Now we know why the Phantom Blot disguised himself as the Funso's mascot in the first place — there's a F.O.W.L. base right under Funso's!
If Funso's a cheap place, how come it has an elaborate VR video game? Well, perhaps it's used to train the agents... and generate some extra profits for the organization.
F.O.W.L. High Command moving away from world domination and other Mad Scientist/blatant supervillain-style schemes can be seen as a reflection of real-world Spy Fiction as seen in the James Bond films, i.e. doing away with over-the-top and zany plans for pragmatic methods such as bribery and extortion.
This reflects in Scrooge paying and playing a game for 3 million tickets for a cheap plastic mustache comb: why threaten the world for millions of dollars with a death ray when an arcade with a ridiculously high points exchange can gain the same result?
Why does Launchpad really like the color purple? Because purple is the signature color of Darkwing Duck, which he loves.
Why is it that we never hear the Rescue Rangers utter anything beyond rodent squeaking whenever they're onscreen? Well, the original show established that humans and animals cannot understand one another. Considering the show takes place in a world populated by Funny Animals in place of humans, it's plausible to assume the Rangers are speaking to each other, but we cannot understand them because the story focuses on the exploits of the Funny Animals, not the Uplifted ones
Why doesn't either Steelbeak or Black Heron use the intelligence-boosting ray on themselves? Because both of them already see themselves as geniuses. And why doesn't Black Heron boost Steelbeak's intelligence, despite being annoyed by his stupidity? Because she might be worried that he'll use his intelligence against her (which he already does in his Book Dumb way).
This factor is confirmed, as well as it being a matter of pride for Black Heron; with Frank Angones saying on "Suspenders Of Disbelief" that Black Heron did not want any one else in the room be smarter than her. The fact that Steelbeak turned the tables on her shows that he’s a little more ruthless than she gave him credit for.
This version of Steelbeak is so dumb, you might initially wonder why F.O.W.L. keeps him around. Considering how effective he is despite being Dumb Muscle, it's a harsh reminder you don't need to be smart to be evil or want to cause pain.
Older viewers that watched Darkwing Duck as children might think Steelbeak is more dense than they remember. Well, Black Heron is developing a device that alters one's intelligence, and the Rescue Rangers are proof that she tested it on more than one creature. The show leaves it to the audience to conclude that she may have used her device on Steelbeak at some point.
Scrooge rejects all of the "modern" attractions at Funso's, dismissing them with dated terminology. The game that fascinates him is skeeball, which came out in 1908, is based on older carnival games, and uses skills he already has as an expert bocce player.
While the gold-panning theme on the skeeball game intrigues him, it's not until he sees Webby make a successful skill shot that Scrooge gets really interested. That's only natural since skeeball is a lot like the carny games that are always rigged against the player. (Unfortunately, Scrooge learns the hard way why arcades don't rig games: the tickets you win are worth FAR less than the money you spent to win them, and this is just an exaggerated example of what it’s like in real life.)
Bradford Buzzard demonstrates very ably why F.O.W.L. has been so successful infiltrating Scrooge's operations: unlike his underlings he keeps his eyes on the overall prize and his ego under control. In other words, he lacks the exact two weaknesses shared by nearly everyone else in Scrooge's Rogues Gallery (Ma Beagle being the other exception).
Launchpad and Steelbeak know they don't know how to play cards— but they don't know the other person doesn't know. They're both bluffing and hoping they get lucky.
Why was Black Heron testing the intelligence reversing ray on her own henchmen? Because her test animals have already escaped from their cages.
In the original series, the Rangers were part of a worldwide Mouse WorldWainscot Society. Here? They're all alone.
The ending implies that Smart!Launchpad has become a separate personality subject to And I Must Scream in regular Launchpad's head. Does this happen to everyone hit by the intelleray? If not, why is Launchpad specifically subject to it?
If having your intelligence artificially increased then reduced creates a genius split personality, does that mean that Black Heron and the Eggheads now have idiot split personalities trapped inside them?
If Director Buzzard can clamp Steelbeak for interrupting him while talking, what’s to stop him from doing that again for a punishment as horrific as say, preventing him from eating for a set duration?
The same can apply to most of the F.O.W.L. operatives. Most of them have some type of artificial prosthetic (Black Heron's arm, Gandra's camera eyes etc.) so it's within reason that Bradford is capable of using their disabilities as potential punishments.
Speaking of Gandra, her debut episode makes it very clear that she doesn't like being an underling. Taking into account that she has technology integrated into several parts of her body, it's entirely possible this is how F.O.W.L. recruited her.
It's possble that Smart!Launchpad's line about the ray making everyone so dumb they wouldn't know how to breathe might have been figurative. If so, he meant they wouldn't just drop dead instantly. They'd run around, getting themselves, and likely anyone else around them killed. Imagine all the people operating dangerous machinery or a vehicle, and then they suddenly forget how to operate them, or turn it off. Or forget how to eat. There are a lot of ways that plan could've ended if Smart!Launchpad hadn't sacrificed himself.
