Linda almost totally accidentally kidnaps a children's book author. Meanwhile, the kids help Mr. Frond try to get his cat out of a tree in front of the school.
Tropes:
- Artistic License – Biology: The last Snail & Newt book ends with Newt leaving Snail because he's becoming an aquatic animal. This is actually the reverse of how amphibians develop, starting out as aquatic creatures with gills, but becoming air breathers as adults.
- Basement-Dweller: Discussed. Bob tells Linda that it's entirely likely at least two of their kids will still be living with them for many, many years.
- Bittersweet Ending: In-universe; part of why Linda is so desperate for Snail & Newt to continue is because it ended with the two friends forced to part ways, leaving behind only the memories of their friendship.
- Blatant Lies: Ms. Schnur is about to punish the kids for bringing a cat on school grounds when she realizes the cat is Frond's, which would get him in trouble instead. Frond's attempt at covering it up is very poor, and Ms. Schnur only doesn't press further because she can't be bothered.
- Call-Back: The episode title is a play on a previous episode title, "Mother Daughter Laser Razor".
- Cats Love Laser Pointers: The Belcher kids use a laser pointer to guide Mr. Frond's cat down from a tree.
- Cat Up a Tree: Mr. Frond had to bring his cat to school because it's taking allergy medication, and while he was getting it out it escaped and got stuck in a tree in front of the school.
- Cringe Comedy: Linda desperately trying to keep Bea Cromwell from leaving is legitimately painful to watch, almost to the point that you'd think Bea should call the cops on her just to make Linda stop.
- Detrimental Determination: Linda's problem isn't that she doesn't recognize what she's doing to Bea, it's that she does it regardless of noticing, hoping she can salvage the already disastrous interaction.
- Empty Nest: Linda's actions are fueled by a fear of losing the kids when they leave for college. When Bea Cromwell, the author of the Snail & Newt books she used to read to the kids, comes to the restaurant to wait for a tow truck, Linda begs her to write a new one, her desperation rising until Bea thinks she's an obsessed fan who is trying to kidnap her. Eventually, Bea convinces Linda that kids growing up and leaving to have lives of their own is how things are supposed to happen.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Gene is at a class where the teacher is showing a projection of the constellations and using a laser to point at Leo, which she notes looks like a cat. This gives him the idea to use a laser to get Mr. Frond's cat down.
- Foreshadowing: Bea Cromwell mentions her latest book is about a librarian who learns mixed martial arts in order to break up a rare books crime ring. In the climax, Bea ends up putting Linda in a half-nelson when Linda’s threat level gets too high for her, having studied Krav Maga as research for the book.
- I Know Karate: Bea has Linda in a half nelson, stating that she studied Krav Maga as research for her next book.
- I Reject Your Reality: Linda argues against calling the tow truck again because she was making progress on convincing Bea to write another Snail & Newt book. She really wasn't.
- Lampshade Hanging: Mort hangs one on his minimal screentime compared to Teddy's during this exchange when Linda is fretting over being a future empty-nester.Teddy: You'll still have me!Mort: And me.Teddy: Well, more me.Mort: Yeah, probably more you.
- Loony Fan: Linda proves to be one of Bea Cromwell, a semi-prominent author whose books she read to the kids, contrasting Bob (who also read Bea's books to the kids) who behaves far more calmly and tries to rein Linda in. When Linda realizes Bea is eating at the restaurant and is staying there to wait for a tow truck, she becomes so desperate to keep Bea there (and convince her to continue her children's book series) that she gets the arriving tow truck to leave; when Bea finds out she steals Bea's keys to prevent her from just leaving, starts invading Bea's personal space and scares her off, causing her to hide in Mort's funeral home. Then Linda follows Bea and hides out of sight before basically jumpscaring Bea when she thinks it's safe to leave, resulting in Bea putting Linda in a painful half-nelson. Bea starts the episode simply wanting to be left alone and ends it genuinely fearing for her personal safety.
- Oh, Crap!: Bob many times, but most clearly when Linda cancels Bea's tow truck.
- Shout-Out:
- The Store Next Door is "Gloves Actually".
- The exterminator van is "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Squashing Me".note
- The Burger of the Day is the "Anything Yuzu Can Do, Rye Can Do Cheddar Burger".
- The Snail & Newt books are reminiscent of Frog and Toad.
- Stylistic Suck: Linda's ideas for a new Snail & Newt book are... ideas, which is the kindest thing to say about them.
- Temporarily a Villain: Linda is ultimately in the wrong in this episode from how she harasses and essentially holds Bea Cromwell hostage to try and make her agree to write a new Snail & Newt book.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The A-plot features a Loony Fan holding an author hostage in an attempt to convince said author to write a new book retconning the author's intended ending for their series.
