Parental Bonding

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"Parental Bonding" *Danny Phantom episode*
Parental Bonding title card "In Sensational Dragon-Vision"
Season	1
Number	2
Prod. code	003
Airdate	April 10, 2004
Writer(s)	Steve Marmel, Sib Ventress
Directors	Wincat Alcala, Sean Dempsey, Butch Hartman
Ghost Appearances	Dora The Dragon Ghost (1st)
Abbreviation	PB

Previous episode Mystery Meat
Next episode One of a Kind

"Parental Bonding" is the second episode of the TV-series, Danny Phantom. Danny tries his might to ask Paulina out on a date while trying to fend off a ghost dragon at the same time.

[edit] Episode Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Danny is in the lab before school, eyeing Jack and his newest invention - the Fenton Ghost Fisher. Jack has to leave for a moment to use the restroom so he gives the fisher for Danny to hold until his return. It snags a ghost which Danny reels to reveal a dragon ghost. Danny gets on the defensive and fights the dragon, until her amulet comes off of her, reverting her to that of a ghost girl from Medieval times (who desires to go to a princess costume ball), leaving Danny completely baffled.

Danny vs. Ghost Dragon

Later at school, the dance is coming up in a matter of days. Danny and Tucker are both excited despite their lack of dates while Sam proceeds to display her utter displeasure on being asked out. She is interrupted when Danny and Tucker eye the class beauty, Paulina. With a push from Tucker, Danny awkwardly tries to ask her to the dance, but his nervous behavior triggers his ghost powers, causing his pants to fall. Paulina and the entire school starts laughing at Danny until Sam confronts her. She fights back by calling her shallow to which Paulina takes offense. As an act of revenge, she vows to take Danny away from Sam.

Later in the hallway, Paulina confronts Danny at his locker until Dash interrupts and shoves him into it. An invisible and angry Danny sneaks behind Dash only to discovers his power of possessing people, or overshadowing them. He overshadows Dash and embarrasses him in front of Paulina. Afterwards, after Paulina frees him from the locker, the amulet from earlier falls out of Danny's backpack. Paulina immediately sees it and with a fib from Danny that he got it for her, she agrees to the dance with him. As she walks away, her eyes, as well as the amulet, glow. Danny's pants fall down once again, which gets him in trouble with Mr. Lancer, now wanting to discuss this matter with his parents.

Too afraid to confront his currently frustrated father (when his Fenton fisher has yet to snag a ghost), Danny overshadows him, and takes him to the conference where he is let off easily by flattering Mr. Lancer. Lancer likes Mr. Fenton's style so much he lets him chaperone the school dance.

Later, Danny, Sam, and Tucker are in the mall where Tucker still has yet to gain a date and Sam expresses her distaste for Paulina. At the same time, Paulina is in a store shopping for a shirt while wearing the amulet. Admiring a limited edition of a shirt and with nothing left her size, she becomes furious, unleashing the amulet's power and the dragon within. Danny fights the dragon, enough to revert Paulina back to her normal self causing her to not remember her events as a dragon (but acquiring the shirt she desired). Shortly afterwards, Tucker gets himself a date with Valerie Gray when her previous partner, Kwan, asked someone else.

The trio research the amulet on the internet and learn what triggers its power before heading to the dance: extreme distress or anger leads the wearer of the amulet (which Danny recognizes as the one he gave to Paulina) to transform into a dragon. Afterwards, Sam once again displays her hatred for the dance to which Danny concludes she secretly desires to go, so by possessing Tucker, he gets her to go as his date saying Valerie stood him up to which Sam agrees.

Danny and Sam slow dance together

Meanwhile, Danny goes with Paulina, trying to get back the amulet and deal with his father whom he has to constantly overshadow. There, Danny lies about the amulet, saying it belongs to Sam. This causes Paulina to become angry and suck all of her punch out with a lizard-like tongue before crushing the glass in her hand. Afterwards, he tells Tucker to keep an eye on his father while Sam tries to find Paulina. She catches her in the restroom and apologizes for calling her shallow. Learning that Sam is just Danny's friend and not girlfriend as she previously assumed, Paulina gives back the amulet to Sam (by placing it around her neck) and confesses how she played with Danny's heart. Sam gets furious which instantly turns her into the dragon and kidnaps Paulina who fainted upon seeing her.

Upon discovering the dragon, Danny fights it off (later discovering it to be Sam) and manages to capture her with the Fenton Fisher, tying her up and pulling the amulet off. With the date gone bust, Sam asks Danny for one last dance while Tucker complains on his lack of a date again. The ghost girl then appears who wants to go to the ball, causing Tucker to decide he's in no hurry for a date.