Murder on the Fishmental Express.
Barry CudaCricket brings home a singing fish plaque which annoys the Greens, but when it gets destroyed he tries to find out who did it.
"Barry Cuda" contains examples of:
- Call-Back: Cricket recalls he's trying to pay for the destruction caused to Big Coffee in "Critterball Crisis".
- Deliberately Monochrome: Cricket's predictions of who destroyed Barry and why are in black and white.
- Everybody Did It: The whole family was responsible for the destruction of Barry.
- Foreshadowing:
- When Cricket pulls the axe out of Barry Cuda, it splits a Green Family photo apart, with Tilly, Gramma and Bill all together on one half.
- You can tell who used which weapon against Barry by comparing them to the family member who'd most likely use it (ie. the axe was used by Bill, who's fond of gardening).
- When Cricket is angry at his family and is determined to find out who did it, the members sound out of character and unnatural as if they're trying to hide something.
- After accusing Gramma, Cricket says, "Well if it wasn't you, then... who was it? Who was doin' this?!?" Bill then shows up, almost as if on cue.
- Frying Pan of Doom: In Gramma's fantasy, she uses one to destroy Barry. She also uses this in real life to destroy him more, making her the only suspect whose accusation was correct.
- Kubrick Stare: Bill is shown giving one in Cricket's third accusation.
- Human Sacrifice: While Barry Cuda is just a battery-powered knick-knack, when Cricket accuses Bill of destroying Barry Cuda, his vision shows Bill dressed in a black hooded robe destroying Barry in a cult-like ritual.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Bill, Tilly, Gramma realize how much they hurt Cricket and apologize for trying to kill Barry. Not long after, Cricket undergoes this himself when he finds out he was the only one who liked Barry Cuda and his song.
- Only One Finds It Fun: Cricket was the only one of the family who liked Barry Cuda.
- Rage Breaking Point: Cricket almost blows his top when he realizes his whole family is responsible for destroying Barry.
- Shout-Out: Barry Cuda is a parody of Big Mouth Billy Bass.
- Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: Tilly says this as she is officiating a wedding between Phoenix and Cynthia the chicken. Cue Cricket disrupting with Barry Cuda.
- Stating the Simple Solution: At the end of the episode, Cricket "kills" Barry by taking his batteries out, something none of the other Greens thought of doing.
- Subverted Suspicion Aesop: Cricket accuses each one of his family for murdering Barry, but upon hearing it get destroyed more and more by something different, he is led to believe they are innocent. But it turns out it was everyone the whole time.
- Tears of Remorse: Cricket has tears in his eyes when his family comes upon him after Barry gets hit with an axe.
- Whodunnit: The premise of the episode.
Have a good day out... but it won't be long until I start to suffer empty-nest.
Suite RetreatThe Greens go to a hotel to give Gramma privacy, but she begins to miss them and tries to get them to come home.
"Suite Retreat" contains examples of:
- Absent Animal Companion: Cricket has spiders he keeps in a jar, which have never been seen since this episode.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Gramma.
- Call-Forward: One of the pamphlets in the hotel is for the Big City Zoo, which will appear in "Uncaged".
- Continuity Nod: Some of the pamphlets in the hotel are for the Big City Dog Show and Sea Fusion.
- Double-Meaning Title: The episode title refers to the hotel retreat (trip), and the fact Gramma is trying to get the Greens to retreat (leave) and return home.
- I Gave My Word: Gramma kicks out the Greens for the day, telling them not to come back until tomorrow. When she tries to bribe them into coming home with Saxon, Bill sticks to his word.
- Irony: Gramma is the one who kicks the Greens out of the house for the day, yet she tries to get them to come back when she misses them.
- Show Within a Show: Gramma watches a workout show called Camp Calisthenics.
- Springtime for Hitler: As a last-ditch effort when she begins missing her family, Gramma buys up a horde of hamsters and releases them into the Greens' hotel room, leading the hotel thinking their room is infested. But instead of kicking them out, the worker feels sorry for them and upgrades them to a better suite, with the addition of an extra night's stay.
