Synopsis: Red and Mokey are supposed to have a beanbarrow race with Gobo and Wembley, but an infestation of Clinging Creeper vines forces Mokey into her obligations as a member of the Bouquet Brigade. Without Mokey, Red has to compete in the race with her least favorite resident of Fraggle Rock: Mokey’s pet plant Lanford.
Original air date: March 11, 1985
If there’s one thing in the world that I love, it’s sentient, man-eating plants. There is just something so appealing about them, whether they’re Audrey 2 or Petey Piranha or the Pokemon Carnivine. I think part of what I love about them is how well their designs always translate to puppets, which of course are the other thing I love most in the world. There’s a reason why Audrey 2 will forever be the most famous puppet on Broadway, no matter what Trekkie Monster thinks. And of course, this all explains why Lanford is one of my all-time favorite Muppets.
“The Beanbarrow, the Burden, and the Bright Bouquet” isn’t Lanford’s first appearance, but it’s probably his biggest role, and that’s why I wanted to talk about this episode. He’s a super well-designed character, with a goofy voice and springy movement provided by Rob Mills. But what makes Lanford so special is the way he enhances the comedic angles of Mokey and Red. I can’t say Lanford changes Mokey and Red’s dynamic, but he heightens it, bringing both of them to their relative heights. Mokey is always maternal, but with Lanford she’s maternal to the nth degree. And Red, always combative, gets so wonderfully frustrated with Lanford.
But this episode is where we see Red and Lanford’s relationship change, reminding us of one of the best things about Fraggle Rock: that every character, even a sentient man-eating plant, is multifaceted and can grow and change. Lanford, despite his ugly appearance, contains beautiful flowers; Lanford and Red, despite their initial loathing, can have a loving and positive relationship. Fraggle Rock is big enough for that.
And that’s the other great thing about this episode. As Red, Lanford, Gobo, and Wembley race through Fraggle Rock, the cave seems enormous and the Fraggles’ world feels deep. I’m particularly fond of Swinging Boulder, a sliding cave that creates different paths with its motion. I love how the writers feel confident just introducing the Bouquet Brigades, without worrying a ton explaining this element of the world. I love knowing that Fraggle Rock is a place where everything is worth exploring.
Strongest Moment: As mentioned, Red’s anger with Lanford is so much fun. There’s a scene where she’s trying to push Lanford’s beanbarrow and falls, and yells “WHY DO I GET THE FEELING THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK OUT?” with impeccable delivery. Karen Prell: good at her job!
Weakest Moment: The World’s Oldest Fraggle never needed to rap.
MVF: As mentioned, this is Lanford’s episode. But he’s not a Fraggle, so this honor falls to Red.
Musical Highlight: Red’s lullaby, “The Wind and the Pond and the Moon and Me” is one of my all-time favorite Fraggle songs. It’s a simple, beautiful song featuring dreamlike lyrics and amazing vocals from Karen Prell. For years, I assumed the lyrics were written by Dennis Lee like most Fraggle songs, but today I learned it was actually written by Tim Wynne-Jones. Wynne-Jones wrote lyrics for several songs for Season 3, including “Share and You’re Not Alone,” “Sweet Sweet Little Treat,” and “The Hum Song.” He’s very good at his job, and I wanted to shout him out!
I just wish that there was a clean recording of this song that wasn’t muffled by the sound of creeper vines.
Coolest Puppetry Effect: I just want to shout out Lanford one last time here. Mills does such a lovely job making him expressive and lovable, even if he doesn’t speak. I love how Lanford is able to climb by biting at rocks and pulling his pot behind him. I also want to shout out the extremely clever decision to hide Mills’s arm by making Lanford wear a sweater for this episode. He’s sick! He’s gotta wear a sweater! Pay no attention to the puppeteer inside that.
By Becca Petunia
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