Sly Sludge dumps garbage into a volcano, which eventually makes it erupt.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Aerith and Bob: The two secondary characters of this episode are brother and sister named Tommy and Lanai, respectively. Which of them is "Aerith" and which is "Bob" depends on the point of view – "Tommy" (nickname for "Thomas") is a common name in the entire Western culture, while "Lanai" is a Hawaiian one, fitting in with the local setting.
- Chekhov's Volcano: Naturally, the fact that Sludge's latest plan involves a volcano means that it's only a matter of time before it threatens to erupt and destroy everything in the area.
- Convection Shmonvection: Linka and Lanai accidentally get very close to the center of the volcano, full of hot magma. Normally, the heat should kill them or at least cause them to faint, but neither of this happens; instead, they get saved by Captain Planet.
- Right Way/Wrong Way Pair: Tommy and Lanai consider each other's way the wrong one, and his/hers the right one. Tommy keeps telling his sister that Sludge's actions will eventually ruin their island. Lanai, in turn, claims that her brother is simply stuck in the past. In the end, she admits that he was right.
- Shout-Out: Tommy distrusts Sludge and his scheme all along. Lanai, who believes Sludge is a good guy, at one point calls her brother a "doubting Tommy".
- Skewed Priorities: Subverted. When the volcano erupts, and the lava starts flowing towards the village, Lanai shouts the name of Sludge's trash-dumping machines. Wheeler expresses disbelief that she'd think about machines rather than people, so she clarifies that they can use the machines to save the village.
- So Proud of You: Gaia about the Planeteers, as they're rushing off to stop Sludge.Gaia: Children. They make a mother proud.
