Swiper the Explorer is the 23rd and final episode of Dora the Explorer from Season 4, or the 15th episode of Season 5 in TV airing order.
It is currently unknown why it aired so late, though it is possible that it was saved to air as an early 10th anniversary special because it had the original cast.
In production order, however, it's the 18th episode of Season 4.
To help a lost baby fox get back to his fox hole, Dora and Boots get help from an unlikely hero... Swiper! Help them past a Volcano, through the forest, and back home!
Plot[]
The episode starts with Dora and Boots playing with a ball. Suddenly, they hear a sobbing sound. They find a baby fox who was lost, and can't find his mommy. Suddenly, Swiper the fox was heard making his whisking sound. Dora & Boots stop Swiper by saying, "Swiper no Swiping" 3 times. He snaps his fingers, but just as he is about to run away as usual, he turns around, and sees the baby fox. Dora and Boots were very amazed. Swiper was playing with the baby fox. Dora & Boots told Swiper that the baby fox was lost, and needed to get home. Swiper offered to help get Baby Fox home, which surprised Dora & Boots, and they accepted his request. And so, they started taking Baby Fox home, and then Boots and Swiper both said in unison, "But, we don't know where he lives". They had to ask Map for directions on how to get Baby Fox home. When Map saw that Swiper was helping, he was most surprised. Map says that Baby Fox's family is at the fox hole. Before they can get there, they had to go past the volcano, and through the forest of prickers and thorns. Dora, Boots, and Swiper got going, and started taking Baby Fox home. Dora & Boots get ahead, and Swiper falls behind. Dora and Boots turn back, and Swiper told them that his arms were getting tired from carrying Baby Fox. Swiper needed a better way to carry Baby Fox. Dora asks Backpack, and explains that Swiper is helping. Even Backpack was most surprised, and amazed to see Swiper helping out. Swiper needed something to carry Baby Fox. Luckily, Backpack had the right tool for Swiper to carry Baby Fox. It was called a baby carrier, which is like a sack with 2 small holes where the legs go through, and a big hole on top for where one's hands and head stick out. Now, they continued on their way to the volcano. But then, Baby Fox went, "Tengo sed". Swiper asked, "What's wrong, Baby Fox?", and couldn't figure out what Baby Fox wants. He also admits that he does not know Spanish, and wishes he did. So, Dora, who speaks English and Spanish, helps Swiper out by translating for him. Baby Fox goes, "Tengo sed", which Dora understands, and translates that Baby Fox was thirsty. Suddenly, they see Benny having a picnic. Benny was surprised to see Swiper helping out. Swiper needed a drink for Baby Fox. Benny had lots of food such as salami, egg salad, and a ham on rye sandwich. He thought he packed a carton of milk. Sure enough, the viewer finds the carton of milk, and then Benny pulls out a baby bottle that he packed (for no reason). So, Benny pours the milk into the baby bottle for Baby Fox. Then at last, Dora, Boots, and Swiper reach the volcano with Baby Fox. The ground starts to shake, and the baby bottle gets knocked off Swiper's hands. The volcano erupts, and bouncy balls bury Baby Fox's bottle. There has to be a way to get it back. Swiper is good at swiping, so he manages to swipe away all the bouncy balls going from top to bottom. After that, they get the baby bottle back, and then Dora, Boots, and Swiper had to run to get away from the volcano. After running fast enough, tons and tons of bouncy balls come out of the volcano, leaving a huge mess. Dora, Boots, and Swiper check the Map to find out where to go next. Map places a checkmark on the volcano. Now they have to go to the Forest of Prickers and Thorns. They continue on their trip once again to take Baby Fox home to the fox hole. Suddenly, they meet a friendly big brown bear. He growls friendly at Baby Fox, accidentally scaring him, he cries, and the big brown bear tried to calm him down saying, "Oops don't cry, I'm a friendly bear." But the baby fox is still scared. Swiper knew a funny dance he remembered whenever he got a boo-boo. Swiper's grandma would wiggle from side-to-side, and wiggle all around. Dora, Boots, and the viewer at home try it out to cheer up Baby Fox, and stop him from crying. After the funny dance, Baby Fox was all cheered up. He even says, "wiggle wiggle." They say goodbye to the big brown bear, and head off. Dora, Boots, and Swiper reach the forest of prickers and thorns. There hear lots of wild animals in the forest of prickers and thorns. Suddenly, Diego comes along. Diego was proud that Swiper was helping out, and he knew all about animals, especially the ones who live in the forest of prickers and thorns. Diego explained that there were the Chasy Bats, the Wacky Crows, and the Scurry-Scurry Spiders. Boots asked Diego about how they're going to make it through the forest, and past the Chasy Bats, the Wacky Crows, and the Scurry-Scurry Spiders. Diego tells Boots as well as everyone else that there was only one thing to do, and that was to run - in which he finishes with the Spanish word, "corre". But Baby Fox heard Diego's command, and jumps out of the baby carrier, and bravely runs off on his own. Dora, Boots, Diego, and Swiper had to catch up with him. Baby Fox was running through the forest all by himself. It's not long until Baby Fox gets company - the Chasy Bats bring up the rear, and begin to pursue Baby Fox. Baby Fox had to run, and the viewer tells him, "Corre", which is Spanish for "Run". Baby Fox heard the viewer, and started running. Suddenly, Baby Fox stops in front of some pricker bushes. Baby fox will have to jump over the pricker bushes. The viewer helps him out by saying, "Salta", which was the Spanish word for "Jump". The viewer will have to keep telling Baby Fox to run, run, and jump by saying, "¡Corre, corre, salta!", so he can keep away from the Chasy Bats. Baby Fox gets away from the Chasy bats, and then the Wacky Crows start chasing Baby Fox. The viewer tells Baby Fox, "corre, corre, salta" and he started running, running, and jumping over more pricker bushes. So far, Baby Fox got away from the Chasy Bats, and the Wacky Crows. But then, he had to outrun the Scurry-Scurry Spiders. Once again, the viewer tells Baby Fox, "¡Corre, corre, salta!", and he runs, and runs, and jumps over a few more pricker bushes. After that, Baby Fox, Dora, Boots, Diego, and Swiper make it through the forest of prickers and thorns. They say goodbye to Diego and continue on. Dora, Boots, and Swiper were getting close to taking Baby Fox home. They checked the Map one more time to figure out where to go next. They went past the volcano, and “ran, and ran, and jumped" through the forest of prickers and thorns. Map places a checkmark on both of those places. Now just had to go to the Fox Hole. The viewer told Dora, Boots, and Swiper that they need to go to the Fox Hole and they did so. And in no time, Baby Fox was home with his parents. Dora explained to Mami and Papi Fox that Swiper helped out. Baby Fox leaped in to Swiper’s arms and he felt that if Baby Fox was happy, then he was happy too.
The namesake Flash game was released in 2008, but it instead focuses on destroying all the Robot Butterflies and Robot Caterpillars when they steal all the toys. However another game that is based on this episode called "Swiper's Big Adventure" was later released in 2010.
This is the first produced non-double-length episode of the series with it's own title card.
The remastered version of this episode uses the Nickelodeon Productions Logo from 2009-present on TV and Paramount Plus. However, the VHS/DVD home media and Noggin Prime Video version still uses the 1999-2005 Nick Jr. Productions Logo.
In the VHS/DVD version, when the Nick Jr. Productions logo appears, the ending theme, and Swiper's "Oh, man!" can still be heard. Then, the logo's audio is heard. When the logo fades out, the logo’s audio fades out as well.
Unlike the VHS/DVD version, the restored version of this episode aired on TV has Swiper swiping the word "Dora" from the title card and replacing it with "Swiper", thus the title card reads "Swiper the Explorer" after the theme song.
This is the first episode to premiere in 2010 and the 2010's decade.
This is the first episode in which Swiper reveals his good side as a fox throughout the whole episode.
This is the first episode where Swiper travels with Dora and Boots. It will happen again in Dora's Dance to the Rescue.
The copyright year reads "2003" instead of 2006, 2008, or 2010, meaning this episode was produced in 2003.
This is the last episode for a few things in airing order:
This is the last episode where Map checks off the places that were passed before Dora takes over.
This is also the last episode without the picture pop-up sequence until the CGI series.
This is the last episode where Map does not zoom wipe at all during his segments.
This is not only the last episode where Dora has her star pocket attached to Backpack, but also the last episode where Backpack has the star pocket on her during her segment.
This is the last episode for Gabriel Alvarez to voice Diego and Jake Burbage to voice Benny, as well as the final episode for Kathleen Herles to voice Dora and Harrison Chad to voice Boots.
This is the last episode for a few things in production order:
This is Swiper's last appearance in the original art style before using the redesign introduced in Go, Diego, Go!, as he didn't appear in thenextthree.
This is the last half-hour episode of Season 4 where Map and the Fiesta Trio do not sing the full version of "I'm the Map", as the following two half-hour episodes will have his full song.
In this episode, Swiper admits to Dora and Boots on the fact that he doesn't speak Spanish and wishes he does; Dora translates for him since she knows English and Spanish.
However, he lives on Blueberry Hill and in order to get in, one has to say "Abre", which is Spanish for "Open". It is possible that "Abre" is the only Spanish word he understands, or if not, either the gate to his home just opens and closes on its own just for him or he would jump over the fence.
This is the last episode in which the Old Nickelodeon logo doesn't appear at all.
Boots sits on a log and Dora sits on her knees on the grass as they tell their favorite parts at the end of the episode but after she asks the viewer what his/her favorite part of the trip was (in his/her opinion about Swiper's heroic adventure), she says "That was a great part!!", rather than "I like that too".
Boots and Swiper often speak in unison when talking to Dora.
A fireworks sound effect is heard when the balls come out of the volcano. It would later be used in "We're a Team!".
This is also the fourth instance where Swiper swipes something in the volcano, first being Bouncing Ball, second being Roberto the Robot, and third being We're a Team! (flashback scene from Boots' story). But this time, he swipes the bouncy balls to retrieve Baby Fox's bottle.
In any case, however, in this episode, it was the first location, while in both Roberto the Robot and We're a Team!, it was the second location, and in Bouncing Ball, it was the destination.
Map, Backpack, Benny, and Diego were surprised to see Swiper helping Baby Fox get home.
This is the second episode in which Backpack asks the viewer(s) to say "Backpack!", first being Boots' Cuddly Dinosaur.
This episode was originally an old episode but when Nickelodeon aired this on TV on March 21, 2010, some people thought it was new and old (because it is seen on a VHS tape and DVD in 2006 first before it aired on TV).
Dora and Boots do not sing the Travel Song in this episode but if they did then it would've been the first episode and Swiper's first time singing it. However, he first sings it in Dora's Dance to the Rescue.
When Dora and Boots says "Swiper, no swiping!", the audio is taken from La Maestra de Música.
When Swiper says "Hooray!" during the We Did It! song, the audio is taken from Whose Birthday is It?.
It is possible that the reason why Swiper wants to help the baby fox is because he, himself, is a fox as well.
This episode premiered exactly 5 years after Big Sister Dora.
Even though this is a Season 5 episode (in TV airing order), it was produced during Season 4, as it was made in 2003. It is unknown how this episode aired super late, though it is possible that it was saved to air as an early 10th anniversary special because it had the original cast.
In airing order, this was the last time the Explorer Stars of any kind appeared in the intro, they are most likely removed and retired in Season 5, and the Star Pocket is also retired and removed in full after this episode, because star-catching would cause time constraints.
When this episode first aired in 2010, it later premiered on Toggolino and Nick Jr that same year.
However, it is likely that the reason why this episode was saved for 2010 is because the original cast wanted to celebrate the 10th anniversary by airing an episode with their voices as a surprise for Dora fans who miss the original voices, the crew decided to air this episode in 2010. although the true 10th anniversary special for the series that aired the month of it was still Dora's Big Birthday Adventure.
This is the only Season 4 episode to premiere in 2010.
Both episodes have Dora and Boots encounter the lost baby animal at the beginning in a bush while playing. Baby Blue Bird during hide and seek and Baby Fox during catch.
Both episodes have the animal get hungry in the middle of the adventure. Baby Blue Bird for bananas and Baby Fox for a bottle of milk.
Both episodes have something big scare the little animal at the second location. Scarecrow for Baby Blue Bird and Friendly Bear for Baby Fox.
Both episodes have the characters do a dance to eventually cheer up the animal. The monkey dance for Baby Blue Bird and Swiper's wiggle for Baby Fox.
Both episodes have the characters concerned if the baby animal runs into some dangerous animals. The mean red ants for Baby Blue Bird and the chasey bats, wacky crows, and the scurry scurry spiders for Baby Fox.
Both episodes have the mother excited to see her baby at the end.
Goofs/Errors[]
It is unknown why Benny packed a baby bottle in his picnic basket. He even mentions that as he pulled it out.
