Heat Wave

Heat Wave is the 19th episode in the first series of Captain Planet and the Planeteers. It focuses on the issues of greenhouse gasses and global warming.

Eco-villains

 * Doctor Blight
 * MAL

Plot Synopsis
Linka is sailing near Hope Island when a barge approaches. It is soon evident that Doctor Blight is up to no good. Blight takes Linka prisoner and creates a forcefield over Hope Island before pumping greenhouse gases into the newly-created confined space. It's up to Kwame, Wheeler, Gi and Ma-Ti to save Linka and stop Doctor Blight before Hope Island - and Gaia - are destroyed forever.

Episode Summary
Animals in a forest are disturbed by dozens of machines sawing down trees. Doctor Blight and MAL watch their progress, and she demands that all the trees are chopped down.

MAL gloats that chopping down the trees is merely the first phase in their "evil plan" - step two is to use coal to create lots of dirty smoke, and step three is oil and gasoline - all fuel for Blight's "smog-spewing barge".

The barge is shown to be intaking wood, coal and fuel and turning it into thick, heavy smoke and pollution. Blight describes it as "part car, part power plant, part factory".

Blight describes her plan to heat up the Earth's atmosphere by trapping the sun's rays beneath a thick layer of toxic smog. However, she first wants to test the scheme against Hope Island. MAL reveals he's been working hard to locate Gaia and Hope Island, and it appears to have paid off. Blight begins towing her latest invention out to sea, towards Hope Island. Not even MAL knows what it is yet - Blight claims it is a surprise.

Suddenly, an alarm goes off, and MAL warns Blight that someone is coming. Looking through a pair of binoculars, Blight spots Linka, doing some sailing near Hope Island. Wondering what a barge is doing so close to the island, Linka moves closer for a look, until she realises the barge has started chasing her. She uses her Wind power to create a gust that can take her to safety, but Blight breaks through it with a mechanical arm from the side of her ship. Linka attempts to abandon her craft, but it is seized by the mechanical arm, and she is knocked unconscious.

Blight declares: "One Planeteer down, four to go."

Blight orders MAL to prepare "the force field dome" - which he states he did milliseconds ago. With the request to "activate it, honey child," put to him, MAL controls the force field - a giant metal contraption rising out of the ocean depths from below the barge and projecting a huge electrical field all the way around Hope Island. MAL questions Blight on whether or not the Planeteers will be able to notice it, and she states that it's already too late for them to stop it, even if they do notice.

On Hope Island, Kwame is showing Ma-Ti his greenhouse. Ma-Ti comments on the beautiful flowers, and states that many of them remind him of his home in the rainforest. Kwame tells him that the glass windows on the greenhouse keep the sun's warmth inside, even on cool days.

Doctor Blight decides to start pumping her smoke and pollution into the force field via an underwater tube. She uses the mechanical arms on the barge to load wood into the incinerator, which creates smoke. As the mechanical arm comes back for a second load, Linka slowly awakes. She sees the arm reaching for her and screams, moving out of the way barely in time. Her water craft is destroyed, and Linka is almost dropped into the incinerator herself - clinging to the side with one hand, she manages to pull herself to safety.

Linka confronts Blight just as MAL and Blight are bragging about Hope Island already being 20 degrees hotter. The confrontation doesn't last long - Blight uses a fan to blow smog into Linka's face, rendering her powers useless and forcing her to stumble outside, choking. Linka falls down a flight of steps into the coal pile, and Blight quickly ensures she is buried with her arms trapped by her side so she can't use her ring. Linka warns her that the Planeteers will still find a way to stop her, but Blight declares they'll never beat the conditions she is creating on Hope Island.

Meanwhile, on Hope Island, Wheeler and Gi are running towards the water. Wheeler is astounded that the temperature heated up so fast, but Gi declares a "quick dip" will cool them off. They both dive in the water, only to surface and complain about it being as warm as a bath.

Gaia appears as a hologram and confirms that something is very wrong. She asks the Planeteers to The Crystal Chamber.

Gaia explains that Blight has put a force field around Hope Island and is pumping toxins in. She collapses, and Kwame tells her she looks ill, but she insists that they don't worry about her. She tells them they have a job to do, and it is at this point Wheeler notices Linka is missing.

Gaia shows them on the Planet Vision that Linka is a prisoner on the barge, struggling to get free.

Suchi asks Ma-Ti to call Captain Planet, but Ma-Ti says they need Linka to do so.

The four remaining Planeteers take the eco-sub down into the ocean with the intent of sneaking up on Blight's barge. Gi despairs as she sees dead fish - and even sharks - floating past, thanks to Blight's pollution and rising ocean temperatures.

Ma-Ti is looking through a pair of binoculars, and belives he can see the force field - "A kind of shimmering."

He requests that Gi try and break through it using her ring, but all this does is create an enormous tidal wave, which rocks and spins the eco-sub. Gi appears to have suffered some sort of pain or discomfort from her efforts. She says the force field is too strong. Ma-Ti and Kwame have planned to dive under it. However, they soon realise that the force field extends all the way to the ocean floor.

Unable to change course, the Planeteers simply hang on, knowing they are going to crash. Hitting the force field causes some sort of electrical explosion, and the eco-sub is thrown backwards, tumbling and rolling across the ocean floor. The Planeteers are unharmed, but the eco-sub is temporarily useless to them. When Ma-Ti calls on Gaia for help, she says she needs help too, and collapses. She explains to the Planeteers, through Ma-Ti, that if Hope Island dies, she will die as well.

Ma-Ti swears that they will save both Gaia and Hope Island.

Kwame says that the eco-sub will work "so long as we do not run into any more force fields." Blight watches on and knows they will never get past the force field.

Linka desperately tries to free herself from the pile of coal, knowing that if she doesn't stop Blight, Hope Island will be ruined forever.

Blight decides it is time for the next phase of her plan, which means she will reveal the "surprise" to MAL. He claims he is about to crash from curiousity. Blight uses a remote control to open part of the force field.

Gi notices an object moving towards them on the moniters in the eco-sub, and Kwame realises this must mean Blight has opened the force field. The Planeteers slip beneath the mystery object and escape out into the open ocean.

While Blight is distracted with moving the mystery object through the force field, Gi and Kwame swim out through the escape hatch in the eco-sub, aiming to help Linka escape.

They discover that the smog near the barge is terrible. Kwame states they will never be able to use their rings, and Gi reminds him they can still use their heads.

Kwame and Gi manage to free Linka from the coal pile. Blight instantly blames MAL for her escape. Linka, Kwame and Gi search for a way to turn the smog off.

Linka finds a wheel, and begins to turn it, but it does not lead to the smog. Kwame pushes her out of the way just before flames shoot from a pipe behind her. Blight manipulates the barge with the remote control she keeps with her.

Linka turns the wheel again, and oil spills onto the deck. As they run away, Blight chases them, slipping on the oil and sliding down the barge onto a ramp, which shoots her out into the ocean.

Blight decides it's time to flee. She orders MAL to join her on her speedboat, before she reveals the surprise object to him: a giant iceberg.

Thanks to the high temperatures inside the force field, the iceberg begins to melt, and the sea level around Hope Island begins to rise rapidly.

Kwame, Gi and Linka instantly start search for a way to turn the smog off and slow the process. They try every switch, but none of them work, until Gi finally discovers one last one. It shuts down the incinerator and stops the smog being produced.

Hurriedly, they jump off the barge and greet Ma-Ti and Wheeler, who are waiting for them. Ma-Ti congratulates them on stopping the pollution from entering the force field, but Doctor Blight ruins their good moods from afar, telling them via a megaphone that there is still enough heat trapped inside the force field to melt the entire iceberg.

The Planeteers despair, knowing that they can't get back through the force field to Gaia, until Gi spots the now-useless underwater tube, which was feeding the smog into the force field. Kwame decides to ram it with the eco-sub and break it loose from the force field so they can get inside. However, the tube does not break loose. Instead, the eco-sub is once again sent crashing along the ocean floor. Wheeler declares they are in "a whale of trouble."

This gives Ma-Ti an idea, and he uses his power to call upon a whale, which breaks the pipe for them. Kwame can now steer the eco-sub back inside the force field.

The Planeteers hurry to The Crystal Chamber. Water is up to their ankles. Gaia is slumped over a crystal in the middle of the room. Wheeler pulls her up gently, and she looks into his eyes and tells him that they must save Hope Island. There is not much time left.

Wild waves are starting to roll in and Linka urges them to get Gaia to higher ground.

MAL asks Doctor Blight why she's not going to stick around and watch, and she claims Hope Island is already on the rocks and she doesn't need to see any more. She daydreams of what the disaster will look like when she melts the polar ice caps.

The Planeteers have taken Gaia to the roof of The Crystal Chamber, but the water is still rising. Gaia is lying down with her head in Wheeler's lap, looking ill. Kwame worries that they cannot summon Captain Planet through the force field.

Gaia tells the Planeteers to aim their rings into the water. The message will carry.

Captain Planet arrives, and says his powers are weak, but that he can borrow power using the iceberg and the sun. He concentrates the rays from the sun before burning a hole through the force field and destroying the tower that sends the signal. The force field is broken, and the extra water is released into the ocean, causing a wave that sinks Blight's barge, which she has abandoned.

The wave carried to Blight in her speedboat. Before she goes under, she begs MAL to tell her everything she needs to know about surfing - but it's too late, and she is swamped by the wave.

Hope Island appears normal and peaceful once again. The Planeteers are busying clearing up in The Crystal Chamber, mopping up water and clearing away sand. Even Suchi helps.

Gaia breathes deeply and stands strong, saying it feels nice to feel cool again.

Gi wonders about all the carbon dioxide that was released, thanks to Doctor Blight. Captain Planet tells Gi that he can't undo any of it - and that around the world, more is being added every day. He warns everyone to burn less of the fuels Blight used, as they pollute the atmosphere and make Earth hotter. Gi asks if people can stop it, and Captain Planet replies, "we must," before ending the episode with his catchphrase:

"The power is yours."

Planeteer Alerts
Captain Planet: You can help fight the greenhouse effect.

Linka: The less oil, wood and coal we burn...

Gi: ...The less greenhouse gasses we put ino the air.

Kwame: And get your neighbourhood to plant trees - or plant one yourself.

Ma-Ti: Trees absorb carbon dioxide - the worst greenhouse gas!

Wheeler: Be cool, and keep our planet from getting too hot.

Captain Planet: The power is yours!

Significant Moments and Facts

 * Kwame has a greenhouse on Hope Island. Ma-Ti specifically refers to it as Kwame's as the he is showing him the plants he has been growing.


 * When Hope Island begins to suffer the effects of Blight's actions, Gaia suffers as well.


 * Gi suffers pain or discomfort as she tries to use her ring to break through Blight's forcefield. The force field is too strong for her.


 * Linka spends almost the entire episode clad only in her bikini. She is also covered in coal smudges until she abandons the barge with Gi and Kwame.


 * Wheeler has very little dialogue in this episode, but it's he who is cradling Gaia when she is so ill.


 * The eco-sub can apparently take a lot of punishment - in this episode, it has two high-speed collisions, and it still manages to work!

Quotes
MAL: Step one in our evil plan: firewood!

MAL: Congratulations, Doctor Blight. You've raised air pollution to an art.

MAL: We'll have such fun making life on Earth too hot to handle.

Blight: Right you are, sweetie. But first, we must test my scheme on the island the Planeteers call Hope.

MAL: Oh, goodie! All my massive computations to locate Gaia and Hope Island have paid off!

Blight: We'll make those planet punks suffer - then I'll deliver the final blow!

MAL: Oh come on, Doctor Blight. You can tell your own computer - what is this secret surprise we're towing?

Blight: If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it MAL baby? (She kisses him.)

Blight: Prepare the force field dome!

MAL: I already did that! Milliseconds ago!

Blight is looking through her binoculars:

Blight: So they made a little greenhouse. So what! I made a really big greenhouse - out of Hope Island!

MAL: Then let's put the heat on and start cooking!

Blight: What should we burn first, baby-cakes?

MAL: Well I would -

Blight: Wood! Of course.

MAL: - think coal would be best...

Linka: Doctor Blight! I should have known your twisted mind was behind this.

Blight: No, darling. You should have known my brilliant mind would outwit yours.

Blight: With your arms trapped like that, your ring is useless.

Linka: The Planeteers will still stop you!

Blight: Your friends will never beat the heat!

Gaia: Doctor Blight has created a force field around Hope Island, and is pumping pollution into it. If we don't stop her...

(Gaia slumps over, holding her head).

Kwame: Gaia, are you all right? You look sick...

Gaia: Don't worry about me. You four have a job to do.

Wheeler: Four? Hey! Where's Linka?

Gaia: Doctor Blight has taken her prisoner on that barge. Hurry. There's not much time.

The eco-sub has crashed and the Planeteers are trapped inside, beneath the water.

Wheeler: What do we do now?

Gi: Ma-Ti, ask Gaia what we do now...

Ma-Ti: Gaia, we need help!

Gaia: I'm sorry Ma-Ti, but so do I.

Gaia stumbles and then collapses, obviously suffering ill-effects from Blight's scheme.

Ma-Ti communicates with Gaia from the eco-sub.

Ma-Ti: Gaia, what's happening? What is wrong?

Gaia: I'm not well, Ma-Ti.

Ma-Ti: How can the Spirit of Earth be sick?

Gaia: My health is linked to the Earth, and to this special place. Once Hope Island dies, I too will die.

Ma-Ti: Do not worry, Gaia! We will save you both!

Blight: All right, MAL. It's time to get to the really cool part of my plan.

MAL: Oh goodie! At last I'll find out what that thing is. I'm about to crash from curiousity.

Blight: Well watch closely, because soon, Hope Island will be history!

Kwame: The smog from this barge is terrible! We will never be able to use our rings.

Gi: But we can use our heads. Come on!

Blight punches MAL after Linka escapes.

Blight: You chip-head! She got away!

Blight has slipped on a puddle of oil and has gone overboard:

Gi: That must be the first oil-spill that's ever helped anyone.

MAL: Ow! I think I slipped a disk drive.

Gi has just turned off the incinerator on the barge.

Gi: We did it!

Linka: It is time to abandon ship!

Wheeler: We're in a whale of trouble.

Ma-Ti: Wheeler! That is it!

Wheeler: What'd I say?

MAL: Doctor Blight, aren't you going to stick around and watch Hope Island go under?

Blight: No need, my micro-chipper friend. It's already on the rocks! Just think of the disasters when I melt the polar ice caps. Today, Hope Island - tomorrow, the world!

Blight is watching a tidal wave coming towards her speedboat.

Blight: Quick MAL! Tell me everything I need to know about surfing!

MAL: Just two words, Doctor. Wipe out!