(The episode opens above Jon’s house. Inside, Garfield can he heard yawning and speaking to the audience)
Garfield: Yawn! Someone had better have my breakfast lasagna ready (Cut inside the house, where Garfield walks into the living room) if someone knows what’s good for someone. I’ve decided that this is gonna be a great day. (As he says this, Nermal pokes his head out from the side of Garfield’s chair)
Nermal: (offscreen) Hiya, Garfield!
Garfield: YAAAAHHHH! (He leaps up onto the ceiling, panting. Nermal laughs and waves) Well, so much for my great day. (Jon then walks in from the kitchen, holding a small plate of lasagna and wearing an apron)
Jon: (seeing the Flabby Tabby above him) Huh? Oh Garfield, Nermal’s gonna spend the entire summer with us. Won’t that be fun?
Garfield: (crossing his arms) No. (He loses his grip) YAAHH! (and lands with a thud on the floor)
(Jon sets the lasagna on the arm of Garfield’s chair for Nermal to enjoy. The kitten–who is holding a bottle of perfume in his other paw–chuckles and wiggles his fingers excitedly as Jon leaves)
Garfield: (Standing on Nermal’s left, opposite the lasagna) The WHOLE summer?! (Nermal sprays some perfume on himself)
Nermal: Yep!
Garfield: Moan (He covers his eyes with his hand)
(Soon after, Garfield carries a springboard of sorts out of the garage, panting and straining as he does so)
Garfield: I’ve been saving this idea for an emergency, (he lifts the contraption over his head and walks to the backyard) and if Nermal staying all summer isn’t an emergency, (He sighs) I don’t know what is. (He grunts under the weight of the machine. After preparing the trap, he bursts in the house via the back pet door) Nermal, what are you doing in here eating… oatmeal raisin cookies? (For some reason, he gets a hungry look on his face, despite the fact that raisins are one of the few things he won’t eat) Why aren’t you out winning the contest? (Nermal finishes the cookie as Garfield says this)
Nermal: Contest? What contest?
Garfield: The contest to find the most awesomely adorable kitten in the world.
Nermal: Well, hi! That’s me! Why wasn’t I notified? (He sprays some more perfume on himself) Where is this contest?
Garfield: In the backyard. Quick! You might still have time to walk off with the first prize!
Nermal: Woohoo! Thanks, Garfield! I haven’t won a trophy in over an hour! (He runs off, and the fat cat steps aside to make room for him)
Garfield: Chuckles evilly
Nermal: Giggles (he runs out the back door and up Garfield’s trap. He starts to get tired as he prances up the ramp, but then it drops from underneath him) Wha-? Whoa! (He skids on the plank, slowly getting lower and lower until he reaches the bottom, where the spring underneath it launches him over the house and into a cardboard box in the driveway) YAAAHHHH! (Garfield peeks out the front pet door and chuckles as he watches Nermal land head first into the box) Ow! (The kitten, seeing his predicament, tries to free himself, but in unsuccessful)
Garfield: Be happy, Nermal! I’m sending you for Chinese food, REAL, authentic Chinese food! (He grins maliciously as he says this) Now, where’s that sealing tape? (He looks around him, and next to the box) Hm, must’ve left it in the house. (He goes back inside to get the tape. Without turning around, he calls out to the kitten) Stay right where you are, Nermal!
Nermal: Hey! This isn’t funny, Garfield!
(In the living room, Odie runs around his ball, eager to play. Jon enters from the kitchen)
Odie: Mutters Bark! (he nudges his ball forward, asking Jon to play)
Jon: Sure I’ll throw the ball for you, boy! But first, your dog tag keeps falling off your collar. I’ll put it back on for now, but I’m gonna have to fix that better when I get a moment. (Jon puts the tag back on Odie’s red collar)
Odie: Mutters Bark! Bark!
Jon: OK, here we go, boy! (He tosses the ball and it bounces out the window)
Odie: Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! (He runs up to the window and puts his front paws on the wall below it. He then runs outside through the back pet door) Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! (He inadvertently sprints up Garfield’s trap) Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! (He sees what he’s standing on and looks below him. The spring coils, and then shoots him into the air just like it did for Nermal) Uh-oh… Yowl!
(Meanwhile, Nermal is struggling to pull himself out of the box. He almost pulls himself up, but as he gets his head up to see over the edge, Odie falls on top of him)
Nermal: Huh?
Odie: YAAAAHHHH!
(The unsuspecting fat cat walks up the driveway, tape dispenser in hand. He hums to himself as he tapes up the box, not noticing Odie inside. Once he’s finished, he chuckles and shoves the box down the driveway)
Garfield: (straining) Wow, putting on a little extra weight, are ya, Nermal? And don’t forget to send a postcard! (He winks at the box and chuckles. Mission accomplished)
Nermal: (from inside the box) Not, I repeat, funny! Is it, Odie?
Odie: (also inside the box) Uh-uh. (The mail truck drives up at that moment)
Garfield: (Now inside the living room) Yawn! Just in time for my afternoon nap. (He hops on his chair as Jon enters the room)
Jon: Garfield, have you seen Odie?
Garfield: Yawn! He’s probably chasing his own tail or drinking out of the toilet.
Jon: Hmm, this is odd. He seems to have disappeared. I threw his ball for him a few minutes ago and he ran right out the back door after it. Hmm, oh well. (He drops the ball, which bounces in Garfield’s lap) I’m sure he’ll turn up.
Garfield: Hm… AAAHHHH! (He realized that he might have accidentally shipped Odie into Nermal's box) Out the back door?! No wonder that box was so heavy! (he runs out the front door, but is unable to stop the mail truck, or rescue Odie) Stop! There may be someone in that box I don’t want shipped to China! (He starts to run after it, but then gets a better idea. He runs offscreen as a song starts playing)
VO: Feeling grumpy or feeling sad
Sing this song if you feel bad!
(Herman Post drives the truck on the main street. Garfield, now riding a skateboard and wearing a helmet, knee pads, and fingerless gloves, gives chase, determined to save Odie)
Stand up and sing along
To the Anti-Grumpy Song!
(Garfield whimpers as he does not have the green light and he has to cross a busy street of traffic to continue the chase)
You only have to move around
Jump and dance if you’re feeling down!
Garfield: AAAAHHHH! (He braces for impact, only to avoid any damage)
VO: Feeling grumpy or feeling sad
Sing this song if you feel bad!
(The tubby tabby opens his eyes, and sees that he avoided the traffic. He sighs in relief, only to faceplant with the back of the mail truck, which was stopped at a red light)
Garfield: moan... (he chuckles as the light turns green and the truck accelerates, taking him with it)
VO: Stand up and sing along
Garfield: Whoa!
VO: To the Anti-Grumpy Song!
(As the truck makes a sharp turn, Garfield loses his grip, trips over the curb, and flies into the camera. He emerges out of a garbage can, helmet in his hands, unharmed)
Garfield: Oh… (He has arrived at the airport. He shouts from offscreen) Odie! (He runs toward the mail planes, panting. Next to him, in a phone booth, a man in a dark trench coat secretly makes a call)
Man: Yes, Ms. Bella. I should be in Shanghai by noon. Soon, the Golden Cat shall be yours! (He holds up a golden cat statue)
(The fat cat takes no notice of this, as he is determined to get Odie and Nermal back. He runs through the airport runway looking for the desired plane, gasping for breath and exhausted)
Garfield: I should have no trouble finding that box, with Nermal and Odie in it. (He hurries into the back of the mail plane and climbs up the ramp. Once inside, he sees that every box within looks almost identical to each other, and to the box holding the kitten and puppy) I will. (Despite the obvious difficulty, he heads deeper into the plane) Odie, Nermal, where are you?!
Odie: (from inside a box) Bark! Bark! Bark! (Garfield pops his head over all the boxes)
Garfield: Well, where is HERE?! Ah… (He starts opening boxes by cutting the tape with his claw) Not in here, (he zips over to another box) not in here, (and another box) also not in here, (he gasps) but there are cookies! (He eats one when he hears a noise from the back of the plane) Mm… wha-? (He turns around and sees the back door close) This is not a good place for me to be!
(Outside, the stairs leading up to the plane door are removed as the plane readies for takeoff. Inside the plane, the mysterious man from the phone booth tries to be casual by reading a book)
Flight Attendant: Please, power off all electronic devices in preparation for takeoff.
(The camera pans down to the mail compartment. Garfield is stomping on the door angrily)
Garfield: No, no, no, no! I can’t fly somewhere! (He pounds on the door like a child throwing a tantrum) I- I don’t have a seatbelt! I don’t even have a magazine to read! (Dejected, he sulks back toward the boxes when he feels the plane rise into the air) Whoa! (He and the other boxes are pulled toward the back of the plane. The tubby tabby tries running up it, but the incline gradually becomes too steep and he slips backwards. The boxes cover him as the plane begins its flight)
(Pan down to Jon’s house, and Jon is standing at the back door calling for his pets)
Jon: Garfield? Odie? Anybody?
(Back on the plane, Garfield has tirelessly opened packages looking for the animals. He sits down and shoves a box away and notices one more)
Garfield: Sigh Last one. (He faces the audience) Wouldn’t you know it? (He runs over to the box and rips it open) Huh? (Odie leaps out and slurps the fat cat’s face)
Odie: Bark! Bark!
Garfield: I’m happy to see you, too! (He notices the kitten) I’m not happy to see you. (Odie turns around and sees Nermal walking out of the sideways parcel)
Nermal: (angrily) You’re in a lot of trouble, Garfield!
Garfield: Hey, tell me something I don’t already know. (He gestures to the dozens of boxes he had to open to find them)
Odie: Mutters quietly
Nermal: So, what’d you ship me to Abu Dhabi again?
Garfield: No, Nermal, I gave that up. (He holds up his paw) No, we’re on our way to China.
Nermal: Chuckles Well that’s better… (the reality sinks in) China?! (He passes out on the floor in front of Jon’s pets)
(Later that night, Jon continues the search for his cat and dog. A couple of cars pass on the road nearby as he searches the side yard and the bushes next to the fence)
Jon: Garfield? Odie? Anybody?
(The scene changes to China’s cityscape. The trio of animals has landed, and now they are on a conveyor belt inside of three different boxes. Garfield forcefully opens his)
Garfield: Hey guys, wake up! We’ve landed!
Odie: (from inside a suitcase) Mutters frustratedly (He pops open the case and looks at Garfield with tired eyes)
Garfield: (while tossing his box aside) Where’s Nermal?
Odie: Bark! (he points at two identical briefcases. Garfield strains as he takes the one on his right and opens it. The Golden Cat is inside) Mutters
Garfield: I know it’s not Nermal, but it’s probably smarter than he is. (He closes the lid and opens the other case. Inside, Nermal is sound asleep and snoring with a blinder on his eyes and his perfume bottle in his paws)
Garfield: Nermal, wake up!
Nermal: What? Huh? (He continues to doze. Garfield just closes the case and sets it next to him)
Garfield: And people say I like to sleep. (They ride the belt until it arrives at the place where passengers grab their stuff, one of whom being Jim Davis) Well, here we are, Odie. Welcome to China!
Odie: Wow! (The pets’ presence does not go unnoticed by an airport employee)
Security Guard: Hey, pets should not be loose at the airport! (He presses a button, stopping the belt. The pets lose their balance and fall off, and a couple of other suitcases bounce forward as well)
Odie and Garfield: Whoa! (They hit the ground. Garfield quickly recovers and sees the guard running after him, elbowing a random guy in the process)
Garfield: C’mon, Odie! We’d better grab Nermal and get out of here! (He grabs a suitcase, presumably the one with Nermal in it)
Odie: Mutters worriedly
Garfield: Hey, don’t worry. I KNOW this is it! (He takes off)
Odie: OK. (He follows his fat feline friend, unintentionally leaving his dog tag behind)
Security Guard: Stop them! Somebody, stop that cat and dog! (Amidst the confusion, the man from the phone booth, now reading a newspaper, grabs the other similar-looking case that Garfield and Odie saw on their way in. Nermal can be heard snoring quietly inside. Behind him, a woman speaks to the security guard, worrying the suspicious man)
Woman: Excuse me, that cat and dog?
Security Guard: They got away from me! (The man lowers his hat and walks between the woman and the guard as they talk)
Woman: I believe this came off the dog’s collar. It’s a pet license.
(Outside the airport, the cat and dog wander the streets)
Garfield: OK, Sleeping Beauty, rise and... SHINE?! (He opens the case, only to be stunned by the Golden Cat)
Odie: Mutters panickedly
Garfield: I must’ve grabbed the wrong box! (He closes it) Oh, Odie, this is a disaster! We’re 10,000 miles from home, we don’t have any food, (for a brief moment, the camera focuses on Odie, who blinks as Garfield gives his nervous monologue) Jon doesn’t know where we are, (returning focus on Garfield) we don’t have any food, did I mention we don’t have any food? (He rubs his tummy)
Odie: (nodding) Uh-huh.
Garfield: Then again, we have less Nermal. (He smirks maliciously) Maybe we can trade this odd statue for some lasagna.
Odie: Bark! Pant
Garfield: Boy, I hope they have lasagna in this country, especially since we may be here for the rest of our lives. (He slowly walks to find something to eat. Odie, a bit saddened, follows)
(The camera pans to the skyscraper in the middle of the city)
Bella: Ha! It’s about time, Voldo! (The suspicious man from the airport holds the suitcase for his boss)
Voldo: Here it is, Ms. Bella, freshly stolen from the national museum! (Bella’s Siamese cat twins, Siam and Tyham, run up to either side of him)
Bella: The golden cat statue had better be in the box (she takes it from Voldo’s hands) or EVERYONE’S going to pay DEARLY! (Voldo sticks his tongue out at the cats, who meow and bare their claws back at him. After opening the case, Bella quickly sees that it’s Nermal posing like a statue. She and her cats gasp in surprise and glare at Voldo) This doesn’t look like a golden cat to me! (Voldo stammers) It doesn’t even look like a real statue! (He grabs the kitten and pokes his nose)
Nermal: Ouch!
Bella: Where… is… my… golden… CAT?! (Voldo shrugs)
Nermal: I don’t have a clue. But who needs a statue when you have the genuine cutest kitten in the whole world? (He hops onto the table where the case lies. The cats simply glance at each other with sinister looks on their faces)
Voldo: They must’ve made some kind of mix-up at the airport! (Bella picks up her cats who bare their long claws)
Bella: I am not happy, Voldo! (Her cats meow at him) And do you know what I do when I am not happy?
Voldo: (to himself) I hope it does not involve singing…
Bella: I sing!
Voldo: I was afraid that you would say that. (He quivers. Bella starts singing in a loud, opera-like voice. Voldo and Nermal cover their ears)
Nermal: No, stop! Make it stop! I’ll tell you whatever you want to know! Just make it STOP!
Bella: I am SURE that cat knows something! Siam, Tyham, come here to play with your new friend! (The cats bare their claws and growl as they draw near to the kitten)
Nermal: AAAHHHH! (He whimpers as the cats corner him)
(The scene changes to a restaurant outside a market place. Inside, a young boy sweeps and the owner walks up to him)
Tang: I have to go out for an hour, Dingbang. Shouldn’t you be studying instead of helping me here in the restaurant?
Dingbang: I have already done my homework, Uncle Tang. And I know you could do with an extra hand.
Tang: I don’t know what I’d do without you. Well, take care of any hungry mouths who come by. (He leaves. Dingbang continues sweeping when he hears something at the front window. He turns and sees Garfield and Odie gazing hungrily at the food display and licking their lips. The boy steps outside)
Garfield: Yummy, yummy yummy!
Dingbang: Please go away. Uncle Tang does not want me to feed stray animals. (The cat and dog duo lick the window, distracted by the meal in front of them) C’mon, guys. You are going to get me in trouble if my uncle sees you here. (The pets turn to acknowledge him. They step back from the window and smile)
Garfield: Quick, pup.
Odie: Huh?
Garfield: (continuing) Sad eye routine, #1685. (Garfield winks, and Odie nods)
Odie: Right! (Dingbang watches as Garfield and Odie look up at him with big, sad eyes, whimpering as they do so. He finally relents, lets them inside and feeds them some noodles, which the famished feline and hungry hound quickly devour. As they slurp their bowls, Dingbang asks…)
Dingbang: Oh, you like Chinese noodles, huh? (The pets nod and grin) Did you know pasta was invented in China?
Garfield: (Standing in his chair) Gee, I thought you guys spent the whole day eating rice and practicing kung fu. (He jumps off the chair and strikes a few kung fu poses. The boy, however, finds humor in this)
Dingbang: (Chuckling) Is that supposed to be kung fu? (Garfield glares at him. He then shows some of his skills, impressing Odie, who stands next to him. Garfield just grabs his empty bowl and shakes it out in front of the boy)
Odie: Wow!
Garfield: Ahem.
Dingbang: Still hungry, huh? I wish I could take you to this all-you-can-eat dim sum place down the street.
Garfield: (setting the bowl upside-down on the table) Sounds like a plan!
Dingbang: (pulling out a few coins from his pocket) But that’s all I have. So sorry.
Odie: Bark!
Garfield: Chuckles (He zips under the table, pulls out the briefcase, and places it on the table. He opens it, revealing the Golden Cat statue)
Odie: (jumping on the table) Ta-daaaaa!
Dingbang: Wow, this looks expensive. (He grabs the artifact and examines it) Do you want to sell it? Is that the idea? (The pets nod) There is an antique store two blocks away. Maybe that man there will give you a good price for it. (He leaves, statue in hand. Odie hops off the table and turns back to Garfield)
Odie: Mutters worriedly
Garfield: I can’t be concerned about Nermal at a time like this. There’s all you can eat dim sum down the street! (He takes off after the boy. Odie runs behind)
Odie: Right!
TO BE CONTINUED…