Is it me, or is it too cold for gardening?
It's a cold winter day in Fraggle Rock, and Mokey, to her horror, realizes she forgot her promise to knit a new tarpaulin for the Trash Heap before the first snowfall. She rushes to see her but finds her frozen. Getting the others to help, Mokey finds a solution in hot soup, which Boober happens to have made. When the Fraggles pour it on the Trash Heap, she unfreezes, but only slightly. Noticing that Ma is also making soup, Mokey manages to slip greaseberry seeds into it, making it taste horrible. This leads to Junior pouring the hot soup on the Trash Heap, who recovers.This episode contains examples of:
- An Aesop: If you don't want to help, don't promise that you will—and don't make more promises than you can keep.
- Blind Mistake: Ma sends Junior to the root cellar to get ingredients for her soup. Since it's dark down there, he accidentally brings greaseberry seeds as well.
- Brutal Honesty:
- Philo and Gunge calling Mokey "Little Miss Promise Breaker."
- Junior exclaiming Ma's soup is horrible.
- Carrying a Cake: While taking the soup to the Trash Heap, Junior keeps slipping and sliding on the icy ground, while Mokey and Gobo watch in horror. He does fall at one point, but luckily he only spills a little on his shirt, and he makes it to the Trash Heap with the rest of it.
- Continuity Nod: Gobo, Red, and Mokey all wear their hats from "A Friend In Need."
- Cooking Stories: Boober and Ma are both making soup.
- Crappy Homemade Gift: Downplayed. Junior has carved a salt shaker and a pepper shaker for Ma, both shaped like Fraggles. Even though they remind her uncomfortably of real Fraggles, she pretends to love them.
- Does Not Like Spam: Ma and Junior both think greaseberry soup is disgusting.
- Everybody Cries: After listening to Uncle Matt's postcard about looking out for one another, the Fraggles cry.
- Exact Eavesdropping: Mokey and Gobo overhear Ma saying that if greaseberry seeds got into the soup, it would be ruined, and she'd have to throw it in the trash. This gives Mokey the idea to pose as the pepper shaker so she can slip greaseberry seeds into the soup, since the pot is too high to reach.
- Experience Entitlement: Lampshaded. Mokey, seeing the Fraggle-shaped shakers, decides to pose as one so she can slip greaseberry seeds into the soup. Gobo says that he's the best qualified in terms of experience and should be the one, but Mokey insists that she Must Make Amends for what she's done.Mokey: You don't understand. I've got to do it. Me. It's my responsibility. I caused the trouble, and now I'm gonna finish it.
[Gobo sighs.]
Mokey: Besides... [puts a shaker next to Gobo] ...you're too short.
Gobo: [indignantly] Too short? [He looks up at the shaker, which is a head taller than he is.] Well... uh... I mean... - Failed a Spot Check: Mokey poses as a Fraggle-shaped pepper shaker so that she can slip greaseberry seeds into the soup when Ma thinks she's adding more pepper. When Ma picks her up, she notes how realistic the shaker is, and that it even feels like a Fraggle—but that's the extent of her noticing.
- Failures on Ice: Downplayed. Except for a fall or two, Philo and Gunge are good at skating on the icy ground.
- Finishing Each Other's Sentences: Junior does this when Ma tells him to be sure to throw the greaseberry soup on the Trash Heap.Ma: We might as well get some compost out of it. Waste not...
Junior: Yeah, want not. I know, Ma, I know. - Food End: The episode ends with Boober bringing the Trash Heap more soup he's just made.Boober: Hey, look! I just whipped up a fresh little batch of moss bouillon.
The Trash Heap: Oh, a third course! How civilized! - Freeze Sneeze: Lanford sneezes, and Mokey realizes that he must have caught cold because she forgot to wrap him up the night before.
- Heartfelt Apology: Mokey gives one to the Trash Heap, who readily forgives her.Mokey: Um... uh... Madame Heap, it was all my fault, and I'm really, really sorry. I promised to knit you that tarpaulin, and... well... I didn't. But... but from now on, I promise to keep all my promises.
The Trash Heap: Ohhh, just keep bringing me soups like these last two, little Fraggles, and all is forgiven! - Human Popsicle: The Trash Heap.
- I Gave My Word: Subverted. Mokey promises to knit a new tarpaulin for the Trash Heap before the first big snowfall, then forgets to do so.
- Injured Limb Episode: Red has twisted her ankle playing ice hockey, thanks to Mokey having forgotten to fix her ice skates.Red: [as her friends leave to get Boober's soup for the Trash Heap] Stupid ankle! Now they're gonna have all the adventures! [She slaps her twisted ankle, then howls in pain.]
- It's All My Fault: Philo and Gunge blame themselves for not being able to have found a new tarpaulin for the Trash Heap (though they quickly change their tune after realizing Mokey was the one who promised to make her a new one and forgot).
- Left Hanging: Does the Trash Heap ever get a new tarpaulin or other covering to protect her from the next snowfall?
- Mistaken Identity: At one point, Gobo bumps into the pepper shaker and momentarily mistakes it for a real Fraggle.
- Must Make Amends: When Mokey finds the Trash Heap frozen, she gets Boober to pour hot soup on her, then tries to think of a way to get the Gorgs to do the same.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Mokey regrets having forgotten the promises she made, especially when she discovers the Trash Heap frozen.
- Ode to Food: Ma and Junior sing "Goodtime Goombah Soup."
- Rule of Three: The Trash Heap gets hot soup poured on her three times.
- Sick Episode: Lanford has come down with a cold because Mokey forgot to wrap him up the night before.
- Sickeningly Sweet: When Ma tells Junior that she always loves the gifts he makes for her, he says to cut out the "gushy stuff."
- Similar Item Confusion: Mokey poses as a Fraggle-shaped pepper shaker so that she can slip greaseberry seeds into Ma's soup when Ma thinks she's adding more pepper.
- Snow Means Death: The Trash Heap almost dies from the exposure to the cold and snow.
- Soup Is Medicine:
- Boober has a recipe for frozen radish bisque, made from frozen radishes and used to fight winter colds.
- The Fraggles pour Boober's soup on the Trash Heap to begin unfreezing her. Mokey then gets Junior to pour Ma's on her.
- Supreme Chef: Subverted. Ma's soup is usually delicious, but when Mokey slips greaseberry seeds into it, it tastes disgusting.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: Mokey slips greaseberry seeds into Ma's soup.
- That's What I Call "X"!: The Trash Heap says this after Ma's soup is poured on her.The Trash Heap: Ohhh! Now, that's what I call goombah! Mmmm, greaseberry seeds, right? Delicious!
- Title Drop: The title of the episode is referenced in the song "Blanket of Snow," sung by Philo, Gunge, and Mokey.
- The X of Y: The episode's title.
- You Need a Breath Mint: Lampshaded. Pa loves greaseberry soup, but Ma doesn't like the bad breath it gives him.
