The Blue Car Line

The Blue Car Line is the 16th episode in the second series of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. It was written by Pat Allee and Ben Hurst.

Eco-villains

 * Looten Plunder
 * Argos Bleak

Other Characters

 * Sam Corroboree

Episode Summary
Wheeler is surfing near Hope Island. As usual, he "wipes out" and washes up on the beach. He is met by Ma-Ti and Suchi. Ma-Ti tells Wheeler he has brought him a snack - a can of peanuts. As Wheeler unscrews the lid, fake snakes spring out, causing Wheeler to give a cry of shock and topple backwards.

Though he takes Ma-Ti's practical joke with good humour, he declares it "lame", and decides to show Ma-Ti what a real practical joke is like.

The trap is set, and Wheeler talks Ma-Ti through it. A coconut is at the top of a bamboo ramp. Once the coconut is knocked down, it will hit a stick, which will release the end of a leaf it is propping up. The leaf is full of water, which will land on whomever is unlucky enough to be standing underneath it. As "bait", Wheeler props a toy koala up against the coconut.

He and Ma-Ti then run away from the path, and lie in wait. Linka and Gi soon arrive, giggling and talking about the swim they are about to take, when Linka spots the toy koala. She reaches for it and knocks the coconut, but it becomes stuck on the bamboo ramp and the leaf does not fall. Linka and Gi walk away again, cooing over the toy koala.

Wheeler leaps up to check the practical joke trap, and accidently sets it off. The leaf full of water collapses and drenches him, prompting Ma-Ti to burst out into laughter. Gaia then arrives, and tells the Planeteers she needs them in The Crystal Chamber.

Gaia shows the Planeteers footage of a city in Australia, known as Darwinia. It is covered in thick smog, despite having "one of the best mass-transit systems around." Gaia sends the Planeteers to Australia to find out why nobody is using the train system.

Upon arriving, the Planeteers are dismayed and appalled at the amount of pollution in the air. As they fly overhead in the geo-cruiser, they see masses of cars below them, with the traffic at a standstill because so many people are trying to drive at the one time.

The Planeteers go to the train station and wait for the train. It is obvious it is difficult to breathe with the thick smog around - Suchi and Ma-Ti both seem particularly affected. Linka declares "This is the worst smog I have ever seen."

The Planeteers all board the train together, followed by another man with a camera slung over his shoulder. Wheeler declares the train to be "too cool" as it automatically buckles everyone's seatbelts. Gi is dismayed that the train is so empty, and Ma-Ti is confused that people are avoiding such nice trains and driving everywhere.

The man with the camera sits down nearby and tells them he has overheard them talking. He says that it does make sense nobody is using the trains, and introduces himself as Sam. Before he tells them why nobody is on the train, however, the scene changes.

Argos Bleak is watching the train on a surveillance system. He notes that there are six people in the last carriage, which is the most they've had all week. Plunder appears in the doorway behind him and tells Bleak to give the travellers "The full treatment."

Back on the train, Sam is telling the Planeteers that there have been stories of disappearing passengers and ghosts on the trains. Linka is skeptical, telling Sam there is no such thing as ghosts. Sam tells her it's fine to scoff, but there are some things that can't be explained - like 28 train cars disappearing. They go inside the tunnels and never come out again - and despite some of the carriages having people in them, nobody has been reported missing. Sam tells the Planeteers it makes him nervous, but he's riding the train in an effort to break the story and get a job. Right now, he is a freelancing journalist.

The carriage goes into a tunnel. Suddenly, the carriage that is holding the Planeteers disconnects from the others. The Planeteers are aware that something has happened, but they're not entirely sure what. Bleak can be heard laughing as the carriage carrying the Planeteers swings away onto a different rail and disappears into a hidden side tunnel.

Sam mentions they may all have a problem, as he is afraid as ghosts. Just as Wheeler is telling him there's nothing to worry about, as there is no such thing as ghosts, a ghost appears in the carriage. Wheeler, Sam and Suchi all give matching screams of terror, but Ma-Ti stands up and puts his arm through the projection. He tells everyone it is simply a hologram.

The ghost disappears, but the carriage is jolted, and Ma-Ti falls back into his seat. His seatbelt snaps around him again and begins to crush him. The Planeteers and Sam all begin to struggle against their crushing seatbelts. When they finally loosen, everyone slumps over, breathing heavily.

Linka suddenly cries out that the train is picking up speed. It speeds through a series of loops and swerves dangerously around steep curves, throwing its passengers back and forther in their seats. The carriage rolls about violently until it eventually slows and rejoins the rest of the train on the main rail again.

Significant Moments and Facts

 * Wheeler's surfboard is green, yellow and pink. His board shorts are blue with yellow triangles on them.
 * Suchi wears a yellow and red bathing suit in this episode.
 * Gaia refers to the new mission as an "eco-mystery" rather than an "eco-emergency".
 * Gaia doesn't use the Crystal Vision screen right away - instead, she creates a sort of "crystal ball" effect in mid-air, showing the Planeteers footage in a red-glowing circle before she turns to the Crystal Vision screens for more footage.

Quotes
Gi: What's going on, Gaia?

Gaia: Planeteers, this is Darwinia, Australia. And the problem is smog - look at this.

The Planeteers all give general murmurs about how awful the situation looks.

Gaia: They have one of the best mass-transit systems around. Everybody's within six blocks of the train, and yet hardly anyone uses it. The smog from the cars is so thick, even I can't see through it. Planeteers, you've got to find out why no one is riding that train!

The Planeteers are flying over Darwinia in the geo-cruiser:

Gi: Planeteer alert! Look at that!

Kwame: All these cars - unbelievable!

As they are waiting at the train station:

Linka: this is the worst smog I have ever seen!

Ma-Ti and Suchi are both choking.

Ma-Ti: I know, Suchi! It hurts to breathe...

Bleak: Six people in the last carriage! That's the most we've had in a week.

Plunder: Give them the treatment. The full treatment.

Sam: ...And people say when you go into tunnels, things get crazy! Speeding through turns, ghosts suddenly appearing in the cars - it makes me a little nervous, I'll tell you.

Linka: But there are no such thing as ghosts!

Sam: Well, scoff if you want, but how do you explain 28 missing train cars? They go into the tunnels, but they don't come out! And it gets stranger - two boys saw a car filled with people disappear inside a tunnel. But no one's been reported missing!

Kwame: Hmm... It is strange that all these things are happening in tunnels.

Gi: If everyone is so afraid, Sam, why are you riding the train?

Sam: I've seen what happens with too many autos, mates. I got a scholarship at journalism school in Los Angeles.

Kwame: So you are a reporter?

Sam: Freelancer. But if I can break this story, I've got myself a job.

Outside the train, there is a click as the carriage disconnects from the main body.

Linka: What was that?!

''The carriage is plunged into darkness, and swings away on a hidden track through an opening in the tunnel wall. Bleak can be heard laughing, though the Planeteers aren't aware of him.''

Sam: Er, I'm afraid we've got a little problem here, mates.

Wheeler: What's that, Sam?

Sam: I'm afraid of ghosts.

Wheeler: Hey, don't worry Sam! There's no such thing as a - GHOST!

''An image of a ghost suddenly appears in the carriage. It is green and skeletal, in ragged dress, screeching and waving its arms over the Planeteers. Sam and Wheeler both cry out in terror. Suchi also screeches at it. Ma-Ti gets to his feet and reaches towards the ghost.''

Ma-Ti: It is a hologram! A three-dimensional picture! Do not be afraid, Suchi.

''Ma-Ti is suddenly knocked back into his seat when the train hits a bump. His seatbelt clasps around him.''

Ma-Ti: My seatbelt! It is crushing me!