The Dead Seas

The Dead Seas is the third episode in the first series of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. It was written by Martha Moran.

Eco-villains

 * Hoggish Greedly
 * Rigger

Plot Synopsis
Hoggish Greedly is using drift nets to capture sea creatures and fish the oceans clean. The Planeteers race to stop him, but Greedly overpowers them and steals their rings. The Planeteers must work together without their Planeteer powers to get their rings back and stop Greedly's drift-net operation.

Episode Summary
The episode opens with sea creatures swimming through tranquil waters. Suddenly, two dolphins become tangled in a net. It is soon clear that Hoggish Greedly and his sidekick Rigger are using drift nets to fish the ocean. Greedly describes it as "strip mining" the ocean, stating that every fish in the net is money in his pocket.

On Hope Island, Gi is reading a book on marine biology. She over-hears the transmission of a distressed dolphin on the Crystal Vision screen. She is horrified to see Hoggish Greedly is using miles of drift nets to capture sea creatures. Running outside, she is unable to find Wheeler, Linka or Ma-Ti, but Kwame is planting seedlings. She crashes into him and tells him Greedly needs to be stopped immediately. He attempts to calm her down and says that they should wait for the other Planeteers or instructions from Gaia. Gi urges him that things are too serious to wait for the others, and runs to the eco-sub in order to stop Greedly.

Kwame joins her, still wishing she would wait for the others, but telling her he can't let her go alone. She thanks him and steers the eco-sub out towards the open sea.

They soon come upon Greedly's nets. Sea turtles, fish, dolphins and whales are all tangled and drowning. Surfacing the eco-sub, Gi tells Kwame to save a nearby dolphin by cutting it free of the netting. Meanwhile, she attempts to wash Greedly overboard by creating a tidal wave with her ring.

Greedly and Rigger are washed around the deck of Greedly's ship. The fish Greedly is storing in a catchment below the deck all escape. Greedly orders Rigger to capture Kwame and Gi. Rigger scrambles to obey (finally freeing himself from beneath Greedly after his boss fell on him), and manages to use a crane to hook under Kwame's vest. Kwame is pulled into the air towards Greedly's ship. He calls to Gi for help and she frees him by knocking Rigger down with a new wave.

Gi and Kwame attempt to retreat. Kwame warns her to avoid the drift nets, but she is adament they should tear through them and destroy them. Unfortunately, the eco-sub is not strong enough, and becomes tangled. Greedly pulls the eco-sub aboard and locks it - still containing the two Planeteers - beneath a section of the deck.

Gi apologises to Kwame, blaming herself for the situation they have suddenly found themselves in. Kwame tells her there is no time for regrets - they need to concentrate and reach Ma-Ti.

Meanwhile, Wheeler, Linka and Ma-Ti are in the geo-cruiser. Wheeler and Linka are bickering. Wheeler has, apparently, claimed that New York is better than Moscow because they have video arcades. Ma-Ti is laughing at them when he picks up the signal from Kwame and Gi.

He tells the others they are in trouble. Wheeler tells Linka to turn the geo-cruiser around, but Ma-Ti says sending a message using his Heart power will be faster. Via his Planeteer ring, he tells Kwame and Gi that they need to call Captain Planet.

Hoggish Greedly is having lunch inside his ship when he overhears Kwame's phrase, "Let our powers combine." He watches as Kwame and Gi raise their fists up through the bars of their holding area and use the rings to summon Captain Planet. For the first time, Greedly realises that the rings the Planeteers wear are how they summon their powers and the superhero. He realises that to stop Captain Planet and the Planeteers, all he needs to do is get the rings.

Captain Planet breaks away the cage holding Gi and Kwame prisoner. He tells them to get into the eco-sub, before warning Greedly his operation is about to be shut down. Captain Planet sets the eco-sub back in the water before freeing the trapped animals from Greedly's nets. Greedly tells Rigger to turn the ship to "full-speed backwards," but Captain Planet appears and tells Greedly his drift net plans "are sunk."

Greedly and Rigger race to a submarine he has on board. They escape into the ocean. Captain Planet is busy wrapping Greedly's nets around his ship, and Gi and Kwame are both distracted by the arrival of the geo-cruiser. Captain Planet disappears with Greedly's ship, telling the Planeteers he's taking it away to the authorities.

Linka steers the geo-cruiser down to hover above the eco-sub. Gi is setting the last turtle free into the ocean. She and Kwame turn to greet their friends. Hoggish Greedly is watching them through the periscope of his submarine. He tells Rigger to attach super-magnets to the end of giant robotic arms. He aims to obtain the Planeteers' rings.

Gi challenges Linka to a race back to Hope Island. Linka laughs and says "you're on," and the geo-cruiser flies away. Before Kwame and Gi can get back into the eco-sub, Greedly's giant magnet emerges from the water. Kwame is immediately pulled towards it, his ring attracted to the giant metal plate. Gi is soon pulled to it as well.

Luckily, Ma-Ti notices that Kwame and Gi are in trouble, and Linka steers the geo-cruiser back to help them. Wheeler and Ma-Ti jump out onto the eco-sub, which is still floating nearby. Wheeler claims he will melt the magnet, but when he tries, it becomes clear Captain Planet has not yet returned their powers. Ma-Ti tells Wheeler their rings will not work until Captain Planet returns to "The Crystal Matrix."

Greedly overhears this and summons a second magnet which soon traps Wheeler and Ma-Ti. Linka attempts to rescue her friends by throwing them a rope, but she gets too close and is soon pulled towards the magnet. All of the Planeteers are helpless.

Greedly tows the Planeteer vehicles behind his sub as he uses grease to remove the Planeteers' rings. They are all being held in stocks with their hands trapped in front of them. Greedly takes their rings and claims they are simply five ordinary kids now. Wheeler claims that may be so, but at least they stopped his drift net operation.

Greedly claims that was never his main operation anyway. He directs the Planeteers' attention to a large mechanical island. When Greedly sets forth an order, fishing boat after fishing boat emerges. He claims he has the largest drift net fishing fleet on Earth. He taunts the Planeteers as he finishes collecting their rings, telling them he knows they can't summon Captain Planet without them. He tells them he's going to use his fishing fleet to fish every ocean clean.

As he looks down at the rings in his palm, they flash, and Captain Planet's voice is heard: "The power is yours."

Greedly laughs, knowing the Planeteers are now truly helpless. He drops the rings into a safe, and walks away, laughing.

The Planeteers are later being held captive in a yellow sphere hanging from the roof. Greedly taunts them and waves goodbye - he is obviously taking another boat out to do some more fishing. Rigger has been left behind. He chases Greedly desperately, and accidently knocks a lever which sends the orb the Planeteers are in crashing onto a conveyor belt.

They soon realise they are headed for grinding machinery that will crush them to a pulp if they don't do something soon.

Gi is still focused on Greedly's plans to fish the ocean clean. Frustrated, she slams her fist against the side of the sphere, causing it to rock. Wheeler soon realises this is the way to escape. He urges the others to rock the sphere back and forth until it crashes off the conveyor belt and out of harm's way.

The sphere breaks open and the Planeteers soon find a boat Greedly has left behind. They take after him, but think they have lost him. That is, until Gi notices a slick on the top of the water left behind by Greedly's boat. They follow it, but Ma-Ti notices that there are no sea creatures present. Gi buries her face in her hands, convinced that Greedly has killed all her beloved sea friends. Linka comforts her, confident that they can still stop Greedly.

Night falls. Greedly is waiting for his evening meal, laughing about how soon he will have fished every fish in the sea. His cabin is decorated with stuffed fish.

He serves Rigger a miniscule, tadpole-sized serving of fish before starting to gorge himself on helpings of food. He ends up eating Rigger's serving as well.

The Planeteers have caught up and are on board Greedly's ship, watching him through a port-hole. Gi is enraged at his laughter, and claims she is going to stop him by getting their rings back. Wheeler holds her back, telling her she just can't go in and take them. She tells him she's the one that got them into this mess, and she's the one who will get them out.

Greedly hears a banging noise and demands that Rigger go and see what it is. Rigger orders the guards standing at the door to go and find out what's wrong.

Alone, Greedly is gorging himself on cake for dessert. He doesn't notice Gi crawling into the room on her hands and knees. Greedly hears more banging and stands up, intent on finding Rigger to sort the problem out once and for all. Under the table, Gi takes the opportunity to grab the keys to his safe from his pocket.

Greedly feels her hand, and bends down to see her. She flees with his keys and he chases her.

Furious, Greedly follows, but Wheeler and Linka burst in and snatch up the tablecloth, working together to wrap it around Greedly. However, he soon overpowers them, breaking free and sending them toppling to the floor. By this time, Gi has managed to open the safe containing the Planeteers' rings.

Greedly has Linka cornered, but Gi tosses her Planeteer ring towards her. Linka is soon easily able to defend herself, and she sends a small tornado towards Greedly.

Gi, Linka and Wheeler run, locking Greedly inside and hurrying to meet Ma-Ti and Kwame, who have been cornered by Rigger and the two guards. Gi throws their rings towards them and Kwame sets it in motion to call Captain Planet.

Captain Planet first disposes of Rigger and the other two goons. He then tears up all the new drift nets and sets the creatures free. The Planeteers cheer him on, and Gi cries tears of happiness knowing that Greedly has finally been stopped.

Greedly attempts to flee in a motorboat, but Captain Planet captures him and traps him with his own drift nets, binding him to the machine island Greedly built. He claims Greedly will be handed over to the authorities.

Planeteer Alerts
Captain Planet: Today, many people are careless with things that belong to us all.

Gi: Like our oceans, where greedy fishermen needlessly kill thousands of animals, including turtles, birds and dolphins along with their catch.

Kwame: And, they are threatening the jobs of those fishermen who use our oceans properly.

Ma-Ti: The ocean needs our help.

Captain Planet: If we don't protect it today, it won't be here tomorrow. The power is yours!

Significant Moments and Facts

 * Gaia does not appear in this episode.
 * Before running to the Planet Vision screens, Gi is reading a book on Marine Biology.
 * Kwame uses his Planeteer ring to plant trees on Hope Island.
 * Kwame says several times that Gi should wait for the other Planeteers, but she is too eager to stop Greedly. When he tells her he will go with her, she thanks him and they high-five.
 * Various species are caught up in Greedly's drift nets - fish, sea turtles, dolphins and a humpback whale are all creatures Kwame and Gi notice when they first arrive near Greedly's ship.
 * Greedly is eating raw fish from the ocean before Gi's first tidal wave knocks him down. He lands on top of Rigger, who is nearly crushed.
 * Greedly has display monitors built into the nostrils of a rhinocerus head displayed on the wall of his ship.
 * It is in this episode Greedly realises the Planeteers' rings hold their powers.
 * When Captain Planet turns and looks into Greedly's surveillance system, it is a shot similar to the traditional James Bond opening scenes, where Bond shoots towards the camera.
 * We discover that when Captain Planet is not in a solid form as a result of being summoned by the Planeteers, he goes to a place called 'The Crystal Matrix'.
 * Greedly's magnets attract only the Planeteers' rings - the eco-sub and geo-cruiser, as well as any other jewellery worn by the teenagers - are not affected.
 * Greedly uses hog grease to get the Planeteers' rings off their fingers.
 * When the Planeteers are held captive in the sphere, Linka refers to it as a 'fatosphere'.
 * Throughout the episode, the Planeteers' rings are shown on their fingers, despite Greedly having locked them away in his safe.

Quotes
Gi is pulling Kwame towards the eco-sub.

Kwame: Wait a second, Gi! Hold on. I know how much you love our sea friends. But at least we should talk to Gaia.

Gi: Gaia would just send us to stop that piggy Greedly! And - and - and if you won't help, I'll go alone!

Gi is steering the eco-sub alongside Greedly's drift nets.

Gi: See? He's got thousands of miles of those nets. Once Greedly's finished, there won't be anything left!

Kwame: It is senseless. If people would only fish the right way, there would always be enough.

Gi: What you're doing is wrong, Greedly! And we need to put an end to it.

Greedly: No chance, nature nerds! I'm keeping you on ice while I go fishing.

Wheeler: Oh, no, Linka! You just don't get it.

Linka: I understand perfectly. You think New York is better than Moscow because you have video hallways.

Wheeler: Video arcades!

Greedly: The rings! So that's how those eco-sissies get Captain Planet to come to the rescue! Hm, this gives me an idea! All I have to do to stop Captain Planet and his global geeks is get those rings!

Captain Planet is tearing up Greedly's drift nets, causing Greedly's boat to rock and sway.

Greedly: Rigger!

Rigger: Uh, yes, Mr. Greedly?

Greedly: Don't just stand there! Turn this ship around! To full-speed backwards!

Greedly: Rigger! Get those super-magnets onto the end of the robot arms.

Rigger: Yup, Mr. Greedly, yup-yup, great idea, great idea! ....Why?

Ma-Ti: Captain Planet still has our powers! Our rings are useless until he returns to The Crystal Matrix.

Greedly: Ah, just what I wanted to hear, motor-mouth!

Greedly: Nothin' like hog grease to get these rings off! You're nothing but five ordinary kids now.

Wheeler: Yeah? Well at least we wasted your lousy drift net racket! You're pork-chopped, Hoggish Greaseball!

Greedly: That was just my test ship, green-horn. Ahahahahahahaha!

Rigger: Oh, yeah! Ahahahaha!

Greedly: Now I know that without these rings, you can't call that float-saving busybody, Captain Planet! With Captain Planet out of the way, nothing's going to stop me from using my drift nets to pull in every living thing from every ocean on Earth!

Gi has just caused the sphere to rock back and forth:

Linka: Bozhe moy! Gi, you are rocking the whole fatosphere!

Wheeler: Hey! Maybe that's how we get off this ride!

Linka: Oh, no, not more American cowboy tricks...

Wheeler: Lets rock and roll!

Greedly: Drift-netting the ocean is even more fun than burning down a rainforest.

Gi: I was worried when we lost our rings.

Captain Planet: But look how well you did without them! Remember, it's not your rings that give you the power. The power is always right here, inside you.