While cruising in the Australian Outback, a joey named Hopster steals the keys to the Createrra VX, stranding Chris and Martin in the outback until they can find the keys. In an effort to retrieve their only remaining set of car keys, Chris and Martin activate their creature power suits and disguise themselves as red kangaroos, hoping to blend in with the mob and find Hopster. But after being challenged to a kickboxing match by the herd's alpha male, the Roo boss, Chris is forced to fight him so Martin can get the keys from Hopster. But as predators begin to descend upon the mob, the Kratt Brothers struggle simply to survive in the ruthless Australian Outback.
Tropes:
- Amphibious Automobile: The Createrra VX can float and drive on water in addition to driving on land, with the help of hydro-glide water wheels.
- Animal Gender-Bender: Chris is transformed into a male kangaroo, but by touching the pouch of a female kangaroo and pressing a button on his Creature Power Suit, he gains a pouch, which he uses to save Martin from falling to his death.
- Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?: Martin engages in this at one point.Chris: Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?
Martin: We catch the first bus outta here? - Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Not counting the one that gets lost in this episode, the Createrra has had three sets of spare keys. The first set was lost in a snowdrift by Martin, the second set was lost by Chris in a mud wallow, and the third set...was snatched by a Mischief-Making Monkey.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Martin tries to tell a joke to the wedge-tailed eagle in an effort to get it to let go of him. Though not due to the joke, it works, but sends Martin plummeting down to the ground as a result.
- Boxing Kangaroo:
- One of the first things Hopster does when he comes across Martin and Chris is to kick the former in the chest, then box with him using his arms.
- Chris is pitted against the Roo Boss in this episode, who is the head of the mob that Hopster and his mom are in. He stands no chance untransformed and repeatedly gets handed loss after loss, but when he gains kangaroo powers and activates his suit, he's on more even ground, though he still needs to get used to his powers.
- Chekhov's Gun: The horn of the Createrra makes the sound of a kookaburra, something that comes in handy when the brothers give up on finding their keys then find Hopster honking the horn with the keys to the car on him.
- Circling Birdies:
- Chris gets kicked by Roo Boss and slams into Martin as the pair land in a bush. They both get circling kangaroos around their heads in their dizzy states.
- Jimmy gets the star variant when he continuously punches himself while trying to show Chris a boxing move.
- Continuity Nod: In "Let the Rhinos Roll!", Chris chides Martin for flying over a ravine with the Createrra while it was still in Truck Mode. This episode has Martin flying over a gully with the Createrra in Truck Mode with the aid of turbo boosters, though this time Chris is all in on it.
- Crazy-Prepared: The Createrra has had four sets of keys in total, with three having been lost in various natural disasters and general animal mischief-making. When Chris and Martin get the fourth pair back from Hopster, Aviva remarks that they need to make lots of spare keys, much to the brothers' chagrin.
- Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress: Averted. Chris tells a falling Martin to slow down. Martin bites back by saying that gravity doesn't work that way.
- Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?: Jimmy's comment on why male kangaroos don't have pouches edges into this trope, given how men carrying handbags is a trait commonly associated with homosexuality.Jimmy: I think he's in the pouch of that really big red one.
Koki: Hm? That's a guy kangaroo, Jimmy. They don't have pouches.
Jimmy: Probably for the same reason I don't wanna carry my mother's purse. - Here We Go Again!: As Chris and Martin are talking about Chris's stalling with the Roo Boss, the Createrra begins to roll down a hill. It's not until Aviva points it out to them that they start booking after it.Chris: We may have found the keys...
Martin: But we lost the Createrra! - Hope Spot:
- Martin manages to get the Createrra keys back from Hopster, but loses them just as quickly when Chris is sent flying by Roo Boss and slams dead-on into him, knocking the keys out of his grasp and back into Hopster's.
- At the end of the episode, Chris and Martin finally get the keys back for good. Unfortunately, in their discussion of the adventure they had in getting them back, they neglected to keep an eye on the Createrra that is about to roll down the hill...
- How Do I Shot Web?: Both Chris and Martin struggle with getting a handle on their new kangaroo powers. Martin in particular is the more insulting example because, thanks to activating using Hopster, he's a joey and not a full-grown kangaroo.
- Immediate Self-Contradiction:
- Martin tells Chris, with nary a lack of overconfidence, that he knows where Hopster is hiding with the Createrra's keys. A smug Chris tells him to point out where. Not a second later, after the female kangaroos all scatter, the scene cuts to Martin's nervous expression.Martin: Uh, can I get back to you on that?
- Later on, he says he's "99.9% positive" the keys are in the pouch of one mother roo. He goes to look, he doesn't find the keys, and he gets two feet to the face by a different joey in return.
- Both Chris and Martin manage to contradict themselves when the Hope Spot passes.Chris: That roo will have to kick me a lot harder than that if he wants to show me who's boss.
Martin: Yeah, Hopster is a tricky little roo, but I've got him all figured out.
Chris: Ah, who am I kidding? Kangaroos have a serious kick!
Martin: Who am I kidding? Hopster totally tricked me. - Chris gets a bit too overconfident when he enters out of How Do I Shot Web? and gets a good handle on his kangaroo powers.Martin: Hey Chris, still no keys on my end! You hangin' in there?
Chris: No worries, bro. I'm getting this roo kickboxing thing down better than I thought. [promptly gets kicked and slammed into a bush] Scratch that. Still need practice.
- Martin tells Chris, with nary a lack of overconfidence, that he knows where Hopster is hiding with the Createrra's keys. A smug Chris tells him to point out where. Not a second later, after the female kangaroos all scatter, the scene cuts to Martin's nervous expression.
- In a Single Bound: The first thing Martin does when he activates his kangaroo powers is leap high into the air. Unfortunately, moving forward with his new roo legs is a different story — he tries, but promptly falls to the ground.
- Ironic Echo Cut: Martin and Chris engage in this briefly.Martin: All right, Hopster, where are you?
Chris: Uh, Martin, where are you? And where are those keys?! - Kangaroo Pouch Ride: Martin gets numerous pouch rides over the course of the episode.
- He ends up slipping into the pouch of a female kangaroo in his search for the keys. He's quick to get rejected thanks to the roo's pouch muscles contracting.
- Him falling into Chris's newly-formed pouch ends up saving his life after he gets dropped by a wedge-tailed eagle.
- To escape the dingo chasing after the roos, he hops into Chris's pouch, as he's not as fast as his younger brother with his weak hind legs.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: To attract Hopster's attention so he can play with him again, Martin decides to use the keys to the Createrra as a lure. It ends up working...just a little too well, as the joey makes his escape with the keys in tow and eventually slips into his mother's pouch where the brothers can't get to him.
- No Peripheral Vision: Chris has his head buried in the digital measuring meter, so much so that he doesn't even notice the kangaroos that are hopping over the Createrra's hood. Martin grabs his attention with a joke that jabs at him.Martin: So Chris, how many roos does it take to hop over your head before you look up?
[Chris looks up, sees a roo hopping over the car, and gasps]
Martin: Three! - Not the Fall That Kills You…: Martin is saved from a bad fall thanks to a wedge-tailed eagle dropping him by landing into Chris's pouch.
- Oh, Crap!: While looking for female roos, Chris comes face-to-face with Roo Boss, the head of the mob of roos that Hopster is a part of. To make things worse, he stands up tall to initiate a challenge, leading Chris to realize exactly what's going on.
- Shock-and-Switch Ending: Near the end of the episode, Chris and Martin give up on getting the keys back for the Createrra. They call Aviva to come and pick them up and then lament about how they'll never use the Jeep again, just before they hear its kookaburra horn and see Hopster bouncing in it with keys in hand. And then the Createrra begins to roll down a hill, leading them to chase after it in a case of Here We Go Again!.
- Stupidest Thing I've Ever Heard: Subverted. When running away from a dingo, Chris discusses a plan with Martin to retrieve the keys from Hopster once and for all. It sounds like a silly plan, but not only do they not have much of a choice, they have an opportunity — and the plan works.Martin: Let's follow the mob as they dodge the dingo. Hopefully they'll know how to lose this guy!
Chris: And maybe we'll hear the keys jingling in their pouches and find them.
Martin: Oh, that's the craziest idea I ever heard. Hey, but I like crazy ideas, don't I?
Chris: Yep. And what other choice do we have?
Martin: To the key rescue! - Transforming Vehicle: The Createrra VX has water wheels for driving on water and turbo boosters for jumping gullies or large gaps in cliffs.
- What the Fu Are You Doing?: Jimmy tries teaching Chris some boxing moves to help him in a fight against Roo Boss. He only ends up socking himself in the face twice.Jimmy: I'm pretty sure I didn't wanna do that.
Koki: [giggles] You okay, Mr. Z?
Jimmy: Me? Ah, I'm way fine. But I think I'll leave the profession of boxing to the professionals. - Yank the Dog's Chain: Neither brother can catch a break this episode, whether it's finding the keys or fighting the Roo Boss.
