Season 8, Episode 07
Shawn and Gus Truck Things Up
"Welcome to Mash and Grab, home of the Mash-up, son!"
Directed by David Crabtree
Written by Saladin K. Patterson
Shawn and Gus are heartbroken to discover that Mauricio Sanchez, owner of the Macho Taco food truck, has been found dead in his truck with a meat cleaver in his back. With Chief Lassiter's blessing, they take an impounded food truck to blend in among the other local food trucks, and start sniffing around for clues under the guise of a new food truck in town..
Meanwhile, life is moving on all around them. Lassiter and Marlowe are preparing for their daughter's imminent arrival, while Henry is selling his house and moving away to start the next chapter of his life.
Tropes:
- Almighty Mom: When Smokey is confronted by Shawn and Gus over his protection racket, he promises to tell them everything and return all the money so long as they don't rat him out to his mother.
- Blunt "Yes": At one point, another food truck owner explains a local Mexican restaurant owner hates them for stealing his customers and parking spaces. When Shawn and Gus ask if they actually do this, her response is this trope.
- Brick Joke: Gus discovers Shawn stole a lot of his toys as a child when they turn up at Henry's yard sale. He spends some time hunting them down and snatching them back, saying "Mine!". At the very end, Shawn tries giving Lassiter's infant daughter one of his old toys... and Gus recognizes that as his, too.
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: Shawn and Gus' "Mash and Grab" food truck consists of these dishes, such as pork tarts, fruit loop quesadillas, and ice cream jerky. Surprisingly, quite a few people enjoy them.
- Disgusting Vegetarian Food: While asking questions of a vegetarian food truck owner, Shawn and Gus endure a vegetable wrap that, judging by their expressions, is absolutely revolting.
- Egg Sitting: Lassiter spends much of his appearance onscreen badly caring for a plastic doll as part of their childcare classes. As he puts it, "I may have dropped it a few times, but Marlowe's the one who left it in the dryer!"
- Even Evil Has Standards: Jake was willing to rob banks, but he never intended to kill anyone. His guilt over this drives Vito to kill him.
- Faint in Shock: When Marlowe goes into labor, Gus tries to help, but passes out when he sees what's going on.
- The Inspector Is Coming: Shawn and Gus endure a surprise visit from a health inspector who promptly gives their truck a D and two days to clean it up. The inspector is made a suspect when he's found to have fought with Mauricio over the C he got.
- Instant Birth: Just Add Labor!: Marlowe goes into labor while eating some of Shawn and Gus' concoctions, and goes into a Screaming Birth with Henry and Shawn's help right on the floor of the food truck as Lassiter drives it to the hospital.
- In the Back: Mauricio is killed by having a meat cleaver slammed into his back.
- Leave No Witnesses: Mauricio was murdered because he came into Vito's truck while he and Jake were trying to clean the remains of a dye pack from the latest bank they robbed.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Vito kills Jake by pressing a barbell onto his neck while he's lifting weights.
- Offscreen Karma: Vito flees Shawn, Gus, and Lassiter in his food truck when they confront him with the murder, but are prevented from chasing him when Marlowe goes into labor. We hear that he got all the way to Arizona before he was caught.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Chief Lassiter is surprisingly agreeable to Shawn and Gus' requests. He explains it's because he's stretched so thin between his new position and Marlowe being 8 months pregnant that he doesn't have time to do his usual routine with them.
- Protection Racket: A local gang called the 108s runs one for local food trucks, with a man named Smokey acting as their go-between. Except it turns out out Smokey isn't actually a member, he's a college student, and he's running a scam: mug the truck drivers for money, then show up and offer his "protection".
- Running Gag: People doing the Sean Penn "Is that my daughter in there?!" from Mystic River.
- Skewed Priorities: Shawn is heartbroken and visibly horrified to see Mauricio is dead... Gus is heartbroken and horrified to see the last of his taco sauce is being put in an evidence bag.
- Taught By TV: Shawn and Gus apparently learned about preparing for an imminent child from several baby-related movies.
- Wacky Cravings: Marlowe gets some pretty major ones for Shawn and Gus' bizarre foods near the end.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: The killer was Vito, owner of the “In the Vegan-ing” truck, who formed a business partnership with a local gym owner named Jake, since both of them were health-focused businesses in a sea of deep-fried junk food. When both their businesses threatened to go under, they turned to robbing banks and using the food truck to case the joint. Mauricio found out, so Vito killed him to keep him quiet. Jake didn’t want anything to do with murder, so Vito killed him, too.
