Carl arrests a beloved TV star named Buddy Goodrich, after the latter aggressively attacks him at the studio. News of Goodrich's arrest quickly makes the headlines, turning the rest of the Winslows (who are fans of Goodrich) against Carl.
Tropes seen in this episode:
- The Bad Guys Are Cops:
- Buddy sensationalizes his arrest to make Carl out to be a rouge police officer out to arrest people without justification.
- Later, when Carl is standing his ground and won't sacrifice his integrity, Buddy tries to convince Carl to be a "consultant" for an episode he plans to be based on the situation (to portray him as the sympathetic character and the arresting police officer as overzealous), which of course doesn't work.
- Broken Pedestal: The entire family (minus Carl) loves Buddy Goodrich, and go bonkers when he drops by the house and gives them free tickets to his show. However, they soon discover his true colors when they witness him arguing with Carl. Now seeing him as the snake he really is, they give him back the tickets and kick him out of the house.
- Cowboy Cop: How Carl is portrayed by the media, by taking Buddy's side in the story. Even his own kids refuse to side with him.
- Exact Eavesdropping: How the rest of the family learns the truth about Buddy and that he's simply a conceited, corrupt, narcissistic asshole who cares for no one but himself.
- Get Out!: Carl eventually has enough of Buddy and kicks him out of the house.
- Narcissist: Buddy, in spades. He's rude to his staff, openly disparages his two juvenile co-stars as brats whom he can't wait to get away from, and believes he has every right to park in a handicap parking space and is otherwise above the law. He is, to put it simply, a dick ... and in the end, it's his own ego that destroys him.
- Nice Character, Mean Actor: On TV, Buddy plays a sweet and loving father to two adopted sons, and he carries this personality into his public persona. In reality, he's a self-indulgent diva who insults his TV sons, parks in a handicap spot every day, and is willing to assault a cop purely out of amusement.
- Rock Star Parking: Buddy uses a handicap parking space as his personal parking spot. Why? Because he despises his co-stars, and – with the parking space being right next to the nearest entrance, he can flee the studio as soon as the director begins breathing to yell the final "Cut!" and he can be out of there and be pulling out of said parking space before he finishes saying the word. Carl, of course, doesn't buy Buddy's crap and tells him to move the car.
- Shout-Out: To Diff'rent Strokes, where a rich black man (Buddy Goodrich) adopts two poor white boys.
- Show Within a Show: "The Buddy Goodrich Show", which is the Winslows' favorite sitcom. It's dreadfully hokey and clichéd, but they enjoy every episode.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Billed as "America's Favorite Dad", Buddy is reduced to this after being found guilty of assaulting a police officer and being made to pay a huge fine and perform community service. Not stated, but he likely was in even hotter legal trouble after he punched his attorney.
- Smug Snake: Buddy Goodrich is this to the ninth degree.
- Witness Tampering: Buddy, after being charged with assault, pays a visit to the Winslows to try to get Carl to recant his story, which Carl refuses to do. Surprisingly, he doesn't point out that Buddy is now committing a felony. In the tag scene, it's revealed that his assistant, who he tried to get to commit perjury turned on him.
