Comforting the Uncomfortable

"Comforting the Uncomfortable" is an episode of the stop motion animated series, Bump in the Night.

(Aired on October 15, 1994)

Plot[]

The episode begins in The Boy's Bedroom with the toys feeling run down, Molly Coddle enters the room in a cheerful optimistic mood. Molly calls herself the "comfort doll extraordinaire" and ask if anybody needs comforting.

It turns out that all the toys need comforting, including Destructo who can barely move, one of the Cute Dolls with her head backwards and other damaged toys. Molly then decides to help everyone, she first helps Destructio by fixing his rusted parts with an oil can. Destructo is grateful and gives Molly a kiss on the cheek.

Meanwhile, under the bed, Mr. Bumpy is feeling bad saying he "woke up on the wrong side of the bed", Squishington enters feeling awful, saying he "woke up on the wrong side of the bowl". Molly walks in to help her discomforted friends, she give Mr Bumpy old sock holes to eat and she gives Squish some moisturizing cream for his stiff head petals. Molly is so overwhelmed with a comforting mood, she screams at the top of her lungs and leaves to help comfort other creatures in need.

Molly discovers Yellow Bunny and see's that she is upset, Yellow Bunny tells Molly that the closet is making scary noises. Molly takes off one of her patches from her dress and gives it to Yellow Bunny, she tells the bunny that it is only the "mean old Closet Monster". Molly declares that she must help him, she puts the bunny down and goes off to comfort the beast.

Later, Bumpy finished eating the sock holes and feels energized again, he calls out for Molly but can't find her anywhere. Squish is moisturizing his head petals, while Bumpy searches for Molly.

Bumpy and Squish find Yellow Bunny, Squish points out that the patch belongs to Molly and the two start interrogating the bunny like two bad detectives. The Bunny caves in and confesses that Molly went in the closet to comfort the Closet Monster.

Inside the closet, Molly is searching for the Closet Monster, but it appears to only have dirty clothes. The pile of dirty clothes beings to move, and Molly realises that it’s the monster; the clothes pile comes to life and grabs Molly.

The Closet Monster examines Molly and sees that she has a red and white striped sock; just like the one he has for a finger. Molly says that they both match and that they are “soul mates in patchwork.” Molly pets the monster and beings to ask him about his childhood.

Meanwhile, Bumpy and Squish are planning to rescue Molly by setting up a trap for the Closet Monster. The trap is accidentally triggered and the bowling ball rolls down the ramp and comes rolling towards them.

Back in the closet, Molly and the Closet Monster are looking through a scrapbook full of photos, the impact from outside shakes up the closet and various heavy things fall onto the Monsters head.

Molly sees that the Closet Monster has a bump on his head and touches it; the Monster is enraged and tries to grab Molly, who is hiding behind a tennis racquet. Molly then concludes that the Monster must be hungry, Molly jumps off the racquet, which is eaten by the Monster, and Molly runs off to find him a snack.

Bumpy and Squish are still trying to rescue Molly, she zips out of the closet, sending Bumpy in a whirl, and she zips back inside with cookies and milk. Bumpy and Squish are both confused and they scream as the bowling ball comes towards them again.

Back in the closet, Molly feeds the Closet Monster cookies and gives him milk to wash it down, the Monster finishes the snack, but then has intestinal problems. Bumpy and Squish open the closet door, the Monster belches and they are set flying. The trap is triggered for the third time and Bumpy and Squish with sad puppy eyes prepare for the impact.

The Closet Monster is hit with more falling objects and is angered, Molly starts to sing a lullaby to the Monster and sings him to sleep. Bumpy hears Molly and runs off to the closet. The Monster is asleep and Molly is happy that the Closet Monster is officially comforted.

Just then, Bumpy and Squish slam open the Closet to rescue Molly and start to attack the Closet Monster. The Monster is enraged and Molly is upset that the boys are ruining her efforts. Bumpy starts to eat a sock from the Monster’s hand and Squish starts swinging a pillow around. Bumpy grabs Molly by the hand and they all run out of the closet while the Monster chases them.

Bumpy and Squish release the bowling ball which hits the monster in the mouth, but he swallows the ball. Then they drop a cardboard box on his head, but he slashes through the cardboard and eats the box. Squish then gets a bottle of Starch Spray and sprays it on the Monster, and he is frozen stiff.

Molly is horrified seeing the Closet Monster frozen while Bumpy is proud of his victory. Molly snaps at the boys and tells them they ruined her plan to comfort the Closet Monster. Bumpy is confused and Squish says it’s impossible to comfort the Closet Monster. Molly reminds the boys that she is the "comfort doll extraordinaire" and she can comfort anybody.

Bumpy is flummoxed, while Molly is annoyed at the boys and tells them to leave her alone. Bumpy and Squish both feel rejected and they leave to wallow in pity, Molly then goes to free the Closet Monster with a Spray of Fabric softener.

Molly tells the Monster that the boys don’t understand their friendship, believing that they bonded. The Closet Monster then attacks Molly and holds her in his clutches; Molly regrets her decision and screams for help.

Meanwhile, Bumpy is feeling sore and says he wouldn’t help Molly even if giant teeth were eating her. Molly calls for help saying the Monster is trying to eat her, Squish and Bumpy are both worried and run off to save her.

Bumpy then swings on a rope, like Tarzan, and swoops in to save Molly. Squish is moving around, holding his arms out to catch Bumpy and Molly. They both land onto Squish and he is flattened like clay, Squish then morphs back into his normal form.

The trio run back into the closet, while the Monster follows them, they close the door shut behind them and traps him inside. Molly is glad that the Monster is trapped, but she also remembers that it was her fault in the first place. Bumpy realize that it was her fault, so Bumpy and Squish then shove Molly back in the closet and walk away deciding not to help her. Molly is heard inside the closet singing the lullaby to the Closet Monster and the episode ends.

Trivia[]

Little Robot can be seen at the beginning of the episode with the rest of the toys. Despite the fact that Little Robot was sent back to her home in Osaka, in the episode "Made in Japan", Little Robot sometimes returns as a background character. Little Robot officially returns in the season 2 episode "Made in Japan II".
Yellow Bunny speaks in this episode, she is voiced by Janice Kawaye who also voices Little Robot.
In this episode, it shows that Destructo is generally nice to Molly, when Molly is finished repairing Destructo's rusty parts, he thanks her and gives her a kiss on the cheek. In the season 2 episode "Love's Labor Bumped", it is revealed that Destructo has a crush on Molly, however she doesn't feel the same way back because Destructo isn't the comforting type.
The scene when the Bowling ball rolls down the checker board is repeated several times in this episode. The scene was repeated again in the episode "Bumpy the Untrappable."
Molly Coddle makes a 4th wall joke in the episode when she ask Mr. Bumpy if he saw "the opening scene", meaning that she is aware that they are in a television show.

Molly Coddle gets caught by the Closet Monster in this episode. See also The Super Mario Bros. Super Show episode, "Butch Mario and the Luigi Kid", where Princess Toadstool gets caught by King Koopa.

Quotes[]

Molly: Oh Everyone! I'm here! It's me, Molly Coddle. "Comfort doll Extraordinaire!" Who needs comforting?

Destructo: (trying to move) Must... have... comfort

Molly: Everyone? Good thing I take "Credit Cards!"

Molly: (with oil can) With every squeeze I feel the awesome power of comfort surging through by very being!

Bumpy: Eww, is that me? Must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Squish, bud. You look worse than I do...

Squish: hmmm,. I got up on the wrong side of the bowl...

Molly: I am so full of comfort, I could scream...AAAAAAAH!

Bumpy: Who was that Patchwork Comforter?

Bumpy: That hit the spot. I feel like a new Monster!

Bumpy: (calling out for Molly) MOLLIMUS MAXIMUS!

Bumpy: (to the yellow bunny) You goin' somewhere, Baby?

Squish: Look at that fabric... It belonged to Molly!

Bumpy: (in a deep detective voice) Alright Bunny! What've you done with her? Who are you working for? Where were you the night November 23rd 1962?

Squish: Should I give her the sludge treatment?!

Yellow Bunny: NO! I'll talk! She went into the closet, to comfort the uncomfortable Closet Monster!

Molly: (singing a lullaby) Rock a bye Monster, in the big closet. When the toys fall you'll be kabonked on your head. When the toys mildew you'll get all moldy. Then you'll be comforted and totally groady.

Mr. Bumpy: The nerve of that comfort doll! I wouldn't help her now if she was being eaten by razor-sharp teeth.

Molly Coddle: [shouts] Help! I'm being eaten by razor-sharp teeth!