The two meet Mavis, a magic mirror, who says that if they follow her, Red will have a party she'll never forget. Red begins pushing Mavis, with Cotterpin sitting on top of the mirror. On the way, though, Cotterpin, fed up with Mavis repeatedly calling her a bug, goes back home to mix glue, leaving Red and Mavis to continue by themselves. Mavis directs Red to the tunnel that leads to the inside of the Gorgs' castle—where, coincidentally enough, it's Ma's birthday. Pa and Junior have gone to free some honkfish that have gotten stuck around a bend in a river, so Ma is tearfully celebrating by herself.
Ma screams at Red to go away, and Red is aghast at having been led to the Gorgs' castle for a party. Mavis, though, coaxes Red and Ma into getting along, then sings a song. Ma joins in, but Red, figuring that her friends will want to come to her party once they see she has a magic mirror, takes this as an opportunity to bring Mavis back to the Rock. Trying to get Mavis off the table, she accidentally breaks her. She remembers Cotterpin and the glue she's mixing and rushes to fetch it. When Red returns, bringing Cotterpin along, Ma is crying over Mavis, and Red sees how much she cares about her. Realizing Ma needs a friend more than Red needs a magic mirror, Red manages to put Mavis back together and leaves her with Ma, wishing her a happy birthday. When she and Cotterpin get back to the Rock, the other Fraggles jump out and yells, "Surprise!"
This episode contains examples of:
- Animate Inanimate Object: Mavis.
- Big "NEVER!": Red's and Ma's initial response to Mavis' suggestion that they have a birthday party together.Red: Party? With a Gorg?
Ma: A party with a Fraggle?
Red and Ma: [in unison] NEVER! - Birthday Episode: Red's, Ma's, and Doc's.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: Zigzagged. Ma is crying because Pa and Junior have left her to celebrate her birthday by herself, and Red is miserable because her friends have refused to come to her birthday party. Red cheers up when Cotterpin wants to celebrate with her, and even more so when she meets Mavis, who tells her she'll have a birthday party she'll never forget if she follows her. The party turns out to be at the Gorgs' castle, though, and Red and Ma are aghast at Mavis' suggestion that they celebrate together. On top of that, Mavis breaks when Red tries to sneak her back to the Rock. All ends happily, though, when Red, realizing how much Ma needs a friend, puts Mavis back together, leaves her with Ma, and wishes her a happy birthday—then gets home to find out her friends want to celebrate with her after all.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Red and Cotterpin see Ma crying over the pieces of Mavis...Red: She's crying! She's really upset.
Cotterpin: Well, I'd be upset, too, if I had a nose that big. - Continuity Nod:
- Red mentions the Festival of the Bells, which the Fraggles celebrated in The Bells of Fraggle Rock.
- The tunnel Mavis leads Red down turns out to be the entrance to the Gorgs' castle.
- "Double, Double" Title
- Eek, a Mouse!!: When Red enters the castle, Ma screams, "Oh, no, a Fraggle!" and throws the scrub brush Pa just gave her, which narrowly avoids hitting Red.
- Friendship Song: Ma and Mavis sing "Make a Friend."
- Greater Need Than Mine: Red, seeing Ma crying over Mavis, puts her back together and leaves her with Ma, realizing Ma needs a friend more than Red needs a magic mirror.
- Happy Birthday to You!: Red and Cotterpin sing "Happy Birthday to Me."
- I Am Not Weasel: Mavis keeps calling Cotterpin a bug, to the latter's annoyance.
- Magic Mirror: Mavis.Red: You talk!
Mavis: I also sing, whistle, yodel, gurgle, and see the future. In short, I'm magic! - Meaningful Name: Mavis means "songbird". Besides being able to sing, whistle, yodel, gurgle, and see the future, Mavis can do bird imitations.
- Missed Him by That Much: When Red gets back to the Rock, her friends hide, ready to jump out and surprise her. Red runs right by without noticing them, focused on finding Cotterpin to ask her for the glue.Gobo: Where'd she go?
Wembley: I don't know. I thought it was her. - Mondegreen Gag: This happens when Red sees where the party is going to be.Red: This is the tunnel that leads to the Gorgs' castle! Surely you're mistaken.
Mavis: I'm not mistaken. And don't call me Shirley! The name's Mavis. - Must Make Amends: Red, with help from Cotterpin, manages to fix Mavis, then leaves her with Ma.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Red, when she accidentally breaks Mavis.
- My New Gift Is Lame: Much to Ma's disappointment, Pa gives her a scrub brush for her birthday (which she later throws at Red).Ma: [feigning delight] Ohhh, it's a scrub brush! Just what I wanted.
Pa: And you gotta be careful with it. I don't want you to go breaking it, like you broke the dustpan I gave you last year. - Never Had a Birthday Party: Cotterpin has never celebrated her birthday or anyone else's.
- Noisy Shut-Up: Mavis, when Red and Ma are quarreling over her, shuts them up by yelling, "GIRLS!"
- One-Person Birthday Party: Pa and Junior leave Ma alone on her birthday to free some honkfish that have gotten stuck around a bend in a river. She tells them it's no big deal, but as soon as they leave, she bursts into tears.
- Plot Parallel: Doc brings in a mirror of Ms. Ardath's that looks just like Mavis and is to be picked up from Doc's workshop by the man who's going to restore it. Doc decides to surprise Ms. Ardath by restoring the mirror himself, but Sprocket accidentally breaks it when he tries to pass Doc a screwdriver. It turns out that, for Doc's birthday, Ms. Ardath had been planning to give him the mirror... which, as Doc reassures her, can be glued back together.Doc: [to Sprocket] It's very, very old, you know. And apparently there's another mirror just like it, but it mysteriously disappeared ages ago.
- Repeat After Me: After Red has glued Mavis back together...Ma: [picking Mavis up] Mavis, Mavis! Oh, say something! Anything!
Mavis: [weakly] Something. Anything... - Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Cotterpin, fed up with Mavis repeatedly calling her a bug, goes back home to mix glue. This turns out to be useful, as the glue is used to save Mavis.
- Seers: Mavis can see into the future. Her predictions tend to rhyme on a dime.
- Surprise Party: When Red gets home, her friends give her one.
