"I am whatever you believe I am."
Looking for an adventure, Red and Wembley sneak into the Gorgs' garden, where they meet Skenfrith, a shapeshifter who has to change into whatever anyone believes him to be. They plan to take him home to the Rock so he can swim with them. But when Skenfrith hears the Gorgs, who are spring-cleaning, have a basement full of water, he goes down there. The Gorgs assume there's a horrible two-headed monster in the basement, and thus Skenfrith becomes one.Ma goes in to get rid of the perceived monster, and Red and Wembley take the chance to try and save their new friend. Junior rushes to catch them but trips and falls against the door, which slams shut, trapping Ma and the Fraggles. Wembley gets a panicked Red to see that Skenfrith isn't a monster. They convince Ma of this, and Skenfrith returns to normal. The Fraggles leave Skenfrith in the Gorgs' care, believing he'll be okay.
This episode contains examples of:
- Because I Said So: Ma does this when Junior says he's just caught Skenfrith and asks if he can keep him as a pet.Ma: No.
Junior: No? But, Ma, why not?
Ma: Because I said so. No pets, not now, not ever. - Birdcaged: Junior puts Skenfrith in a birdcage, wanting to keep him as a pet. He escapes easily when Junior isn't looking, though.
- Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Skenfrith's physical appearance depends on whatever anyone believes he is.
- Creepy Basement: The Gorgs' basement is full of water. Add in a locked door and a monster, and you have this.
- Cuteness Proximity: Subverted. Skenfrith, Red, and Wembley get trapped in the Gorgs' basement with Ma, who hates Fraggles and believes Skenfrith's a monster. Red and Wembley convince her that he isn't a monster, changing him back to his Ridiculously Cute Critter form. Ma adores little-and-cute Skenfrith at first sight, but then she screams when she's realizes she's talking to Fraggles.Ma: What a cute little creature! How could I have ever believed you were a monster? Why, there's absolutely nothing to be afraid of...
Wembley: No...
Ma: [gasps] ...except... Fraggles! - Delegation Relay: Ma tells Pa to get the horrible two-headed monster out of the the basement. Pa then tells Junior to do it.Ma: You have your work cut out for you. There is a horrible monster living in our basement, and you are going to get it out of there. [Shoves a Rolling Pin of Doom into Pa's hand.]
Pa: That's right, Junior. You are going to get it out of there. [Shoves the rolling pin into Junior's hand.] - The Door Slams You: When Ma finally gets the door open and runs out of the basement, she accidentally hits Pa with the door, slamming him against the wall.
- Eek, a Mouse!!: Ma's reaction when she realizes she's been talking to Fraggles.
- Empathic Shapeshifter: Skenfrith, who has to change into anything anyone believes him to be.
- Exact Eavesdropping: When Ma tells Pa and Junior to open the nailed-shut door to the basement so she can clean it, Skenfrith, who loves to swim, overhears Pa say that it's full of water.Pa: Ohhh, I don't know why she wants us to clean out the basement. There's nothing down there except water.
Junior: Water?
Skenfrith: Water?
Pa: Oh, lots and lots of water. Why do you think I nailed the door shut in the first place?
Skenfrith: Lots and lots of water? I could go swimming!
[Skenfrith starts bounding toward the castle as Red and Wembley watch in horror.]
Red: No, no, Skenfrith! Not that way! Don't go in there!
Wembley: That's where the Gorgs live! - Face Your Fears: When Pa and Junior refuse to go into the basement to get rid of the monster, Ma goes in to do it herself.
- Forced Transformation: When the Gorgs believe there's a horrible two-headed monster in the basement, Skenfrith becomes one. He hates being a monster.Ma: It's got three googly eyes and... fangs!
[Cut to a Transformation Discretion Shot in the basement, with shapeshifting sounds.]
Skenfrith: [voiceover] No, no! Don't turn me into a monster! I can't stand googly eyes and fangs! - Gut Feeling: Lampshaded by Red at the beginning of the episode.Red: You know something, Wembley?
Wembley: What?
Red: I believe today's the perfect day for an adventure.
Wembley: It is?
Red: Yeah! Can't you feel it in your little green bones?
Wembley: Well, even if I could, I don't know if I believe it. What do my bones know? - "I Am" Song: Skenfrith, to demonstrate his shapeshifting abilities to Red and Wembley, sings "Now You See Me (Now You Don't)" while transforming into various shapes.
- I'm Taking Him Home with Me!:
- On meeting Skenfrith, Red and Wembley decide to take him back to the Rock to be their pet.
- Junior also wants to adopt Skenfrith, but Ma has a strict rule against pets. Later, though, when Red and Wembley get her to see that Skenfrith isn't a monster, she's so charmed with him that she decides to keep him, much to Junior's delight.
- Involuntary Shapeshifter: When the Gorgs believe there's a monster in the basement, Skenfrith, who's in there, turns into one.
- The Klutz: Ma goes into the basement to get rid of the monster, and Red and Wembley sneak in after her to save Skenfrith. Trying to run in and catch the Fraggles, Junior trips and falls against the door, which slams shut and gets stuck, trapping Ma and the Fraggles inside.
- Misery Poker: Downplayed, after Red and Wembley get rid of Skenfrith's extra head by convincing Ma that he has only one.Ma: Hmmm, I see only one head. How could I have been so sure he had two? Ohhh, I've been under a lot of stress.
Skenfrith: You've been under a lot of stress? Tell me about it! - One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Whenever Red talks about Skenfrith, Wembley then mentions they have to save him from the monster, not realizing she's talking about Skenfrith until they see him.
- Opinion Flip Flop: Shortly after meeting Skenfrith, Wembley recites from memory a postcard about Uncle Matt mistaking the tall, furry hats of British Royal Guards for pets they wear on their heads.Wembley: Wasn't that great?
Skenfrith: I believe I found that very interesting.
Red: I believe you found it very boring.
Wembley: Well... uh...
Skenfrith: Uh, yes. It couldn't have been worse. - Reverse Psychology Backfire: When neither Pa nor Junior wants to go in after the monster...Ma: Well, since you two royal kook naughties are so frightened of a little monster, I assume this means that I, your delicate wife, mother, and queen, will just have to go in there myself.
Junior: Guess so, Ma.
Ma: Huh?
Pa: Yeah, of course, you must, my dear.
Ma: Huh?
Pa: Have you ever known me to stand in your way? - Ridiculously Cute Critter: Skenfrith, when Red and Wembley first meet him, is a furry brown creature with shaggy hair hanging over his eyes.
- Transformation Discretion Shot: Skenfrith's transformations tend to involve the camera cutting to him in his next shape.
- Voice Changeling: Skenfrith can do perfect impressions of others' voices.
- Why Did It Have To Be Spiders?: It's revealed that Sprocket is afraid of spiders. Doc helps him to get over his fear. Once he succeeds, he gets a call to remove a bat from the Captain's Inn. Turns out Doc's afraid of bats.
- You Monster!: Downplayed when Red and Wembley are trapped in the basement with Ma, trying to convince her that Skenfrith is not a monster.Wembley: Don't... don't you like his pigtails?
[A Beat as Skenfrith waits hopefully for Ma's response.]
Ma: [screaming] Ohhh, a monster with pigtails!
[Skenfrith begins to roar in agony. Ma stumbles back in terror.]
Wembley: It's all your fault he's a monster, you... you monster!
