The second consecutive episode featuring Ana sees her and the other members of Kids Inc. become attached to a lost dog.
Kicking the episode off is a performance of "We'll Be Rockin'". At the counter, Kenny and Eric are looking for something "different" to snack on, and by different they presumably don't mean the part Flip had for the electric car he's trying to inventnote . The boys are in luck, as today's special is a peanut butter and fudge ripple sundae. Meanwhile; Robin and Haylie notice Ana hasn't been seen since the opening song, with Robin adding that her cousin had been acting strangely. Outside, Ana is with a dog she's trying to convince to go back home; unaware until hearing the music for the next song that she was late, bringing the dog on stage before sneaking on stage during "Cherish" (the others - who apparently either didn't notice Ana showed up late or decided not to make a big deal about it - captivated upon seeing the dog; with both Haylie and Robin singing to the dog during the 2nd verse and bridge, respectively).
In the breakroom; we learn that the dog followed Ana to the P*lace, with the others suggesting having the dog serve as a band mascot of sorts (Kenny having never had a pet; Eric with just guppies - which he notes were "hard to play with") before Robin points out the elephant in the room: The likelihood the dog belongs to someone else (at this point, Ana begins wondering if the dog is a runaway). We then get a montage of the kids (and Flip) posting signs for the dog's owner - which quickly proves a tiring task (Eric, rubbing his shoulder, says he needs to retread his sneakers). The dog seems to be especially close to Ana, who decides to call him "Sammy" (the name being after a friend from where she previously lived)...though the others aren't as interested in the actual work of pet care than Ana (who plans to put together a chart to divide up the responsibilities); setting up "Walkin' the Dog" as we see the band members and dancers try walking "Sammy" with varying degrees of success and Haylie attempting to give "Sammy" a bath only for the attempt to turn into a water fight. Meanwhile, Ana - who had become particularly attached to "Sammy", leading to Eric wondering if; like the dog, Ana's still homesick; expressing sympathy for her situation as a fellow newcomer but pointing out that - while you can't replace memories of old friends, you could make new friends; setting up "Everything".
Flip then arrives with news that the owner of "Sammy" may have just called; and soon after the kids meet Steve (guest star Paul Bevenueti), who reunites with his dog...whose actual name is Foster (both of Steve's parents work long hours; resulting in Steve and Foster being by themselves often) while thanking Kids Inc. for taking care of Foster after he took off while Steve walked him by a lake. Haylie then asks if the kids can say goodbye before Steve goes home - though Steve mentions that he's not that far away; so maybe the kids can visit, setting up closing song "Downtown Train"; during which we see Steve and Foster in the crowd.
Songs performed in this episode:
- “We'll Be Rockin'" (Kids Incorporated original; lead vocals by Kenny and Haylie)note
- “Cherish” (Madonna covernote ; lead vocals by Haylie and Robin)
- “Walkin' the Dog” (Shelton Brooks covernote ; lead vocals by Kenny and Haylie)
- “Everything” (Jody Watley cover; lead vocals by Ana)note
- “Downtown Train” (Tom Waits covernote ; lead vocals by Kenny, Ana and Robin)
Tropes associated with this episode:
- A Pet into the Wild: Foster (whose name is not known until late in the episode) gets lost while being walked by Steve and ends up following Ana to the P*lace.
- Character Development: Eric, previously known more for goofy jokes, shows a serious, compassionate side by expressing sympathy to Ana feeling homesick since - like Ana - he's a newcomer to the band.
- Green Aesop: Flip has a part related to an attempt to build his own electric car.
- Tropey, Come Home: Much of the conflict centers on a lost dog.
