Jem sings her swan song!
Jerrica finds that Starlight Music needs new talent and the arrival of the Stingers could be just what she needs to boost the company over the top. Unfortunately, Misfit Music and Eric Raymond has his eyes on Riot’s group. Now, the race is on to recruit Riot and the Stingers…but Riot seems to have a strange control over Jem that could ruin her relationship with Rio.
Jem—Season 3 aired in syndication from February 2, 1988 to May 2, 1988. Also going by Jem and the Holograms, the twelve episode season was the final season of the series.
Jem wasn’t a show I watched much growing up. Pounding out the series in one big clump showed me something…kids’ series were never meant to be watched like this but Jem manages to avoid some of the pitfalls.
Get your glam-stadium rock on!
The music of Jem was part of the hook of the series. Pre-internet, the only way you could watch a Jem song is if you saw the episode. The shows only ran daily and it could be weeks or months between repetitions of the signature songs. Here they are crammed together and reused. They are all quite awful, but some are worse than others…but at least the music is bolstered by the totally ’80s look.
The previous season added Raya and Jetta and this season adds the Stingers which falls somewhere between Jem and the Holograms and the Misfits in their scale of “evil”. Riot was persuasive and vain but also misunderstood. While most events don’t carry over, Jem’s Academy Award nominated performance and crossover to actress isn’t mentioned here, nor are many of Jem’s previous adventures (like winning the Indy 500 on a whim). While the Misfits were the big focus of season 2, they take a bit of a backseat here to the Stingers who have a lot less personality than the Misfits.
Say goodbye to Jem and the Holograms
As with most animated series from the time, there isn’t really a finale episode. The series is meant to go on and on and kids are meant to keep buying the toys. Jem attempted to have a little resolution by having an episode where the Holograms and Stingers work together to find Ba Nee’s Vietnam vet father. It ends with the Holograms and the Misfits burying the hatchet for Ba Nee and a “This Is Farewell” song by the Holograms, the Misfits, and the Stingers for Ba Nee and it can be seen as a farewell for the characters…so this is more than you usually get for a TV series.
Jem was an interesting dive into a series that was on when I was young, but that I saw little of. It is interesting to compare this series to shows like He-Man, Transformers, and G.I. Joe which I was more familiar with and see how Jem creators fit her character into both the toy selling package and the “for girls” package. Jem—Season 3 isn’t the strongest of the seasons, but feels like more of the same. Regardless, Jem is a fun show of the times and can be a fun watch for kids of the ’80s…Jem is truly outrageous.
Jem—Season 3 Complete Episode Guide:
“The Stingers Hit Town—Part 1”
3.1 The Stingers Hit Town—Part 1 Airdate: 02/02/88
Eric has brought Misfit Music and is looking for new talent. Jerrica seeks out new diversification for Starlight and finds herself in competition for the Stingers contract.
Songs: “Stingers Theme”—The Stingers, “Like a Dream”—Jem and the Holograms, “Perfect Match”—The Stingers
“The Stingers Hit Town—Part 2”
3.2 The Stingers Hit Town—Part 2 Airdate: 02/03/88
Jem finds herself enthralled with Riot as the Stingers continue to manipulate both the Holograms and the Misfits. When Eric offers half of his company to the Stingers, Jerrica might have to give up Starlight Music.
Songs: “Lovesick”—The Misfits, “Take It or Leave It”—The Stingers, “Now”—Jem and the Holograms, The Misfits, The Stingers
“Video Wars”
3.3 Video Wars Airdate: 02/04/88
Crash wants to be a Misfits and plots to go undercover to with Jem and the Holograms to sabotage her cousin Video’s new Hologram music video.
Songs: “Like a Dream”—Jem and the Holograms, “One of Those Days”—Jem and the Holograms, “The Last Laugh”—Jem and the Holograms
“Beauty and the Rock Promoter”
3.4 Beauty and the Rock Promoter Airdate: 02/05/88
Red Johnny Mack finds himself in a caught in the middle of a financial crisis. When he promises to get Jem and the Holograms to be in his production of Beauty and the Beast, it could be his big break, but Red Johnny might be working Jem too hard!
Songs: “You’ll Never Win My Love”—Jem and the Holograms, “Let Me Go”—Jem and the Holograms, The Beast, “Our Love Makes You Beautiful”—Jem and the Holograms
“Homeland, Heartland”
3.5 Homeland, Heartland Airdate: 02/08/88
Jem and the Holograms are travelling to Zagreb where Danse’s mother was born. As Danse searches for clues about her missing family, the Holograms become targets of a dangerous agent.
Songs: “Music and Danse”—Jem and the Holograms, “Falling in Love with a Stranger”—Jem and the Holograms
“Midsummer Night’s Madness”
3.6 Midsummer Night’s Madness Airdate: 02/09/88
Jem and the Holograms are performing a special concert in Greece with the Stingers. When Jerrica and Rio have a falling out, Jerrica questions if she can have a life without Jem…and the appearance of the Oracle Phaedra could help her find out.
Songs: “Can’t Get My Love Together”—Jem and the Holograms, “Destiny”—The Stingers, “Midsummer Night’s Madness”—Jem and the Holograms
“The Day the Music Died”
3.7 The Day the Music Died Airdate: 02/11/88
Jem and the Holograms have broken up. When Jem runs off with Stinger, Kimber is forced to sell Starlight Music and the Holograms and Stingers find themselves at the mercy of Pizzazz.
Songs: “Under My Spell”—The Stingers, “Top of the Charts”—The Misfits, “All’s Right with the World”—Jem and the Holograms
“The Old Houdini Magic”
3.8 The Old Houdini Magic Airdate: 02/15/88
Jem and the Holograms are performing for Mrs. Farnsworth’s charity, but when Rapture learns that Farnsworth is superstitious, the Stingers use it against her…and Jem and the Holograms and a magician named Astral could be the only hope.
Songs: “She’s Got the Power”—Jem and the Holograms, “Mind Games”—The Stingers, “Believe/Don’t Believe”—The Stingers/Jem and the Holograms
“Straight from the Heart”
3.9 Straight from the Heart Airdate: 02/17/88
The Countess introduces the Holograms to an up-and-coming designer named Regine Cesaire, but Regine is seduced by the Stingers who try to lure her into their lifestyle.
Songs: “It Depends on the Moon I’m In”—Jem and the Holograms, “All in the Style”—The Stingers, “Straight from the Heart”—Jem and the Holograms
“A Change of Heart”
3.10 A Change of Heart Airdate: 02/18/88
When Rio saves Minx from drowning, Minx decides she has to mend her ways…but the Stingers and the Holograms aren’t sure they like the new Minx.
Songs: “Outta My Way”—The Misfits, “Are You Feeling Alright?”—The Stingers, “Too Much”—Jem and the Holograms
“Riot’s Hope”
3.11 Riot’s Hope Airdate: 02/22/88
Riot goes to see his parents, but the stress puts his mother in the hospital. With his father blaming him for his mother’s condition, Riot tells Jem how he got to this point in their relationship.
Songs: “Take It or Leave It”—The Stingers, “It’s a Hard, Hard Life”—The Stingers, “Let Me Be”—The Stingers
“A Father Should Be”
3.12 A Father Should Be… Airdate: 05/02/88
Ba Nee falls deeper into her depression and Jerrica and the Holograms set out to find Ba Nee’s real father. With potentially three choices, a wrong choice could mean danger for Ba Nee.
Songs: “Family Is”—Jem and the Holograms, “A Father Should Be”—Ba Nee, “This Is Farewell”—Jem and the Holograms/The Misfits/The Stingers/Rio
Related Links:
