Recap / Fraggle Rock S 4 E 16 The Riddle Of Rhyming Rock

"Ding-Dong"

Gobo tries his hand at solving the riddle of Rhyming Rock. After failing twice, he seeks the advice of the Storyteller, who speaks of a magic spell that can solve any riddle. Gobo doesn't listen to the whole story, though, but rushes off to find the spell. Once he does, he goes back to solve the riddle and causes an avalanche, trapping Wembley. After hearing more of the Storyteller's tale, Gobo deduces the riddle isn't actually one. He rescues Wembley and this time manages to solve the mystery.

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This episode contains examples of:

• All Love Is Unrequited: The Storyteller has an unrequited crush on Uncle Matt.
• Animate Inanimate Object: Rhyming Rock, which continually sways back and forth, speaking a new riddle every day.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: During "The Song of Rhyming Rock," Gobo addresses the audience.
  Gobo: Weary traveler, heed this rhyme... [Laughs] ...And you will dance in time!
• The Cat Came Back: Uncle Gobo can't get away from Matt, who idolizes him and insists on following him practically everywhere.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Uncle Gobo first appeared in "Born To Wander."
  • Wembley tells Herkimer, the Keeper of Rhyming Rock, that he's the siren for the Volunteer Fire Department, a job he got in "The Thirty-Minute Work Week."
• Derailed Train of Thought: While telling the story of Matt, the Storyteller gets so distracted thinking about his handsome appearance that she stops in the middle of the story to hug his portrait. This leads to Gobo and Wembley running off to solve the riddle instead of asking if there's more to the story.
• Disco: "The Song of Rhyming Rock" is a slow disco piece with a flute accompaniment and no lyrics save for Gobo's Breaking the Fourth Wall moment. The Fraggles are unable to keep from dancing when they hear it.
• Dude, Not Funny!: The North American "B" plot involves Doc trying to put together an automatic pie maker for Ms. Ardath. Sprocket thinks it's hysterical when the pie maker sprays Doc in the face with whipped cream. Doc isn't so amused.
• Enraged by Idiocy: Matt's bumbling tends to drive Uncle Gobo mad.
• Fell Asleep Standing Up: When Gobo and Wembley run back to Rhyming Rock with the riddle-solving spell, they find Herkimer having fallen asleep while leaning on his broom.
  Gobo: [running in] Oho, I can feel that happy ending right around the corner... eh, Wembley?
  Wembley: Yeah, yeah, you bet!
  Herkimer: [jolting awake] Just... just resting my eyes! [He hastily begins sweeping.] Just resting my eyes. Yeah. We caretakers never cease, you know. We're as much of a wonder as the wonders we maintain!
• Fill It with Flowers: As "The Song of Rhyming Rock" begins to play, the cave of Rhyming Rock becomes a bright cavern full of flowers.
• Flashback: The Storyteller's story about Matt, Uncle Gobo, and herself.
• Forgot to Mind Their Head: Wembley bumps his head again... on a stalactite this time.
• Get Out!: When Gobo says he's come to solve the riddle, Herkimer orders him out, because he's sick of the "gnashing of teeth and the tearing of hair" from the Fraggles who have tried to solve the riddle and failed. Gobo refuses, insisting that he has as much right as anyone else to try.
  Herkimer: Ohhh, the fresh-faced young Fraggles I've seen strut in here, only to fail and leave as depressed, dithering dimps!
• Great Big Book of Everything: Matt, in his youth, discovers a book of spells, including the riddle-solving spell. Gobo finds it among Matt's old possessions.
• Help, I'm Stuck!: Wembley, when he gets trapped under a boulder after Gobo causes an avalanche.
• Identical Grandson: Gobo is named after and looks like Uncle Gobo.
• I'm Okay!: Wembley says this after getting trapped under a boulder.
  Wembley: I'm... I'm okay! I'm... I'm just trapped forever.
• Let Me at Him!: When Matt causes an avalanche with the riddle-solving spell, Uncle Gobo lunges at him. The Storyteller does her best to hold him back.
  Storyteller: No! Control yourself, Uncle Gobo!
• Must Make Amends: Matt and Gobo find the spell to undo the avalanches they caused.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Gobo, when he causes an avalanches with the riddle-solving spell.
• Noisy Shut-Up: Herkimer does this to Gobo, Red, and Wembley as they approach Rhyming Rock, all excitedly talking at once.
  Herkimer: [rings a bell] QUIET!
  [Gobo, Red, and Wembley shut up.]
  Herkimer: All creatures pause to listen to the riddle when first approaching Rhyming Rock!
• Now Do It Again, Backwards: Matt and Gobo undo the avalanches they caused by saying the riddle-solving spell in reverse.
• Oblivious to Love: Matt not even getting the hint when the Storyteller asks him if he'd like to go to Kissing Chasm with her.
• Pie in the Face: Doc gets sprayed with whipped cream (much to his annoyance and Sprocket's amusement) and later gets a pie tossed in his face, courtesy of the automatic pie maker.
• Read the Freaking Manual: Doc is trying to put the automatic pie maker together without reading the instructions. Sprocket warns him that this is a bad idea.
• Rhetorical Question Blunder: When Matt makes him drop a rock, Uncle Gobo says in exasperation, "Oh, by the Great Rock, by every tunnel that ever bent, what did I do to deserve this?" Matt thinks it's a riddle and recites the spell, causing an avalanche.
• Riddle Me This: The titular riddle.
• Rule of Three: The riddle changes every day. A Fraggle can only try to solve the riddle three times—and if the third guess is wrong, Rhyming Rock will ignore him, however often he tries to answer the riddle.
• Sickeningly Sweet: Red thinks the Storyteller's crush on Matt is this.
  Red: [after Gobo and Wembley leave] Kissing Chasm? Oh, brother. I'm gonna go home, too.
• Silly Song: Having found the riddle-solving spell, Gobo and Wembley sing "The Secret Rhyme" on their way back to Rhyming Rock.
  Gobo: [singing] You can wine and dine, and you think you're fine.
  But you won't be fine 'til you find the secret rhyme!
• Stopped Reading Too Soon: With Gobo, it was a case of "stopped listening to the story too soon."
• The Storyteller: The official storyteller of Fraggle Rock, who remembers every tale ever told.
• Suddenly Shouting: Uncle Gobo does this after Matt runs in and knocks him over, along with his rock collection.
  Matt: [running in, looking at a book] Uncle Gobo, Uncle Gobo...!
  [Uncle Gobo gives a disgusted sigh.]
  Matt: [still with his nose in the book] Uncle Gobo, look! I...!
  [He runs into Uncle Gobo and his rock collection, knocking them over.]
  Matt: Look at this astonishing book I found! It's full of wonderful magic spells and...
  Uncle Gobo: How many times have I told you not to do that?
  [A Beat.]
  Matt: Three times?
  Uncle Gobo: Don't come in here like that, and don't YELL!
• Title Drop: Herkimer does this while talking to the trapped Wembley.
  Herkimer: I mean, tell me, what am I supposed to say when Fraggles come to visit, huh? "Welcome to a former wonder"? "See the Fraggle pinned under the rock"?
  [Wembley sighs sympathetically.]
  Herkimer: [brightening] Fraggle under a rock?
  Wembley: Huh?
  Herkimer: A real Fraggle Rock! [Laughs.] Want a permanent job?
  Wembley: No, I've already got one, thanks. I'm the siren for the Volunteer Fire Department.
  Herkimer: Ah, too bad.
• Title Theme Drop: How Gobo answers the riddle after realizing it isn't one. He's right.
• The X of Y: The episode's title.
• You're Insane!:
  Uncle Gobo: [after Matt makes him drop a rock] Oh, by the Great Rock, by every tunnel that ever bent, what did I do to deserve this?
  Matt: Ah. "What did I do to deserve this?" Wait, don't tell me the answer. [Looks at the page with the riddle-solving spell.]
  Uncle Gobo: Has the lad finally crossed that fine line into total madness?
  [Matt turns around once, rotates his head, then shimmies while reciting the spell.]
  Matt: "Mumba gumba dinky doo, pants for me, answer you!"
  Uncle Gobo: Looking like a definite yes from here.

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