This episode is one of the earliest examples of a random events plot and it is done poorly. Half of the plot is wasted on Nosey Smurf, who is a one dimensional obsessive busybody who has no respect for other's privacies and is all melodramatic when the Smurfs reprimand him. Also, he sounds far too recognizable to Frank Nelson (who does his voice). The Great Swamp Witches are no better themselves and keep talking about the Lost City of Yore to find a magic scepter, except they never achieve that goal. Gargamel and Azrael appear in the middle of the episode to visit the Witches, but they are distracted by the other Smurfs searching for Nosey, Brainy and Clumsy. Even after the three Smurfs get captured, Nosey keeps getting reprimanded for getting his nose into trouble and for almost killing Papa Smurf. Speaking of death, the wizard was reduced to dust in a kids cartoon. At the end of the episode, Gargamel and Azrael are attacked by the Witches with bubbles for some reason. Smurfette blames Nosey for his snoopish behavior once again. Brainy closes the episode by lecturing about curiosity, until the Smurfs throw him out of sight. This ending was rushed because of poor attempts at comedy.
I don't have a problem with the concept, it's the terrible execution. The Smurfs never forgive Nosey at the end, Papa Smurf should've explained the lesson better, the witches and Nosey don't have much personality, and the moral is heavy-handed. The writers tried too hard to convey a moral in this episode, but it ended up as relentlessly preachy and annoying. Speaking of which, all of them are uncredited for Season 2. The previous season, they were credited for each episode. At times, it feels like an 11 minute episode extended to 22 minutes. The plot doesn't start until four minutes into the episode, where the Witches are sick and tired of working. To sum it up, this is what I consider the worst Smurfs episode of all time. Therefore, I give it an unsmurfy 2 out of 10.
I don't have a problem with the concept, it's the terrible execution. The Smurfs never forgive Nosey at the end, Papa Smurf should've explained the lesson better, the witches and Nosey don't have much personality, and the moral is heavy-handed. The writers tried too hard to convey a moral in this episode, but it ended up as relentlessly preachy and annoying. Speaking of which, all of them are uncredited for Season 2. The previous season, they were credited for each episode. At times, it feels like an 11 minute episode extended to 22 minutes. The plot doesn't start until four minutes into the episode, where the Witches are sick and tired of working. To sum it up, this is what I consider the worst Smurfs episode of all time. Therefore, I give it an unsmurfy 2 out of 10.
