handle two people within it. Nate makes to leave but the Genie tries to get him to stay. Suddenly the entrance to the lamp starts to close, the Genie grabs Nate’s leg, pleading with him not to go. Nate knocks over some books to make him let go and starts to leave but notes the Genie bemoaning being alone for eternity. He manages to escape the lamp, but tells Malika that, despite the Genie tricking him, they should help him. Malika points out they don’t have any wishes left but could have someone else rub the lamp. Taking it to Mrs. Rainford, they give her the lamp and have her rub it to receive her wish. When the Genie comes out, she only wishes to have a friend and for him to be free to be hers. The Genie happily grants it which frees him from the lamp entirely, no strings attached and turns it into a harmless trinket. After the two head off, Nate and Malika deliver the lamp to Cosmo and head for school. They explain what happened to Principal Prudence. Before she can doubt them, Marco Vega suddenly shows up and gives Malika some tickets to his concert, which Nate states was part of her first wish. While Prudence gets some selfies with Marco, the duo head inside to go about their school day.

## Characters

* Nate
* Malika
* Mrs. Rainford and Ajax
* Melanie
* Terry
* Genie
* Marco Vega
* Principal Prudence

### Allusions

* The story alludes a bit to *Aladdin*, specifically the 1992 Disney version with the genie's blue coloring, lack of name and wish to be freed from the lamp.

## Gallery

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## Transcript

Click here to view the transcript for this episode.

## Names in other languages

* **Basque:** Jenioa
* **French:** Le génie
* **German:** Der Flaschengeist
* **Mandarin (China):** 神灯-灯神
* **Spanish (Spain):** El genio

 Season 2 | 1. "The Lady of the Lake" • 2. "The Thunderbird" • 3. "The Crocodile Man" • 4. "The Golem" • 5. "The Hairdresser" • 6. "The Mood Enhancer" • 7. "The Chess Game" • 8. "The Drone" • 9. "The Astronaut" • 10. "The Gorgon" • 11. "The Dimensional Rift" • 12. "The Reptilians" • 13. "The Enchanted Bracelet" • 14. "The Ink Thief" • 15. "The Tiki" • 16. "The Puppet" • 17. "The Mandrake" • 18. "The Vampires" • 19. "The Sphinx" • 20. "The Pendulum" • 21. "The Giant Fish" • 22. "The Wedding Dress" • 23. "The Home Spirit" • 24. "The Great Pili-Pala" • 25. "The Endless Recess" • 26. "The Chicken Cop" • 27. "The Kitsune" • 28. "The Collector" • 29. "The Kappa" • 30. "The Beanstalk" • 31. "The Demigod's Test" • 32. "The Glitch" • 33. "The Tiny Tops" • 34. "The Magician's Top Hat" • 35. "The Chromapix" • 36. "The Gingerbread Family" • 37. "The Alphabet Agency" • 38. "The Wild Beasts" • 39. "The Return of the Cuddly Toys" • 40. "The Race Car" • 41. "Inside Professor Toybos" • 42. "The Asteroid" • 43. "The Time Travellers" • 44. "The Nebulons" • 45. "The Witches' Convention" • 46. "The Kobolds" • 47. "The Superstars" • 48. "The Goblin's Cousin" • 49. "The Golden Crown" • 50. "The Scarecrow" • 51. "The Banana Peel Part I" • 52. "The Banana Peel Part II"