♫ Try a little longer for your friends. ♫
Annoyed that she's to keep Boober distracted while the others set up his birthday party, Red takes him down to the Spiral Cavern. A cave-in occurs, trapping the pair of them. While the others attempt to save them, Red and Boober try to comfort each other. Fortunately, they're saved and everyone celebrates.
This episode contains examples of:
- Absurd Phobia: Boober's afraid of words with the letter 'R' in them. Guess what the sixth letter of his name is.
- Almost Out of Oxygen: What happens to Boober and Red.
- Birthday Episode: It's shown to be Boober's birthday. It's nearly his last one.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: Poor Boober. On his birthday, he and Red get caught in a cave-in!
- Bubble Gum Popping: In the North American version, Traveling Matt tries bubble gum for the first time. He likes it until he witnesses people blowing bubbles, which he takes to mean their tongues have exploded.Gobo: [after reading postcard] So don't complain about MY lima bean soup, eh!
- Can't You Read the Sign?: In a cave at the bottom of the Spiral Cavern, Boober notices a warning sign that shows rocks falling on a Doozer. He tells Red, but she brushes him off.Boober: Red! Red, Red! This is a falling-rock zone!
Red: That sign's just for Doozers. - Crossdresser: Gobo, wearing Mokey's apron while trying to make lima bean soup for Boober's birthday party.
- Dangerous Drowsiness: When Red and Boober are running low on oxygen, they start feeling tired. Boober warns Red not to fall asleep.
- The Drag-Along: Justified. Going to the Spiral Cavern is the last thing Boober wants to do, but Red needs to keep him out of the way while the others are planning his Surprise Party.
- The Empath: Mokey.Mokey: [standing by boulder at cave-in] I'm focusing on them... focusing on the positive. They're all right. I can feel their well-being.
- Escort Distraction: Red takes Boober to the Spiral Cavern to keep him distracted while the others are getting ready for his Surprise Party.
- Face Death with Despair: Red comes pretty close to this when she realizes they're Almost Out of Oxygen.Red: What do you think it's like... to die?
Boober: I don't know, Red. I don't think anyone does.... You know, I remember this one day while doing my laundry, and then this big soap bubble floated right up from the tub, and there it was in front of my face, beautiful and shiny, and then it was gone.
[Red begins sobbing.]
Boober: Red, don't be sad.
Red: I... I can't help it... - Friendship Song: "The Friendship Song," a duet between Boober and Red to comfort each other while trapped by the cave-in. The lyrics describe how friends can be a source of comfort in times of trouble.
- Glad I Thought of It: When Gobo sees the boulder that has Red and Boober trapped, Felix immediately takes the credit for finding it.Felix: Oh, where is this stupid cave-in?
Gobo: [pointing] There it is!
Felix: I found the cave-in! - Hidden Depths: Boober shows a great deal of calmness despite the fact that he might actually die, even admitting he sometimes liked the occasional partying. On the other hand, Red has an all-out panic attack and has to be calmed down by Boober, suggesting she's not always as self-assured as she likes to let on. Once rescued, both promise to keep each other's Hidden Depths secret.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Felix the Fearless, head of the Rescue Squad.Felix the Fearless: Okay, here's my plan. Everybody line up in alphabetical order!
- Lethal Chef: Gobo, trying to help Mokey make lima bean soup.Mokey: [tastes soup] Um... I think it needs a bit more salt.
Gobo: A bit of salt?
Mokey: Mmm-hmm.
Gobo: That's easy. [Pours a cup of salt into the soup.]
Mokey: Um... now it needs a bit less salt.
Gobo: Gee. Uh... that's harder. - Locked in a Freezer: Technically, Red and Boober are caught in a cave-in, but they're rapidly running out of air. While waiting to be rescued, they come to understand each other better.
- Novelization: The writer of this episode, David Young, turned it into a children's book titled Marooned in Fraggle Rock in 1984.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Boober becomes more composed and less panicked in the face of death, while Red becomes paranoid and freaked out, like Boober normally is.
- Plank Gag: As she, Red, and Boober are on the way back from seeing the Trash Heap, Mokey is carrying a pole over her shoulders, with a basket of lima beans at either end. A few minutes later, Wembley runs up and whispers to her about keeping Boober busy. When she turns to the others to suggest they go on a hike in the Spiral Cavern, Mokey accidentally knocks Wembley down with one of the baskets.
- Quit Your Whining: The Trash Heap's song "Go with the Flow" is a kinder take on this trope, encouraging Boober to forget his worries and have fun because it's his birthday.
- Signature Item Clue: It becomes clear that Boober got caught in the cave-in at Spiral Cavern when the others find his scarf near the boulder.
- Squashed Flat: Lampshaded by Felix when the Fraggles get to Spiral Cavern and see the boulder at the entrance:Felix the Fearless: Looks to me like your friends are already squashed. It's hopeless. Let's go get some lunch.
- Surprise Party: Boober's friends are planning one for his birthday.
- Tattle Tail: "I hate this," Boober groans during the Trash Heap's song, "Go with the Flow." Red can tell this is a lie because Boober's tail is wagging.Boober: [to his tail] Stop it! Stop it!
- True Companions: Red and Boober's friends, rescuing the two from the cave-in.
- Unexpectedly Dark Episode: The episode treats Boober and Red's predicament as seriously as it could. Even the song ("The Friendship Song") in the second half is done with a much more lower, slower pitch than before.
- Verbed Title: The episode's title.
