Waiting for Genoise is the 14th episode of the first season of Strawberry Shortcake: Berry In The Big City. It premieres on December 25th, 2021.
Summary[]
Strawberry Shortcake accidentally gives everyday Grandma Buttermilk Beignet the five-star treatment after mistaking her for a food critic.
Plot[]
Strawberry Shortcake's screams in excitement over Genoise la Creme coming to the Berryworks, startling nearby customers.
Cutaway: Strawberry explains who Genoise is to the audience. She is a famous food critic who works for the Big Apple City Galette. A review from Genoise can either break or make a berry's baking career. Strawberry says that she has to pull out all the pops (stops) this day, then lifts up cake pops to emphasize her pun.
Strawberry takes out a tray of freshly baked cookies from her Very Berry Oven and sets them off to the side, as she tells Custard that they're baked and ready as they can be for Genoise, which catches Raspberry Tart and Bread Pudding's attention. Strawberry mentions that she wonders what Genoise looks like, causing Raspberry to hatch a scheme in the background. Raspberry greets Strawberry and asks her if she's excited about Genoise's arrival, which Strawberry confirms. Raspberry offers to "help" her be ready, which Bread is confused by until Raspberry nudges him with her elbow. Strawberry is skeptical at the claim, as she thought that the two would love for Strawberry to fail and have to head back to Berryville with her sfogliatelle (tail) between her legs. Strawberry then lifts up a sfogliatelle to emphasize her pun. Raspberry falsely assures her that even though they have their differences, the more good reviews they get from Genoise, the better it'll be for everyberry at the Berryworks. The two Mean Berries make puppy eyes to emphasize their "good intentions". Strawberry completely buys it and thanks the two, though Custard is visibly skeptical.
Raspberry claims she'll keep an eye out for Genoise, looking around the Berryworks until she notices an old grandma and describes a bit of "Genoise"'s appearance, Bread Pudding almost points out that this isn't how she looks before Raspberry turns his head to look at the grandma. Immediately catching on to Raspberry's plan, Bread finishes the description by pointing out "Genoise"'s tacky hat. Strawberry is surprised, as she isn't what she thought Genoise would look like, though notes that you can't judge a berry by their career-ending critical commentary. Strawberry leaps out of the Extraordinary Berry and thanks the Mean Berries, oblivious to their lie, running off to greet "Genoise". Strawberry approaches the grandma and introduces herself to her excitedly. The grandma begins to introduce herself, but Strawberry interrupts her, as she (supposedly) already knows who she is. Strawberry escorts the grandma back to her food truck, offering to sweep her off her sweets (feet), and also gives her a cake pop.
As Strawberry and Grandma Buttermilk walk away, Bread laughs at Strawberry falling for such an obvious trick. Raspberry tells Bread that while Strawberry is busy wow-ing that random grandmother, she'll get the actual Genoise to herself. Raspberry then spots the real Genoise la Creme, a tall elderly woman in a purple dress with a stern expression and a clipboard, watching over the Berryworks atop the staircase. Dramatic thunder crackles as Genoise clicks her pen.
Strawberry rolls out a red carpet to her truck, as Custard holds a cupcake tray, impressing the grandma. Meanwhile, Raspberry gets Genoise's attention and hands her a raspberry cupcake, Genoise takes a small bite, immediately spits it out, hands the cupcake back to Raspberry, and walks off while writing something on her clipboard, to which Raspberry groans in anger. The scene cuts to Strawberry makes a gingerbread cookie photo of the grandma, who asks how she looks, when Strawberry shows the gingerbread to the grandma she compliments the gingerbread, saying that she's good enough to eat. Meanwhile, Raspberry and Bread hold up raspberry pies to Genoise, who just walks past them, making Raspberry throw her pie on the ground in frustration. Strawberry puts her finger in some batter and boops the grandma's nose, the grandma does the same back to Strawberry and the two laugh. Meanwhile, Raspberry holds up a huge cupcake to Genoise, who sighs and relents. Raspberry looks at Bread and tells him to deploy the confetti, which ends up failing. Bread smacks the confetti popper several times, getting it to fire...right at Genoise, covering the critic in confetti. Raspberry offers to clean up the confetti mess. Genoise grabs her pen, and Bread accidentally fires the confetti popper again, causing Raspberry to accidentally smear the cupcake onto Genoise. She angrily walks away from Raspberry's cart as Raspberry looks back at Bread with anger.
Strawberry gives the grandma some cupcakes, the grandma telling Strawberry to cake (make) her day, as the two laugh and hug. The grandma thanks Strawberry for the wonderful day she had, which catches Genoise's attention, who had been about to storm out of the Berryworks. The grandma tells Strawberry she knows how to make someberry feel special and leaves, Strawberry accepts the compliement and tells her to share the cupcakes with her grandberries. Strawberry then notices Genoise brushing the confetti cupcake mess off her and asks if she had a bad day, to which Genoise says that question is putting it mildly. Strawberry gives her a cake pop to cheer her up and heads back to her truck. Genoise decides to try the cake pop, and she loves it, making her smile.
The scene transitions to the next day as Strawberry is reading Genoise's review of the Berryworks, shocked that the berry she gave a cake pop to was the actual Genoise LaCreme. Strawberry laments she should've recognized the trick, which makes Raspberry and Bread Pudding laugh behind her back. Strawberry continues to read the article, and soon realizes that the review is a positive one about her. The Mean Berries check their phones to read the review too, being shocked at the huge amount of praise towards Strawberry not just for her delicious treats, but also for her kind and hospitable nature making everyberry, from food critics to out-of-town grandmas, feel like V.I.Ps. The article ends with giving Strawberry two crumbs (thumbs) way up.
Strawberry finishes reading out the post, complimenting herself and walking away with Custard following. Bread turns and sees Raspberry seething with anger. He tries to console her, to which Raspberry glares at him, and smashes a cupcake on his head, storming off in rage. Bread looks to the camera and sighs, as Raspberry screams once more.
Cast[]
- Ana Sani as Strawberry Shortcake
- Tabitha St. Germain as Raspberry Tart, Genoise LaCreme, Grandma Buttermilk Beignet
- Chirag Naik as Bread Pudding
Non-Voiced Appearance[]
- Peanut Butter Crisp
- Custard
- Mrs. Crumbcake
- Bobby Bananabee
- Honeydew Sorbet
- Customer Berry
- Customer #2
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode where Sour Grapes is not seen with the rest of the Mean Berries.
- This is Bread Pudding's first speaking episode since the first episode, "Berry In The Big City", as he was silent for his other appearances.
- This episode did not release as a premiere on the official YouTube channel.
- The grandma is not actually named in the episode itself. The credits would list her name as Buttermilk Beignet.
- The Big Apple City Galette, the newspaper Genoise works for, is a pun on "gazette", meaning a journal/newspaper[1], and "galette", which is a flat and round pancake-like pastry.[2]
- A sfogliatelle is a shell-shaped Italian pastry with a sweet or creamy filling.[3]
- The storyboards for the episode can be viewed here[4]
References[]
- The title is a pun on “Waiting for Godot”, a 1953 play by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett. The play is a surreal tragicomedy about two men waiting for someone named Godot, who ultimately never arrives.
- In a very, very, loose sense, one could claim the plot of the episode is based on the play as well, as Strawberry does wait for Genoise, but never meets her until the end of the episode, and doesn't even recognize her until she's gone.
Video[]
Gallery[]
Click here to see the gallery of the episode