First of two consecutive episodes featuring Children of the Corn (1984)note star John Franklin. Here, he plays an alien from the solar system Greenballix named Vong.
The episode starts off as per standard procedure; with the younger members of the band performing "Old Time Rock and Roll"; during which Vong first arrives from outer space. When the band goes on break, Renee introduces herself to the stranger (later introduced as Vong; who came from his native solar system to study Earth for a school project); with Gloria complimenting him on his clothes, which Vong returns before the band goes back on stage for the next number ("I Just Called to Say I Love You").
However, Renee inadvertently stumbles over seeing Vong communicating with the spaceship Zyutz (with what appears to be a magnetic plug attached to his head) and overhears Vong's plan to bring a human back with him. Renee tries to tell the others, with no success (Stacy: "See what I have to put up with?")...until Vong causes the picture in the arcade game Aaron and Mario were playing to disappear. We then hear Vong bragging about his home planet; complete with rivers in every color of the rainbow and Derma-Pops (a world of chocolate) while dissing Earth...and wanting to take Renee as the Earth specimen in hopes of getting extra credit. The others attempt to stop Vong (with Mickey dismissing Vong as a "nerd from space"), but he has a spray can transporter...and he's willing to use it, teleporting them outside of the Coco Club inside an Invisible Wall (which the kids discover when they try to stop Vong again), leading to "You Keep Me Hangin' On".
Vong then makes his demands, adding that if Renee doesn't go, he would leave...and leave Kids Inc. stuck in the force field. At this point, Renee makes a stunning decision, as despite her friends' pleas she agrees to go...on one condition: she gets to take her Bruce Springsteen albumnote with her (Vong mispronounces the Boss' last name as "Springstein"). Vong agrees, though threatening to spray the others if there's any "funny stuff". Kid then tries to argue with Vong (claiming to be from an advanced civilization); before Gloria responds that she hopes she wouldn't become so advanced she lost touch with her feelings, something which doesn't connect to the alien (at the time, anyway).
Vong then checks his wristwatch to see if Renee is getting her albums, as we then see Renee singing "Never Can Say Goodbye" while - true to her word - loading her records in her backpack. By the time the song ends, Vong is ready to go...provided Renee gives the others a goodbye hug. However, Vong is suddenly so moved by their affection that he decides not to take Renee...or anyone else as a specimen; setting up "closing song Footloose"; complete with Vong dancing with Wendy and Andrea.
Songs performed in this episode:
- "Old Time Rock and Roll" (Bob Seger cover; performed by Stacy, Renee and Kid)
- "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (Stevie Wonder cover; performed by Gloria)
- "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (The Supremes {also recorded by Vanilla Fudge} cover; performed by Renee, Kid and Stacy)note
- "Never Can Say Goodbye" (The Jackson 5 cover; performed by Renee)
- "Footloose" (Kenny Loggins cover; performed by Mickey)
Tropes associated with this episode:
- Armor-Piercing Response: Gloria delivers one to Vong.
- The Heart: Gloria seems to fill this role in her response to Vong.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Ultimately averted. Renee is willing to leave her fellow bandmates (including her little sister) in order to let the others go free. Ultimately, The Power of Friendship makes such a move unnecessary
- Human Aliens: Vong
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Mickey's "nerd from space" remark before the kids are transported to an invisible force field
- Some Kind of Force Field: What the kids spend the second act trapped in. Also an Invisible Wall.
- The Power of Friendship: What ultimately convinces Vong to leave Renee on Earth.
- You Have to Believe Me!: Renee's attempt to warn the others Vong was indeed an alien seeking to take a human with him.
