Love at First Byte

Oh, now I get it. You got a thing for that girl robot.

When Mom becomes overwhelmed with organizing a block party, she asks Phineas and Ferb for their help in making the party’s finale memorable. Meanwhile, Candace plans to bust her brothers, but their team up with Mom throws a bit of a wrench into her situation. Over at the block party, Doofenshmirtz tries to set Norm up with a female robot, but Norm’s nerves get the best of him.

Episode Summary
Linda is trying to set up a block party, and she tells the boys that she is overwhelmed with all the work she has to do. Phineas and Ferb think of ideas for the party finale, and they decide on a laser light show. Linda then gives them a list of companies that do light shows, but Phineas decides that they should just build it themselves instead. Lawrence then arrives dressed up as a Mardi Gras jester, or a "sock puppet" as most think; he explains that he is the DJ for the block party, and wonders where Perry is.

Major Monogram informs Perry about his mission, which involves the block party. He states that Doofenshmirtz is attending the party, reportedly "for the fun of it", and Agent P has to make sure that he isn't doing evil. However, he has to be in disguise because he is so close to his host family, and ends up dressing as a balloon version of himself.

Candace, in her room, wants to bust the boys, but they haven't done anything bustable all day. However, Stacy promptly points out a robotic insect that Phineas and Ferb have made. Candace immediately goes out and asks Phineas what they're doing, and he explains that they are making the laser light show for the finale. Candace heads straight into the house after learning about their project and yells for Linda.

At Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated, Doofenhsmirtz and Norm have plans to go to the block party, but Norm doesn't want to go because he doesn't have a date. Doof gives Norm advice to go stag, clarifying that he does not mean for Norm to dress as a wild forest animal. Norm is still disappointed, but Doof tells him that he might meet a nice popcorn machine or blender. Norm then agrees to go.

Phineas and Ferb show Isabella, Buford, and Baljeet the P.H.L.A.S.E.R, the machine that will create the laser light show for the party. While Phineas goes to get some towels to polish the lenses, Candace sits in a lawn chair, muttering to herself how the situation is "unbustable". Stacy then drags Candace away.

Perry, still in disguise, bounces across some port-a-potties and lands in a balloon booth, where he starts to spy on Doofenshmirtz.

Doof is helping Norm be smooth in order to ask out a popcorn machine, but a cotton candy cart rolls up, and Doof says that someone else has gotten her. Norm sighs, but then lights up when he sees a female robot, Chloe, through the crowd. Doof realizes that Norm has his eye on her and convinces Norm to make his move by asking what her sign is. He goes up to introduce himself, but upon Chloe's response (Pisces), returns to Doof as he doesn't know what to say next. Doof reveals that Charlene was a Pisces, and remarks that the two robots could well end up marrying and then slowly divorcing over the years. He then tell Norm what to do next.

Balthazar Horowitz walks up to Perry but Perry shushes him and makes him a balloon fedora so he can keep his cover.

Major Monogram contacts Perry over the wrist beacon but Perry notices that Major Monogram is right behind him with an ice cream cone. Major Monogram awkwardly signs off and yells at Carl for not telling him that Agent P was right there.

Norm walks up to Chloe and after an awkward conversation ends up challenging her to a dance off. He walks back to Doof and Doof tells Norm to try to get out of his own head, Norm isn't sure how to do that and Doof pushes Norm out to the dance floor.

Up on stage, Lawrence turns on the music and Norm and Chloe dance. At the end of the song, Norm's head flies off and lands on the P.H.L.A.S.E.R, shorting it out and activating the grand finale prematurely. Isabella and the Fireside Girls hand out safety glasses to protect people from the light.

A stream of multi-color light streams come out of the exploding P.H.L.A.S.E.R as the crowd stares in awe. The show ends and Norm's head falls back on to his body, upside-down.

Norm and Chloe hold hands and Doof arrives to congratulate Norm for being "Smoothtastic". Rodney suddenly appears and pulls Chloe away from Norm for hanging out with that "Rustbed Romeo". Doof tries to yell back at Rodney, but can't think of an insult. Norm and Chloe say their goodbyes, quoting from Romeo and Juliet, and Doof tells Norm that he didn't need Chloe anyway.

Linda comes to thank the boys, but then "busts" them for leaving her guest towels dirty and all over the ground. Candace complains that out of all the things Phineas and Ferb have done this summer, she is upset about this. Linda then tells the boys to clean up and goes to make dinner, leaving Candace frustrated.

Songs

 * Robot Love Song

End Credits
Second verse of Robot Love Song.

What'cha doin'?
None.

Oh, there you are, Perry
None.

Perry's entrance to his lair
None.

Evil Jingle
Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated!

Background Information

 * Balthazar Horowitz is seen without his hat on for the first time.
 * Ninth time that Rodney appears in the show. ("The Bully Code", "Nerdy Dancin'", "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!", "Robot Rodeo", "A Real Boy", "Bullseye!", "Road to Danville", "Great Balls Of Water")
 * Rodney is revealed to have a robot as well, Chloe.
 * The second time Norm raps. ("A Real Boy")
 * For the first time, Linda legitimately "busts" Phineas and Ferb.
 * Baljeet, Jack Johnson, Suzy, Vivian Garcia-Shapiro and Carl appeared but did not speak in this episode.
 * Isabella has one line of dialogue again in this episode.
 * Dan and Swampy's lookalikes have a cameo. Hmm..._those_guys_look_familiar.jpg
 * Monogram tells Perry to Laissez le bon temps rouler, which is "Let the good times roll" in French, a phrase often associated with Mardis Gras.
 * Vivian Garcia-Shapiro is seen with the man that she was dancing with towards the end of Happy New Year. He may be related to her as the man was seen at the Mexican-Jewish Cultural festival in "Picture This".
 * Arguably, Perry didn't contribute to the main plot. He does not interact with Phineas, Ferb or Doofenshmirtz and he is not seen at all after Monogram and Carl find him in person.
 * They celebrated Mardi Gras, a holiday that Doofenshmirtz previously described as "a waste unless you own a candy store." ("Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!")

Production Information

 * On Disney SVOD, the episode is listed as "What is Love?"
 * This episode was aired at Disney Channel on Demand on August 1, 2013.
 * This episode aired exactly five years after "Got Game?" and "Comet Kermillian".

International Premieres

 * August 17, 2013 (Disney Channel Brazil)
 * September 27, 2013 (Family Channel Canada)
 * September 30, 2013 (Disney Channel Russia)
 * November 17, 2013 (Disney Channel Latin America)
 * December 8, 2013 (Disney XD Latin America)
 * December 15, 2013 (Disney XD Spain)
 * January 16, 2014 (Disney Channel Portugal)

Errors

 * When Linda was talking to Candace in the beginning, the bottom of her arm is pink.
 * Even though Doofenshmirtz attends the block party, he states he hates Mardi Gras according to "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!".
 * Mardi Gras is usually celebrated in February, not in the summer.
 * The necklaces that Candace wears decrease in length between shots.
 * Sometimes Balthazar is seen with his inflatable fedora, but other times he's wearing his regular baseball hat.

Continuity
None.

Allusions

 * Love at first sight - The title is a play on this common phrase. It also parodies the title of the Susan St. James-George Hamilton 1979 film Love at First Bite as well as the title of episodes of The Facts of Life, Small Wonder and Hurricanes and the 2000 book by Christine Harris.
 * Romeo and Juliet - Norm and Chloe say lines from the tragic Shakespeare play when they part.
 * Mardi Gras/New Orleans - The Block party is Mardi Gras themed, which is a big party that takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in New Orleans. Also Linda offers the boy Beignets (the official state doughnut of Louisiana) instead of pie at the end of the episode.

Cast

 * Vincent Martella as Phineas, Additional Voices
 * Ashley Tisdale as Candace
 * Thomas Sangster as Ferb
 * Caroline Rhea as Mom
 * Richard O'Brien as Dad
 * Dan Povenmire as Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Additional Voices
 * Jeff "Swampy" Marsh as Major Monogram, Additional Voices
 * John Viener as Norm
 * John O'Hurley as Roger
 * Dee Bradley Baker as Perry
 * Maulik Pancholy as Baljeet
 * Bobby Gaylor as Buford, Additional Voices
 * Alyson Stoner as Isabella
 * Kelly Hu as Stacy
 * Ming-Na Wen as Dr. Hirano
 * J.G. Orrantia as Rodney
 * Jennifer Wong as Chloe, Additional Voices
 * Django Marsh as Balthazar Horowitz
 * Additional voices: Billy Gardell


 *  designates a character that did not appear in this episode
 *  designates a character who appears but does not speak