Hello fellow silly creatures. I am happy to report that we are all still sharing the dream in which the classic Henson series Fraggle Rock not only got a reboot with Back to the Rock, but will, on March 29, drop a whole new season for us to enjoy. Whoopie!!
In order to prepare for thirteen more episodes of singing, dancing and harmonizing, here are a few things you might want to do. First, watch the season 2 trailer. Your eyes will roll as wildly as Wembley’s with all of the hints of what’s to come. Second, listen to the first single from season two’s album, “The Rock Goes On.” It’ll get your toes tapping and your baloobiuses swaying. And third, rewatch the first season of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on AppleTV+.
No time for that third thing, you say? No worries. You could take the short cut and read all of ToughPigs’ reviews of first season episodes. Or you could listen to ToughPigs’ coverage of each episode on the podcast Fraggle Talk, featuring guests who helped make the show. Or, if your time is as short as an Inkspot, below I have provided highlights, a recap, and everything you need to need to know to watch season 2 with confidence.
All your favorites are back!
From the Fraggle five, Gorgs and Doozers to every little background creature you half-remember, the showrunners were as excited to bring the Rock to life as we were to see it. Every episode showed this enthusiasm by giving us moments with the Storyteller, the World’s Oldest Fraggle and a chorus of creatures that made this interconnected world feel just as real as the outer space we already live in. And, of course, we have our bumbling Uncle Traveling Matt back.
New favorites to fall in love with!
While it’s impossible to see the original Doc again and Cantus may have finally wandered too far to return, Back to the Rock gave us new versions of these characters to appreciate. Doc still has dreams of doing and, thankfully, she also has a more attentive attitude toward the best dog in the world, Sprocket. The traveling band of musicians is led by Jamdolin who brings a groove all his own. Add to this Barry Blueberry, Icy Joe and Coop, as well as voice cameos from celebrities, and there was no doubt that the writers and performers were eager to show us they had new stories to share.
The Music!
Just like in the 1980s Fraggle Rock, the reboot includes multiple songs in each episode. The songs are a mixture of new music and thoughtful new arrangements of the classic Fraggle music. And they are delightful. They released the full soundtrack for your listening pleasure. And each of them was integrated into its episode story in a thoughtful way. It’s no wonder those Fraggles can dance their cares away.
The Message!
The biggest defining feature of Fraggle Rock is its intent. What a wonderful story to tell people that this was a show created to end war. Back to the Rock carries on that legacy too, taking similarly big swings in the lessons it teaches. With its focus on water and what that resource means to all of the creatures in Fraggle Rock as well as to us humans, the season illustrated our interconnectedness in every episode. It tackled foundational subjects for viewers of all ages like consent, self-acceptance, and to always interrogate the sources of our information. Topics that weren’t in the public consciousness in the 80s as much as they are now.
The Recap!
The story arc of season one followed the Fraggles as they stumbled into a greater flow of water to their cave. This water allowed them to create new games. It gave the Doozers extra power to build with. And the Gorgs built a beautiful water fountain. But soon the Fraggles learned that their increased water supply came at the cost of depriving the Craggles (another group of creatures living in the rock) of their water source.
The Craggles came to live with the Fraggles while they worked to get the flow of water back to Craggle Lagoon, causing friction between their two cultures. In their increased productivity, the Doozers broke through a plant root, releasing a goo that created a strong new building material. But that material was not only unappealing to Fraggle tastebuds, it also polluted the water. This pollution now disrupted the Merggles’ way of life.
The Fraggles, Craggles and Merggles were all stuck as they tried to solve the issues with their water and the Doozers were at a standstill because they couldn’t build. They needed the help of the Gorgs, whose fountain was keeping the water from replenishing. A trip to Outer Space gave Cotterpin Doozer the idea of how to get the goo out of the water. And Gobo dreamt that the solution to their problems involved the Gorgs. Just as the Fraggles, Craggles, Merggles and Doozers found harmony, they needed to achieve the same with the Gorgs. After being laughed at by everyone in the Rock, Gobo bravely put his dream into action. Some dangerous misunderstandings led the Fraggle five to nearly being thumped, until finally they convinced Junior Gorg to restore the balance of water throughout the Rock by destroying the fountain.
After that ending, the possibilities for season two are wide open. And I am eager to see where the world of Fraggle Rock takes us. So let’s all flip flop skipity hop back to Fraggle Rock on March 29th on Apple TV+!
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By Katilyn Miller – KTLyn@ToughPigs.com
