"Scratch the Surface" is the first segment of the ninth episode of the first season of The Ghost and Molly McGee, and the seventeenth episode overall.
Synopsis
When constantly lying to Libby about Scratch begins to take a toll, Molly struggles to keep Scratch a secret.
Plot
Molly is disappointed in the fact that she cannot tell Libby about her personal adventures with Scratch. Even when she tries to play them off, Libby somehow either becomes suspicious or tries to "help" Molly with whatever lie she made up. Scratch tells Molly that if more people found out about him, he will be "less scary" and potentially get sent to the flow of failed phantoms. Molly is devastated with the prospect that this potentially means that she would need to give up her friendship with Libby. When Scratch tells her that she would need to get a new best friend, Molly concocts an alter ego as Milly, her blue-haired Canadian cousin to be Libby's new best friend.
Molly, as Milly, meets with Libby to spend the day with her. However, Libby smells a lie, and sees through the disguise and decides to humor herself by testing her with knowledge about Canada. Afterwards, she begins to put her through a series of things that she knows Molly hates such as going through the dark fiction section of the library, eating a maple syrup covered hamburger and watching close up magic. Molly grits her teeth through these trials, but ultimately manages to make it though. Back at home, Molly cannot stand to be Milly anymore, with Scratch suggesting a new alter ego named Mally. Libby shows up at her house to see her, but Molly and Scratch flee as Libby finds some of Scratch's ectoplasm.
Molly and Scratch run throughout Brighton with Libby hot on their tail. After various close calls, Libby finally catches up to them and declares that she knows what is happening: Molly's brain has been taken over by an Eastern-Canadian Brain Slug, explaining her new persona... and the ectoplasm sample, which she confused for slug slime.
Libby "debunks" Molly.
When she realizes she is wrong, she believes that Molly no longer wants to be her friend. As a result, Molly begs Scratch to let her finally tell Libby the truth and he finally agrees, but only for her. Molly excitedly tells Libby the truth and Scratch makes himself visible for her. His appearance immediately causes Libby to faint as Molly thanks Scratch.
Cast
Main article: Scratch the Surface and Friend-Off/Credits
- Ashly Burch as Molly McGee
- Dana Snyder as Scratch
- Lara Jill Miller as Libby Stein-Torres
- Sumalee Montano as Sharon McGee
- Trevor Devall as Irving the Illusionist
Additional voices
- Trevor Devall as Paul
Non-speaking cameos
Song
Titles in other languages
| Language | Title | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Spanish (Latin America)
|
La gran revelaciĆ³n | The big reveal | |
 Spanish
|
Una amiga falsa | A fake friend | |
 Japanese
|
ć©ć£ć”ć大äŗ!? | Which one is more important!? |
Videos
Trivia
- Moral: Sometimes it's best if you tell the truth.
- Libby finds out about Scratch.
- This is the first time Molly hears about the Flow of Failed Phantoms.
- Molly is revealed to not like maple syrup.
- For the title card in this episode, it shows Molly as Milly with blue hair.
- Molly's "Crazy Friday Night" with Scratch involves a mop, some softball equipment, and a fish. The details of what really happened may or may not be revealed in a later episode, but aside from a single five second flashback, the whole ordeal is little more than a noodle incident until further notice (if ever).
- This is the first episode where Sharon McGee appears without Pete and Darryl.
Revelations and significant events
- Molly once again uses Canada as an excuse like what she did in "Hooray for Mollywood!".
- Molly's hatred of close-up magic is mentioned again after being revealed in "All Systems No".