Party of One

"**Party of One**" is Episode 19 in Season 1. It originally aired on February 9, 1995.

## Synopsis

Leon is excited to attend a birthday party for his friend, Jimmy. But Jimmy's mom refuses to let Leon into the house because he is African American. The other kids try to cheer him up and vow never to treat others the way he was treated.

In a subplot, no matter how hard Kiki tries to get Nuzzle to fetch a stick for her, he won't just because she doesn't do a simple thing: say the magic word (which Sizzle tries to guess).

## Plot

The episode begins with Leon and Jody playing checkers. Leon grows impatient with Jody still looking at the board, so when she makes her move, she jumps a lot of his pieces. Leon decides to play another game, and this time he'll look at it. A Weebus call comes in, and it is from a white blond boy named Jimmy who is inviting him to his birthday party on Sunday. Leon is excited. A woman's voice, which happens to be Jimmy's mother's, asks him who [*sic*] he is talking to, and he says it's nobody, but tells Leon he'll call him back, and they part. Leon decides to get a present, but Skye tells him not to, much to Leon, Jody, and Ben's dismay. Skye suggests that he *make* something instead, as that will really mean a lot. Leon agrees with that, and has just the idea: a mobile. He has Weebus show a video on mobiles (and a woman is shown making one). Leon then decides just the things to hang: cutouts of little people, as Jimmy has a lot of friends.

Meanwhile, Kiki, holding a bundle of sticks, tells Nuzzle she should have done this longer ago. She was going to teach Nuzzle to fetch, and she explains what it means. He watches her throw the stick, but he doesn't go after it. Julie says it would be easier to teach Sizzle that trick, which Kiki doesn't agree with. She tries a few more times, and berates him for yawning. She leaves, but not before saying she is not finished, and Julie follows. Sizzle and Nuzzle celebrate this success, but Nuzzle explains to Sizzle that he doesn't mind fetching. Kiki just didn't say the magic word. Sizzle guesses various magic words, like those one would say when doing a stage magic act, and Nuzzle says no every time.

After Sizzle's third (interrupted) guess, Jimmy calls to tell Leon what time the party is: one o'clock. His mother calls and asks again whom he is talking to (again, saying "who"). This time, Jimmy tells her the truth, much to her dismay, since he supposedly "doesn't have any other friends." She simply states he is different (to which Jimmy disagrees) and tells him to tell Leon he'll call back. Jimmy tries protesting, but she won't buy it. Jimmy, defeated, resigns and tells Leon he'll call back later. Leon wonders what it's about and leaves. Ben wonders the same thing. Skye presumes that Jimmy's mother doesn't want Leon to attend the party. Ben is dismayed at this, as Leon is a great guy and best of friends with Jimmy. Jody presumes that maybe Jimmy's mother doesn't *want* them to be friends.

Back to the fetching incident, Kiki doesn't get why it is so difficult (either for Nuzzle to fetch a stick, which is a simple thing, or for her to get him to do so), as dogs should do as they are told. Julie tells her it is not that easy, as you have to know the best way to train him. A video is shown on dog-training, as a boy (with help from his mother), is teaching his dog tricks and learning to give her (the dog) praises for doing good things. Kiki decides to do some homework about dogs and then teach him how to fetch. Julie suggests something easy, but to Kiki's dismay, that would be playing the trombone. Nuzzle laughs when Kiki and Julie leave again.

Up at the greenhouse, Leon wonders why Jimmy's mother is acting so weird. Skye explains to Leon that although he could be wrong about this, he doesn't think Jimmy's mother wants Leon to come to Jimmy's birthday party, much to Leon's dismay. Additionally, Leon asks him how *he* knows that. Skye reminds him of him living on a reservation. He adds that there is a general store, and the people running it are not Indian like he is. Their son wants to play with him, but his parents won't let him, as they are prejudiced, meaning they don't think people who are different should play together. Not only are Skye and the general store owners' son different in race, but so are Leon and Jimmy, summing up Skye's conclusion on that being the reason Jimmy's mother would not want Leon to come to Jimmy's party. Skye, with the help of videos of real-life kids explaining their respective cases, explains that prejudice affects a lot of kids in a lot of ways. This includes a Mexican girl with lighter skin than another one, a boy with dark skin and (this is the cause) dreadlocks, a girl who met a friend at a class but rejected her upon finding out that she (the girl talking about this) is Jewish, a deaf girl (with an adult interpreter) who starts to converse with hearing people who walk away and leave her by herself, and another black boy who is not wanted by other kids. Leon can't believe Jimmy's mother wouldn't want him, as she doesn't know him, and he'd only been to Jimmy's house once. Skye replies that prejudice has nothing to do with knowing anyone, she just thinks that he and Jimmy shouldn't be friends just because their skin colors are different. Leon says it's wrong that anyone should think that, as he and Jimmy have the same taste in books and videos, and they're therefore more alike than different. Skye agrees, but adds that not everybody cares about that. Leon denies that that's what's happening, and nobody had said he wasn't coming.

Later, Sizzle keeps guessing the magic word, but Nuzzle keeps replying to every guess with negativity. Kiki is still trying to train Nuzzle (via homework), and throwing sticks, but again, no matter how many sticks she throws, Nuzzle won't go after them, much to her frustration building up. Jimmy calls again, alarming the unfamiliar Kiki and asking if Leon is there. Jimmy doesn't tell Kiki his name, but again asks if Leon is there. Kiki calls Leon over. When Leon arrives, Jimmy tells him he has a problem: as presumed by Skye and, to a lesser extent, Jody, earlier, Jimmy's mother does not want Leon to come. Leon wonders why not, and if it's because he was too loud or made a mess while they were playing at the house. Jimmy replies it's not that. She just wants Jimmy to hang out with friends who are his own kind: white like him. She asks why he can't hang out with any of *them*. Leon wonders if *he* has a problem with him (Leon) being black, but Jimmy says he doesn't. He had told her they were best friends, and he apologizes for the third time (the first time had been before saying that he had a problem, and the second time right afterward). Leon accepts his apology and understands it is not Jimmy's fault. Their friendship goes on, but Leon decides to close the call and leaves in pain. Skye tells Ben and Jody they have to do something to make him feel better. Jody decides to give him something to do and thanks the other two boys for the idea, which neither one knew they did.

Leon is not in a good enough mood to work on the mobile. Jody tells him he just has to give her and the other boys hints and tell them what they are doing wrong. Having heard of the prejudice against Leon by Jimmy's mother, Jody remembers when *she* was a victim of prejudice herself. It is not for *her* skin color, as Leon wonders. It is because of her religion. Another girl at her school refused to invite Jody over to her house merely for being Jewish, and Jewish people don't believe in the same religion as *she* (the other girl) did. It made her feel like there was something wrong with her, but her dad said there was something wrong with that other girl. He took her to her room where she had a lot of paintings she did and told her that the person who made the paintings had no reason to feel bad about herself. It wasn't Jody's problem, and that other girl was the one who was wrong. Leon wished people could see they are more alike than different. He sings about this, and eventually, the other three join in. After Leon feels better, he is inspired to work on the mobile. However, it is delayed, as Ben observes that it is amazing that kids can be friends with those who are different, but some grownups can't. Skye apologizes to Leon for what had happened with Jimmy. Leon thanks him, but then remembers that someday, *they* will be grownups themselves. Jody resolves that they should promise never to act that way, Leon resolves that they should promise not to have any prejudice against anyone for the color of his or her skin, for his or her religion, or for anything, and Skye promises they won't be mean to anyone just for being different from them. In fact, all four of these friends promise it.

Julie tries to demonstrate fetching to Nuzzle by throwing the stick and having Kiki do it (including the barking). She decides to try again, but Kiki wants Nuzzle to do it. This time, Nuzzle takes it as if *he* is to throw the stick and bark for her to fetch, but Kiki, not understanding this, gives up from frustration. Julie tries to reassure her.

Leon, with help from his other friends, is working on the mobile, but it is unbalanced, as he is one stick short. He asks Nuzzle if he would fetch him a stick from another area, and says "please" in doing so. Nuzzle is happy to oblige, and he fetches the stick. Kiki is upset with Nuzzle and asks him why he'll fetch a stick for Leon, but wouldn't fetch it for *her*. He simply barks, but she decides to never mind, as he knows she doesn't understand barking. He licks her face.

Sizzle then asks the same question to Nuzzle, and he explains it's because Leon said the magic word, much to Sizzle's dismay. She is tired of guessing and asks him to tell her "please." She asks repeatedly, but he tells her she got it. She is relieved at first, but she still doesn't get what she got, so she tries to get to him again.

The mobile is finally finished, and Leon plans on taking it to school to give to Jimmy. Everyone, including Julie and Kiki, watches as Leon blows on it.

## Guest

Zachary Eginton as Jimmy

Unknown offscreen woman as his mother