You don't see that every day.
Red and Mokey are about to enter the All-Day Cross-Cave Beanbarrow Race Finals, with Mokey as the navigator and Red as the beanbarrow pusher. However, much to Red's dismay, Mokey insists on taking Lanford, worried over his having red polka-dots all over him. Just then, Henchy shouts that he's seen a bunch of Clinging Creepers by Table Rock Cavern. Clinging Creepers ensnare their victims by wrapping their vines around them and can be repelled by the smell of flowers. Boober calls out the Bouquet Brigades to start stringing flowers around and making floral headbands for everyone. Mokey, who is a member of the Clinging Creepers Emergency Flower Defense League, goes to help gather posies, telling Red she'll be back soon.The race begins, but Mokey doesn't get back in time, leaving Lanford as sole navigator. Misunderstanding his directions, Red takes a wrong turn, and they find themselves at Table Rock Cavern. Red realizes her headband has gotten lost and that she and Lanford are trapped by the Clinging Creepers.
Red and Lanford get to higher ground by helping each other onto a flat, table-like rock formation, where they get to know each other better. Lanford communicates to Red that he is getting ready to blossom, hence his polka dots. Red encourages him to bloom so he can repel the Creepers, but Lanford can't quite manage and asks that she sing him a lullaby to help. After hesitating, Red does so, and Lanford blossoms, scaring the Creepers away. They find the others, and everyone celebrates Lanford's flowering.
This episode contains examples of:
- Alliterative Title: The episode's title.
- The Big Race: Red and Lanford get lost during one.
- Brutal Honesty: Red's reaction when Mokey insists on bringing Lanford along.Red: But... Lanford... we don't even like each other. In fact, we hate each other!
[Lanford grabs Red By the Hair, throwing her to the ground.] - Cane Fu: While performing "Da Rules (W.O.F.'s Rap)", the World's Oldest Fraggle keeping bonking Henchy with his cane.
- Continuity Nod:
- At the beginning of the episode, Red is pumping granite, something she was first seen doing in "A Cave of One's Own."
- The Fraggles grease their beanbarrows with Gorg butter, first seen in "A Friend In Need."
- The Clinging Creepers bear a striking resemblance to the killer plants from the Caves of Boredom in "Boober Rock", minus the amnesia-inducing flowers.
- Copycat Mockery: When the World's Oldest Fraggle is about to start the race...Red: Oh, oh... wait, wait! I'm not ready yet! My navigator isn't here.
World's Oldest Fraggle: Well then, who is this weird looking Fraggle with the polka-dot leaves?
Henchy: He's a plant, sir.
Red: Yeah.
World's Oldest Fraggle: "He's a plant, sir!" Just how much of a dimp do you think I am? - Enemy Mine: Red and Lanford save each other from the Clinging Creepers.
- Garden Garment: Downplayed. On learning that there are Clinging Creepers near Table Rock Cavern, the Bouquet Brigades start making floral headbands for everyone.
- Gratuitous Rap: Downplayed. "Da Rules (W.O.F.'s Rap)" doesn't serve much purpose. It is a countdown for the race to begin, but it doesn't list any actual rules.
- Homemade Sweater from Hell: Downplayed. Mokey has knitted a sweater for Lanford to wear during the race. It has big stripes in clashing colors, but Lanford likes it.
- Hypocritical Humor: The World's Oldest Fraggle does this after giving the rules and starting the race.World's Oldest Fraggle: All this blabber is just a waste of breath. The younger generation never listens anyway.
Mokey: [running up] I didn't miss them, did I?
World's Oldest Fraggle: Pardon? I wasn't listening. - Is This a Joke?: Red says this when Lanford requests a lullaby to help him bloom.Red: Sing you a lullaby?
[Lanford nods.]
Red: Is this some kind of sick joke? - It's All My Fault: Mokey very much blames herself for not getting to the starting line on time, though it was the World's Oldest Fraggle who insisted on starting without her.
- Jerkass Ball:
- The World's Oldest Fraggle takes this, not only repeatedly bonking Henchy but insisting on starting the race without waiting for Mokey.
- Red takes this toward Lanford, especially when he's trying to tell her they're taking a wrong turn.Red: Since you can't help, Lanford, don't be pushy. This is my race!
- Jerkass Realization: Red apologizes to Lanford for the way she's treated him. She even says she'll take him for walks in the future, realizing how tough it must be to be stuck in a pot.
- Large-Ham Announcer: The World's Oldest Fraggle, rapping the rules of the race while bonking Henchy.
- Left Your Lifesaver Behind: At Table Rock Cavern, Red realizes her floral headband, the smell of which would have repelled the Creepers, has gotten lost—it had been snagged by a spring vine.
- Magic Music: Red's lullaby, "The Wind and the Pond and the Moon and Me", helps Lanford bloom.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The Fraggles in the Great Hall, when Henchy announces that he's seen Clinging Creepers around.Henchy: Ohhh, just the thought of those things!
Boober: Yech! Clinging Creepers crawling all over you! YECH!
Henchy: Killer weeds rooting you to the spot!
Boober: [wrapping his arm around Henchy's neck] Choking you! - Missed Him by That Much: After helping the Clinging Creepers Emergency Flower Defense League gather posies, Mokey runs to the starting line—moments after the racers have taken off.
- Mistaken for Disease: Mokey fears that Lanford may have caught a Polka-Dot Disease. It turns out he was just getting ready to blossom.
- Never My Fault: Red blames Lanford for not warning her about the spring vine that snagged her headband, even though he had been trying to tell her to duck.
- The Noun and the Noun: The episode's title.
- An Odd Place to Sleep: While waiting for the racers to cross the finish line, the other Fraggles fall asleep in the Great Hall.
- Oh, Crap!: Red and Lanford, when they realize they're trapped by the Clinging Creepers.
- Poor Communication Kills: Red's not listening to Lanford's directions results in her losing her headband and taking a wrong turn.
- Security Cling: Red and Lanford cling to each other in terror as the Creepers start slithering toward them.
- Talking Your Way Out: Subverted. Red asks Lanford to try talking to the Clinging Creepers. He says something to them, but they hiss at him in response.Red: I don't think I want you to translate that!
- Who Needs Enemies?: Red says this to Lanford after getting hit with a spring vine, not even realizing he had just said to duck out of its way.Red: Lanford, you're in the navigator's seat. You're supposed to warn me about these things! With helpers like you, who needs enemies?
- Wrong Turn at Albuquerque: During the race, Red takes a wrong turn and ends up at Table Rock Cavern—face to face with the Clinging Creepers.
