This episode of Jem has the characters narrating to the audience at several points, and begins in medias res as the Holograms are suffering under Pizzazz and the Misfits. Jem had started to get burned out working alongside the Hologram and agreed to a vacation with Riot in Mexico. Jem allegedly sent postcards back saying she was happy with Riot and didn't want to leave.
Without a lead singer, the Holograms and the Stingers dropped off the charts, letting the Misfits take over Starlight Music and Stingers Sound, combining them into one supergroup. While Pizzazz gloats over her newfound power and fame she finds that most of the money earned goes to the upkeep of the Starlight House and its girls, and Minx grows tired of working with the Misfits and reveals that Riot wrote the postcards, forging Jem's signature well enough to fool her bandmates and sister. Jem and Riot are found, and the status quo is restored, as the Starlight Girls drove the Misfits crazy.
This episode contains examples of:
- Depending on the Writer: The Stingers are True Companions but this episode suggests that Rapture is in love with Riot.
- Did They or Didn't They?: Jem and Riot spent several weeks on an island alone in barely any clothes. They're portrayed as quite close during the episode too (with Riot outright saying he has "Jem all to [himself]"). Being a kid's show, it's kept ambiguous what happened on that island.
- Frothy Mugs of Water: In one Imagine Spot, Jem and Riot drink from wine glasses, but the drink is a different color than most wines.
- Non-Indicative Title: The title and Kimber's intro sequence (where Kimber says Jem is "gone") suggest that Jem died. She just went missing.
- The Roadie: Rio is portrayed as Jem and the Hologram's roadie (and their only roadie).
- Serenade Your Lover: Riot attempts this with Jem by singing "Under My Spell".
- Ship Tease:
- Jem spends the episode with Riot alone with him for weeks.
- This episode is the only sign that Rapture likes Riot. She mentions that she fell for Riot at Love at First Sight.
- Shout-Out: The title comes from Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie", which was about the 1959 deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson.
- Status Cellphone: Jem's 1980s cellphone pins her as wealthy.
- Team Rocket Wins: While it doesn't last, the Misfits manage to get control of the Holograms and Stingers, ruling the airwaves.
