The Return

"The Return" is the first episode of Season 4 of The Amazing World of Gumball. It is the 117th episode overall.

Synopsis
Richard tries to find the kids before Nicole realizes they're gone.

Plot
The episode begins with the Elmore Jr. High students on the bus enjoying the first day of the school year. During the ride, Leslie and later Masami notice that something is missing. After a few wrong guesses by Banana Joe, as well as a failed attempt to ridicule Tobias' hat by Carrie, the students realize that Gumball and Darwin are missing.

At the Watterson house, Richard is frantically knocking on the door in an attempt to wake Gumball, Darwin, and Anais up to get them to school on time. This turns out to be a dream, only for Richard to realize that he has indeed overslept and the children are not at school. He goes in to awaken his children, only to discover that bags full of school supplies in their places. He hurriedly runs downstairs, but not before jumping out the window to confirm that he is not dreaming.

Downstairs, Richard calls Principal Brown to inform him that the kids are "sick with the bubonic plague" in order to buy himself some time. After hanging up, a sleep-deprived Nicole calls Richard from work to check up on him and confirm that he escorted the children to school. He lies and says everything is fine and learns that Nicole will pick them up after school. After the conversation, Richard proceeds to "retrace his steps" and later comes to the realization that he left the kids in the car.

Richard runs outside and makes several attempts to open the trunk of what he believes to be his car. However, Mr. Robinson remarks that it is not his car, as Richard apparently mistook Banana Barbara's car for his own after getting out to retrieve a parking ticket the other day.

At Elmore Mall, Richard scrambles to find his car, asking a security guard and Gary. When he finds the car, he discovers that the three are not inside, worrying him even more. During a discourse with the security guard, Richard remembers dropping them off at a ball pit in a child play area and goes inside to look for them.

Inside the mall, Larry reveals to him that the ball pit had to be removed and exported to another country due to children getting sucked inside. With this information, Richard hurries to the Elmore Expressway and attempts to call out to the truck driver that is carrying the ball pit to the harbor. However, the truck driver misunderstands him and drives away. Richard then attempts to reach out to the truck, but the truck exits onto a different freeway. Richard is quick to turn around and catch up to the truck driver, who calls for back-up. Now trapped between several trucks, Richard abandons his vehicle and hops into another one being carried by a transporter truck. He jumps off of its ramp and ends up at the harbor.

At the harbor, Richard finds an innumerable amount of crates ready to be shipped to different locations. He then spots a crane and uses it to identify which crate contains the ball pit, which he does by shaking them. When he finally finds the right one, he attempts to crack the code on the lock, but because he is running out of time, he decides to drive it back to Elmore himself. When pulling it with the car he acquired on the freeway fails, he steals a truck, places the crate on the trailer, and drives to Elmore Junior High via a shortcut involving driving directly through several buildings.

At the school, the crate opens, with several hundred balls, along with Gumball, Darwin, and Anais, plowing through the school, with the kids arriving at the front of the school just as Nicole arrives to pick them up. The episode ends as she asks them how their first day back was, as the confused children stare and Darwin spits out a ball.

Main Characters

 * Richard

Supporting Characters

 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Anais
 * Nicole

Minor Characters

 * Rocky
 * Tobias
 * Carrie
 * Banana Joe
 * Carmen
 * Alan
 * Leslie
 * Penny
 * Sarah
 * Masami
 * Teri
 * Jamie
 * Rocky
 * Principal Brown
 * Mr. Robinson
 * Banana Barbara
 * Orange Guard
 * Gary
 * Larry
 * Hank
 * George
 * Cowboy
 * Carmen's father
 * Pantsbully
 * Steve
 * Daisy the Donkey
 * Neck Beard
 * Sausage Dog
 * Jeff
 * Hot Dog Guy
 * Melted Cheese Guy
 * Harold
 * Jackie
 * Sphere Citizens
 * Miss Simian
 * Bean
 * Mr. Small

Trivia

 * This episode was erroneously aired on July 7, which was when "The Egg" was supposed to air.
 * This episode was aired during Season 3's run. However, it is actually the first episode of Season 4.
 * This episode and "The Nemesis" premiered with the full UK opening cinematic song in the US.
 * Running gag: Richard keeps breaking car windows with his fist.

Continuity

 * This is the second time Richard crashes a car though a house. The first time was in "The Bumpkin."
 * The highway construction site from "The Curse," "The Ape," and "The Bumpkin" reappears in this episode.
 * This is the fourth time Nicole mentions working during the night shift at the Rainbow Factory. The first time was in "The Car," the second time was in "The Microwave," and the third time was in "The Meddler."

Cultural References

 * When trying to open the car's trunk, Richard yells "Avocado Kredenza," which may be a reference to "Avada Kedavra," the killing curse from the Harry Potter series.
 * Richard saying "Prepare to jump into hyperspace!" before starting Banana Barbara's car is a reference to the line said by Admiral Ackbar in the Return of the Jedi movie.
 * When Richard tries to break the lock on the crate, he tries to put "11111" and then "11112" just like Stewie did in the Family Guy episode "Road to Rhode Island."
 * When Richard arrives at the container port and see's the hundreds of stacked containers; the scene and the music that plays is similiar to the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark where the ark is placed into a crate and stored away inside a giant warehouse containing a labyrinth of countless similiar looking crates.

Goofs/Errors

 * Even though Neck Beard was seen next to his house, he is later seen at the movie theater.
 * When Richard remembers he left the kids at the ball pit, the kids' art styles are made different for Richard's memory. However, when their appearances deform just before they turn into demons, they are in their normal art styles.
 * Principal Brown can be seen in one of the cars that Richard almost crashes into, even though he was seen at school when Richard calls him.
 * When Richard smashes his car windshield before he walks up the car carrier, his whiskers disappear.
 * When Richard types "11112" on the lock, he doesn't actually press 2.
 * The windows appear to be roll-down but in "The Coach" it was hinted that they were automatic.