"Sure, we've done some bad things, you know, but we've changed, I promise. I'm gonna walk you through how. So please, just reserve your judgement, okay, because once we're finished, I'm sure you will judge us accordingly."
— Mac
The gang embarks on Christian fellowship cruise that Mac won in a church raffle. While Mac struggles to embrace his new church's more liberal approach to religion, the rest of the gang attempt to put their old sinful ways behind them for the duration of the trip. (Part 1 of 2)
This episode provides examples of the following tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Because it's a dry cruise, Mac suggests that the Gang consume small amounts of mouthwash "to stave off the shakes." Later on, Charlie sees orange juice and assumes the cruise is serving screwdrivers before Frank explains that some people drink orange juice without alcohol in it.
- All Gays Love Theatre: Played for laughs; one of the church group's activities is singing songs from musical theater, which Mac says he can "almost guarantee" he won't enjoy. Cut to several minutes later, and he's belting out the chorus to "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" and by all accounts having the time of his life.Mac: I've really taken to it, and I think musicals are gonna be a huge part of my life moving forward.
- Ambiguous Situation: The episode opens with the rather ominous "Unknown Time" "Unknown Place" in place of the usual title cards, with the gang dressed all in white, standing in a featureless white room and addressing an unseen party while insisting that they're good people. It's implied, but not explicitly stated, that they're stood at the pearly gates talking to God.
- Audience Participation: The woman who Dee accuses of stealing her sun lounger retaliates by picking Dee as her assistant for her magician act in the talent show. This comes back to bite her when Dee punches her in the face.
- Butt-Monkey: Dee asks the rest of the gang not to shit on her while they're on the ship, as she's trying to take a vacation from them. Since Dee can't catch a break, she ends up getting literally shat on by a passing seagull.
- Call-Back:
- Dennis brings up "the implication" when talking with Dee about the girl he is stalking. Unlike when he discussed it with Mac, who was rather disturbed by the whole thing, Dee not only instantly gets what he is talking about, turns out that she has her own version of it.
- Dennis once again complains about Frank's obsession with costumes and hijinks.
- Card-Carrying Villain: When Frank's cross burns him and Dee suggests he's Satan, Frank laughs and claims he could be.
- Coming-Out Story: Mac's plot for the episode sees him coming to terms with his sexuality, culminating in him coming out to the rest of the gang at the end.
- Continuity Nod:
- Since there's no alcohol allowed on the cruise, Mac advises the rest of the gang to drink a cup of mouthwash every day so that they don't go into withdrawal.
- Dennis repeatedly mentions "the implication" and unsuccessfully tries to use it on a young woman who catches his eye.
- Crisis of Faith: Mac has one at the end of the episode after realizing that he's gay, informing the rest of the gang that there is no God.
- Country Matters: Dee states that there are certain "see-you-next-Tuesdays" on the ship that are making it difficult for her to control her wrath.
- Cure Your Gays: Mac attempts to "convert" the Christian couple who take him under their wing after discovering that they're gay.
- Deconstruction: Dennis' "implications" theory is put through the ringer. This episode shows that as darkly funny as it may be when he described it, watching him try it in person and in the worst possible situation (Dramatic Thunder as he's trying to invite himself in) makes him look like a serial killer and he ends up arrested.
- Dramatic Thunder: Used repeatedly throughout the episode as the ship enters an oncoming storm. Mac thinks that it's God expressing his disapproval of the church's liberal views, while Dennis claims that it makes his attempt to proposition a young woman seem creepier than it was (even without it, it would still be incredibly unsettling).
- Double Entendre: When Dennis is attempting to seduce the girl.Dennis: Why don't I, uh, come in your room? (Laughs) Come in your room, that's not what I meant.
- Ephebophile: Dennis takes a liking to a young female passenger on the ship who, as Dee points out, looks as though she could be about twelve. While Dennis assures her that he's checked her ID and she's "of age", it doesn't make it any less creepy.
- Everybody Knew Already: The gang's decidedly nonchalant reaction to Mac admitting he's gay.Mac: Oh, you guys knew this already?
Dennis: What, that you're gay?
Frank: From the day that we met.
Charlie: Yeah, always. - False Rape Accusation: Dee admits that she sometimes blackmails guys into having sex with her by insinuating that it would be a shame if their account of events didn't line up with hers.
- Fatal Flaw: Discussed at the beginning of the episode, when Dennis identifies Dee's as wrath, Frank and Charlie's as gluttony and his own as lust. Notably, these vices are what end up getting each of them respectively thrown in the brig.
- Freak Out: Dee has one when the gang is locked in the brig together at the end of the episode.Dee: Oh, I just wanted a couple of days, just a couple of days away from you guys, but I can't escape you! You know where hell is, Mac? You know where hell is?! It's right here. It's right now. WE ARE IN HELL!!
- Gilligan Cut: When the gay couple respond to Mac's attempt to "convert" them by asking how he'd like it if they tried to convert him to their lifestyle:Mac: There's no way you guys could convert me to your lifestyle.
David: Let's give it a shot.
(cut to five minutes later)
Mac: Well, I'm gay.- When Mac says he won't enjoy singing, it immediately cuts him enjoying it too much.
- Give Me a Sign: Mac begs God to give him a sign as to what he should do after learning that the leaders of his new church are a gay couple.
- Guilt Complex: Mac seems to think that feeling guilty is a key component of leading a religious life, and is utterly bewildered by his new church's more positive approach.
- Hero with an F in Good: Mac genuinely attempts to "take a vacation from sin", only for his typical Fundamentalism to get in the way.
- Holy Burns Evil: Played for laughs; Mac gives gold cross necklaces to the rest of the gang and Frank's ends up burning his skin, prompting Dee to comment that he might actually be the devil. Later, Mac admits that he painted the back of the cross with battery acid in order to "subtly imply that he might be a demon".
- Insane Troll Logic: After Mac comes out as gay after five minutes of convincing, he immediately jumps to the conclusion that there is no God because if there was one, they he would not have made him gay and therefore there is no meaning to anything.
- Locked in a Room: The episode ends with the gang locked all locked in the brig together as the ship appears to run into difficulties.
- Nice Guy: The gay Christian couple who befriend Mac are among the nicest people to ever appear on the show.
- Phrase Catcher: Even the other passengers start calling Dee "bird girl" after she gets shat on by a seagull, much to her displeasure.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Mac claims that part of the reason he moved to a new church was that the old one was getting "too Vietnamese".
- Riddle for the Ages: What exactly could the gay couple do to finally convince Armoured Closet Gay Mac to come out in less than five minutes.
- Seven Deadly Sins: Most of the Gang gets locked up because they were guilty of one: Charlie and Frank get in trouble for gluttony. Dee gets in trouble for wrath. Dennis gets in trouble for lust.
- Shout-Out:
- Sophisticated as Hell: Dee's attempt at "politely" asking a woman to move from her sun lounger.Dee: That's my seat, bitch.
Marlene: Excuse me?
Dee: Sorry, I got a little worked up. Uh, not quite in vacation mode yet, let me try again. Um, please get your shit off my seat. - Strange Minds Think Alike:
- Frank and Charlie are both revealed to be wearing vests made from their contraband beers underneath their parkas.
- Dee and Dennis both independently developed their "insinuation" and "implication," implicit threats to get unwilling potential partners to put out.
- A Taste of the Lash: Mac pulls out a cat o'nine tails and asks Scott to give him "three lashes" when he scores badly during a game of bowls so that he can "be a better boy".
- Tempting Fate:
- Discussed at the beginning of the episode when Dennis tells the others that even though he doesn't personally believe in God, they probably shouldn't risk it by doing a bunch of "anti-God stuff" while on board a Christian cruise.
- Dee says she doesn't want to "get shit on" on this cruise. (Then, later, a bird defecates on her face.)
- Token Good Teammate: Within the context of the episode, at least; Mac is the only member of the gang who doesn't get thrown into the brig for committing some crime, instead wandering in of his own free will while looking for the others. Unfortunately, he also lets the door close behind him.
- Too Dumb to Live: After getting their booze confiscated, Frank and Charlie start taking the ship's fuselage apart in order to get drunk on "boat fuel".
- Transparent Closet: The rest of the Gang knew Mac was gay, Frank having figured it out on the day he met him.
- Vacation Episode: The gang spends the episode on a cruise ship.
