T.D. is at the Lorraines' house, with Alice and Helen, drawing a comic of the three of them making the Bill of Rights as a homework project. He then smells a bad smell and he and the girls try to identify it, along with the Lorraine parents. It turns out to be Martha, and the reason she smells bad is because she has rolled in garbage.
That evening, the Lorraines ask the dogs if they're what smells bad, and Martha confirms it, since she and Skits rolled in garbage, dead snakes, and dead fish. Danny wants to bathe the dogs, but they refuse and Martha goes on a long rant about how she's "free" and thus doesn't have to bathe if she doesn't want to. Thus, Danny locks both dogs out, saying that if they want to stink, they must be outside. After a bit of back and forth, using Helen as a carrier pigeon, Martha tells Danny that the assertion that she and Skits stink is subjective, and since she likes the smell and has a better sense of smell, they should be allowed in. Danny says that everyone in the house must obey the rules, and bathing is mandatory, which convinces Skits, but not Martha. Helen wonders if Martha should only be allowed in some rooms, but Danny digs his heels in.
The next day at the cafe, Helen tells Alice and T.D. about what's going on. Then, Martha shows up, even dirtier. She wants someone to play with, but the kids tell her to wait until they're done eating, and not nearby. Later, when Danny parks his bus near the Lorraine house, he sees Martha and T.D. with picket signs, claiming that Danny is "not fair to dogs".
After Danny's work shift is over, he promises to let Martha (who was playing with Skits) see the Courageous Collie Carlo movie if she takes a bath. She refuses to give in, so Helen calls T.D. and tells him that they must solve the problem. He reveals that his mother made him bathe in tomato juice, but it didn't work, so she's making him bathe in the pond, which inspires Helen.
She, Helen, T.D., Alice, Danny, and Skits then set up a dog-washing service in the park. Martha shows up, now dirtier than ever, and after a bit of back-and-forth, finally gives in and lets Danny bathe her after convincing him to say please.
This episode provides examples of
- Animate Inanimate Object: Discussed. T.D. wonders if the bad smell is Jake's diaper pail, having grown legs.
- Bizarre Beverage Use: T.D.'s mother made him bathe in tomato juice to wash out the scent of the filth Martha rolled in, that got on him when he touched her.
- Buffy Speak: T.D. makes up the word "smellism" to refer to Danny's not letting Martha in the house when she stinks.
- But You Were There, and You, and You: T.D. draws the characters in his comic as looking like himself, Helen, and Alice.
- Diaper Check: Helen sniffs at Jake's diaper when trying to find what stinks.
- Episode Tagline: Martha keeps saying, "It's a matter of principles!".
- Foreshadowing: Helen, Alice, and T.D.'s project is on the Bill of Rights, which foreshadows Martha's comments on her "right to stink".
- Hates Baths: In addition to Martha's usual aversion to bathing, Skits also flinches and walks away when told to bathe.
- Here We Go Again!: At the end of the episode, Martha reveals that, while she's now clean and is sick of the smell, now John, Burt, Cisco, and a Beagle are "wearing" the same smell.
- Lost My Appetite: Helen doesn't want the smelly Martha to be nearby while she and her friends eat.
- Secret Ingredient: Mariella tries, and fails, to guess the secret ingredient of Danny's chilli. Eventually, Martha guesses it instead (it's cinnamon).
- Serious Business: The bulk of this episode is Martha refusing to take a bath, but she talks like she's the victim of oppression, going on about her "right to stink".
- Smelly Feet Gag: When the Lorraines, Alice, and T.D. are searching for the source of a bad smell, Danny wonders if it's his feet, but it's not.
- Split-Screen Phone Call: When Helen talks to T.D. on the phone, they're seen on a split screen.
- Tempting Fate: T.D. says, "How bad can she smell!?", before Martha shows up, smelling even worse.
