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* OffModel: The Wrigglegorp appears to toss the energy cheese pyramid towards Orla and Oswald. In the next shot, however, it's flying back towards the cockpit, where Osmerelda does a DivingSave and catches it.
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]], October 22, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]], October 22, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing [[note]]PBS Kids premiere; airing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]], October 25, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]], October 25, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing [[note]]PBS Kids premiere; airing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
channel[[/note]], October 22, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
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'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
channel[[/note]], October 25, 2021 [[note]]CBBC premiere[[/note]], December 31, 2021 [[note]]Limited viewing as part of PBS Kids Family Night[[/note]]
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** Similarly, Olaf makes an appearance via mention after his final physical appearance in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E29WhereTheresAWolfTheresAWayNewJacketRequired New Jacket Required]]".
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** Similarly, Olaf makes an appearance via mention after his final physical appearance in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E29WhereTheresAWolfTheresAWayNewJacketRequired New Jacket Required]]".Where There's a Wolf, There's a Way]]".
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With The Big O in space, the Xs are checking Agents' licenses for fighting oddness. Orla and Oswald must get their creature-handling licenses - fast!
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With The the Big O in space, the Xs are checking Agents' agents' licenses for fighting oddness. Orla and Oswald must get their creature-handling licenses - fast!
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* YouSayTomato: Although interrupted by Oswald, the Potato Museum curator has a greeting that goes as follows a.
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* YouSayTomato: Although interrupted by Oswald, the Potato Museum curator has a greeting that goes as follows a.follows.
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Will probably clean this up later
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* HateSink: Averted for Xanthia, who, like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Xuxa and Xeno]], is actually pretty nice and isn't meant to be villainous or hated on, nor is she an antagonist for the Mobile Unit agents. She also doesn't give them flak when she sees a creature loose in the van.
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* HateSink: Averted for Xanthia, who, like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue [[Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Xuxa and Xeno]], is actually pretty nice and isn't meant to be villainous or hated on, nor is she an antagonist for the Mobile Unit agents. She also doesn't give them flak when she sees a creature loose in the van.
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[[caption-width-right:350:Really, when you've created print news that reports on what's going to happen in the future...where can you go from here?]]
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* ArcSymbol: The sundial makes an appearance again in the form of the same gag used in [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E25DoubleOTrouble the previous episode]], Orla having it as a watch in place of her usual, and more high-tech, smartwatch. The fact that it appears suddenly without any warning is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Oswald.
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* ArcSymbol: The sundial makes an appearance again in the form of the same gag used in [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E25DoubleOTrouble [[Recap/OddSquadS3E25DoubleOTrouble the previous episode]], Orla having it as a watch in place of her usual, and more high-tech, smartwatch. The fact that it appears suddenly without any warning is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Oswald.
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* CallBack: Oswald knows about the museum because Olaf told him about it. The two are apparently friends with each other -- which makes sense, considering that [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne Oswald was a]] PenPal [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne for Opal]] and likely had others while working in the Museum of Natural Odd, which probably included (and still includes) Olaf.
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* CallBack: Oswald knows about the museum because Olaf told him about it. The two are apparently friends with each other -- which makes sense, considering that [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne Oswald was a]] PenPal [[PenPals Pen Pal]] [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne for Opal]] and likely had others while working in the Museum of Natural Odd, which probably included (and still includes) Olaf.
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* ShoutOut: The ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a reference to ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]].
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* ShoutOut: The ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a reference to ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]]. ''
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* CallBack: Another agent of the Task Force department, Xanthia, is introduced, following Xuxa and Xeno in "[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Overdue!]]" and Xavier and Xena who debuted in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E23XsAndOsDrONo Xs and Os]]".
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* CallBack: Another agent of the Task Force department, Xanthia, is introduced, following Xuxa and Xeno in "[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Overdue!]]" and Xavier and Xena who debuted in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E23XsAndOsDrONo Xs and Os]]".
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_09_30_at_16_26_21_can_you_wrangle_it_mp4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Of course they can, [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} they ain't afraid of no creature.]]]]
'''''Can You Wrangle It?'''''
'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
With The Big O in space, the Xs are checking Agents' licenses for fighting oddness. Orla and Oswald must get their creature-handling licenses - fast!
----
!!Tropes:
* BigNo: The Mobile Unit agents give one just before Osemite throws the old energy cheese pyramid into a trashcan.
* BottleEpisode: The episode takes place entirely on the Mobile Unit van.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: The Grizzlegorp eats triangles, the Wriggler eats squares, and the Wrigglegorp eats triangles and squares.
* CallBack: Another agent of the Task Force department, Xanthia, is introduced, following Xuxa and Xeno in "[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Overdue!]]" and Xavier and Xena who debuted in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E23XsAndOsDrONo Xs and Os]]".
** Orpita brings up [[Recap/OddSquadS3E21OddOffThePress Oprah going to space.]]
** Omar already having his creature handling license makes sense considering the events of "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E14SampleOfNewYorkItsNotEasyBeingChill It's Not Easy Being Chill]]".
** Similarly, Osmerelda having her creature handling license also makes sense considering she had to go through the Odd Squad Academy to join, as revealed in "Odd Off The Press".
** When Oswald tells Orpita that he and Orla have proved themselves to be skilled at handling creatures, a scene of him in "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E4RunningOnEmpty Running on Empty]]" trying to catch the baby blob and failing is shown, followed by the scene in "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar The Thrill of the Face]]" of Orla being [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] by the Piedro de Guerrero and Oswald running away in fear.
* ChekhovsGun: The energy cheese pyramid turns out to be what the Wrigglegorp goes after.
* ColorCodedCharacters: The Grizzlegorp is yellow, the Wriggler is red, and the Wrigglegorp is blue. The gadgets used to catch the creatures have respective yellow, red and blue auras as well.
* ContinuityNod: This isn't the [[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar first episode]] to have a long gag involving sniffing.
** Orpita beginning to say the first part of the "something very odd has happened" {{Catchphrase}}, but not the second part, is reminiscent of the conversation that Oprah has with Olympia and Otis in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E28VillainsInNeedAreVillainsIndeedHappilyEverOdd Villains in Need Are Villains Indeed]]". Both episodes even have an agent asking her if something very odd happened (in this episode's case, it's Oswald).
* TheDitz: Osemite may be good at administering tests and monitoring their takers, but when it comes to most anything else he tends to fall behind.
* DivingSave: Osmerelda does one to catch the energy cheese pyramid before it can hit the floor. She's successful, and even slides across the floor a little.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The OverlyLongGag of the Mobile Unit agents sniffing the freshly-installed energy cheese pyramid might draw some parallels to those who huff inhalants or other toxic things, especially in the way they enjoy the smell while Osmerelda is unable to smell it until cheese actually gets on her nose.
* EatingPetFood: Osemite accidentally mixes up the two pouches on his belt, one that holds creature food and the other that holds his own food, and eats pieces of creature food instead. He ends up liking it.
* EdibleAmmunition: When Oswald and Orla open the door to the Grilled Cheese Room, the Grizzlegorp pelts them with tiny grilled cheese sandwiches, which makes it hard to aim.
* FasterThanTheyLook: None of the Mobile Unit agents banked on Xanthia being a fast walker. Oswald and Orla haven't even gotten started on their first test by the time she reaches the 32nd floor of the van.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Osemite intentionally releases a Grizzlegorp and a Wriggler as part of Orla and Oswald's test. However, he also ''unintentionally'' releases a Wrigglegorp and begs Orla and Oswald to catch it before Xanthia sees it.
* HateSink: Averted for Xanthia, who, like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Xuxa and Xeno]], is actually pretty nice and isn't meant to be villainous or hated on, nor is she an antagonist for the Mobile Unit agents. She also doesn't give them flak when she sees a creature loose in the van.
* HoldingTheFloor: Omar and Osmerelda stall for time by showing Xanthia all the rooms of the van.
* ICanSeeMyHouseFromHere: A variant -- when flying in the air, Osmerelda points to a section of the sky and says, "That's my dentist's office!"
* ImprobableWeaponUser: The Wriggler attacks Orla and Oswald with fuzzy dice from the Fuzzy Dice Room when they try to capture it.
* InfraredXRayCamera: The Wrigglegorp's sight functions like this. It can't see through objects, but can detect pyramids as infrared rather than humans.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Oswald has an addendum to his usual {{Catchphrase}} when answering the phone, stating that he's a "former library-museum-person, soon-to-be creature expert". Omar bites back promptly:
--> '''Omar:''' If you're an "expert", then why is there another ''creature'' loose in the van?
--> '''Oswald:''' Osemite let a Grizzlegorp out as part of a test?
--> '''Osemite:''' Some of my best work.
* LampshadeHanging: Upon learning of the energy cheese pyramid, Osmerelda's first reaction is to ask why the Mobile Unit has something that could cause a large, devastating, and likely lethal explosion when dropped.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Osmerelda is unaware of who the X's are and what the Task Force department in general is, and is brought up to speed by Orpita.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Downplayed. Osemite has shoulder-length blonde hair. If it weren't for Orpita explicitly referring to him as a "creature guy", fans might mistake him for being female.
* LuredIntoATrap: Orla and Oswald attempt to do this with the Wriggler and the Wrigglegorp. It doesn't work on either attempt.
* MellowFellow: This seems to be a very common trait among agents in the Creature Care department -- Osemite is quite laid-back and enjoys kicking up his feet and relaxing while Orla and Oswald capture the odd creatures that he let loose.
* MidairRepair: Orla and Oswald manage to catch the Wrigglegorp and stop it from eating the energy cheese pyramid, and Osmerelda catches the pyramid before it hits the ground. Omar then takes it and puts it back in its rightful place, stopping the van from descending and allowing it to fly freely again.
* NearDeathExperience: The van ends up losing the ability to fly in mid-air due to power to the thrusters being cut off by the energy cheese pyramid being removed, and it begins to rapidly descend. Perhaps the scariest thing about the ordeal is the fact that Omar and Osmerelda are in the cockpit and are almost ''completely incapable of piloting the van'' because there's no way to steer the van through the sky as it's falling.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Osemite spots the moldy energy cheese pyramid sitting on a table and decides to casually toss it in a nearby trashcan. It ends up exploding into powder as soon as it hits the bottom of the can.
* NoodleImplements: Oswald's morning routine consists of something involving bananas, then volleyball, then something involving ''more'' bananas. He starts to go into his mid-morning routine with Osmerelda before he stops when coming across Omar and Orla replacing the energy cheese pyramid.
* OdangoHair: Xanthia has her hair styled this way.
* OffModel: The Wrigglegorp appears to toss the energy cheese pyramid towards Orla and Oswald. In the next shot, however, it's flying back towards the cockpit, where Osmerelda does a DivingSave and catches it.
* {{Overcrank}}: Used for the entirety of the scene where Orla and Oswald capture the Wrigglegorp.
* POVCam: Just before Orla and Oswald suck the Wrigglegorp up, there's a shot from the creature's point of view with the pyramid that the agents made highlighted in orange, like a heat sensor.
* PowerSource: While the Mobile Unit van relies on water for fuel in order to drive on the ground, it also requires a fresh energy cheese pyramid to be able to achieve flight. Taking the pyramid out of its slot while the van is in midair will cause the thrusters to fail and the vehicle to gradually plummet to the ground, and dropping the pyramid will cause a cheese explosion (which is initially stated to be devastating, but is actually very small in nature). Like with cheese as a food, it also gets moldy over time and needs to be replaced every once in a while.
* RuleOfThree: Orpita asks the Mobile Unit agents if they have their van safety licenses, and they say they do. She then asks them if they have their gadget licenses and they say they do. Then she asks if they have their creature handling licenses...and while Osmerelda and Omar state that they have them, Orla and Oswald exchange a worried glance with each other as they find that they don't.
** Subverted when Osemite comes up to Oswald and Orla and Oswald asks him if he's going to ask them to catch a third creature, only for him to say no, and then ''beg'' the agents to catch a third creature.
* QueerColors: Played with. When the Wrigglegorp removes the energy cheese pyramid from the monitor in the bullpen, the room is lit up in pink, purple and blue, the colors of the bisexual flag, and it remains lit up when Orla and Oswald work together to capture the creature. This is the second queer-related hint that has been related to Orla since the ''WebVideo/{{OddTube}}'' episode "The Button Song" depicted her as having rainbow-itis with the colors of the rainbow pride flag, but it's not confirmed if Orla is actually bisexual, or if she even falls on the LGBTQ+ spectrum at all. On that note, it's not confirmed if Oswald is bisexual either.
* {{Retcon}}: Having a van safety license wasn't discussed at all nor implemented by Oprah in regards to the creation of the Mobile Unit department and the hiring of Opal, Omar, Orla and Oswald -- meaning that, like in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E24NegativeTownLicenseToScience License to Science]]" with the sudden introduction of gadget and creature handling licenses (which do get continuations in this episode), the sudden introduction of required van safety licenses for the Mobile Unit appears to be an [[invoked]] AssPull from the writers.
* SeriesContinuityError: When Oswald says that he and Orla have proved that they're good at handling creatures, a scene from "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar The Thrill of the Face]]" plays to demonstrate the opposite, when Orla becomes [[TakenForGranite turned into stone]] by the Piedro de Guerrero and Oswald runs away. It's cited as a source that he is terrible at dealing with creatures, but in actuality, he ran away from the Piedro de Guerrero when it attacked Orla not because he wasn't good at handling creatures (the Piedro de Guerrero getting loose wasn't his fault and he managed to mostly overcome his fear and return it to its original state eventually), but because he had no way to fight back and had to retrieve the Piedro-Reverse-inator gadget from the main room of the Museum of Natural Odd to even have any semblance of an advantage against the ArtifactOfDoom.
** Omar and Osmerelda only show Xanthia 87 floors, which barely scratches the total amount of floors that comes in at 932-and-a-half -- meaning that [[ThirdActStupidity they didn't have to show her the main room after the 87th floor, and could continue the tour by roaming the halls in further floors until Orla and Oswald caught the Wrigglegorp and passed their test.]] Of course, then there wouldn't be much of an episode.
* ShoutOut: Orla and Oswald capturing all the loose creatures using a machine that functions like a vacuum and sucks them in is very similar to ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}''.
* SpiritualSuccessor: To both "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E5FlawedSquadTheCreatureWhisperer The Creature Whisperer]]" and "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E24NegativeTownLicenseToScience License to Science]]".
** A Creature Care agent accidentally lets creatures who eat triangles and squares loose, and they must be caught before someone important coming to Headquarters spots them. The difference between this episode and "The Creature Whisperer", however, is that Osemite doesn't really help Orla and Oswald catch the creatures because he doesn't have to worry about Xanthia chewing him out, and because it's a test given to them specifically. There are also three creatures for them to catch instead of just one.
** An Odd Squad employee must take a test in order to obtain a license from an agent in the Task Force department, or else they will be fired. The difference between this episode and "License to Science" is that Orla and Oswald aren't completely terrified of taking their test like Oona was, nor are they bad at taking tests. Furthermore, the Task Force agent in question administering the test was initially going to be Xavier, but he was replaced with Xanthia instead in the final product.
* StealthHiBye: Osemite pops up the ''second'' after Orpita tells the Mobile Unit that she knows a "creature guy".
* VerbalBackspace: When Orla and Oswald receive a call from Omar, this exchange ensues.
--> '''Orla:''' I am Orla.
--> '''Omar:''' There's another creature loose in the van.
--> ''[the Wriggler passes by]''
--> '''Xanthia:''' What was that?
--> '''Osmerelda:''' Uhh, he said, "Here's another feature useful to the van!" Like this light! ''[taps it twice]'' Super bright, hehe...
* VulgarHumor: The Mobile Unit agents get moldy cheese powder all over their faces and absolutely ''no one'' bats an eye as to how disgusting it is -- it's just PlayedForLaughs.
* WeaponsThatSuck: To catch the various creatures loose in the van, Osemite hands Orla and Oswald gadgets that function similar to vacuums and gradually increase in size.
* WorldBuilding: This episode shows the entirety of the Creature Room in the Mobile Unit van, whereas it was only barely shown before.
----
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_09_30_at_23_30_26_ahead_of_the_times_mp4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Really, when you've created print news that reports on what's going to happen in the future...where can you go from here?]]
'''''Ahead of the Times'''''
'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
The Puppy Master plans to turn everyone into puppies - including the Odd Squad Mobile Unit!
----
!!Tropes:
* AllThereInTheScript: The newspaper stand owner who tells the Mobile Unit agents about ''Ahead of the Times'' is never given a name in the show, but the credits list him as "Newsie Norman".
** The woman who stops Orla and Osmerelda at the Talent Bonanza is named "Rhoda Block" in the credits.
** The man who stops Orla and Osmerelda at a bowling alley is named "King Pin Mike" in the credits.
* AnimeHair: The hair of the Potato Museum curator that Oswald meets has blonde hair that's styled so as to resemble popping kernels of corn, with one big kernel as the centerpiece. And it's threaded through a ''French fry box,'' no less. It's by far one of the craziest hairstyles ever seen on the show, and that's saying quite a lot.
* ArcSymbol: The sundial makes an appearance again in the form of the same gag used in [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E25DoubleOTrouble the previous episode]], Orla having it as a watch in place of her usual, and more high-tech, smartwatch. The fact that it appears suddenly without any warning is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Oswald.
* BeyondTheImpossible: In the world of Odd Squad, there exists a newspaper that predicts events happening in the future...''and manages to be correct every single time.'' Of course, since TimeTravel is a thing as well, it might not be so impossible after all.
* BigEater: Oswald, naturally. He's in love with the Pancake Palace's "nine-pancake stack" -- the pancakes are comically huge and topped with butter, maple syrup, and a heaping helping of [[MadeOfExplodium explodium.]] He also expresses desire to go to the Potato Museum on Prince Edward Island and is the only one out of his teammates to go.
** On that note, so are Orla and Osmerelda, seeing as how they're just as eager to eat the stack of pancakes at the end as their partner is.
* BigNo: The Puppy Master gives one upon seeing her Puppy Ray turned into a large meaty bone.
* BirthdayEpisode: Downplayed. Orla and Osmerelda visit the Prince Edward Bowling Alley, where the birthday party of Theodore Smithsonville is taking place. Theodore is elated that they've come and asks them to play Pin the Tail on the Unicorn with him, but when Orla tells him that they're at the bowling alley on Odd Squad business, he becomes saddened. They then have a change of heart and decide to play with Theodore and the rest of the party guests.
* BullyingTheDisabled: Played with. The photo of the Puppy Master receiving a high score at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley and being shown laughing at a boy who is in a motorized wheelchair may initially come off as this to some considering she's a villainess, but as the show isn't one to make fun of disabled people and it's been shown that EvenEvilHasStandards, it's more likely that she's laughing ''with'' the boy who is congratulating her rather than laughing ''at'' him because he can't bowl.
* TheBusCameBack: The Puppy Master returns in a major role after having last been seen in [[Recap/OddSquadS2E35OddsAndEnds the second half of the Season 2 finale]].
** Similarly, Olaf makes an appearance via mention after his final physical appearance in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E29WhereTheresAWolfTheresAWayNewJacketRequired New Jacket Required]]".
* CallBack: Oswald knows about the museum because Olaf told him about it. The two are apparently friends with each other -- which makes sense, considering that [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne Oswald was a]] PenPal [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne for Opal]] and likely had others while working in the Museum of Natural Odd, which probably included (and still includes) Olaf.
** This isn't the [[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies first episode]] to have the threat of people being turned into puppies. It never comes to pass in this episode and no damage is ultimately done, but a photo of Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda as puppies is shown in one issue of the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper -- and Orla is a German Shepherd, the same breed that Otis was turned into. Coincidentally, both Orla and Otis are the focus of their seasons' [[StoryArc Story Arcs]].
* CompressedVice: Orla displays a lack of understanding when it comes to telling time despite not showing any signs of being incapable of doing so in past episodes. This is for two reasons: to push the ArcSymbol throughout the half-season of a sundial, and to push the episode's {{Aesop}} of clocks and time.
* ContinuityNod: The magician outfits of Orla and Osmerelda are both similar to the one Otto wore in "[[Recap/OddSquadS1E9SkipDayTheGreatGrinaldi The Great Grinaldi]]". Similarly, it's not the first time an Odd Squad agent becomes a magician, although in Orla's and Osmerelda's case, they're merely posing as magicians.
* CoolButInefficient: The Talent Bonanza sounds cool, right? And there should be plenty of tickets being sold for how many seats are in the theater. But nope -- if you can't secure a seat out of the eight (yes, ''eight'') that are available, then you're outta luck, as Orla and Osmerelda find out.
* CrazyPrepared: Odd Squad seems to have taken a lesson from the events of "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies And Then They Were Puppies]]" and has an Un-Puppy-Ray-inator in its gadget inventory. Orla just so happens to have it stored in her {{Hammerspace}} spine, which she uses to turn the Puppy Master's Puppy Ray into a rather large and rather meat-filled bone, effectively defeating her.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Orla calling Oswald to have "one last meal" together with him before she is turned into a puppy draws parallels to someone knowing they're about to die and wanting a final moment with one of their loved ones or friends.
* EasilyImpressed: One man in the audience of Orla's and Osmerelda's magic show sees them carting away their "disappearing box" with the Puppy Master still inside without using magic to do so, and is completely floored.
* EvilIsHammy: The Puppy Master has been known to be hammy in [[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies past]] [[Recap/OddSquadS2E17TheCherryOnTopinatorSir episodes]], and this episode is absolutely no exception.
* EyesNeverLie: Looking into the Golden Potato's eyes will allow it to, according to the Potato Museum curator, "look deep into your soul and speak truths no one has ever spoken to you."
--> '''Oswald:''' Which ones? You have so many...
* FacelessEye: The eye doctor that Omar visits has an eye for a face, which fits in well with the [[LiteralMetaphor literal metaphors and objects]] that the show is known for.
* FailedFutureForecast: Averted. Newsie Norman's ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper accurately predicts what will happen to people and at what time. From what we see, it's never wrong.
* FoodEnd: The episode abruptly ends just before Osmerelda, Oswald and Orla cut into the pancakes, with Newsie Norman taking cover using his newspaper as a shield.
* ForegoneConclusion: Given that ''Ahead of the Times'' states that everyone on Prince Edward Island will get turned into puppies by the Puppy Master, including Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda themselves, it's only natural that they would end up stopping the villainess before any damage could be done.
* FreezeFrameBonus: The text on the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a long-winded explanation about "Occidental".
* GoldColoredSuperiority: The Golden Potato is a powerful potato that speaks truths to those that look into its eyes and requires special glasses to see it.
* GoodTimesMontage: One occurs at Theodore Smithsonville's birthday party, with Osmerelda and Orla joining in on the festivities.
* GuinnessEpisode: Downplayed. The episode opens up with Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda attempting to get into the Odd Squad Book of World Records, presumably for the tallest cup stack. However, they pick the table in the middle of the bullpen as their (very inopportune) place to try and break the record -- meaning that when Orpita calls them and the monitor descends, the cups fall to the floor.
* HiddenDepths: Osmerelda is surprisingly very skilled at magic, even when faking being a magician onstage.
* HowDidYouKnowIDidnt: Orla and Osmerelda manage to accurately guess the name of the guest of honor at the private birthday party being held at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley, even though they flimsily made it up as they went along.
* IdiotBall: Orla grips the ball when she asks if the Puppy Master ate at the Pancake Palace at 6:00 in the morning or 6:00 at night. She's well-aware of the schtick of the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper by that point, making her moment of idiocy an excuse to pedal another lesson related to the mathematical {{Aesop}} in.
* IgnoredExpert: Newsie Norman informs Orla, Osmerelda and Oswald that they shouldn't eat the stack of nine pancakes because it'll explode like a volcano when they cut into it. They disregard his warning, saying that it's WorthIt.
* INeverToldYouMyName: Parodied when Oswald asks about the Golden Potato and the Potato Museum curator becomes suspicious as she asks him how he knows about the Golden Potato and if anyone followed him to the Museum.
* LastRequest: A non-lethal variant -- Orla calls Oswald so the two of them, along with Osmerelda, can share a final meal together before they're all turned into puppies.
* LovelyAssistant: Orla becomes one to Osmerelda on the duo's first attempt to find and capture the Puppy Master. The Puppy Master herself also becomes Osmerelda's assistant during the show.
* NoTrueScotsman: Orla shows shades of this when Oswald points out a photo in ''Ahead of the Times'' of the Puppy Master eating pancakes at the Pancake Palace at 6:00 and she responds that since pancakes are a breakfast food, the photo ''had'' to have been taken at 6:00 in the morning. As it turns out, the Pancake Palace serves all-day breakfast.
* OutGambitted: Orla and Osmerelda decide to pose as magicians and use magic to trap the Puppy Master. They initially succeed by trapping her in a magic disappearing box, but she somehow manages to slip out and escape without the agents ever being the wiser. Osmerelda says it best:
--> '''Osmerelda:''' ''[groans]'' She used the trap door to out-magician the magicians!
* RapidFireNo: Oswald, Osmerelda and Orla all give these when Orpita calls them and the monitor descends to the point where their cup pyramid comes apart.
* SeriousBusiness: The Potato Museum curator takes protection of the Golden Potato very seriously, to the extent that she makes Oswald sign a ''waiver'' just to see it.
* ShoutOut: The ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a reference to ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]].
* SpiritualSuccessor: To "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies And Then They Were Puppies]]". Same general premise, same villainess antagonist, but a different set of agents and a more complicated way to reach the villainess in question, which disproves any notion of this being a SequelEpisode.
* StageMagician: Osmerelda and Orla disguise themselves as these to try and trap the Puppy Master. She ends up seeing right through their disguises, [[FridgeBrilliance presumably because she knows that they're children and not adults.]]
* StealthPun: The woman at the Talent Bonanza remarks that the magician she hired was rehearsing her disappearing act and the woman hasn't seen her since.
* VillainExitStageLeft: The Puppy Master simply leaves the Pancake Palace upon her defeat, with no agent attempting to catch her. May be justified since she hadn't actually turned anyone into puppies by that point.
* WhatHaveWeEar: Osmerelda pulls this on the woman at the Talent Bonanza in order to get into the theater, with her taking a coin out from behind Orla's ear. The reaction of the ancient agent is a deadpan "Ouch."
* WorldTour: Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda visit Prince Edward Island in this episode.
* WrittenInAbsence: Omar is absent from the episode, attending an appointment with an eye doctor (who is [[FacelessEye a doctor with a singular eye for a face]]).
* YouCanTurnBack: The Potato Museum curator gives Oswald a warning before he goes to see the Golden Potato. Oswald disregards it and decides to see it anyway.
--> '''Potato Museum curator:''' The Golden Potato will look deep into your soul and speak truths no one has ever spoken to you before. If you are not ready to hear those truths, I advise you to turn back.
* YouSayTomato: Although interrupted by Oswald, the Potato Museum curator has a greeting that goes as follows a.
--> '''Potato Museum curator:''' Some say potato, some say potahto, some say spud, tater, tuber-
--> '''Oswald:''' Sorry to interrupt, but where do you keep the Golden Potato?
* YouShallNotPass: Downplayed. Although he's not helping her, one of the employees at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley stops Osmerelda and Orla from catching the Puppy Master because they aren't allowed to be near the lanes without bowling shoes on.
----
[[caption-width-right:350:Of course they can, [[Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}} they ain't afraid of no creature.]]]]
'''''Can You Wrangle It?'''''
'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]]Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
With The Big O in space, the Xs are checking Agents' licenses for fighting oddness. Orla and Oswald must get their creature-handling licenses - fast!
----
!!Tropes:
* BigNo: The Mobile Unit agents give one just before Osemite throws the old energy cheese pyramid into a trashcan.
* BottleEpisode: The episode takes place entirely on the Mobile Unit van.
* BreadEggsBreadedEggs: The Grizzlegorp eats triangles, the Wriggler eats squares, and the Wrigglegorp eats triangles and squares.
* CallBack: Another agent of the Task Force department, Xanthia, is introduced, following Xuxa and Xeno in "[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Overdue!]]" and Xavier and Xena who debuted in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E23XsAndOsDrONo Xs and Os]]".
** Orpita brings up [[Recap/OddSquadS3E21OddOffThePress Oprah going to space.]]
** Omar already having his creature handling license makes sense considering the events of "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E14SampleOfNewYorkItsNotEasyBeingChill It's Not Easy Being Chill]]".
** Similarly, Osmerelda having her creature handling license also makes sense considering she had to go through the Odd Squad Academy to join, as revealed in "Odd Off The Press".
** When Oswald tells Orpita that he and Orla have proved themselves to be skilled at handling creatures, a scene of him in "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E4RunningOnEmpty Running on Empty]]" trying to catch the baby blob and failing is shown, followed by the scene in "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar The Thrill of the Face]]" of Orla being [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] by the Piedro de Guerrero and Oswald running away in fear.
* ChekhovsGun: The energy cheese pyramid turns out to be what the Wrigglegorp goes after.
* ColorCodedCharacters: The Grizzlegorp is yellow, the Wriggler is red, and the Wrigglegorp is blue. The gadgets used to catch the creatures have respective yellow, red and blue auras as well.
* ContinuityNod: This isn't the [[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar first episode]] to have a long gag involving sniffing.
** Orpita beginning to say the first part of the "something very odd has happened" {{Catchphrase}}, but not the second part, is reminiscent of the conversation that Oprah has with Olympia and Otis in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E28VillainsInNeedAreVillainsIndeedHappilyEverOdd Villains in Need Are Villains Indeed]]". Both episodes even have an agent asking her if something very odd happened (in this episode's case, it's Oswald).
* TheDitz: Osemite may be good at administering tests and monitoring their takers, but when it comes to most anything else he tends to fall behind.
* DivingSave: Osmerelda does one to catch the energy cheese pyramid before it can hit the floor. She's successful, and even slides across the floor a little.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The OverlyLongGag of the Mobile Unit agents sniffing the freshly-installed energy cheese pyramid might draw some parallels to those who huff inhalants or other toxic things, especially in the way they enjoy the smell while Osmerelda is unable to smell it until cheese actually gets on her nose.
* EatingPetFood: Osemite accidentally mixes up the two pouches on his belt, one that holds creature food and the other that holds his own food, and eats pieces of creature food instead. He ends up liking it.
* EdibleAmmunition: When Oswald and Orla open the door to the Grilled Cheese Room, the Grizzlegorp pelts them with tiny grilled cheese sandwiches, which makes it hard to aim.
* FasterThanTheyLook: None of the Mobile Unit agents banked on Xanthia being a fast walker. Oswald and Orla haven't even gotten started on their first test by the time she reaches the 32nd floor of the van.
* GoneHorriblyRight: Osemite intentionally releases a Grizzlegorp and a Wriggler as part of Orla and Oswald's test. However, he also ''unintentionally'' releases a Wrigglegorp and begs Orla and Oswald to catch it before Xanthia sees it.
* HateSink: Averted for Xanthia, who, like [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E8TrainOfThoughtsOverdue Xuxa and Xeno]], is actually pretty nice and isn't meant to be villainous or hated on, nor is she an antagonist for the Mobile Unit agents. She also doesn't give them flak when she sees a creature loose in the van.
* HoldingTheFloor: Omar and Osmerelda stall for time by showing Xanthia all the rooms of the van.
* ICanSeeMyHouseFromHere: A variant -- when flying in the air, Osmerelda points to a section of the sky and says, "That's my dentist's office!"
* ImprobableWeaponUser: The Wriggler attacks Orla and Oswald with fuzzy dice from the Fuzzy Dice Room when they try to capture it.
* InfraredXRayCamera: The Wrigglegorp's sight functions like this. It can't see through objects, but can detect pyramids as infrared rather than humans.
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Oswald has an addendum to his usual {{Catchphrase}} when answering the phone, stating that he's a "former library-museum-person, soon-to-be creature expert". Omar bites back promptly:
--> '''Omar:''' If you're an "expert", then why is there another ''creature'' loose in the van?
--> '''Oswald:''' Osemite let a Grizzlegorp out as part of a test?
--> '''Osemite:''' Some of my best work.
* LampshadeHanging: Upon learning of the energy cheese pyramid, Osmerelda's first reaction is to ask why the Mobile Unit has something that could cause a large, devastating, and likely lethal explosion when dropped.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: Osmerelda is unaware of who the X's are and what the Task Force department in general is, and is brought up to speed by Orpita.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: Downplayed. Osemite has shoulder-length blonde hair. If it weren't for Orpita explicitly referring to him as a "creature guy", fans might mistake him for being female.
* LuredIntoATrap: Orla and Oswald attempt to do this with the Wriggler and the Wrigglegorp. It doesn't work on either attempt.
* MellowFellow: This seems to be a very common trait among agents in the Creature Care department -- Osemite is quite laid-back and enjoys kicking up his feet and relaxing while Orla and Oswald capture the odd creatures that he let loose.
* MidairRepair: Orla and Oswald manage to catch the Wrigglegorp and stop it from eating the energy cheese pyramid, and Osmerelda catches the pyramid before it hits the ground. Omar then takes it and puts it back in its rightful place, stopping the van from descending and allowing it to fly freely again.
* NearDeathExperience: The van ends up losing the ability to fly in mid-air due to power to the thrusters being cut off by the energy cheese pyramid being removed, and it begins to rapidly descend. Perhaps the scariest thing about the ordeal is the fact that Omar and Osmerelda are in the cockpit and are almost ''completely incapable of piloting the van'' because there's no way to steer the van through the sky as it's falling.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Osemite spots the moldy energy cheese pyramid sitting on a table and decides to casually toss it in a nearby trashcan. It ends up exploding into powder as soon as it hits the bottom of the can.
* NoodleImplements: Oswald's morning routine consists of something involving bananas, then volleyball, then something involving ''more'' bananas. He starts to go into his mid-morning routine with Osmerelda before he stops when coming across Omar and Orla replacing the energy cheese pyramid.
* OdangoHair: Xanthia has her hair styled this way.
* OffModel: The Wrigglegorp appears to toss the energy cheese pyramid towards Orla and Oswald. In the next shot, however, it's flying back towards the cockpit, where Osmerelda does a DivingSave and catches it.
* {{Overcrank}}: Used for the entirety of the scene where Orla and Oswald capture the Wrigglegorp.
* POVCam: Just before Orla and Oswald suck the Wrigglegorp up, there's a shot from the creature's point of view with the pyramid that the agents made highlighted in orange, like a heat sensor.
* PowerSource: While the Mobile Unit van relies on water for fuel in order to drive on the ground, it also requires a fresh energy cheese pyramid to be able to achieve flight. Taking the pyramid out of its slot while the van is in midair will cause the thrusters to fail and the vehicle to gradually plummet to the ground, and dropping the pyramid will cause a cheese explosion (which is initially stated to be devastating, but is actually very small in nature). Like with cheese as a food, it also gets moldy over time and needs to be replaced every once in a while.
* RuleOfThree: Orpita asks the Mobile Unit agents if they have their van safety licenses, and they say they do. She then asks them if they have their gadget licenses and they say they do. Then she asks if they have their creature handling licenses...and while Osmerelda and Omar state that they have them, Orla and Oswald exchange a worried glance with each other as they find that they don't.
** Subverted when Osemite comes up to Oswald and Orla and Oswald asks him if he's going to ask them to catch a third creature, only for him to say no, and then ''beg'' the agents to catch a third creature.
* QueerColors: Played with. When the Wrigglegorp removes the energy cheese pyramid from the monitor in the bullpen, the room is lit up in pink, purple and blue, the colors of the bisexual flag, and it remains lit up when Orla and Oswald work together to capture the creature. This is the second queer-related hint that has been related to Orla since the ''WebVideo/{{OddTube}}'' episode "The Button Song" depicted her as having rainbow-itis with the colors of the rainbow pride flag, but it's not confirmed if Orla is actually bisexual, or if she even falls on the LGBTQ+ spectrum at all. On that note, it's not confirmed if Oswald is bisexual either.
* {{Retcon}}: Having a van safety license wasn't discussed at all nor implemented by Oprah in regards to the creation of the Mobile Unit department and the hiring of Opal, Omar, Orla and Oswald -- meaning that, like in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E24NegativeTownLicenseToScience License to Science]]" with the sudden introduction of gadget and creature handling licenses (which do get continuations in this episode), the sudden introduction of required van safety licenses for the Mobile Unit appears to be an [[invoked]] AssPull from the writers.
* SeriesContinuityError: When Oswald says that he and Orla have proved that they're good at handling creatures, a scene from "[[Recap/OddSquadS3E6TheThrillOfTheFaceRaisingTheBar The Thrill of the Face]]" plays to demonstrate the opposite, when Orla becomes [[TakenForGranite turned into stone]] by the Piedro de Guerrero and Oswald runs away. It's cited as a source that he is terrible at dealing with creatures, but in actuality, he ran away from the Piedro de Guerrero when it attacked Orla not because he wasn't good at handling creatures (the Piedro de Guerrero getting loose wasn't his fault and he managed to mostly overcome his fear and return it to its original state eventually), but because he had no way to fight back and had to retrieve the Piedro-Reverse-inator gadget from the main room of the Museum of Natural Odd to even have any semblance of an advantage against the ArtifactOfDoom.
** Omar and Osmerelda only show Xanthia 87 floors, which barely scratches the total amount of floors that comes in at 932-and-a-half -- meaning that [[ThirdActStupidity they didn't have to show her the main room after the 87th floor, and could continue the tour by roaming the halls in further floors until Orla and Oswald caught the Wrigglegorp and passed their test.]] Of course, then there wouldn't be much of an episode.
* ShoutOut: Orla and Oswald capturing all the loose creatures using a machine that functions like a vacuum and sucks them in is very similar to ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}''.
* SpiritualSuccessor: To both "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E5FlawedSquadTheCreatureWhisperer The Creature Whisperer]]" and "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E24NegativeTownLicenseToScience License to Science]]".
** A Creature Care agent accidentally lets creatures who eat triangles and squares loose, and they must be caught before someone important coming to Headquarters spots them. The difference between this episode and "The Creature Whisperer", however, is that Osemite doesn't really help Orla and Oswald catch the creatures because he doesn't have to worry about Xanthia chewing him out, and because it's a test given to them specifically. There are also three creatures for them to catch instead of just one.
** An Odd Squad employee must take a test in order to obtain a license from an agent in the Task Force department, or else they will be fired. The difference between this episode and "License to Science" is that Orla and Oswald aren't completely terrified of taking their test like Oona was, nor are they bad at taking tests. Furthermore, the Task Force agent in question administering the test was initially going to be Xavier, but he was replaced with Xanthia instead in the final product.
* StealthHiBye: Osemite pops up the ''second'' after Orpita tells the Mobile Unit that she knows a "creature guy".
* VerbalBackspace: When Orla and Oswald receive a call from Omar, this exchange ensues.
--> '''Orla:''' I am Orla.
--> '''Omar:''' There's another creature loose in the van.
--> ''[the Wriggler passes by]''
--> '''Xanthia:''' What was that?
--> '''Osmerelda:''' Uhh, he said, "Here's another feature useful to the van!" Like this light! ''[taps it twice]'' Super bright, hehe...
* VulgarHumor: The Mobile Unit agents get moldy cheese powder all over their faces and absolutely ''no one'' bats an eye as to how disgusting it is -- it's just PlayedForLaughs.
* WeaponsThatSuck: To catch the various creatures loose in the van, Osemite hands Orla and Oswald gadgets that function similar to vacuums and gradually increase in size.
* WorldBuilding: This episode shows the entirety of the Creature Room in the Mobile Unit van, whereas it was only barely shown before.
----
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_2021_09_30_at_23_30_26_ahead_of_the_times_mp4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Really, when you've created print news that reports on what's going to happen in the future...where can you go from here?]]
'''''Ahead of the Times'''''
'''Airdate:''' September 29, 2021 [[note]] Early release in Canada on TVO Kids' Website/{{YouTube}} channel[[/note]]
The Puppy Master plans to turn everyone into puppies - including the Odd Squad Mobile Unit!
----
!!Tropes:
* AllThereInTheScript: The newspaper stand owner who tells the Mobile Unit agents about ''Ahead of the Times'' is never given a name in the show, but the credits list him as "Newsie Norman".
** The woman who stops Orla and Osmerelda at the Talent Bonanza is named "Rhoda Block" in the credits.
** The man who stops Orla and Osmerelda at a bowling alley is named "King Pin Mike" in the credits.
* AnimeHair: The hair of the Potato Museum curator that Oswald meets has blonde hair that's styled so as to resemble popping kernels of corn, with one big kernel as the centerpiece. And it's threaded through a ''French fry box,'' no less. It's by far one of the craziest hairstyles ever seen on the show, and that's saying quite a lot.
* ArcSymbol: The sundial makes an appearance again in the form of the same gag used in [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/OddSquadS3E25DoubleOTrouble the previous episode]], Orla having it as a watch in place of her usual, and more high-tech, smartwatch. The fact that it appears suddenly without any warning is even [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by Oswald.
* BeyondTheImpossible: In the world of Odd Squad, there exists a newspaper that predicts events happening in the future...''and manages to be correct every single time.'' Of course, since TimeTravel is a thing as well, it might not be so impossible after all.
* BigEater: Oswald, naturally. He's in love with the Pancake Palace's "nine-pancake stack" -- the pancakes are comically huge and topped with butter, maple syrup, and a heaping helping of [[MadeOfExplodium explodium.]] He also expresses desire to go to the Potato Museum on Prince Edward Island and is the only one out of his teammates to go.
** On that note, so are Orla and Osmerelda, seeing as how they're just as eager to eat the stack of pancakes at the end as their partner is.
* BigNo: The Puppy Master gives one upon seeing her Puppy Ray turned into a large meaty bone.
* BirthdayEpisode: Downplayed. Orla and Osmerelda visit the Prince Edward Bowling Alley, where the birthday party of Theodore Smithsonville is taking place. Theodore is elated that they've come and asks them to play Pin the Tail on the Unicorn with him, but when Orla tells him that they're at the bowling alley on Odd Squad business, he becomes saddened. They then have a change of heart and decide to play with Theodore and the rest of the party guests.
* BullyingTheDisabled: Played with. The photo of the Puppy Master receiving a high score at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley and being shown laughing at a boy who is in a motorized wheelchair may initially come off as this to some considering she's a villainess, but as the show isn't one to make fun of disabled people and it's been shown that EvenEvilHasStandards, it's more likely that she's laughing ''with'' the boy who is congratulating her rather than laughing ''at'' him because he can't bowl.
* TheBusCameBack: The Puppy Master returns in a major role after having last been seen in [[Recap/OddSquadS2E35OddsAndEnds the second half of the Season 2 finale]].
** Similarly, Olaf makes an appearance via mention after his final physical appearance in "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E29WhereTheresAWolfTheresAWayNewJacketRequired New Jacket Required]]".
* CallBack: Oswald knows about the museum because Olaf told him about it. The two are apparently friends with each other -- which makes sense, considering that [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne Oswald was a]] PenPal [[Recap/OddSquadS3E1OddBeginningsPartOne for Opal]] and likely had others while working in the Museum of Natural Odd, which probably included (and still includes) Olaf.
** This isn't the [[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies first episode]] to have the threat of people being turned into puppies. It never comes to pass in this episode and no damage is ultimately done, but a photo of Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda as puppies is shown in one issue of the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper -- and Orla is a German Shepherd, the same breed that Otis was turned into. Coincidentally, both Orla and Otis are the focus of their seasons' [[StoryArc Story Arcs]].
* CompressedVice: Orla displays a lack of understanding when it comes to telling time despite not showing any signs of being incapable of doing so in past episodes. This is for two reasons: to push the ArcSymbol throughout the half-season of a sundial, and to push the episode's {{Aesop}} of clocks and time.
* ContinuityNod: The magician outfits of Orla and Osmerelda are both similar to the one Otto wore in "[[Recap/OddSquadS1E9SkipDayTheGreatGrinaldi The Great Grinaldi]]". Similarly, it's not the first time an Odd Squad agent becomes a magician, although in Orla's and Osmerelda's case, they're merely posing as magicians.
* CoolButInefficient: The Talent Bonanza sounds cool, right? And there should be plenty of tickets being sold for how many seats are in the theater. But nope -- if you can't secure a seat out of the eight (yes, ''eight'') that are available, then you're outta luck, as Orla and Osmerelda find out.
* CrazyPrepared: Odd Squad seems to have taken a lesson from the events of "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies And Then They Were Puppies]]" and has an Un-Puppy-Ray-inator in its gadget inventory. Orla just so happens to have it stored in her {{Hammerspace}} spine, which she uses to turn the Puppy Master's Puppy Ray into a rather large and rather meat-filled bone, effectively defeating her.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Orla calling Oswald to have "one last meal" together with him before she is turned into a puppy draws parallels to someone knowing they're about to die and wanting a final moment with one of their loved ones or friends.
* EasilyImpressed: One man in the audience of Orla's and Osmerelda's magic show sees them carting away their "disappearing box" with the Puppy Master still inside without using magic to do so, and is completely floored.
* EvilIsHammy: The Puppy Master has been known to be hammy in [[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies past]] [[Recap/OddSquadS2E17TheCherryOnTopinatorSir episodes]], and this episode is absolutely no exception.
* EyesNeverLie: Looking into the Golden Potato's eyes will allow it to, according to the Potato Museum curator, "look deep into your soul and speak truths no one has ever spoken to you."
--> '''Oswald:''' Which ones? You have so many...
* FacelessEye: The eye doctor that Omar visits has an eye for a face, which fits in well with the [[LiteralMetaphor literal metaphors and objects]] that the show is known for.
* FailedFutureForecast: Averted. Newsie Norman's ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper accurately predicts what will happen to people and at what time. From what we see, it's never wrong.
* FoodEnd: The episode abruptly ends just before Osmerelda, Oswald and Orla cut into the pancakes, with Newsie Norman taking cover using his newspaper as a shield.
* ForegoneConclusion: Given that ''Ahead of the Times'' states that everyone on Prince Edward Island will get turned into puppies by the Puppy Master, including Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda themselves, it's only natural that they would end up stopping the villainess before any damage could be done.
* FreezeFrameBonus: The text on the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a long-winded explanation about "Occidental".
* GoldColoredSuperiority: The Golden Potato is a powerful potato that speaks truths to those that look into its eyes and requires special glasses to see it.
* GoodTimesMontage: One occurs at Theodore Smithsonville's birthday party, with Osmerelda and Orla joining in on the festivities.
* GuinnessEpisode: Downplayed. The episode opens up with Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda attempting to get into the Odd Squad Book of World Records, presumably for the tallest cup stack. However, they pick the table in the middle of the bullpen as their (very inopportune) place to try and break the record -- meaning that when Orpita calls them and the monitor descends, the cups fall to the floor.
* HiddenDepths: Osmerelda is surprisingly very skilled at magic, even when faking being a magician onstage.
* HowDidYouKnowIDidnt: Orla and Osmerelda manage to accurately guess the name of the guest of honor at the private birthday party being held at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley, even though they flimsily made it up as they went along.
* IdiotBall: Orla grips the ball when she asks if the Puppy Master ate at the Pancake Palace at 6:00 in the morning or 6:00 at night. She's well-aware of the schtick of the ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper by that point, making her moment of idiocy an excuse to pedal another lesson related to the mathematical {{Aesop}} in.
* IgnoredExpert: Newsie Norman informs Orla, Osmerelda and Oswald that they shouldn't eat the stack of nine pancakes because it'll explode like a volcano when they cut into it. They disregard his warning, saying that it's WorthIt.
* INeverToldYouMyName: Parodied when Oswald asks about the Golden Potato and the Potato Museum curator becomes suspicious as she asks him how he knows about the Golden Potato and if anyone followed him to the Museum.
* LastRequest: A non-lethal variant -- Orla calls Oswald so the two of them, along with Osmerelda, can share a final meal together before they're all turned into puppies.
* LovelyAssistant: Orla becomes one to Osmerelda on the duo's first attempt to find and capture the Puppy Master. The Puppy Master herself also becomes Osmerelda's assistant during the show.
* NoTrueScotsman: Orla shows shades of this when Oswald points out a photo in ''Ahead of the Times'' of the Puppy Master eating pancakes at the Pancake Palace at 6:00 and she responds that since pancakes are a breakfast food, the photo ''had'' to have been taken at 6:00 in the morning. As it turns out, the Pancake Palace serves all-day breakfast.
* OutGambitted: Orla and Osmerelda decide to pose as magicians and use magic to trap the Puppy Master. They initially succeed by trapping her in a magic disappearing box, but she somehow manages to slip out and escape without the agents ever being the wiser. Osmerelda says it best:
--> '''Osmerelda:''' ''[groans]'' She used the trap door to out-magician the magicians!
* RapidFireNo: Oswald, Osmerelda and Orla all give these when Orpita calls them and the monitor descends to the point where their cup pyramid comes apart.
* SeriousBusiness: The Potato Museum curator takes protection of the Golden Potato very seriously, to the extent that she makes Oswald sign a ''waiver'' just to see it.
* ShoutOut: The ''Ahead of the Times'' newspaper is a reference to ''[[UsefulNotes/AmericanNewspapers The New York Times]].
* SpiritualSuccessor: To "[[Recap/OddSquadS2E8AndThenTheyWerePuppiesACaseOfTheSillies And Then They Were Puppies]]". Same general premise, same villainess antagonist, but a different set of agents and a more complicated way to reach the villainess in question, which disproves any notion of this being a SequelEpisode.
* StageMagician: Osmerelda and Orla disguise themselves as these to try and trap the Puppy Master. She ends up seeing right through their disguises, [[FridgeBrilliance presumably because she knows that they're children and not adults.]]
* StealthPun: The woman at the Talent Bonanza remarks that the magician she hired was rehearsing her disappearing act and the woman hasn't seen her since.
* VillainExitStageLeft: The Puppy Master simply leaves the Pancake Palace upon her defeat, with no agent attempting to catch her. May be justified since she hadn't actually turned anyone into puppies by that point.
* WhatHaveWeEar: Osmerelda pulls this on the woman at the Talent Bonanza in order to get into the theater, with her taking a coin out from behind Orla's ear. The reaction of the ancient agent is a deadpan "Ouch."
* WorldTour: Orla, Oswald and Osmerelda visit Prince Edward Island in this episode.
* WrittenInAbsence: Omar is absent from the episode, attending an appointment with an eye doctor (who is [[FacelessEye a doctor with a singular eye for a face]]).
* YouCanTurnBack: The Potato Museum curator gives Oswald a warning before he goes to see the Golden Potato. Oswald disregards it and decides to see it anyway.
--> '''Potato Museum curator:''' The Golden Potato will look deep into your soul and speak truths no one has ever spoken to you before. If you are not ready to hear those truths, I advise you to turn back.
* YouSayTomato: Although interrupted by Oswald, the Potato Museum curator has a greeting that goes as follows a.
--> '''Potato Museum curator:''' Some say potato, some say potahto, some say spud, tater, tuber-
--> '''Oswald:''' Sorry to interrupt, but where do you keep the Golden Potato?
* YouShallNotPass: Downplayed. Although he's not helping her, one of the employees at the Prince Edward Bowling Alley stops Osmerelda and Orla from catching the Puppy Master because they aren't allowed to be near the lanes without bowling shoes on.
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