The Buttercups

"The Buttercups" is the fifteenth episode of the Disney Junior series Sofia the First, which aired on August 2, 2013.

Plot
Sofia and her Girl Scout troop, The Buttercups, are having a meeting at the castle. Ruby's mother Helen Hanshaw, the Buttercup troop leader, bring in two new recruits the twins Meg and Peg. Sofia gives them their Buttercup vests and when they ask about the badges she's wearing, she explains to them that in order to get their own they must earn them. Helen announces that tomorrow they will be going on a hike through Peppertree Forest. Sofia is very excited about the hike because she is only one badge away from finally earning the Sunflower Medallion, a great honor Sofia has been looking forward to earning since she first became a Buttercup back when she was really little.

After the Buttercups leave, Sofia welcomes her father home and tells him about the hike tomorrow. But almost immediately she wishes she hadn't spoken because Roland is against Sofia going into the forest stating that it isn't "a proper place for a princess" and is so concerned that something could happen to her that even a fall has him worried. But Miranda steps forward and tells Roland there's nothing to worry about because of Sofia's Buttercup experience and because Helen will be there to provide adult supervision. Baileywick also supports Sofia going, stating his experience as a Groundhog, the Buttercups' Boy Scout counterpart, and how it gave him the skills he uses as the castle steward. Hearing this, Roland decides to make Baileywick Sofia's bodyguard telling him to go with her and make sure she comes home without a scratch and sternly states "And I mean not a single scratch." despite Sofia's protests that such a thing is unnecessary because she'll be fine on her own. Roland tells her he's just trying to keep her safe and Baileywick promises her she'll have a good time. Realizing there's no changing her father's mind, Sofia reluctantly accepts Roland's arrangments to have Baileywick as her royal escort.

The next day, Sofia is all ready to go on the hike but Baileywick overdoes his own packing in a way that ensures that he and Sofia both arrive extremely late. Baileywick also leaves Sofia flustered by providing an over the top Royal entrance and then explaining to the confused Helen and equally confused Buttercups who ask who he is and what he's doing with her that he's joining them "on the King's orders." and Helen accepts his presence as long as he can keep up with the Buttercups.

The hike begins and, along the way to their first stop, Baileywick starts to baby Sofia much to her chagrin and when they arrive Baileywick scoops Sofia into her "throne away from home" Sofia gets out of the chair stating that she can sit on the ground with everyone else but Baileywick just scoops her back into it and hands her some ice water much to Sofia's embarrassment. Helen assigns the troop their first badge-earning project: building birdhouses. Baileywick butts in and starts to build a birdhouse for Sofia despite her protests that she can do it herself. An annoyed Helen refuses to give Sofia the birdhouse badge because she knows Baileywick built it when Sofia was supposed to build it by herself and tells Baileywick that scouts only get badges if they do a good job on their own but it doesn't sink in. So due to Baileywick's interference, Sofia misses out on earning a badge, much to her disappointment but she keeps her anger to herself because she understands he was only trying to help.

At the next stop Helen gives the troop their next badge-earning project: gathering wood for their cookout. Sofia finds a log with a squirrel on it and politely asks the squirrel to let her have the log when he's done eating. But Baileywick interferes once again and starts grabbing all the logs he can carry. Sofia tries to stop him and get her own wood at the same time but Baileywick is too fast for her causing her to moan "Oh, not again!". Once again, Helen refuses to give her the wood gathering badge when she tells Baileywick again that a job well done only counts when Sofia does it by herself but still it doesn't sink in. Ruby and Jade can see that Baileywick's mollycoddling is bothering Sofia so they urge their friend to tell him to stop butting in. When the cookout begins Baileywick grabs Sofia's hot dog and begins to cook it for her. Sofia finally loses her patience and tells Baileywick straight that the Buttercup projects are things she can and must do by herself and reminds him that he promised her she would have a good time.

At the troop's next stop Helen gives the troop their next badge-earning project: flower gathering. Once again Baileywick interferes but this time it backfires in a way that actually enables Sofia to earn a badge: The flowers he ends up picking for Sofia are the very flower he was trying to protect her from: Meddelsome Myrtle, a poisonous flower whose poison takes effect when it's inhaled through the nose. Sofia leads the way back to the castle so Baileywick can receive treatment. Sofia's leadership earns her the leadership badge which earns her her Sunflower Medallion along with Ruby and Jade.

Home Video Release

 * Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast DVD

Songs

 * The Buttercups

Cast

 * Ariel Winter as Sofia
 * Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda
 * Tim Gunn as Baileywick
 * Travis Willingham as King Roland II
 * Diamond White as Ruby Hanshaw
 * Isabella Acres as Jade
 * Fiona Bishop as Meg and Peg
 * Viola Davis as Helen Hanshaw

Trivia

 * This episode introduces Ruby's mother into the series.
 * The first time Sofia is seen in scout uniform.
 * This is the second time Roland shows he's very protective of Sofia, the first was in "Let The Good Times Troll".