Ep 7. The Five Finger Discount

The Five Finger Discount is the seventh episode of the first season of the Canadian animated sitcom 6teen, originally aired on November 27, 2004, on Teletoon. The episode focuses on the gang's involvement in a shoplifting incident at the mall, resulting in much drama, humor, and character development.

The episode opens with Jen attempting to buy a new shirt from the Khaki Barn, an upscale clothing store at the mall. However, the shirt is too expensive, leading her to lament about the financial challenges of being a teenager. Meanwhile, Jonesy is struggling to make rent, leading him to try his hand at selling counterfeit watches at a kiosk in the mall. Jude is in charge of the Stick It ice cream cart, Nikki is working at the Khaki Barn, and Wyatt is at Underground Video, a DVD and video game store.

Things take a turn when Ron, the mall's head of security, announces that there have been multiple shoplifting incidents in the mall and that everyone needs to be on high alert. The gang is initially unfazed, but when Nikki is accused of shoplifting at the Khaki Barn, they begin to take the situation more seriously. Nikki insists that she didn't steal anything, but Ron produces security footage showing her putting a shirt in her bag.

The gang is torn between believing Nikki and wanting to avoid trouble with Ron, who they view as an overzealous security guard. Eventually, they decide to investigate the situation themselves, with Jonesy using his connection to a mall janitor to see the security footage from another camera angle. They discover that Nikki's actions were misinterpreted and that she was innocently returning a shirt to the store. However, they also see that Jude took a candy bar from the Stick It cart without paying.

The group is horrified and confronts Jude about his actions. Jude initially tries to justify his behavior by saying that it was just a candy bar and that the store owes him for all the free samples he's given out over the years. However, the gang points out that stealing is wrong, and that he could get in serious trouble for his actions. Jude realizes the error of his ways and agrees to return the candy bar, although things don't go quite as planned.

Jude tries to return the candy bar to the store, but he's caught in the act by the Khaki Barn's security guard. The gang rushes to his defense, with Jonesy masquerading as a lawyer and Wyatt as a witness. The situation quickly spirals out of hand, with the gang getting into a fistfight with the security guard and Ron getting involved as well. Eventually, the situation is de-escalated when Nikki reveals that she has a receipt proving that Jude bought the candy bar in the first place.

The episode ends with everyone being let off the hook, although with a stern lecture from Ron about the importance of obeying mall rules. The gang agrees to be more careful in the future, with Jude vowing never to steal again. The episode manages to balance humor and drama, and showcases each character's strengths and weaknesses. It also offers a realistic portrayal of the challenges of being a teenager, including financial struggles and the importance of making the right choices in difficult situations. Overall, The Five Finger Discount is a standout episode of 6teen, and a must-watch for fans of the show.