The Curious walks along a deserted road, with the narrator commenting that no one knows about The Curious' home or whether they have a family.
When Vincent's parents' marriage breaks down, Vincent and his father Andrew move in with Auntie Jean; whose house was her and Andrew's family home as children. Vincent and Andrew's relationship has also deteriorated, and Andrew is constantly angry and impatient toward Vincent. Andrew's life began to unravel after an incident in his childhood when his close friend, Red, fell down a well in the garden and died; Andrew has never been the same person since. Vincent checks out the house's cellar, where he finds a mysterious glowing portal. Upon touching the portal, he discovers that he has been transported back to 1985. He goes upstairs and meets his father as he was at that time: a young boy then known as AJ.
Vincent is able to use the portal to travel back and forth between the present day and 1985. He becomes good friends with AJ, and discovers they have a lot in common. Whilst playing AJ's favourite video game together in 1985, AJ calls Vincent "Red", making fun of his red eyes from staring at the screen. Vincent panics as he discovers he was Red all along. He questions Auntie Jean, who says that she wasn't there when Red fell down the well - she just heard Andrew yelling for him, and saw a bright light coming from the well.
Back in 1985, AJ wants Vincent to stay over, but Vincent stalls by saying that his dad won't let him. AJ suggests Vincent try to reach out to his dad and improve their relationship by doing something together that they both enjoy. When Vincent gets home, he fixes up Andrew's old games console - which Andrew smashed up after losing Red. Together, they finally achieve Andrew's childhood dream of beating the game's high score. Vincent wants to go back to 1985 and thank AJ, but finds that the portal isn't in the cellar any more; it is now outside. The portal's power is now growing weaker, and Vincent realizes that soon he will no longer be able to use it.
Vincent goes to see AJ, only for the portal to re-appear inside the well. It dawns on Vincent what really happened when Red died. He did not die at all, but rather Red just went down and disappeared back to his own time, but as Andrew only saw Red falling down and not him going down into the darkness, so Red was presumed dead. He speaks to the portal and says he can't go home now or AJ's life will be devastated. The portal vanishes, and a saddened Vincent thinks he will never be able to return to his own time. However, the portal reappears outside the well, the same size as it was when Vincent first used it. Vincent says a peaceful goodbye to AJ and goes back to the present forever. He discovers that the timeline has been changed because Andrew never experienced the pain of losing Red. Andrew is now a happy person and a loving father and husband; he and his wife never separated. Auntie Jean winks and calls Vincent "Red," suggesting she knows more than she was willing to admit.
The Curious appears in Auntie Jean's garden, taking a packet of bubble gum that AJ had given to Vincent.
This episode contains examples of:
- Abusive Parent: Andrew often yells at and belittles Vincent because of the stress of his separation and his grief of his friends death. He also apparently began failing at life after this. He gets better when Vincent starts to bond with him using knowledge of his past, and becomes a loving father after the past is changed.
- The '80s: Vincent is transported back to his father's 1980s childhood.
- Fashions Never Change: AJ and Vincent dress similarly despite coming from time periods over 30 years apart.
- For Want Of A Nail: Jean says that the loss of Red forever changed AJ, being the moment everything seemed to go wrong for him. Vincent, realizing he is the cause of this, elects to stay in the past and even gives a proper farewell so his father will have a better life. The orb reappears and allows him to return to the future, where his father is still with his wife and is much happier overall.
- Formula-Breaking Episode: The show's first episode to have a happy ending.
- In-Series Nickname: AJ nicknames Vincent "Red" as a joke to Vincent's "Emperor eyes".
- Karmic Jackpot: Vincent is willing to stay in the past if it means changing his father for the better. The time portal agreed as it formed once more for Vincent to enjoy a happier future with his parents.
- Kid from the Future: Vincent is this in 1985, although AJ is never aware of it.
- Newspaper Dating: Vincent learns what year he's in from the front of a TV guide.
- Oh, Crap!: Once AJ calls Vincent "Red", Vincent realizes just who AJ's old friend was.
- Our Time Travel Is Different: Done via a magical portal that Vincent can talk to.
- Parents as People: Andrew seems to care for his son, but his personal and marital problems lead him to push Vincent away.
- Rule of Three: It takes three travels into the past for Vincent to change AJ for the better.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Vincent's purpose for travelling back to the past.
- Sliding Scale Of Fate Vs Free Will: The central theme of the episode.
- Supernaturally Young Parent: AJ and Vincent are the same age in 1985 due to the time travel.
- Time Travel Episode: Vincent travels back to and forth from the present to 1985.
- Title Drop: Delivered by Auntie Jean.
