Synopsis

When Ms. O's important briefcase is stolen by the Shapeshifter, Olive and Otto must get it back. 

Learning Goal

Measurement: comparing relative weights of objects

Plot

Olive and Otto begin the day solving a case involving a businessman who cannot reach the second floor of his office building and is late for work. Every time he climbs the stairs, he somehow ends up back on the first floor. Olive suggests using the elevator instead, but when the elevator doors open, the man is greeted by an identical copy of himself. Realizing that the problem is still far from solved, both men call for Odd Squad.

Back at Headquarters, Ms. O sends Olive and Otto to a local park, where Disguise Dan will hand over an important briefcase. She orders them to bring the briefcase directly back to her without asking any questions. Although they agree to follow her instructions, both agents immediately begin wondering what the briefcase contains as they head to the park.

At the park, Disguise Dan—currently disguised as a bench—hands over the briefcase and departs. Unable to contain his curiosity, Otto begins speculating about what might be inside. Olive demonstrates a more scientific approach by using a playground seesaw as a balance scale. After comparing the briefcase's weight to several objects, they determine that it weighs the same as a traffic cone, a shoe, a pineapple, and a rock combined. While the experiment reveals the briefcase's weight, it provides no clues about its contents.

Their investigation is interrupted when Ms. O supposedly appears, congratulates them on their work, takes the briefcase, and tells them to enjoy the rest of the day off. Moments later, however, Olive receives a call from the real Ms. O, who is still at Headquarters and demands to know where her briefcase is. Confused, Olive points out that they already gave it to her, but Ms. O insists that this is impossible because she has not left her office. Realizing they have been tricked, Olive uses a gadget to expose the impostor. The fake Ms. O transforms into the Shapeshifter, a notorious Odd Squad thief capable of changing her appearance at will.

Fascinated by her abilities, Otto begins listing things the Shapeshifter could transform into. When he mentions a rocket, she immediately turns into one and blasts away. The agents give chase but quickly lose sight of her. While worrying that he and Olive could lose their jobs at Odd Squad after losing track of the briefcase, Otto begins considering alternative careers and notices a discarded gum wrapper that feels far too heavy to be ordinary trash. Olive then suddenly remembers the Shapeshifter's one weakness: she can alter her size and appearance but never her weight, meaning she will weigh the same regardless of what she turns into. She fires her gadget at the wrapper, and sure enough, it is the villain. Before escaping, the Shapeshifter reveals that she knows Olive's greatest fear and transforms her head into a giant pie. Terrified, Olive recoils while the villain makes her getaway.

The chase eventually leads to a warehouse. Remembering the Shapeshifter's one weakness, the agents realize that they simply need to find an object whose weight does not match its appearance. It takes a while, but after examining numerous items, Olive discovers a feather that is impossibly heavy. Exposed once again, the Shapeshifter admits that she transformed the briefcase and hid it somewhere in the warehouse. Claiming that she has a flight to catch, she then turns into a bird and flies away.

Knowing that the disguised briefcase must still weigh exactly the same as before, Olive and Otto recreate their balance-scale experiment and begin comparing objects throughout the warehouse. After a long and frustrating search, Otto points out one item they have not tested: a pie. Although Olive is terrified, Otto encourages her to face her fear. Gathering her courage, she carefully places the pie on the scale. When it balances perfectly, Olive uses her gadget to reveal that the pie is actually the missing briefcase.

The agents return the briefcase to Headquarters and present it to Ms. O. Thanking them for retrieving such an important item, she opens the briefcase and reveals its contents: her lunch, which she accidentally left at home that morning. Grateful for their efforts, she rewards Olive and Otto with the rest of the day off. Amused but still cautious after their encounter with the Shapeshifter, Olive uses her gadget to make sure Ms. O is genuine. The test confirms that she is exactly who she claims to be, though Ms. O is far from pleased about being zapped. As punishment for doubting her, she immediately rescinds the agents' day off.

Trivia

• This is the only appearance of Disguise Dan.
• This is the debut of The Shapeshifter.
• This episode reveals that Olive is really afraid of pies. The reason she is afraid of pies is shown in "Training Day".

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