Back to Basics

Back to Basics
Episode Information
Season	3 : 3
Episode	54A
Series	107
Airdate	June 17, 2017 September 12, 2017 November 11, 2017 January 4, 2018 January 24, 2018 April 10, 2018
Production company(s)	Bagdasarian Productions Technicolor
Written by	Janice Karman
Pitched by	Pete Burns
Viewers	1.39 million (US)
Viewer Rating
Episode Navigation
Preceded by	Playing Favorites
Followed by	Report Cards
All Releases	List of Episodes

Back to Basics is an episode of the ALVINNN!!! and The Chipmunks series.

Synopsis

Everyone thinks Simon has lost his mind after he fails a school test and moves into a tree for some alone time.

Plot

Miss Smith hands back a test and Simon is shocked to learn he failed it, refusing to drop the matter. Alvin learns Simon's outburst got him suspended and enlists Theodore to assist in filming Dave's dramatic reaction. Following Simon's confession to Dave about being kicked out of school, Dave comforts Simon, to the dismay of Alvin who was expecting Dave's head to explode. Dave suggest the blue-clad chipmunk relax for a few days, but upstairs he's stressed over instructions to assemble something and a disagreement between Jeanette and Eleanor. The stress leads to a mental breakdown and Simon running into Dave's room. The Chipettes and his brothers eavesdrop until Dave opens the door and the chipmunks pretend to be playing a game of leap frog on the stairs. Later they discover a note from Simon expressing his desire to go back to the basics in order to find himself again, and Alvin believes Simon's on the path to becoming a crazy hermit. Instead of respecting his decision and Dave's order, they set out to retrieve him from the tree in the backyard. When that fails, they devise various traps intending to capture him, however, each doesn't work or is set off by someone else. Tired of being bothered, Simon rigs a doll of himself in the tree for them to spy on; they continue to bait him to come down, but a couple crows make it appear he's not interested. After a week, the doll falls out of the tree, to the terror of its observers. Simon then reveals he's been residing in the basement where he recognized he's placed too much importance on being perfect and that bad days are a part of life. Alvin tries to apply Simon's logic to himself causing everyone to yell "ALVINNN!!!"

Characters

• Alvin Seville
• Simon Seville
• Theodore Seville
• Brittany Miller
• Jeanette Miller
• Eleanor Miller
• Dave Seville
• Miss Smith
• Miss Croner (cameo)

Songs

• "If You Wanna Come Down" ^{[citation needed]}

Trivia

• Goof: The Chipettes zipline into the Chipmunks' bedroom without zipline handles and only their bare hands.
• Goof: After everyone else pulls Simon down from the tree with a grappling hook, Eleanor's eyes are briefly offset.
  • The same goof happens later to Brittany after Alvin is accidentally launched into the swimming pool.