Hoggish Greedly, Rigger and Sly Sludge travel back in time to the Wild West to alter history so the Grand Canyon will be turned into a dumping site. The Planeteers follow them to the past to stop them, and get an ally in a young man named Keeyani, from the Navajo tribe.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- The Complainer Is Always Wrong: This time, it's Linka who gets such a moment. She complains about Wheeler thinking of recycling (i.e. picking up still good clothes thrown out by the townspeople) rather than of stopping the villains, but then Kwame points out that they do need the clothes in order to blend in.
- Intergenerational Friendship: Subverted. Keeyani seems to be around the older Planeteers' age, but only because the team traveled about a hundred years back in time. In reality, he died long before any of them were born.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Wheeler after Gaia briefed the Planeteers of the Grand Canyon being used as a glorified dumping site.Wheeler: So let me get this straight. People have been dumping in the Grand Canyon for years? And no one noticed? That's crazy!
- Make Wrong What Once Went Right: The villains travel back in time and turn the Grand Canyon into a huge dumping site.
- Mama Bear: Downplayed. Just as one of Greedly's henchmen is about to fire at the Planeteers, Gaia shows up as a hologram and scares him away. However, given that the threat was posed by a human, rather than an evil spirit, she doesn't do anything else to the would-be attacker, instead focusing on the Planeteers and their new friend, Keeyani.Henchman: You ain't going nowhere, boy.
Gaia (angrily): But you are.
Henchman: Aah! (flees) - No Ontological Inertia: After the Planeteers set things right again, all the effects of the villains' interference are undone.
- Politically Correct History: Averted; only Wheeler and Linka (the two white members of the team) are permitted to go into a shop, while the others (who are Asian, African, and Native American) have to stay outside.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Greedly does hire a bunch of racist white men to attack the local "Injuns" so he can claim their land as his and sell it to Sly Sludge, but otherwise he never even comments on anybody's race or does anything remotely discriminatory.
- Reckless Gun Usage: Wheeler shows off his Gun Twirling skills with a revolver. Kwame worries that he might accidentally shoot himself, until Greedly's henchman accidentally spills the beans that the gun is empty.Wheeler tests out the gun provided to him.
Ma-Ti: He is very good!
Kwame: I hope he does not shoot himself...
Henchman: Can't. He ain't got no bullets. ...Ooops!
Linka: Oh, NO! WHEELER! YOU AIN'T GOT NO BULLETS!
Wheeler: Huh!? (loses his grip on the gun, which flies and conks Greedly on the head) - Recognizable by Sound: While spying on Greedly in a saloon, Wheeler notices him cheating in a poker game, and unable to hold his tongue, announces it aloud. Greedly instantly realizes what just happened.Wheeler: Hogwash, Greedly! You cheated!
People in the saloon gasp and start murmuring.
Greedly: I know that voice. I hate that voice!
Wheeler: Huh? (has his fake mustache ripped off his face) Ow! - Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The Planeteers follow the villains into the past in order to undo their changes.
- Shout-Out: When Gaia tells the Planeteers that the time stream had been disrupted which caused the Grand Canyon to be turned into a dumping site, Wheeler understands that someone time-traveled and changed history pretty quickly. Linka asks him how, and he claims that he saw something like it in a movie once.
- Skewed Priorities: Subverted. When the Planeteers and Keeyani find things thrown out by the townspeople, Wheeler picks up some clothes and comments they're still good. Linka scolds him for this, saying it's no time for recycling, but Kwame, after giving it a bit of thought, agrees with Wheeler.Kwame: Wheeler's right! We need clothes like the townspeople wear.
- Temporary Substitute: Near the end, the Planeteers need to summon Captain Planet, but Ma-Ti is unconscious after an accidental Tap on the Head. Thus, Gaia asks Keeyani to use the Heart Ring instead.Gaia (to Keeyani): You would honor us by using Ma-Ti's ring to summon Captain Planet.
Keeyani: I, uh, um... It is I who am honored. - Time Machine: The one used by the villains (and later by the heroes, too) was created by Dr. Blight.
