Some weird goings-on involving Miss Grotke leads TJ and his friends to figure out what she does after school.
Tropes:
- Chekhov's Classroom / Foreshadowing: Miss Grotke's lecture about the horned toad, which is really a lizard, ties into the theme of the episode that things aren't always as they seem.
- Chekhov's Gun: At the beginning of the episode, Miss Grotke grabs a pair of handcuffs and a handkerchief on her way out of the classroom. By the end of the episode, they are revealed to be props for a magic show.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Discussed at the beginning of the episode:Mikey: That was really strange.
Spinelli: Miss Grotke never got a phone call in class before.
Vince: Or ran out of school without asking us if we had any questions.
Gus: Yeah, and she didn't flash us her usual two-sign.
Gretchen: That's a peace sign, Gus. - The Password Is Always "Swordfish"
- Teachers Out of School: Gus used to think that teachers sit at their desk really still all night, while Vince thought that they worked out at a faculty gym.
- Tin-Can Telephone: TJ and the gang use a cup phone to listen in on the password to the secret club Miss Grotke has gone into.
- Title Drop: "One way or another, we're going to uncover the secret life of Grotke."
- Wrong Genre Savvy: TJ assumes that Miss Grotke is an undercover cop, and later, he assumes she's a spy. She turns out to be a magician.
