Joe Gets a Clue is the 23rd episode of Blue's Clues from Season 4.
Characters Present[]
- Blue
- Steve
- Joe
- Sidetable Drawer
- Mailbox
- Horace (cameo)
- Boris (cameo)
- Tickety (end credits only)
- Shovel (end credits only)
- Slippery (end credits only)
- Mr. Salt (end credits only)
- Mrs. Pepper (end credits only)
- Phaderus
- Franny
Summary[]
Joe is excited when he plays Blue's Clues for the very first time.
Recap[]
The episode starts with Joe looking for Steve, and Steve looking for Joe. Blue has something she wants to give to Joe, but first Steve has to find him. Steve and Joe end up in a back and forth hide and seek game, with both of them looking for each other inside and outside, until finally, they meet up outside. After that, they tell Blue the viewers helped to find Joe. This episode is about Joe playing his first game of Blue's Clues, in which he tries to find out what Blue wants to give him. Joe gets a tutorial lesson with Steve on how to play Blue's Clues. Steve told Joe about the part where they had to get rid of the pawprint. In the past, they bounced it away, wiped it away, and wiped it off with a squeegee. Joe had a turn at removing the pawprint by snapping his fingers and it disappeared leaving sparkles of glitter. Steve and Joe go to Sidetable to get out the notebook. After that, Steve and the viewers helped to explain the playing of Blue's Clues to Joe. Steve reminds Joe that they should keep their eye out for a blue pawprint. Then, Steve and Joe started looking. Joe thought he found a clue. It was the color blue, but it was not a pawprint, it was a block. Joe understood and remembers that a clue is a blue pawprint. Steve and Joe try again and when they got to the kitchen, Joe thought We said "Blue", and Steve thought We said "shoe", but soon see the clue. Joe double-checks that he saw a pawprint and it was the color blue which meant it was a clue. Steve was glad because Joe found his first clue. Now Steve gets out his notebook and tells Joe that they had to draw the first clue in the notebook. The first clue was paper. So, what could Blue want to give to Joe with paper? Joe had a few ideas, he thought Blue could give him a pile of paper, a paper airplane, or a paper doll. Steve thought those were good ideas but he suggests that they should find some more clues to get more information. Steve and Blue had to get the mail. Steve tells Mailbox that Joe was doing great on his first playing of Blue's Clues and Steve also tells Mailbox that Joe found his first clue. Steve gets the letter from Mailbox. The letter was a quick playing similar to Blue's Clues but it was called Kierstin's Clues: a game used to hide three handprints on three objects, but only to figure out what time it is for her. A girl looks for handprints. The girl found the first clue: a blanket. So she uses a notebook with a sun picture on it as her handy dandy notebook. So she draws the first clue. Next, she sees another handprint on a pillow and draws it in the notebook. And finally, the girl sees the third clue which was a teddy bear or maybe a stuffed animal. So she draws it in her notebook. She sits on a couch as a thinking chair and announced "Let's think." She knows that it is Kierstin's nap time so she can join her. So the two girls wave a sleepy goodbye to Steve and they start going to sleep. After reading the letter, Joe was looking under the bed. Steve looks under the bed as well and asks what are we doing. Joe explains that he was trying to find Blue and that she is hiding. Blue calls out from afar. Steve and Joe saw Blue. Steve explained to Joe that she skidooed into a toy board with colored block shapes. Steve skidoos and then Joe skidoos into the picture of colored shapes. Joe touches some shapes and then they slide open like a sliding door. Joe did not see Steve or Blue. They were hiding. Joe had to figure out where Steve and Blue are hiding. Steve gives Joe a hint, Steve said that he and Blue are hiding behind the shape that is closest to the red circle. Joe looks behind the yellow diamond and there were Steve and Blue. Now it was Joe's turn to hide with Blue. Steve tries to look for them. Joe says that he and Blue are hiding behind the shape that is farthest away from the biggest circle. Steve looks behind the blue triangle and he finds Joe and Blue. Steve and Joe thought they could find some clues behind some shapes. Joe and Steve found the second clue behind the rectangle and it was a crayon hidden inside. Joe remembers that they had to draw it in the notebook. Steve draws the second clue, a crayon in the notebook. After that, Joe asks what the first clue was. The viewers tell him it was paper and Steve tells Joe the second clue was a crayon. Steve and Joe had to figure out what Blue wants to give to Joe that has paper and a crayon. Joe had three ideas. He thought a drawing, a coloring book, or a card could be what Blue wants to give him that uses paper and a crayon. Steve liked Joe's ideas but they only had two clues. Joe understands that they had to find the third clue so they can put all the clues together. Steve was proud of Joe. Now, Steve and Joe had to skidoo back home. After Steve skidooed, a green rectangle opens to reveal the third clue. Joe was about to skidoo when he saw that there was a third clue but Joe did not have the notebook. Joe calls out to Steve and he skidoos back into the picture. Joe shows him the third clue. Steve was very impressed. Steve gets out the notebook and he was about to draw when he decides that he should let Joe draw the third clue. The third clue was a spiral. Joe holds the notebook using his right hand and he draws with his left hand. They suddenly realize that they have all three clues. Steve says you know what that means and Joe says "Actually, I don't". Steve tells Joe that it is time to sit in the thinking chair. Steve and Joe skidoo back home together. Once they got to the thinking chair, only one could sit in it. Steve lets Joe sit in the thinking chair while he kneels on the right arm-rest. Now that Joe was in the thinking chair he was not sure what he had to do. The viewers tell him, to think. Steve tells Joe that they had to think about all three clues. Joe gets out Steve's notebook and reviews the clues one at a time. the first clue was paper, the second clue was a crayon and the third clue was a spiral. Steve and Joe had to think about what Blue wanted to give to Joe that has paper, a crayon, and a spiral. Joe thought he could use the crayon and draw on the paper. Then he realized that he has to figure out how to put the spiral in. Joe thought he could use the spiral to hold the paper together. He asks himself about what Blue wanted to give Joe where you draw on the paper using a crayon that is held together with a spiral. The viewers told him a notebook. Steve and Joe said it in unison. Because a notebook has paper for pages, a crayon to draw with, and a spiral to hold the paper together. Joe proudly declares that they put all three clues together. They just figured out Blue's Clues. Steve tells Joe not to move while he and Blue went to get out Joe's surprise. Steve thought that Joe played an amazing game of Blue's Clues, and he decides that it was time for Joe to have his very own handy-dandy notebook as his reward. Joe looks at his new notebook and it was shaped like the thinking chair. Joe is very thankful for what Blue has done, and now he can play Blue's Clues whenever he wants.
Elements[]
- Question: What does Blue want to give to Joe?
- Clues:
- 1. Paper
- 2. A crayon
- 3. A spiral
- Answer: A Notebook
- Skidoo location: A shaped board
- Living room picture: An outline of the Blue's Clues House, then an envelope, then The Thinking Chair, then a notebook and crayon
- Felt frame picture: Fifi and Freddy giving a present
- Joe’s Colored Shirt: Green
- Snail Appearances: (1. under the tree) (2. beside the Thinking Chair) (3. beside the bookcase)
Joe's Ideas[]
The first clue:
- Paper
- Paper Airplane
- Paper Doll
The first two clues:
- Drawing
- Coloring Book
- Card
Kierstin's Clues[]
- Question: What time is it for Kierstin?
- Clues:
- 1. A blanket
- 2. A pillow
- 3. A teddy bear
- Answer: Naptime
Objects[]
- Notebook
Video Releases[]
- Meet Joe! (VHS, 2002)
- Get to Know Joe! (DVD, 2002)
Trivia[]
- This episode was the second part of the primetime special, "Joe's Scrapbook".
- The episode starts outside the Blue's Clues house when Joe is looking for Steve, and Steve is looking for Joe.
- Horace and Boris made cameo appearances twice. First, when Steve and Joe are finding the first clue, we see them both next to the lamp. Second, before the Skidoo segment, we see them in a picture in the bedroom.
- In the theme song when after Steve starts singing "Cause they're Blue's Clues, Blue's Clues", Joe says "Blue's Clues!" which was basically the same thing like what viewers said in late Season 1 episodes to mid Season 2 episodes, but Joe however doesn't say "Blue's Clues!" again, before the third clue part.
- After when Steve and Joe find the 1st clue, Joe says "Now what do we do?" which is what Steve used to say in Seasons 1 and 2 episodes, which was the only time Joe says it, because he still needs to learn how he can play Blue's Clues.
- This is the last episode to feature the Seasons 3 & 4 silent opening if an episode began outside the house, However it's still used in the UK versions of Colors Everywhere! and Patience.
- This is the second time in a row to have both Steve and Joe in one episode, after Joe's First Day.
- This is the 1st episode of the whole series where Steve and Joe play Blue's Clues together from start to finish. However, in the next episode which is the season four finale, they played together but just for a short time.
- Steve and Joe both spoke and sung in unison. They both said "right" and "because they're Blue's Clues, Blue's Clues", just to name a few.
- Although Joe and Steve are both looking for clues, Steve still picked up the Mail.
- Joe never got the Mail until in The Big Book About Us.
- Joe didn't know that he was supposed to duck down after singing "we can do anything" (so Blue can leap onto the TV screen) and then get back up after singing "that we want to do". But starting in the next episode, he remembers to do these actions.
- Joe tells the viewers that this was indeed the first episode where he got to skidoo for the first time.
- Joe got a turn at drawing in Steve's notebook after the viewer found the third clue which was the first time. It is revealed that Joe is left-handed.
- This episode holds the record for the shortest time that two clues were found in a fast time between each other. The third clue was found just seconds after discussing the first two clues. (about less than one and a half minutes after the second was found).
- This is the third episode where Blue skidooed off-screen.
- This is the first episode where a host skidoos before the viewer does, the second being Joe's Clues where Joe skidoos first instead of Blue.
- Steve lets Joe sit in the thinking chair for the clue review while Steve leaned on the arm-rest.
- This is the last episode in the original series where "We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues" was sung after figuring out Blue's Clues until "Meet Josh!" in Blue's Clues & You!. In fact, it is the only episode where Joe sings it but only with Steve instead of him alone.
- Joe said "Wonder where they are" speaking instead of singing it.
- This is the second of two episodes on the video "Meet Joe!".
- Throughout the episode, Joe speculates on what it is that Blue might want to give him, a task that is normally left to the audience. Steve did something similar in Snack Time, the very first episode of the series, only speculating on what Blue wants for a snack.
- This episode was the second of three episodes designed to introduce the Joe character and was shown during primetime. It was also included in the Meet Joe! Scrapbook.
- In this episode, Joe and Steve perform a duet of "We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues". Steve sings the first line, Joe sings the second, they both sing the third, and Steve does the last spoken one to make it end. This is the only time this happens.
- Mailbox and Sidetable Drawer are the only credited main animated characters other than Blue.
- This episode uses the "Thinking chair!" phrase from Bugs!.
- The video letter in this episode is adapted from What Time Is It for Blue?.
- This marks the final time the original Handy Dandy Notebook would be used but makes two more appearances in the next episode. And the very last appearance in the Season 5 finale Blue's First Holiday. It made a cameo appearance in Blue's Big City Adventure.
- This episode also marks the final time where Steve draws a clue in his notebook, which is a crayon. As a result, this marks the final time to hear the bass play whenever Steve draws clues in the notebook.
- The third clue would use the bass, but then because Steve decided Joe should draw the clue, the tuba was heard instead.
- This episode marks the first time the tuba music plays whenever Joe draws clues in the notebook.
- This is the only episode where Joe draws in Steve's notebook.
- This episode marks the debut of Joe's Handy Dandy Notebook.
- This is the second episode where Steve has someone else thinking with him. The first was in Magenta Gets Glasses.
- This is the last episode in which Steve plays Blue's Clues from start to finish in terms of his regular form. The official finale time was in Blue's First Holiday, when he plays the game when he was young (the first time when he played the game). His last time in this regular form was only for a short time in Steve Goes to College.
- Steve mentioned using a squeegee to clean the pawprint, referring to the time he pretended to be a window washer to clean the pawprint from Occupations.
- This is the last US episode to feature the zooming out the house before the credits from the Steve era.
- When Steve and Joe skidoo to the shape picture and when both of them skidoo back home, the toy plane that appeared in Mechanics! appears on top of the purple bookshelf.
- This is the only time Joe sings "We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues".
- Shovel appears without Pail during the end credits.
- When the girls say, "Bye, Steve!" calmly as they sleep, the slow version of the ending of "We Just Figured Out Blue's Clues" from "Shy" plays. The first time this happened was in Making Changes with a boy saying it, but he only whispered it as his baby brother slept.
- The crayon clue in this episode is similar to the first clue from What Blue wants to give the guests at her party in Blue's Birthday Adventure as it is represented by a single crayon. in other episodes featuring a Crayon clue, it is represented by multiple crayons and is called Crayons.
- This is the last episode where Steve uses his notebook.
- This is the only time two hosts skidoo back home at the same time.
- No other characters besides Blue, Mailbox, and Sidetable Drawer appeared in this episode.
- The background music would later be reused in Joe's Surprise Party.
- In this episode, the notebook is the answer, but it was the first clue in Inventions and Blue's Big Musical.
- In this episode, Mailtime happens for Steve after the first clue is found. This happened earlier in Geography.
- In this episode, "You know what to do." is changed to "And then what do we do?" said by Joe.
- In this episode, Steve teaches Joe how to think. However, in Something To Do Blue, he teaches Blue how to think.
- Another name for this episode is called "Something To Do Joe".
- In this episode, there are two clues in the skidoo segment. This is the only time this happens.
- In this episode, Steve draws the first two clues and Joe draws the last one.
Goofs[]
- In the Mailtime segment, Kierstin Carroll's name is misspelled as Kirsten in the closed-captioning.
- The rectangle where the third clue was located and the square where Joe enters after skidooing change colors after Joe skidoos.
- Before skidooing: third clue rectangle was orange
- Square Joe enters: green
- After skidooing: third clue rectangle becomes green
- Square Joe enters changes to orange
- Even after Joe skidoos into the picture with the shapes, the picture can still be seen on the rug in the bedroom on the bottom left of the screen while Steve, Joe, and Blue are inside it.
- When Steve says, "It's a letter from our friends.", footage of the youngest girl in the thinking chair is used.
Gallery[]

Watch Episode[]
Blue's Clues Season 4 |
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Imagine Nation | Adventure | The Anything Box | Superfriends | What's New, Blue? | Blue's New Place | Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper Day | The Baby's Here! | Making Changes | Bugs! | ¡Un Día Con Plum! | What's Inside? | Blocks | Let's Boogie | Blue's Backyard Ballgame Bonanza | Let's Plant | Joe's First Day | Joe Gets a Clue | Steve Goes to College |
Held Back Episodes |
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Blue's Book Nook | Rhyme Time | Puppets | Blue's School | Something To Do Blue |