12: “In Stitches”
Synopsis: “Both Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits have been invited to compete in a rock fashion show in Venice, Italy. Shana, the Holograms’ designer, is nervous about competing against professional designers but is determined to seize this opportunity. As for the Misfits, they suffer a major setback when their designer falls ill before producing their costumes. But they have a backup plan: steal Shana’s designs before the big night!”
Summary: We open with Ashley expressing interest in fashion design to Shana, who teaches her how to draw. Shana is interrupted and leaves Ashley when Kimber tells her to join everyone downstairs for some exciting news.
Ashley: I got a million ideas in my head, Shana, but I can’t prove it. Would you teach me how to draw clothes and models and stuff.
Shana: Ashley, I can try, if you’re willing to work at it. Draw a stick figure, then use coloured markers to hang the clothes on the figure. Think you can do it?
Ashley: Sure, looks easy. Thanks!
The Holograms and some of the Starlight orphans huddle around the TV to watch Lin-Z announce that music promoter, Tony Cassini, is putting on a rock fashion show in Venice, Italy. The top winners will be in Cassini’s ambitious rock music video. Contestants have been selected from all over the world, including England, Japan, Norway, Brazil, Jamaica, and Australia. Although he hasn’t chosen American participtants yet, rumours are going around that the Limp Lizards, The Misfits, and of course Jem and The Holograms, are being considered. In an exclusive, Cassini shows up to announce his choice to represent America.
Cassini: Well, the decision was very difficult. The youth, the vibrancy of American rock fashions, muah! (makes a kissing sound). Benissimo. Fantastico! I can’t decide between The Misfits and Jem and the Holograms. They’re so different and yet so uh… now. Since I can’t decide, I invite them both to the Venice competition!
Meanwhile, Pizzazz and the rest of The Misfits are confident that they have the Holograms beat since they have a professional fashion designer.
Pizzazz: What, how could they tie with us when we have a professional designer?
Roxy: Ya, she’s just an amateur. But ya know, amateurs get shook under pressure!
Naturally, Roxy decides to intimidate Shana by calling her up and expressing how defeated she already is, considering they have Bobby Stark, a famous and professional fashion designer.
Shana: Starlight house, Shana speaking.
Roxy: Just the wimp I was looking for.
Shana: What do you want, Roxy?
Roxy: To save you the effort of Venice, chump. Bobby Stark is our designer.
Shana: I’m impressed, so?
Roxy: He’s way out of your league.
Pizzazz: You’re just a potato sack seamstress for a bunch of orphans.
Visibly upset after the phone call with Roxy, Ashley approaches Shana and tries to share some of the artwork she’s come up with, but Shana seems preoccupied and brushes her off. Shana decides to head back to her office and get to work on some of the designs for the competition, but Roxy’s words have clearly upset her, throwing a wrench in her creativity. Aja, Kimber, and Jerrica enter and try to install some confidence in Shana, but it doesn’t seem to work all that well.
Shana: You don’t understand. I’m just not prepared to be judged by famous designers, let alone compete with Bobby Stark.
Jerrica: Who is tense and negative person who’s pretending to be Shana?
Shana: I’m scared, that’s who.
Cue Jem and the Hologram’s music video: “It Depends On The Mood I’m In”.
After an inspiring song, Shana seems to have got her groove back and produces the final designs for the competition. Whilst packing for the flight, Shana leaves the container with her drawings outside the door and walks away. In this brief moment, we see someone has swapped Shana’s designers for alternates, however the identity of the culprit is not revealed.
Later on the flight to Venice, Jem heads to the rest room only to find that Synergy’s holographic projection are interrupted by Satellite interference. A man knocks on the bathroom door and Jerrica panics. She asks Synergy what has happened and she responds, however, how can she when there’s Satellite interference? If the interference is strong enough to interrupt the holographic projection vis a vis the Jem star earrings, wouldn’t audio communication be cut off as well? Fortunately for Jerrica, the interference is brief and the Jem hologram is restored.
After arriving in Venice, the Hologram’s are offered a gondola ride to see the Countess Du Voisin. Before the gondola can depart, Zipper’s guido Italian cousin (just kidding, t’s really Zipper) convinces the other gondola operator to let him carry the luggage belonging to the Hologram’s. Shana opts to ride with the clothing to ensure its safety.
Yo, paisan! You take a the chics, and I take a the luggage. Capiche?
Things are already off to a rough start, when Shana realizes her gondola operator is Zipper. Zipper grabs the container with Shana’s art and then bails from the gondola into a boat with The Misfits. As The Misfits speed off, they leave a giant wave that capsizes Shana’s gondola, throwing her overboard.
Shana: I’ll pulverize them!
Later in the evening, Shana and the Hologram’s are relaxing at the Countess Du Voisin’s home. The Countess presents Shana with an amazing work space to prepare her outfits for the competition. Things are interrupted when a man enters with Shana’s missing chest. After dropping it to the ground, we hear what sounds like a young girl’s voice emanating from the inside. The Hologram’s open the chest and find Ashley.
Ashley explains that Shana’s real designs were in the trunk the entire time. The ones that were stolen by The Misfits were Ashley’s own designs.
Cut to The Misfits where an argument ensues between them and Eric Raymond. The band discovers the stolen designs were not Shana’s. They open the container and find terrible drawings that look a child drew them. Eric vows to fix the situation somehow.
Pizzazz: Are you kidding, Eric? You actually paid Zipper for this? You’ve been had! (some old Italian women in the background start laughing)
Eric: Silencio!
Shana manages to complete all of the outfits for the show, but realizes that they’ll need shoes to match. She decides to go shopping with Ashley, but to their dismay, the fun is disrupted when The Misfits enter (how did they know where Shana and Ashley were?)
Cue The Misfits music video: “Designing Woman”.
Shana and the rest of the Holograms arrive at the Countess Du Voisin’s and discover that all of the outfits made for the fashion show have been stolen. At the end of her wits, Shana declares she will get everything back and it’s obvious who has stolen them.
At night the Hologram’s embark on a gondola ride to Eric’s villa. They make attempts to quietly infiltrate using Jerrica as a disguised elderly seamstress (she suddenly appears very short, which is not possible. Holographic projections can’t change your height). Zipper arrives with Shana’s stolen garments, but The Misfits demand one of the seamstresses dye them black, since they can’t wear “sissy colours.” Jem makes a run for it, but Eric and The Misfits realize what’s happened and chase after the Holograms.
A battle ensues between the two bands as both groups refuse to let go of the garments, which causes The Misfits to be thrown over the edge of a bridge. The garments are destroyed and Zipper comes to the rescue by boat, catching The Misfits before falling into the canal.
Aja: There are no motor boats.
Tito: Never mind. I row like mad. Tito gets you there!
Shortly after battling The Misfits, they try to catch a ride on a gondola, but Tito, the boat operator refuses when the Hologram’s are unable to pay.
Cue Jem and the Hologram’s music video: “Time Is Runnin’ Out”.
After a moving song, Tito decides to give the Hologram’s a ride.
Tito: I’m ignorant, forgive me! You have touched the heart of Tito.
Arriving just in time for the rock fashion show, Shana panics as they have no costumes for the show. Jem reassures Shana that everything is okay, because Synergy has a blueprint of her designs in her memory banks. Just as they change into their holographic outfits, another satellite glitch causes them to revert to their original clothes, delaying them from starting the show. This is only for a brief moment though, as the interference dissipates and they’re able to continue.
Tony Cassini makes the announcement that The Misfits have won second place. Before they can celebrate, he then announces that Jem and the Hologram’s have won first place in the competition. To rub more salt into the wound, he also says that Shana will receive not one, but two design credits in his upcoming rock music video. One for Jem and the Hologram’s costumes, and one for The Misfits.
Trivia:
- This is the first time that a satellite glitch interferes with Synergy’s signal.
- This is the third time that Jem and the Holograms have been out of the country. The first was to Paris, France in Kimber’s Rebellion, the second to Beijing, China in Adventure in China, and this time to Venice, Italy.
Duration: 49:43:00
Present: Alex, Aleen, Tempest.
Episode Links- Episode 12: “In Stitches”
- “It Depends On The Mood I’m In”
- “Designing Woman”
- “Time Is Runnin’ Out”
- K. Tempest Bradford’s iOS 9 article
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Download: Episode 12: “In Stitches”