"Welcome, Nighthawks. We've been...expecting you."
After getting a secondhand TV, Stan becomes obsessed with a 1960s show called Nighthawks' Hideaway, a show that is stated to have never existed. Meanwhile, Roger decides to live as a baby.
Tropes:
- Accidental Misnaming: Tuttle calls Stan "Sam" when he explains that they lose their memories while in the suite because of the reruns. Stan also tries to remember his family as Francine, Steve, Harley, Clark, and Bruce.
- Assimilation Plot: Those who are lured into the show become cast members, with it implied all the different maids are female victims.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Alistair Covax still has Stan trapped at the end of the episode. And it's implied that now with him and his family trapped, Greg, who next took the old television, is next on Alistair's list.
- Bait-and-Switch: Stan finds where Tuttle hides the key to his house. He then throws the flowerpot through the door window and uses the key to clear the remaining glass shards.
- Blunt "No": Alistair Covax replies with this when Stan says he prefers swamp rock over jazz.
- Can't You Read the Sign?: Stan finds an old mattress being thrown out on garbage night and takes it home. On it is the word "chinches," which means bedbugs.
- Captain Obvious: Stan deduces that Alistair Covax ate one of the guests because he screamed "Don't eat me!"
- Cosmic Horror Story: The ending very much veers into this. Stan resorts to smashing the walls to expose the static and barely escapes with Tuttle out of the TV. However, much to Stan's horror, his family drones about the jazz and stereo system Covax repeatedly promoted. Covax then trascends the fourth wall to wish the viewer a good evening, having taken over Stan's reality and leaving him to despair.
- Creepy Jazz Music: The show has a jazz band that everyone is forced to enjoy, or else bad things happen to them.
- Da Editor: Stan tries to get answers about Nighthawks' Hideaway by going to the offices of TV Guide and speaking to the editor-in-chief, voiced by Edward Asner.Editor: (speaking into phone) You think Wheel of Fortune is on at 8 o'clock?! You're fired!
- Eldritch Abomination: We never see Alistair Covax's true form, apart from his red eyes, distorted face, and gigantic clawed hand.
- Faux Affably Evil: Alistair Covax, voiced by Chris Pine, initially appears to be a suave, sophisticated late-night TV host with an interest in intelligent conversation and jazz music. He's actually a demonic entity who traps people in his show and eats them if they disrupt it too much.
- Here We Go Again!: After throwing out the TV, Stan watches as Greg takes it home, calling him a poor bastard.
- Hope Spot: Stan and Tuttle drive away from the suite and their surroundings slowly become colored instead of black and white. When they arrive at Stan's house, they suddenly end up back in the suite.
- Humanoid Abomination: Alistair Covax may look the part of a suave early television host, but quickly shows himself to be anything but, what with the Nightmare Face, his eating unruly guests during commercial break blackouts, and his control over the reality of the show and possible crossover into our world to make it his own.
- Identity Amnesia: People who get trapped on the show slowly forget their lives due to the constant reruns.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Alistair Covax eats unruly guests when the show cuts to commercial.
- Key Under the Doormat: Tuttle keeps a key to his house under a flowerpot.
- Knight of Cerebus: Alistair Covax is completely void of any comedic elements apart from two moments early on, when he calls his pianist Charlie "the best white, non-union jazz pianist in the city, top five" and when he yells at Tuttle for interrupting his enjoyment of the music. Once Stan gets trapped in the show, things only get darker from there.
- Living Prop: People who are trapped in Nighthawks' Hideaway become this. Stan lampshades this by saying he can't be killed because he's clearly so integral to the show.
- Mathematician's Answer: Stan tries to get answers directly from Alistair Covax.Alistair Covax: You having a nice time, Stan?
Stan: (chuckles nervously) You know my name. That's cool! Hey, what is this place?
Alistair Covax: This is a party, baby, and parties are fun. So when the camera's on, you will make nice conversation, you will keep a drink in hand, and you will listen to and love every bit of jazz you hear. - Mundane Solution: After escaping the show, Stan is getting pulled back in by Alistair Covax, until Tuttle just unplugs the TV, seemingly cutting him off from reality.
- Noodle Incident: When Stan arrives at TV Guide, one staff member announces that the stars of Hawaii Five-0 are in a prank war.
- Nothing Is Scarier: We never learn how Nighthawks' Hideaway was created or where Alistair Covax came from, or even what his true form is.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Alistair Covax speaks with his guest about how America is becoming "feminized," and calls the guest's book, I Loathe Lucy, to be a "tremendous read." He also makes a point of saying that his pianist is one of the best white non-union jazz pianists in the city.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: Alistair Covax's eyes glow red when he gets ready to eat Stan and Tuttle.
- Room Full of Crazy: When Stan breaks into Tuttle's house, he finds papers everywhere and a notebook where he tried to unlock the mystery of Nighthawks' Hideaway.
- Sanity Slippage: Both Stan and Tuttle clearly go through this before getting trapped in Nighthawks' Hideaway.
- Serious Business: Alistair Covax loves jazz music, and will make damn sure you enjoy it too.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Alistair Covax wears a very dapper smoking jacket.
- Shout-Out:
- One of the guests remembers his past life, including the "Denis Leary fireman show."
- When Stan and Tuttle try to escape the suite, a diner resembling Edward Hopper's painting Nighthawks can be seen in the background.
- Show Within a Show: Nighthawks' Hideaway, a show that only appears on old TV sets and even then when there is just one person in the room. In addition, there is no record of the show or its host, Alistair Covax, to have ever existed. It has only one episode that repeats over and over again, but there are subtle differences each time, like different waitresses, different postures, and different objects in the background.
- Sinister Geometry: When Stan arrives on the show, he sees a floating sphere and wonders what it is. It appears to be the show's camera and lighting, as the technical director can be heard announcing a commercial break and then the sphere closes.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Alistair Covax firmly believes this."A man can't be himself in the kitchen. It's not his domain. But what about when he gets hungry, and she's not there?"
- This Is Gonna Suck: Tuttle becomes nervous when one of the guests tries to escape, explaining to Stan that he'll pay for it during commercial time. Stan then gives a resigned "oh boy, sounds bad" when, during the break, he hears Alistair Covax eating the guest.
- Time-Passes Montage: There's one as Stan takes observations about the show, writing down all the differences as it airs each night. There is another as Stan and Tuttle forget their past lives and become trapped in the show.
- Trapped in TV Land: People who watch Nighthawks' Hideaway eventually end up in the show itself and begin forgetting their old lives.
- Tropaholics Anonymous: A group of people who become obsessed with Nighthawks' Hideaway meet at the Ukrainian Cultural Center to discuss the program, but by the time Stan takes an interest in it, only Tuttle is left because everyone else, unbeknownst to him at the time, has become trapped in the show.
- Twist Ending: After apparently escaping the show, Stan realizes that he's now trapped in a TV in his own basement, that's still controlled by Alistair Covax.
- Unexpectedly Dark Episode: Definitely one of the creepiest and most unsettling episodes of the show. The Downer Ending doesn't help.
- Wham Line: Stan sees Greg taking his TV and assuming everything is back to normal. Then Francine asks him a question.Francine: Have you heard the new Hi-Fis with quadrophonic sound?Steve: They're the best Hi-Fis for-All: Jazzzzzzzzzzzzz.
- Wham Shot: Stan is ready to give up on Nighthawks' Hideaway when he suddenly sees Tuttle in the background of the suite.
- Whole-Plot Reference:
- Stan trying to find out the secret of Nighthawks' Hideaway could easily pass for an episode of The Twilight Zone. Alistair even looks like Rod Serling.
- The entire idea of Stan and several other people obsessing over and comparing notes about a TV show which supposedly doesn't exist is remarkably similar to the original Candle Cove story. There's even a point where Francine tells Stan he's only been watching static on the old TV he brought home, which was the big twist at the end of Candle Cove.
"Another great episode. So long...Nighthawks."
