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Side Hustle - Sand Storm (S2E16)
A determined Lex is out to win the Sandcastle Building competition this year by teaming up with Fisher. When Presley misunderstands that she’s no longer on Lex’s team, she’ll have to give up her beach day to prove that she can take things seriously.
| Runtime (min) | 23 |
|---|---|
| Air Date | 2022-05-19 |
| Genres | Comedy |
| TV Rating | TV-G |
| Network(s) | Nickelodeon |
Storyline
In this episode of Side Hustle, Lex sets her sights on winning the annual sandcastle building competition and recruits Fisher as her teammate, believing his precision and focus will give them the edge they need. Lex's competitive drive is in full force as she strategizes and prepares for the contest, determined not to repeat past losses.
Meanwhile, Presley misinterprets the team change as a sign that Lex doesn't think she takes competitions seriously enough. Hurt and motivated to prove herself, Presley sacrifices her planned relaxing beach day to demonstrate that she can be just as focused and committed as anyone else. The episode explores the tension between the best friends as Presley works to show Lex that she's capable of being a serious competitor, while Lex learns something about what makes a good partner.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the importance of clear communication in friendships. Presley's misunderstanding stems from assumptions rather than direct conversation, showing young viewers how easily hurt feelings can arise when friends don't talk openly about their decisions and feelings. The story demonstrates that asking questions and expressing concerns directly can prevent unnecessary conflict.
Children also learn about proving yourself to others while maintaining self-respect. Presley's determination to show she can be serious illustrates how we sometimes need to step up and demonstrate our capabilities, especially when others have doubts. However, the episode also touches on the value of knowing your own strengths and not having to constantly prove your worth to maintain friendships.
The sandcastle competition storyline reinforces lessons about teamwork and recognizing that different people bring different strengths to collaborative efforts. Lex's focus on winning teaches viewers about the balance between healthy competition and valuing the people we compete alongside, showing that success means little if we damage important relationships in the pursuit of victory.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Why does Lex choose Fisher instead of Presley for the competition? | Lex believes Fisher's methodical approach and serious attitude will give her the best chance at winning the sandcastle competition. Her decision is driven by her competitive nature and past losses, making her prioritize winning strategy over her usual partnership with Presley. This choice, while tactically motivated, overlooks the importance of their friendship and Presley's own valuable contributions. |
| Is the conflict between Lex and Presley resolved by the end? | The episode follows the typical Side Hustle format of resolving friendship conflicts within the runtime. Lex and Presley's misunderstanding provides an opportunity for both characters to grow, with Presley demonstrating her capabilities and Lex recognizing what truly matters in competition and friendship. The resolution reinforces that their bond is stronger than any single contest. |
| What does this episode teach about handling misunderstandings with friends? | The episode illustrates that assumptions can lead to hurt feelings and unnecessary conflict. Presley's reaction to being left off the team shows children that when something bothers you in a friendship, it's better to ask directly rather than assume the worst. The storyline encourages kids to communicate openly and give friends the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions. |
| Is the competitive aspect of the episode age-appropriate? | The sandcastle competition provides a lighthearted, low-stakes context for exploring competition and ambition. Unlike high-pressure scenarios, a beach contest keeps the tone fun and appropriate for the show's tween audience. The episode uses competition as a vehicle to explore friendship and self-worth rather than glorifying winning at all costs, making it suitable for young viewers. |
| Does Presley's sacrifice of her beach day send the right message? | Presley's choice to give up her relaxation to prove herself can spark good conversations about when we should and shouldn't have to prove our worth. While her determination shows admirable commitment, parents can discuss with children that true friends shouldn't require constant proof of our value, and that sometimes the best response to being underestimated is honest conversation rather than exhausting ourselves to change others' minds. |
Writing
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Directing
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| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | After accidentally setting their principal's boat on fire, best friends Lex, Presley, and Munchy create an app to get jobs to pay off their debt. They'll do whatever it takes - no matter how embarrassing - including working as human mannequins. |
| 1 | 2 | After testing a vitamin that makes kids like vegetables, Lex and Presley book a job as birthday party princesses. Once there, they realize the vitamin worked, they now love veggies, and they'll be playing princess next to an amazing vegetable garden. |
| 1 | 3 | Needing money for this week's payment, the kids throw a yard sale. It's a success, but a miscommunication causes the toy that Lex stores their KidDING! money in to be sold. The kids have to find the buyer before Tedward comes to collect his payment. |
| 1 | 4 | Lex is excited when her cousin Ruby comes to visit, but Ruby is more interested in spending time with Fisher. The kids are sent out on a suspicious KidDING. job at the dump, which quickly turns into much more than they'd bargained for. |
| 1 | 5 | Every year Lex and Presley celebrate their Friendiversary by giving each other a thoughtful gift, but this year a blizzard threatens to derail their tradition. |
| 1 | 6 | Lex, Presley and Munchy resolve to end the latter's boastful older brother Jaget's reign as champion of MicroMooery's annual Milkshake Suckdown competition. |
| 1 | 7 | The "Dance Dance Altoonisburg" competition is coming up and Lex, Presley, and Munchy are excited to take part when an old friend from Lex and Presley's past hires them for a Kidding, their dance crew and friendship are put to the test. |
| 1 | 8 | The girls find a treasure map they made as kids which leads them to their first friendship bracelets inside a time capsule. It turns out that Presley never buried her bracelet and now she must distract Lex and find a replacement before she finds out. |
| 1 | 9 | Mr. Prusko is such a boring teacher that students can't even stay awake in class, so Lex and Presley make a deal to make him cooler in exchange for good grades, but Mr. Prusko becomes too cool and is now known as Mr. P. |
| 1 | 10 | There's trouble at the MicroMooery, where someone breaks in and milks Cash the cow at night, so Spenders hires the kids to solve the mystery of the Night Milker. |
| 1 | 11 | Presley, Lex and Munchy are excited when they buy a karaoke machine from the "Karaoke Kickoff" show; when the machine breaks, the kids head to the studio to get their money back. |
| 1 | 12 | Lex loves dogs and weddings, so she's very excited to be a dog wedding planner. But when Presley doesn't think they're right for each other, drama ensues. |
| 1 | 13 | Munchy's Uncle Nedward is visiting. He's a coach and great at inspiring people. But when a KidDING job goes bad and a beloved hawk's eggs are left unattended, Nedward's inspiration goes too far. |
| 1 | 14 | Tedward KidDINGs the kids to enroll in Jaget's new martial arts class, Jag-Jitsu. While Lex, Presley and Munchy don't feel like they've actually learned anything, Jaget still signs them up to take on a rival martial arts class. |
| 1 | 15 | The kids are excited when they're hired to film a commercial for "Hot Tubby's Hot Tub Giveaway Contest." But after the store's owner refuses to pay them, the kids decide to get back at him by pulling off a heist and winning the contest. |
| 1 | 16 | Lex, Presley and Munchy's favorite hangout, the MicroMooery, is set to close for the weekend, so the kids offer to run it and keep it open. What seemed like a fun, easy gig turns out to be much more than they bargained for. |
| 1 | 17 | The kids are hired by Make-A-Mutt, a store that allows kids to create the stuffed animal of their dreams. But they soon discover that the store is in trouble and they'll have to work together to save the business and keep the magic alive. |
| 1 | 18 | When Jaget gets a girlfriend, everyone fears the pairing means a new meanness is on the horizon, but dating softens Jaget; when the kids learn the pair might break up, they scramble to keep them together. |
| 1 | 19 | Lex, Presley, and Munchy get hired by a fancy French restaurant to be off-the-books rat exterminators. There's a party for the Mayor at the restaurant that's set to start and the kids must quickly and quietly catch a rat. |
| 1 | 20 | Lex, Presley and Munchy discover that Fisher is a big-time player in the underground robot fight club scene in Altoonisburg; having not lost a robot fight yet, the kids decide to bet their KidDING money on a Fisher win. |
| 1 | 21 | Munchy is trying out to be the new school mascot, Luna the Tuna! When the girls' former friend Crunchy enrolls in their school, they question his true intentions towards Munchy. |
| 1 | 22 | Munchy gets a catchy tune stuck in his head, and the kids form a band and turn it into a song. |
| 1 | 23 | Fisher turns to “Love Sensei” Jaget for help in getting a date with Lex. |
| 1 | 24 | It's Halloween and the kids open a haunted house; they recruit Mad Scientist Fisher to use unorthodox technology to bring a stuffed bear to life. |
| 1 | 25 | When Lex and Presley discover that Munchy doesn't have his own room but Jaget has two, they go to drastic lengths to make Jaget give up one of his rooms. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Lex, Presley and Munchy get hired as models during the town’s big fashion week. Assuming that they were hired to be in the fashion show itself, they soon learn that the job is actually to be toy model builders and not the runway models like they thought. Disappointed by the job they were hired to do, the kids must figure out a way to get into the real fashion show. |
| 2 | 2 | When Lex and Presley have to head to Shady Pete’s Carnival to replace a toy Lex destroyed, they get more than they bargained for when they have to beat him at his own game. |
| 2 | 3 | Lex, Presley, and Munchy missed a Tedward payment and are desperate when they get KidDING'd by the worst girl in school to organize a dance-posal for a boy that Lex likes. The kids must decide whether love or money will win out. |
| 2 | 4 | It’s Halloween and the Side Hustle kids open a haunted house. They recruit Mad Scientist Fisher to use unorthodox technology to bring a stuffed bear to life. When the evil creature escapes the kids must work together to stop it before it’s too late. |
| 2 | 5 | Celebrity chef, Dude Calzone is in town and he wants to sample some local Altoonisburg flavor; but when the Calzone family steals Munchy's family's secret stew recipe, the kids must make something dangerously delicious to get it back. |
| 2 | 6 | The cow police come to take Cash the cow to the Cow Pound. Lex, Presley and Munchy must save the cow. When they save Cash they also accidentally save a cow-chasing Jaget too. They must convince Jaget that Cash is worth saving and still save Cash. |
| 2 | 7 | When an overworked Lex goes to the martial arts dark side, Presley and Munchy must use their top-secret best friend knowledge to take her down and get their friend back? |
| 2 | 8 | Tasked with getting Mouth Nosie back together by the new town billionaire, the kids must put on an epic holiday concert. But when a sensitive hearing group bans all music in town, the kids will have to find a way to save Christmas and their concert. |
| 2 | 9 | Uncle Nedward is back and coming in like a wrecking ball… well, he's on a wrecking ball and his nephew Munchy is right alongside with him. The town wants to demolish Ol' Cliffy and the kids are determined to put a stop to it! |
| 2 | 10 | Alan’s out of town and Presley’s in charge, so she decides to make some easy money by renting out Fisher’s room through a home sharing app. When Fisher is forced out, he goes rogue to get back at Presley by renting out every room in the house. |
| 2 | 11 | Munchy crushes on a cute clown at the Mooery, but she leaves in a rush dropping her clown shoe. Munchy, Presley, and Lex must now disguise themselves as clowns to find her and help Lex overcome her fear of clowns. |
| 2 | 12 | Worlds collide when Swellview villain Frankini tracks a powerful mind-controlling device to Altoonisburg, with the hopes of using it to force everyone in earshot to uncontrollably dance. When he gets his hands on it, the stars of Side Hustle, Danger Force, That Girl Lay Lay, Warped! and Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan must work together to defeat him or be doomed to dance forever. |
| 2 | 13 | Lex, Presley and Munchy are excited to be in Jaget’s entourage for a big Hollywood movie premiere, but dueling outfits, a snake named Jake, and a race against the clock might keep our kids off the red carpet and away from their big night. |
| 2 | 14 | One, two, three, four - a thumb wrestling competition is coming to Altoonisburg and a boat is the prize! Can the kids finally pay off Tedward’s boat with a new one or will an old thumb rival squash their chances and their thumbs?! |
| 2 | 15 | Lex, anxious to work as a dog groomer by her crush Luke, enlists in Presley and Munchy’s advice to become “chill-Lex” to impress him. Her chill attitude is put to the test when the job turns disastrous causing the real Lex to come out. |
| 2 | 16 | A determined Lex is out to win the Sandcastle Building competition this year by teaming up with Fisher. When Presley misunderstands that she’s no longer on Lex’s team, she’ll have to give up her beach day to prove that she can take things seriously. |
| 2 | 17 | After Jaget gets control of their KidDING app and starts accepting jobs for them, the kids are forced to butler a dinner party full of jerks hosted by their old nemesis Crunchy. |
| 2 | 18 | When Jaget tricks Lex, Presley and Munchy into his prank war against Ty, they vow to get him back with the ultimate revenge prank. But they soon find themselves over their heads when their prank goes airborne taking Munchy along for the ride. |
| 2 | 19 | It’s Possum Day! A celebrated holiday where the town possum, Altoonisburg Al decides, if kids get another six weeks of summer or if it’s back to school on Monday. When Al is accidentally released the kids must find him before the town finds out. |
| 2 | 20 | When Lex and Presley are hired to call a night of high-stakes Bingo, the girls accidentally turn Presley’s Grandma and her best friend against each other. Can Lex and Presley turn these enemies back into friends or is this friendship Bing-over? |
| 2 | 21 | Lex, Presley, and Munchy breakout of Jaget’s lockdown to celebrate Yesley Day! Presley’s day of fun stops when they get stuck at Coaster World. Can the kids make it home before Jaget makes his rounds or will they receive further sentencing? |
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