“Let’s get out of here before something else becomes fashionable.”
- Release Date: 17th February 2003
- Season 1
- Episode 21
- Director: Will Meugniot
- Writers: Bob Forward
The team arrive on a tropical planet, which looks like a beach resort and is inhabited by humanoids with tentacles called the Ro’malg, and Bonner seems to be very happy with what he sees. They hear a commotion and head over – someone is trying to pull another person (a woman called Rikkel) out of a large hole using a rope. The team all help save her from the giant scorpions in the put, but she drops the leaves she was carrying.
Rikkel is extremely annoyed because they made her drop the omsok ferns. These don’t have any special properties, but are considered the height of fashion – she risked her life to fit in with others. Bonner is confused, so the cadets talk about the times they all cared about fashion in order to fit in with others. They visit a shop and Rikkel gets shunned for being ugly. The owner sends them all away. A larger tentacle alien comes over and tells the owner that Draga and Bonner are worth a lot to the Tlak’kahn.
Not happy with being shunned, Rikkel decides to go back into the caves for the omsok. Stacey speaks to Bonner about joining her and he initially refuses, saying it’s stupid, especially just to fit in. He agrees that they need to help when Stacey points out that Rikkel is going to endanger herself without them, so Stacey, Seattle and Harrison all decide to help her.
They enter the caves through a different entrance, with Harrison spotting a pink crystal, leading to a discussion about stalactites and stalagmite, eventually reaching an area lush with omsok. As they grab a load, giant bugs attack (it seems to be their food) and then flee. Bonner reports that Draga has picked up bad vibes, and they rush to help them.
The bounty hunter from before causes a cave-in at the entrance, trapping the cadets and knocking over the buggy, allowing for him to capture Draga and drive off, with the shopkeeper helping. Ec’co chases on foot, but has to give up and help Bonner. They manage to pick up the buggy and blast open the cave. A chase ensues and the bounty hunter ends up falling into the pit, but Rikkel saves him. Bonner knows how the shopkeeper can apologise for his part.
The shopkeeper gives Rikkel his most luxurious osmok headdress, and suddenly the other girls like her. She then has a realisation, and gives it back – being herself is more important than trying to fit in with trends. The other girls all follow suit and give their headdresses back, and everyone carries on following the current trend as though nothing mattered.
