"Our science project might have just destroyed Earth!"
"That's really dumb, dad, but I love you!"
—Tina
Tina and her new science partner create a device that allows them to communicate with aliens, but their excitement turns to fear when they receive a dangerous warning message — which is actually Henry, Gene, and Louise trying to sabotage the project as Henry thinks reaching out to aliens will destroy humanity. Meanwhile, Bob attempts to sell coat racks he bought online when it turns out that they're mini-sized.
Tropes:
- Aliens Speaking English: Defied. Susmita thinks aliens wouldn't understand English, so she suggests sending the message in Morse code as a baseline.
- Apology Gift: When Gene and Louise confess about the project sabotage, they give Tina the Fro-Yo-Mama gift card Henry bribed them with (while claiming they were the ones who paid for it) in order to mollify her.
- The Bus Came Back: This episode is Mike the Mailman’s first speaking appearance since the Season 6 finale.
- Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Susmita is this to Tina throughout the entire project. When they go their separate ways, it's clear that even if Tina had more prep time for the science fair she wouldn't have come up with anything good.
- Continuity Nod: The gift card Henry gives Gene and Louise is from Fro-Yo-Momma, which has been visited in several previous episodes.
- The Ditz: Discussed Trope; Bob notes that Jimmy Jr. isn't the best science partner for someone trying to get an A, and thus Tina might not want to get him.
- Everyone Knows Morse: Susmita suggests sending the message to the aliens in Morse code, since they most likely wouldn't understand English. Later, she and Henry speak to each other in Morse code.
- Amusingly averted with Tina in the end credits. She sings a love song about what various phrases mean in Morse code (the opening line is "'Doo-doot doo-doot doo' means 'I love you'")... only for Susmita to make it clear that Tina has no idea what she's talking about (at one point she somehow manages to say "cat" twice, for two completely different lines).
- Last Day to Live: Thanks to the sabotage, Tina and Susmita think an Alien Invasion will happen the next day. As a result, Tina goes around kissing every boy at school and telling everybody she loves them, while Susmita decides to write a love letter to the boy she likes (although she decides not to give it to him).
- Meaningful Background Event: When Tina and Susmita are talking about their project in the cafeteria, Henry can be seen listening to their conversation when they start talking about aliens.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Gene and Louise eventually feel guilty for helping Henry sabotage Tina and Susmita's radio telescope; as a result, they confess and give Tina the frozen yogurt gift card Henry paid them off with.
- Non-Indicative Name: Discussed; Tina's original plan for the science fair is pointing out how peanut butter doesn't actually contain butter.
- Now or Never Kiss: Thinking aliens were going to destroy Earth, Tina goes around kissing as many boys as she can, starting with Jimmy Jr., and later followed by Zeke. After she finds out no aliens are coming and confesses to the class, Zeke asks for another kiss.
- Relationship Upgrade: Susmita and Henry become a couple at the end of the episode. Season 11 reveals that it stuck.
- Rousing Speech: Tina gives this one at the end of the episode, pointing out how several of the projects at the fair are about world issues (bees dying, overpopulation, sea levels rising, etc.) and that alien civilizations may have the technology to help resolve those issues.Tina: So, yeah, if we make contact with aliens, they might kill us. But what if we reach out and the aliens help us? [...] The thing you're afraid of could be our only chance at survival. In conclusion, if we open ourselves up, yes, we might get hurt. But if we don't open ourselves up, we die alone.
- Science Fair: The plot involves Tina and her assigned partner Susmita building a radio telescope for the fair.
- Ship Tease: Tina, thinking the world is ending, kisses Jimmy Jr., who barely has time to react before she runs off. She also passes by Zeke and decides to kiss him as well. The ending of the episode has Zeke hitting on Tina back.
- Shout-Out:
- The Exterminator Van is "The Van That Rocks the Beetle".
- The first Burger of the Day is the "Colby By Your Name Burger".
- The second Burger of the Day is the "Around the World in Eighty Dates Burger".
- The third Burger of the Day is the "Figgy Smalls Burger".
- The fourth Burger of the Day is the "Dill Crazy After All These Gruyeres Burger".
- Linda asks to be raised in the rain like in The Notebook.
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Henry and Susmita don't actually do anything other than communicate in Morse code, but Louise considers them this nonetheless.Louise: I-I hope the aliens destroy Earth right now.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Gene and Louise confess to helping Henry sabotage Tina's project, and give her the frozen yogurt gift card Henry bribed them with, Gene claiming that it was bought with their own money.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Bob can't get rid of the coatracks, but he manages to attract customers with them when it starts raining.
- We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill: Tina and Henry disagree on whether contacting aliens is a good idea or not. Tina believes aliens would be kind and help mankind with their problems; while Henry thinks aliens would most likely be hostile and contacting them would lead to an Alien Invasion, and tries to sabotage her project to avoid that.
