Archie is thrilled when a couple of government agents come to Riverdale and enlist him in the effort to track down an alien double agent...until they fix on Jughead as the primary suspect. With the agents prepared to do anything to crack his best friend's "cover", Archie has to track down the real alien.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Affably Evil: Commander Sirius is a canine-like alien with a British accent who is willing to obliterate Earth under the sole context that it's not interesting enough.
- Big Eater: Agents X and Y theorize that Jughead's daily food intake exceeds 40,000 calories, yet he never gains weight, despite not exercising regularly. They cite this as evidence that he's an alien with Y resenting how Jughead never gains a pound.
- Borrowed Catch Phrase: When X asks Y where the alien ship is landing, she answers, "a little town called Riverdale", Archie's end-of-episode Signing-Off Catchphrase.
- Brick Joke: Agents X and Y cite Jughead's insane metabolism as evidence that he's an alien, and Agent Y remarks that she resents it. Later, while they're interrogating him, she demands he tell her how he manages it.
- Chekhov's Gag: Jughead tells the others a completely absurd joke during the opening scene at Pop's, leading to nonplussed reactions. When he tells it to Commander Sirius, he finds it hilarious enough to save the Earth.
- Conspicuous Trenchcoat: Commander Sirius disguises himself like this. Ironically, Archie fails to notice them because he's too distracted with Agents X and Y requesting him to uncover an alien.
- Failed a Spot Check: After being inducted to look for the alien scout, Archie fails to notice a person in a trench coat and hat slouching by behind him.
- Helpless with Laughter: Commander Sirius doubles over and then falls on the floor laughing when Jughead tells him his favorite joke. When he manages to get up, he calls off the alien forces.
- Hypocritical Humor: Jughead is carrying a pile of bricks to help simulate the feeling of him feeling sluggish after devouring twenty burgers. When Veronica asks a more logical solution, just eat less burgers, he brushes off her crazy suggestions.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: Reggie asks Betty what girls see in Archie. She answers that he has a down-to-earth nature that they find appealing...and then Archie stops for a moment to fill them in on the bizarre things that are happening. Naturally, it sounds completely insane.
- Karmic Jackpot: While nobody makes a big deal of Jughead saving Earth, secret agents X and Y do manage to convince the government to pay his tab at Pop's every week in thanks for his service to the country.
- Meaningful Name: Commander Sirius is a canine-like alien. Sirius is known as the Dog star.
- Mistaken for Aliens: The episode has two agents mistake Jughead as the alien they were after, due to his odd personality. They kidnapped him and demanded answers, they take his obliviousness as Obfuscating Stupidity (when he asked nicely for something to drink, they see it as him giving orders). In the end, they are ashamed for their mistake, especially given that Jughead was the one to save the day (after the agents failed miserably to attack the real alien, who was equipped with a forcefield).
- Periphery Demographic: In-Universe, Archie's column is apparently read by government agents because of all the weird stuff he's up to.
- Sinister Shades: Agents X and Y wear them all the time, although they're on the side of good.
- Tempting Fate: Archie vowing to Veronica that nothing is going to get in the way of their date. Then the two pass by Jughead on the sidewalk carrying bricks.Veronica: Oh no. Goodbye romantic dream date.
- Theory Tunnel Vision: Once the agents decide Jughead is the alien scout, everything he does feeds into that theory. He doesn't behave normally? He's too arrogant to bother fitting in. He asks if he can have a soda? He's clearly giving orders. He falls asleep while they're talking with Dilton and Archie? He's a very calm spy.
- Think Nothing of It: Jughead doesn't care that nobody even seemed to notice that he saved the Earth.
- Who's on First?: When Agents X and Y introduce themselves, Archie questions, "Y?" to which X answer, "Don't ask why."
- Wrong Assumption: Going off the hypotheses of the government agents, Archie assumes that the aliens intend to invade Earth. He's happy to be corrected...until it turns out that the aliens actually mean to destroy Earth.
