Skumm encourages fear and panic in a small town when a local teen finds out he's HIV-positive.
Provides examples of:
- And That's Terrible: Todd's response to finding out he has AIDS:Todd: Who cares how I got it, it stinks!
- Bittersweet Ending: The team manages to bring the townspeople back to their senses, meaning that Todd won't be bullied anymore (at least not at home), but he's still got a serious disease that will cut his life short and cut down his opportunities, such as potentially making him unable to start a family.
- Drowning Pit: Skumm traps the Planeteers in his hideout that was slowly filling with water. Beforehand, he managed to securely bind them to prevent movement or use of their rings. Wheeler was knocked unconscious, but he wasn't quite bound as his ring hand was still free. Once he wakes up, he manages to use his ring to blow open the locked door and release the trapped water.
- Jerkass: Verminous Skumm who spreads malicious rumors about Todd Andrews causing his hometown to turn against him (barring his own mother, his brother and his basketball coach) for no reason other than poisoning the minds of society.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The episode contains one of the few occasions in which Captain Planet became angry and dropped the puns and wisecracks out of indignation with Skumm's scheme of the week.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The episode was inspired by the story of Ryan White who also contracted HIV after a blood transfusion and ended up getting harassed by the folks of his local town.
- Very Special Episode: The story involved Skumm spreading lies about a young AIDS sufferer such as the virus could be contracted just through casual contact and the boy being bullied and accused of having contracted it through gay sex with his (initially protective) best friend.
