Glitch Techs - Ralphie Bear Is Back (S2E3)
High Five's childhood dreams come true when the pizza arcade brings back a retired birthday party robot. But it's the miserable opposite for Miko.
| Runtime (min) | 25 |
|---|---|
| Air Date | 2020-08-17 |
| Genres | Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Kids |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Netflix |
Storyline
When Hinobi's Gamer, the pizza arcade where the Glitch Techs are based, announces the return of Ralphie Bear—a beloved animatronic mascot from birthday parties past—High Five is overjoyed. The robot represents cherished childhood memories for him, and he eagerly anticipates reliving those happy moments. For Miko, however, Ralphie Bear triggers the opposite reaction: the animatronic is tied to a deeply unpleasant experience from her own past, and she dreads its reactivation.
As Ralphie Bear is brought back online, the episode explores the tension between High Five's nostalgia and Miko's discomfort. The situation escalates when the animatronic begins to malfunction or glitch, forcing the two friends to confront their conflicting feelings while working together to resolve the problem. The episode balances humor with genuine emotion as it examines how the same object can hold vastly different meanings for different people, and how friends navigate moments when their perspectives don't align.
What kids learn
Children learn that nostalgia and memory are deeply personal experiences. What brings joy and comfort to one person can be a source of anxiety or distress for another, and neither reaction is wrong. The episode demonstrates that respecting a friend's feelings—even when you don't share them—is an essential part of maintaining healthy relationships. High Five's excitement about Ralphie Bear is valid, but so is Miko's discomfort, and the story encourages kids to hold space for both truths simultaneously.
The episode also teaches children about confronting fears and working through difficult emotions rather than avoiding them. Miko's willingness to face her negative associations with Ralphie Bear, especially when the situation demands teamwork, models emotional courage. Kids see that it's possible to acknowledge uncomfortable feelings while still stepping up to help friends and solve problems.
Additionally, the story reinforces the importance of communication between friends. When perspectives clash, talking openly about why something matters—or why it's upsetting—helps both parties understand each other better. The episode shows that friendship doesn't require always feeling the same way, but it does require listening, empathy, and mutual support even when experiences diverge.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why does Miko have such a negative reaction to Ralphie Bear? | Miko's discomfort stems from a past experience tied to the animatronic that was unpleasant or frightening for her. The episode uses this to illustrate that childhood memories aren't universally positive, and that objects or characters associated with bad experiences can trigger genuine distress. Her reaction is treated as valid and understandable, not something to be dismissed or mocked, which helps children recognize that everyone's emotional history is different. |
| Is the animatronic portrayed as genuinely scary or threatening? | Ralphie Bear malfunctions or glitches during the episode, which creates tension and some suspense. The portrayal leans into the uncanny quality that malfunctioning animatronics can have, which may be unsettling for younger or more sensitive viewers. However, the show balances this with humor and the competence of the Glitch Techs, so the threat is contained within the episode's action-adventure framework rather than becoming outright horror. |
| How does the episode handle the conflict between High Five and Miko's feelings? | The episode respects both characters' perspectives without forcing either to abandon their feelings. High Five's nostalgia is genuine and heartfelt, while Miko's anxiety is equally real. The story encourages them to communicate and support each other despite their differing reactions, modeling how friends can navigate emotional disagreements with empathy. The resolution emphasizes teamwork and mutual understanding rather than one character being proven right or wrong. |
| What is the main lesson about nostalgia and childhood memories? | The episode teaches that nostalgia is subjective and that the same experience or object can hold vastly different meanings for different people. It encourages children to understand that their friends may not share their enthusiasm for certain things from the past, and that's okay. The story also gently reminds viewers that revisiting the past doesn't always go as planned, and that growth sometimes means accepting that memories belong to a specific time and place. |
| Are there any moments that might frighten younger children? | Younger or more sensitive children might find the malfunctioning animatronic unsettling, especially if they already have a wariness of robots or mascot characters. The glitching behavior and any erratic movements could be mildly frightening. Parents who know their child is sensitive to these themes may want to watch together and reassure them that the Glitch Techs are in control and that the situation is resolved by the episode's end. |
Writing
Directing
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | A tournament for the city's best gamers brings together High Five and Miko, two competitors who figure out something suspect is going on. |
| 1 | 2 | Glitch Tech training turns out to be a bore. But Miko and High Five's attempt to inject some fun into their session ends with gross consequences. |
| 1 | 3 | It's Miko and High Five's first official day on the job! But crisis soon strikes when Miko's high-tech gear gets stolen by a peculiar bird. |
| 1 | 4 | When an ultra-rare, ultra-dangerous glitch turns Casino into a character from his favorite video game, it's up to High Five to save him. |
| 1 | 5 | Miko and High Five arrive at a house where other Glitch Techs have gone missing — and walk right into a familiar game full of surprises. |
| 1 | 6 | What makes a good leader? High Five finds out the hard way when he steps up to head a team against four glitches that are on the loose. |
| 1 | 7 | High Five and Bergy romp through the city on a quest for glitches and experience points. Meanwhile, it's sister bonding day for Miko and Nica. |
| 1 | 8 | To figure out a fix for an ailing Ally, Miko enters a pet training simulator. High Five tags along and makes an unlikely friend. |
| 1 | 9 | Eager to level up her skills before a karate tournament, Lexi convinces Miko to fire up a video game simulator to help hone her moves. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Miko realizes that being a little weird can be awesome when she meets Ridley, a glitch modder with a mind-blowing lair filled with creative wonders. |
| 2 | 2 | High Five seems unusually glum on a job at a game store to take care of a mysterious cube-shaped glitch from the first video game ever. |
| 2 | 3 | High Five's childhood dreams come true when the pizza arcade brings back a retired birthday party robot. But it's the miserable opposite for Miko. |
| 2 | 4 | Miko suspects that something is very, very wrong when Mitch suddenly starts acting nice. At a bizarre party, High Five sees that she might be right. |
| 2 | 5 | Ridley resurfaces with a newfound desire to become a Glitch Tech. Miko and High Five are delighted ... but they have no idea she's hiding something. |
| 2 | 6 | While gathered together to play a deduction game, the Glitch Techs begin to wonder if there's a glitch pretending to be human among them. |
| 2 | 7 | High Five figures it's no big deal to break a rule while glitch hunting — until he inadvertently triggers a feud with Techs in the neighboring town. |
| 2 | 8 | Miko declares war when a new gamer in town beats her high scores at the arcade. But their showdown soon spirals out of control. |
| 2 | 9 | An alert at a house infamous for glitch-heavy activity sets Mitch on edge. When Miko and High Five get there, they learn why it's so personal to him. |
| 2 | 10 | Phil threatens to replace the laggy BITT with a newer model. To save the bot, Miko and High Five poke around inside to fix him themselves. |
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