Recap / Kids Incorporated S 3 E 1 O Lucky Me

With this episode, we mark the first episode of Season 3 and - after being the last cast member to be the focus of an episode during the previous two seasons - Stacy is the main focus on the season opener.

We kick things off for the new season with “The Heart of Rock and Roll”^note worth noting is that Ryan Lambert’s voice has dropped by the start of this season; and after the song the kids are discussing vocal assignments for a new song - though Stacy seems spaced out when Ryan asks what she thought of the assignment (Stacy answers “I’ll have a root beer”; to which Ryan responds “Good answer, but to the wrong question”). As it happens, Stacy’s spaciness here owed to being nervous over trying out for the lead role of Dorothy in a rock version of “The Wizard of Oz”. Gloria has her own issues to deal with, preparing for a science test (quite critical as science is her worst subject). Stacy then pulls a ring out of a magician’s trunk^note the second time the trunk is seen, having been where Lyle Morarity had stowed away in Season 1’s “The Leprechaun”. It would resurface once more in Season 5’s The Talent Search”; which she assumes is magical. Ryan, notably, is not convinced, but no sooner does he question any power the ring may or may not have than Riley walks in with good news for Stacy (having won 1st prize in a school raffle) before the others return to the stage for “Band of Gold”.

Meanwhile, Stacy’s obsessing over the ring has reached a point of wearing on best friend Kid. However, the good times keep on rolling for Stacy when Mario walks in to announce Stacy’s one of the three finalists for the role of Dorothy. Later, Stacy decides to practice while Gloria watches (Kid and Ryan are playing basketball) when Stacy drops the ring…and narrowly avoids being hit by a basketball (the result of a wild pass by Ryan). While she’s okay, Stacy also thinks the ring played a part (much to Ryan’s increasing annoyance). Then Gloria asks to borrow the ring for the science test (which happen to be just before Stacy’s tryouts); which Stacy reluctantly agrees to (“Round and Round”). Stacy then paces up and down as Gloria arrives at the P*lace a little late, convinced the ring helped her on the science test and everything seems to go well…until Gloria goes to retrieve the ring, only to discover it fell through a hole in her sweater pocket. Not surprisingly, Stacy panics and sets out to look for it only to run into the door (“Danger Zone”).

Stacy tries going over the lines one last time before the tryouts but keeps flubbing the lines (first saying “This isn’t Toto, Kansas” {instead of “This isn’t Kansas, Toto”} and then adding “This isn’t Topeka, Kansas” before giving up {“This isn’t working”}). However, Ryan and the Kid encourage her to try out anyway. She does, and returns to the P*lace; where Gloria apologizes for losing the ring before Ryan arrives with good news. Stacy got the part after all (and didn’t need the ring); while Gloria - who had the ring - performed poorly on the test^note this may be the reason for the cut in Gloria’s allowance that led to her trying to get a job at the P*lace three episodes later. As for the ring, you ask? Ryan managed to find it; helping set up closing song “All I Need is a Miracle”.

As noted on the Trivia section, this would mark the first episode broadcast after production resumed when the series was picked up by the then-premium Disney Channel and - possibly as a result - the only season with no cast changes; though other changes were made, among them the season length being cut in half from 26 episodes to 13 (in fact, only two seasons, 1989 and 1991, were the only seasons with more than 13 episodes) and the number of costumes being reduced.

Songs performed in this episode:

• “The Heart of Rock & Roll” (Huey Lewis and the News cover; lead vocals by Ryan)^note previously performed by guest Christian Hoff in the first regular episode two years earlier
• “Band of Gold” (Freda Payne cover {also recorded by Belinda Carlisle^note whose version included Payne as a guest vocalist and Bonnie Tyler^note both covers coming out around the same time; lead vocals by Renee, Stacy and Gloria)^note the first of several episodes throughout Season 3 where the three female band members performed the second song of an episode
• “Round and Round” (Kids Incorporated original; lead vocals by Stacy)
• “Danger Zone” (Kenny Loggins cover; lead vocals by Gloria and Stacy)
• “All I Need is a Miracle” (Mike + the Mechanics cover; lead vocals by Ryan and Gloria)

Tropes associated with this episode:

• Agent Scully: Ryan is openly unconvinced of the magic ring supposedly containing any powers.
• Call-Back: Kid notes Stacy was rubbing the ring like it was a magic lamp, adding "Let me know when a genie comes out". Kid had his own experience with a genie in a lamp late in the previous season.
• Imagine Spot: “Danger Zone” takes place after Stacy walks into the P*lace door and imagines seeing the others doing cleaning jobs while Stacy is unluckily stumbling about.
• Limited Wardrobe: Starting in this episode and continuing through the remainder of the Disney Channel run; far fewer costumes are used (as it would happen, the costumes used here would be used in the next two episodes.
• School Play: Stacy is trying out for the role of Dorothy in a rock version of ‘’The Wizard of Oz’’.
• Shout-Out: Stacy panicking and flubbing her “This isn’t Kansas, Toto” as “This isn’t Toto, Kansas” doubles as a reference to he bands “Toto” and “Kansas”, respectively.
• Superstition Episode: Stacy thinking the ring she found was giving her good luck.
• Two Lines, No Waiting: Stacy’s worries over the Wizard of Oz tryouts and Gloria’s over her science test intersect in relation to the ring Stacy lets Gloria borrow - and Gloria subsequently loses.