As Martha is arrested for eating a turkey leg, she explains that today's vocab words will be about infractions. Then, a trio of dogs runs rampant in Carl's butcher shop. They are shooed out, then Martha delivers Carl money and is awarded some meat in return, while the dogs watch jealously.
Later, Martha takes a nap on her front porch, when she is woken by the three dogs from before. They claim that Carl is soon to turn 42 and they're throwing him a surprise party. They ask her for help, and she accepts, so she phones up the butcher shop and tells Carl to go to 29 Ellenbury Street. He goes there to find a store selling vacuum cleaners.
At night, the three dogs approach Martha and she tells them that she tried to attend Carl's surprise party only to find a vacuum cleaner store and no guests. She asks if she got the address wrong, but they just dump a parcel down by her and leave, claiming that they're her "share". It turns out to be three steaks, so she eats them.
The next day, she is cramped and bloated and enters the house to find Mariella reading a news report. Helen says, "Who would want to hurt such a nice man?!", which concerns Martha, so she asks what happened. Danny explains that Carl was robbed the previous day. Helen explains that it happened after he got a strange call, asking him to go to a vacuum cleaner store, and that raw meat was stolen. This makes Martha nervous, which Danny notices, but she tries to deny. He says that she seems to not have an appetite, but she explains that it was because she ate a lot last night. Then, she tries denying that she ate more than usual, but that only makes her sound more suspicious, and leaves.
She goes into the yard and decides to get rid of the bones from the steaks, lest she be mistaken for the robber and imprisoned. She buries them, then Helen comes over, saying that they should visit Carl to cheer him up. At Carl's store, he explains how the door was propped open with a stick even though it wasn't locked. Martha, now hungry again, wants to eat some brisket, but Carl thinks he can't afford to give out free samples after the robbery. He also points out that the voice on the phone sounded familiar. Helen says that they'll help if they can, then adds, "Right, Martha?". Martha, not wanting Carl to recognise her voice, just barks, confusing Carl and Helen.
Helen, fearing that Martha is sick, takes her home. Martha complains about her situation in the yard, then finds Skits chewing up the bones, which he's unburied. She tells him she's hiding them but can't tell him why, and promises to share any other meat she gets with him.
That night, the three thieving dogs approach Martha with a salami. She tells them off for stealing and tells them to confess to the police, but they refuse. They tell her to phone up the pizzeria and tell Mario that his house is on fire, but she refuses. As they leave, she refuses to eat the salami and decides to confess everything to Helen, bringing it as evidence. However, Skits eats most of the salami, then when she yells at him about it, Helen opens her bedroom window and looks out. She asks if everything is okay, but Martha only makes a resigned noise.
Despite having promised not to, Martha does make the pizzeria call. However, when the dogs try to steal from the pizzeria, the police enter with Martha, getting them caught. Martha still feels a little guilty for eating the steaks, but Carl is forgiving and offers her some meat to judge.
This episode provides examples of
- And Your Reward Is Edible: Carl awards Martha with a cut of meat for delivering him money.
- Balloon Belly: Martha gets chubby after eating the three steaks.
- Barefoot Cartoon Animal: In Martha's imagination sequence of her in jail, she wears a jumpsuit but no shoes.
- Comfort Food: Discussed when Martha suggests sending Carl cake instead of visiting him to cheer him up, since she doesn't want to be seen with him.
- Dramatic Irony: Several characters are seen wondering who the meat thief is when we know it was three dogs, or wondering why Martha is acting peculiar, when we know it's because she doesn't want to arouse suspicion.
- Fantasy Sequence: When Martha is worried she'll be mistaken for the robber, she imagines going to jail.
- Food as Bribe: Martha gets Skits to let go of the bones by promising to share any other meat she gets.
- Gasp!: Martha gasps loudly upon finding out Carl was robbed.
- Jumping-to-Conclusions Diagnosis: Helen wonders if Martha is getting sick just because she doesn't speak.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Martha feels guilty for eating Carl's steaks without realising they were stolen.
- Obviously Not Fine: Martha tries to deny being "distressed" despite her obvious nervous behaviour.
- Oh, Crap!: Martha looks apprehensive upon realising she's been framed.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Downplayed. Martha is fine; she's just nervous and trying to avoid suspicion, but characters are very surprised and confused over some of her odd behaviors:
- Danny is concerned when she doesn't want her soup since she's usually a Big Eater.
- Carl and Helen are confused when Martha barks instead of talking, since usually she loves to talk. In fact, Helen even wonders if Martha is getting sick.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Danny is correct that Martha is worried, but he thinks her not eating is a sign. Actually, she's just not hungry because she ate three steaks the night before.
- Soup Is Medicine: Zigzagged. Martha barks instead of speaking (to avoid Carl hearing her voice) and Helen wonders if she is sick. She goes to make her some soup, but it's unclear if this is to treat any sickness or because the alphabet soup is what makes Martha talk.
- Stock Animal Diet:
- A dog is seen eating a sausage at the butcher shop, then later the same dog grabs a pepperoni.
- Skits chews on the bones Martha buried.
- Surprise Party: Discussed when the dogs lie that they're throwing Carl a surprise party for his 42nd birthday.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: When Martha is trying not to make the Lorraines suspicious, she says that she didn't eat more than normal, then she adds, "Yes sirree. Just dog food and soup."
- Too Unhappy to Be Hungry: Discussed when Danny thinks Martha's not eating her soup means she's "distressed". While Martha is indeed nervous, her lack of appetite is actually due to filling up on steaks.
