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Recap / Fraggle Rock S 3 E 1 Red Handed And The Invisible Thief

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"Now I'm really mad..."
Waking up to find that her radish bars are missing, Red assumes someone stole them. She goes around the Rock, asking the other Fraggles to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy that they didn't take them. When she suspects Mokey and asks her to swear, Mokey refuses, hurt. Convinced she's the thief, Red takes her before the Venerable and Eminent Council of Sages, but they dismiss her claim due to lack of evidence.

Later that day, Red has Wembley hide in her room and watch to see if Mokey really is the thief. Before lying down for a nap, she marks four radish bars with Boober's special soap, which makes a red stain appear when wet. While she sleeps, the bars are stolen, and Red takes Mokey before the Council of Sages again. Before Wembley can tell her what he saw, Red dips Mokey's hand in water—but it's Red's hand that turns red. Wembley then explains that Red was sleepeating. Red apologizes to Mokey, and everyone leaves for lunch, except for the full Red.


This episode contains examples of:

  • An Aesop: After Red's hand turns red...
    Red: I feel so dumb! I guess I should have waited until I had real proof before I accused anyone. Especially my best friend.
  • Again with Feeling: When Red hangs a bell-covered net from her ceiling and tells Mokey it's a trap...
    Mokey: Oh, a trap. A... a trap?
  • Beware the Nice Ones: Mokey is hurt that Red would think she would steal the latter's radish bars. When Red keeps on persisting, she tells her she won't talk to her again until she apologizes.
  • Beware the Silly Ones: The Council of Sages (for the day; the job seems to go whichever Fraggles get there first on any given day) consists of three Fraggles who tend to joke around—but when Red can't provide any proof that Mokey took the radish bars, they charge Red with false accusation.
  • Borrowed Without Permission: Red takes some of Wembley's radish bars to bait the trap. She insists this isn't stealing, just borrowing.
  • Break-Up/Make-Up Scenario: Red and Mokey have a falling out when the former accuses the latter of stealing her radish bars. They reconcile at the end, when Red realizes she's the thief.
  • Chekhov's Gun: Early on, Boober is demonstrating his new soap to Wembley—rub it on a place, and a red spot appears when it gets wet. Later, Red uses it to mark four radish bars so that the hand of whoever takes them will turn red in water.
  • Comfort Food: The song "Sweet, Sweet Little Treat" is all about how radish bars are this for Red and Mokey.
  • Comically Missing the Point: After Gobo swears on Red's Tug-o'-Tails trophy that he didn't get cured of his allergy to radish bars...
    Red: Okay, you're clean. [Leaves.]
    Gobo: Huh? [Sniffs himself.] Of course I'm clean.
  • Continuity Nod:
    • The red mark Boober's soap makes when he's demonstrating it to Wembley bears a striking resemblance to the Solemn Mark of the Fraggle, first seen on the lid of the music box in "The Lost Treasure of the Fraggles." The mark is a pictograph of a smiling Fraggle putting his thumbs in his ears and spreading out his fingers.
    • The cave where the Sages hear Red's case has at least two renditions of the Solemn Mark of the Fraggle. One is in relief on a wall. The other, made of stone, can be seen hanging above the podium.
  • Courtroom Antics: The antics begin as soon as Red brings Mokey before the Eminent and Venerable Council of Sages.
    Venerable Sage Lambo: Now let's decide what's for lunch!
    Venerable Sage Hambo: Yeah!
    [Red and Mokey enter.]
    Red: Wait a minute, wait a minute! Excuse me, I have some business!
    Venerable Sage Lambo: Business? What's business?
    Red: Ominpotent, Eminent, and Venerable Council of Sages...
    Venerable Sage Lambo: Huh?
    Venerable Sage Hambo: Is that you?
    Venerable Sage Lambo: Oh, she means us!
    Red: I am here today because my friend Mokey Fraggle stole my radish bars!
    Venerable Sage Hambo: Guilty, guilty!
    Venerable Sage Lambo: But, Hambo, we haven't heard Mokey's side yet.
    Venerable Sage Hambo: I don't need to, Lambo! Why, just look at her. Those shifty eyes, that weak jaw! Why, she has guilt written all over her face.
    Venerable Sage Lambo: But, Hambo, that's not Mokey. That's Red, the accuser!
    [Lambo and Hambo laugh.]
    Venerable Sage Hambo: What's for lunch?
  • Courtroom Episode: Red takes Mokey before the Venerable and Eminent Council of Sages.
  • Distinction Without a Difference: When Red wants Wembley's help to catch the thief...
    Wembley: Me? What would I do? Huh! You've already stolen two of my best radish bars!
    Red: No, no, no, Wembley. I borrowed them. The thief stole them!
  • Entertainingly Wrong: Uncle Matt thinks clocks must be compasses, since people seem to know which way to go after looking at them. He decides to get a watch to help him find his own way, but only ends up walking into walls while looking at it.
  • Everyone Is a Suspect: Red asks everyone in the Rock to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy to not taking the radish bars—even Mokey's pet plant, Lanford.
  • Filching Food for Fun: Red thinks Mokey has done this with her radish bars.
  • Flashback Cut: There's one right after Wembley tells Red he saw her eating her own radish bars.
  • Full-Body Disguise: In an effort to find out who's been taking her radish bars, Red has Gobo stand outside her room and keep watch while she takes a nap. His disguise is a hollow rock that he can peek out of.
  • Heartfelt Apology: After Red realizes she's the thief and has falsely accused Mokey, the two reconcile.
    Red: Mokey, I'm so sorry. I can't apologize enough. I wouldn't blame you if you never spoke to me again.
    Mokey: Oh, Red! Oh, your apology is enough. And... well, I wouldn't want to never speak to my best friend again.
    [They hug.]
  • Hoist by Her Own Petard: Red sets a trap to drop on anyone who comes into her room to steal her radish bars. She sets two radish bars beside her hammock, then lies down for a nap. On waking, she finds that the trap hasn't been triggered, but that the radish bars are gone.
    Red: That dumb thing probably doesn't work anyway!
    [The trap falls on her. Mokey tries, in vain, to suppress her giggles.]
    Red: Now I'm really mad...
  • Hypocrite: As an in-universe example that's Played for Laughs, Red steals some of Wembley's radish bars to use as bait. She insists that she's just borrowing them, but she winds up eating them.
  • It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Gobo says this after a few minutes of standing guard outside Red's room.
    Gobo: Huh. Sure is quiet around here.
    Wembley: [running in] GOBO...!
    [Gobo almost jumps out of his rock disguise.]
    Wembley: Someone stole my radish bars!
  • Lost Food Grievance: When Red finds her radish bars missing, she asks all the other Fraggles to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy that they didn't take them. She even asks Gobo to swear that he didn't get cured of his allergy to radish bars.
  • Lost My Appetite: After realizing she's the thief, Red suddenly doesn't want lunch.
    Mokey: Oh, boy, lunch!
    Red: Lunch?
    Mokey: Come on, let's go to lunch!
    Red: I just had ten radish bars! Who can think about lunch? [Groans.]
  • Mistaken for Thief: Red thinks Mokey stole her radish bars, although she didn't.
  • Motive = Conclusive Evidence: Subverted. After asking all the other Fraggles to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy that they didn't take her radish bars, Red thinks it must have been Mokey, who not only refused to swear but was in the room at the time of the theft and happens to love radish bars. Gobo refuses to believe this is evidence that Mokey took them.
    Gobo: Mokey, a thief? I don't believe it!
    Red: Well, I don't want to believe it, either. But it all makes sense to me now!
    Gobo: No, but Mokey wouldn't...
    Red: She was the only Fraggle in the room with me.
    Gobo: Yeah, but...
    Red: And she was the only one who didn't swear on my Tug-o'-Tails trophy.
    Gobo: Yeah, but, Red...!
    Red: And she loves radish bars as much as I do.
    Gobo: But...
    Red: Maybe even more than I do!
  • Mystery Episode: Who stole Red's radish bars?
  • Not Now, Kiddo: When Red brings Mokey before the Council of Sages for the second time, Wembley tries to tell her that he saw her eating her own radish bars—but Red's too busy trying to prove Mokey's guilt to listen.
    Wembley: [urgent whisper] Red, I need to talk to you...!
    Red: Not now, Wembley!
    Wembley: But, Red...!
  • An Odd Place to Sleep: The episode opens to show a bunch of Fraggles asleep on the floor of the Great Hall.
  • Oh, Crap!: The reactions of two fuzzy creatures sticking their heads out of holes in Gobo's rock disguise, when he decides to read a postcard from Uncle Matt to pass the time.
    Gobo: This could be a long wait. I know a great way to pass the time: with a postcard from my Uncle Traveling Matt!
    [The fuzzy creatures immediately duck out of sight.]
    Gobo: Wiseacres.
  • Out-of-Context Eavesdropping: Red, passing by Boober's room, overhears him talking to Wembley about his magic soap bars and thinks they're talking about radish bars.
    Wembley: Wow, Boober, these bars are fantastic! Do you have any more?
    Boober: Oh, I'm sorry, Wembley. That's all I could get my hands on right now.
    Wembley: I'd really love another one.
    Red: [running in] Boober Fraggle!
    Boober: AHHHHHH!
    Red: This is unbelievable!
    Boober: But... but...!
    Red: I'm gonna have you up before the Eminent Council of Sages so fast, it'll make your head spin!
  • Overly Long Scream: Red does this at the beginning of the episode when she wakes up and finds that her radish bars are missing.
  • Pinky Swear: Red asks the all other Fraggles to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy that they didn't take her radish bars.
  • Plot Allergy: Gobo is allergic to radish bars, so he's beyond suspicion.
  • Promise Me You Won't X: When Red realizes only someone who was already in the room could have taken the radish bars without triggering the trap...
    Red: Mokey, I've got something to ask you.
    Mokey: Hmm? What?
    Red: Um... please don't get mad... but...
    Mokey: Okay.
    Red: Did you take my radish bars?
    Mokey: Red, of course not! I'm your friend.
  • Reasonable Authority Figure: The Venerable and Eminent Council of Sages, who demand that Red show evidence of Mokey's theft.
  • Right Behind Me: Just as Red is telling Gobo that Mokey must have stolen her radish bars, Mokey enters from behind them.
    Red: [as Mokey enters from behind] She must be hopelessly hooked on them!
    Gobo: Red...!
    Red: She'll do anything—lie, cheat, steal from her best friend! ANYTHING FOR A RADISH BAR!
    Mokey: Hey, uh, Red, Gobo, what's going on out here?
  • Rule of Three:
    • The Council of Sages (for the day) consists of three Fraggles: Lambo, Hambo, and one whose name goes unmentioned.
    • Red makes three plans to catch the guilty party before realizing she's It.
  • Shadow Discretion Shot: Red puts two radish bars beside her hammock, just before she and Mokey lie down for a nap. The camera moves around the room to show Lanford, Mokey, and Red asleep, then focuses on the radish bars, in a handkerchief next to a flickering lantern. Next, the camera moves away from the radish bars, so that all that can be seen is the shadow of the lantern. Moments later, the shadow of a hand reaches in, picking up something. This scenario is repeated during their second nap, after Red puts Wembley's radish bars out as bait and has him watch from hiding.
  • Sleepwalking: Red eats her radish bars when asleep.
  • Sleepyhead: The unnamed Sage tends to sleep on the job, though she does wake up long enough to sing a verse of "The Hum Song (Hold Each Other's Noses)."
  • Staging the Eavesdrop: To lure the thief to the trap she's just set, Red does this, complete with Bad "Bad Acting".
    Red: [in a loud, stilted tone of voice] I have just placed two delicious radish bars by my bed, and now I am going to take a nap. If anybody comes into the room, I will be asleep and I won't see them!
    Mokey: [lying down for a nap herself] I don't believe this...!
  • Sweet Tooth:
    • Wembley and Mokey love radish bars.
    • But Red's so hooked on radish bars, she eats them in her sleep.
  • This Is My Side: When Red asks Mokey to swear on her Tug-o'-Tails trophy that she didn't take the radish bars, then brings her before the Council of Sages, Mokey, hurt by the accusations, sets up a blanket as a dividing line between her half of the room and Red's, refusing to take it down until she apologizes.
  • Time for Plan B: When Red's radish bars are stolen for the second time and no one but herself has been caught in the trap...
    Red: I guess it's time for plan #2!
  • We Need to Get Proof: Subverted. To get proof that Mokey stole her radish bars, Red has Wembley hide in her room and keep watch while she takes a nap. As a means of getting further proof, she marks four radish bars with Boober's special soap, which makes a red stain appear when wet. After the bars are taken, she brings Mokey before the Council of Sages again. Before Wembley can tell her what he saw, Red dips Mokey's hand in water—but it's Red's hand that turns red. Wembley then tells Red that she ate the radish bars in her sleep.
    Red: Well, the Council wanted red-handed. I got red-handed. Bring forth some water!
    Venerable Sage Lambo: And some cookies, too, while you're at it!
  • Wild Hair: Red's hair, when it's unbound, is a massive mane, as wide as her shoulders and flowing halfway down her back.
  • Wrong Assumption:
    • Red thinks her radish bars were stolen. It turns out she was eating them in her sleep.
    • Red overhears Wembley telling Boober how fantastic his bars are and asking if he has more. Red thinks this means Boober stole her radish bars. They were talking about his special soap bars.

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