Synopsis: Boober wants to cook and eat Junior Gorg’s best friend! It’s a radish. Mokey saves it while offering important insights on friendship.
Original air date: April 1, 1985
We open with Doc excited about his school reunion and getting to see an old friend. He’s giddy Doc ready to party until Sprocket gets locked an old trunk that won’t open. The tension builds throughout the episode as Doc is still hoping to catch his bus to the reunion but can’t seem to open that dagnabbit trunk no matter what he tries.
In the Fraggle scenes, Boober is a culinary artist intent on creating a magical radish recipe. He is a master in the kitchen, but absolutely petrified of going into the garden, showing off his anxiety, but also his humor. When Mokey tells him he will be “missing out” by not going into the garden, he gives asides in the best Boober fashion as he masks his fear with humor. “I’ll be missing a visit to the Gorg’s tummy.” “Don’t worry – I’ll be giving you moral support. From the pantry.”
Plucky Mokey goes to steal a radish and sets her sights on Geraldine, the huge radish that Junior has been growing from a little seed and now charmingly dotes on – singing to it, watering it delicately, even sleeping next to it. While trying to snatch Geraldine, Mokey sets off a trap that signals Junior to catch her. She talks her way out of Junior’s grasp by convincing Junior to set her down so she can tell him his problem. She regales the Fraggles with her tale of escape, but they are fixated on one thing – this huge radish she mentioned.
Mokey faces Junior once again to distract him and tells him his problem is his obsession with Geraldine and he needs friends. She convinces him to go on a quest to find them, without calculating that she will be on his packing list. With Junior gone – and Mokey with him – the rest of the Fraggles come up with a carriage they created and pluck the radish.
Mokey and Junior end up far away in the woods and have a heart-to-heart about friendship. Mokey describes friends as the people you miss when you aren’t with them. And Junior tells her that is Geraldine for him. They head back, but Geraldine is now in the Fraggle kitchen being salivated over. Junior blames himself that Geraldine is gone while Mokey – rightly – blames herself that Geraldine is gone and sets about making it right.
She throws herself between Boober and Geraldine and convinces them to take the radish back, not giving in to Boober’s pleas to “only julienne half.” But Junior has already left on a quest to find Geraldine. So, Mokey goes on a quest to get Junior.
Poor Junior is singing alone about having no friends when Mokey finds him and tells him Geraldine has returned and they can go back. She fails to elaborate on how a friendship with a radish will work in the long-term. I mean, radishes don’t last forever. But in the meantime, she realizes she and Junior have formed a friendship also.
Poor Sprocket spent the whole episode trapped in that old trunk. Doc frees him just in time to miss the last bus to the reunion. I have seen Doc be annoyed and frustrated by many lesser things, but not this time. He simply tells Sprocket it isn’t his fault.
“I couldn’t meet my old friend, but I couldn’t leave my best friend.”
While the plot is filled with action and solid story, I found the strength of “The Great Radish Caper” is in the characters.
Mokey shows up as fierce and resourceful. She bravely goes out into the garden for radishes, faces down Junior, gets out of trouble more than once, and shows a flexibility to listen to others and change her point of view.
Junior, meanwhile, is caring, introspective, and empathetic. Without knowing what friends are, he shows up as a friend for his favorite radish, Geraldine, and reveals a lot of compassion for Mokey when realizing she came all the way to search for him.
The episode has a lot of heart, which is what Fraggles really do best. The real world is such a mess. I just want to sip from that Fraggle heart and compassion and share it with others. Not being able to do that, sitting down for a half hour with this episode is still a much-needed escape.
Strongest Moment: Despite the dark subject, this episode is filled with humor, highlighted in Junior’s naivete. When Mokey is surprised about Junior’s obsession with Geraldine – she’s a radish! – Junior responds, “She doesn’t know that!” Junior also tells us he wasn’t born tomorrow. There is a sweetness that hints at greater depth to Junior.
Weakest Moment: None for me. This episode was delightful.
MVF (Most Valuable Fraggle): I’m giving it to Boober. He’s not the focus of the episode, but he steals every scene he is in with his humor and culinary passion.
Most Classic Moment: Sprocket getting trapped in a trunk. Of course, Doc’s plans won’t work out.
Coolest Puppetry Effect: A standout was all the Fraggles carrying the radish back to the garden, working together with their radish invention and taking it in stride that they don’t get to keep it. “These radishes always seem heavier when you are bring them back, eh?”
Darkest Moment: Junior’s pain at Geraldine being gone, blaming himself and feeling friendless.
One More Thing…: Uncle Traveling Matt visits the Castle Neuschwanstein, said to be the inspiration for the Disney castle, and hands out radishes. It’s a little random, but short and sweet.
Click here to name your favorite radish on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Drake Lucas
