Unlike those two episodes where it was part of Crusher's cheating plan, Crusher was not involved this time and did not even speak to the both of them this episode.
Similar to (and also for the first time since) Dragon Island Duel, yet unlike Raceday Rescue, Blaze is demoted to a supporting role due to AJ becoming the episode's main focus. However, AJ has much more focus than the first said episode, even becoming the official main character of the episode all together.
This is the second time someone has gotten stuck in sticky mud, in this case, Blaze. The first was Zeg in Dino Dash.
This is the second episode with no transformations, the first was Power Tires.
This is the biggest role for AJ yet.
The only time Blaze speaks to the viewer is when he and AJ are driving at the beginning.
A white rhinoceros can be seen at Pickle's improv and during the STEM song. White rhinos have become near-threatened in real life, and the last remaining male white rhinos died on March 19, 2018.
This is the first time Blaze uses Blazing Speed more than once since Need for Blazing Speed, and the first time he uses it before the adventure since the said episode.
To date, this is also the last episode where Blaze uses Blazing Speed more than once.
This is the longest time AJ is outside of Blaze throughout the episode.
Out of the animals that help AJ, the firefly is the only one not referred to with gender-related pronouns.
The monkey in this episode is more realistic than the monkeys seen in Epic Sail and the Wild Wheels series, with the same being said for the crocodiles.
About a third of the episode is essentially a monologue from AJ.
During the extreme close-up of the zebras' fur during the STEM song, it marks the first time realistic fur is shown in the series.
This episode has a role-swap; it's AJ who's the hero with Blaze as the sidekick. When he gets trapped, the monkey fills in as the sidekick to AJ.
AJ is shown to understand monkeys, fireflies and elephants rather fluently. Other instances of this would be Zeg who is able to understand dinosaurs, and Darington who is able to speak fluent chicken.
This is the first Season 5 episode where there is no Crusher subplot before going to the first obstacle, and the first where it serves as the final scene of the episode all together.
This is the first episode produced in 2019 according to the end credits.
Running Gags[]
AJ repeatedly saying, "Friends to the Rescue!"
Every time Crusher tells a joke, it usually ends with something dancing on his head.
AJ's animal sidekicks showing their adaptive traits.
Allusions[]
The scene where AJ swings on the monkey's tail is similar to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, where Roo swings on Tigger's tail.
The plot of the episode is similar to the Little Einsteins episode "Rocket Safari" when the kids recruit animals to help them free Rocket stuck in a waterfall.
AJ recruiting the animals to save Blaze might be a reference to the former Nick Jr. show Go, Diego, Go! where Diego has to help an animal in trouble. AJ also talks to the animals and understands them like Diego in the show.
AJ going on a solo adventure to rescue Blaze might be similar to the Dora the Explorer episode "Boots to the Rescue" (coincidentally, both titles sound familiar, and both AJ and Boots are side characters), where Boots had to go on a solo adventure to deliver a song to Dora at school. This episode's overall plot might be also similar to the "Team Umizoomi" episode "Milli Saves the Day", where Milli had to go on a solo adventure to rescue Geo and Bot.
Goofs[]
When Blaze chases the monkey's kite, he doesn't go very far before getting stuck in the mud, but AJ had to go much farther before he reaches Blaze.
Also, Blaze doesn't pass any of the obstacles AJ faces.
The mud pit can be seen coming after the canyon AJ passes, but when Blaze falls in it, the canyon cannot be seen behind him.
Before AJ frees Blaze with his Blazing Speed, he says he has to give Blaze the power, but in Treasure Track Blaze was able to activate the speed on his own without AJ aboard.
It is possible that AJ gave Blaze the idea to use Blazing Speed.
When AJ says "their tails have changed," the captions list "tails" as "tales".
In the travel song as AJ and the monkey fly into a log, AJ is not layered properly and he stays outside the log when he slides in.
When AJ says "But how?" the captions list "how" as "now".