Synopsis: Red starts a club but it’s taken over by Gobo, so she starts a different one with Cottorpin Doozer. Catchy songs are sung.
Original airdate: March 26, 1984
One and one and one are three, can you sing as high as me? One and one are only two, I can sing as high as you! I’M THE ONE THAT WON!
Ahem, sorry. I’ve had that song in my head for a week.
I’ve never been a big fan of clubs in general. They always feel a little discriminatory, they feel a little pointless, and at the end of the day if you want to hang out, do you really need a club for that? I mean, there are clubs designed to help people, almost like charities, but those are more so organisations than anything else. They have financial officers. I don’t think Fraggle’s have accountants.
Speaking of clubs designed to help, young Red Fraggle has decided to create just that! Or, at least, she wants to start a club so she can be the leader of something. You see, Gobo Fraggle is always the darn leader! Why’s that? Because his name is first in the title sequence! That’s my guess, anyway. So Red takes this idea to the other Fraggles who decide the club’s noble purpose should be to help people! And who better to lead than Gobo! Oh boy, Red’s right, that guy gets everything.
So Red takes her bat and ball and goes home, and creates her own damn helping club! And her newest member is Cottorpin Doozer, who I always think was played by Karen Prell but was in fact Kathy Mullen and I’m really just typing this so in 12 months time when I Google it again it’ll be me answering my own question. Cottorpin gets the short end of the Doozer Stick and keeps on being placed in situations that require Red to help her out, usually up on high rocks, while the other Fraggles walk around the Rock helping out and trying to figure out why Red is freaking out. Red gets all ‘Red’ about it and starts trying to one-up Gobo, ending up in the Gorg’s garden and helping Pa Gorg with his hanky which was stuck down a well. Listen, if I were Pa Gorg, I’d just consider the hanky gone. Get a Kleenex, bud, they’re way less gross. Pa Gorg traps the other Fraggles, leaving it to Red to help them out, meaning she really is the High Helper! Whoopee! Of course her first decree is to end the club, because who needs a club when you have friends? That’s what I tried telling the Scouts, but they weren’t having it and the tribunal terminated my membership.
And that’s Fraggle Rock for you. Does Red learn a lesson and develop as a character and stop being competitive with Gobo moving forward? Gorg no she doesn’t! But that’s okay, she wouldn’t be the Fraggle we know and love if she lost her fighting spirit! But still, she loves her friends, and she loves Gobo, even if she does want to beat him in a laughing contest.
Strongest Moment: The puppetry of Red Fraggle. Fun fact: Karen Prell had to have emergency surgery when this episode was in production. Okay, that’s not such a fun fact. But Steve Whitmire stepped in and performs Red throughout the episode, and his puppetry is spot on. Red has that same feeling that Karen gives her in her movements, which is a testiment to his skills.
Weakest Moment: Okay, fine, I admit it – I don’t like the Doozers. I find them extremely dull. They’re the Meg Griffins of Fraggle Rock.
MVF (Most Valuable Fraggle): It’s for sure Red Fraggle. Can you imagine her reaction if I gave it to Gobo!?
First Appearance of…: Have we seen those three Fraggles who follow Red around before? The real odd ones? They feel like Pogey before Pogey was invented. I love Pogey.
Coolest Puppetry Effect: It’s super simple, but Red holding Cottorpin for an entire song looked really cool.
Fraggle Lore: At this stage Fraggles don’t have much to do with the Doozers, as evident by Gobo’s genuine look of shock and confusion at a Doozer even speaking to him.
One More Thing…: And now, a word about the Doc and Sprocket story: Sprocket doesn’t get in to the Top Dog Club he applied for, so he starts his own club, The Underdogs! No dogs that yap are allowed, which includes Rowlf. Yes, that Rowlf. No big dogs are allowed, so I’m assuming Barkley isn’t welcome. Doc makes a bunch of rules that excludes everyone, and soon realises that ruined everything. Mostly on Fraggle Rock, the Doc stories are slightly similar to what’s happening inside the Fraggle hole. This one is pretty much identical. It would take Sprocky 7 years to join a club, The Organization of Muppet Dogs.
Okay, One More Thing: Don’t forget, Fraggle Rock: Back To The Rock Season 2 starts tomorrow! Yes, THAT tomorrow!
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by Jarrod Fairclough – Jarrod@ToughPigs.com
