In this non-holiday, half-hour special, Rigby discovers the secret behind Thomas the goat intern and his plans for the park.
The episode has the following tropes
- Acceptable Breaks from Reality: Though we're not sure exactly what the American response would be if Russia steals American soil and launches it towards nuclear missiles, "sit around angrily" is probably not going to be it.
- Arrested for Heroism: Despite saving the park and preventing a Russian victory, Thomas still committed treason (both to the US and Russia) and has to go on the run.
- Artistic License – Geography:
- The writers seem to think Kiev is a Russian city. It's not. Kiev is actually the capital of Ukraine. This might be because, despite being called "Russians", the foreign country is clearly an unbroken Soviet Union (even having CCCP in the background) which Ukraine was part of, though that doesn't explain why Saint Basil's Cathedral is present.
- The map of the CCCP, while clearly stylized due to it being a cartoon, still appears to retain Central Asia while missing the non-Russian Eastern European and Caucasus nations that it controlled.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Natalie turns out to be a Russian spy named Natalya alongside Thomas and not at all nice.
- Bowdlerise:
- In Cartoon Network Asia airings, references to Russia were changed to a fictional country called "Druznia" (possibly a Shout-Out to The Belgariad), including redubbing dialogue and altering the Russian flag so that way it looks like Germany's with an extra stripe, in order to avoid inflaming the situation overseas (the episode was already a commentary to start with). However, the now "Druznik" characters still retain their stereotypical Russian accents and aren't changed appearance-wise, (meaning the Vladimir Putin expy still looks like him). Saint Basil's Cathedral is also still present in Thomas' flashback, making it obvious that "Druznia" is supposed to be Russia.
- Cartoon Network UK and other countries also edits all the Russian references and renames Russia "Druznia", in addition to editing out rude and suggestive jokes/scenes, such as Benson sounding sexually excited when Nadia breaks out the handcuffs (until he realizes he's being held hostage) was changed to Benson asking in fear, "Why does a schoolteacher need handcuffs?", Thomas chokeholding a man to death was changed to him putting him in a nonfatal sleeper hold, and Davis smacking his ass after defeating the Russians/Druzniks was changed to him pointing at his butt (which is still rude).
- Buffy Speak: "I will be forever on the run, living on the lamb, hiding in the shadows, forever watching, forever listening like some land-living shadow hiding watching listening guy!"
- But Now I Must Go: Benson offers Thomas/Nikolai to stay at the park. But he declines since he'll be hunted down after betraying both the U.S and Russia and decides to go on the run.
- Cassandra Truth: Rigby figures something is up with Thomas but can't convince everyone else about it. It isn't until Mordecai, Muscle Man, Fives, and him come upon a knocked-out C.I.A agent that they start believing him.
- Cerebus Retcon: All those past phone calls Thomas has been having with his mom? Turns out he was actually talking to M.O.M.M. — the Ministry of Meadow Management, a division of the Kremlin.
- Chekhov's Gun: The sprinkler heads Rigby sees Thomas install. He manages to hold onto one and uses it to free himself and the others after they've been captured.
- Continuity Nod:
- When the park crew asks Benson about his previous girlfriend, Audrey, Benson mentions they broke up offscreen.
- When Thomas/Nikolai explains his assignment, he brings up past episodes where he seemingly wasn't important. We see flashbacks to the episodes, "Exit 9B", "Pie Contest", "The Christmas Special", "Thomas Fights Back", "Journey to the Bottom of the Crash Pit", and "The Thanksgiving Special". His mom in the Thanksgiving episode turned out to be a robot he was controlling through his pizza costume.
- Department of Redundancy Department: When a couple of Russian spies knock on the front door of the house, they ask who is there:(Russian accent) Is "American Intern Society of America"
- Doorstop Baby: Thomas/Nikolai turned out to be this. He was abandoned as a baby and taken in by the Russian government.
- Eaten Alive: Natalya is eaten by a whale after falling out of the helicopter.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Nikolai was appalled when he heard the crew would be killed. He was even further shocked when he realized the true intentions of taking the park.
- Exact Words: According to the treaty, Russia cannot fire nuclear missiles at the U.S. So the plan is to fire bits of American soil at Russian missiles, starting with the park.
- Expy: The American president heavily resembles former US president Bill Clinton, and his wife resembles Hillary Clinton, former First Lady and Secretary of State, and Democratic presidential candidate in the 2016 election. The Russian president, meanwhile, heavily resembles current Russian president Vladimir Putin.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Benson got a new girlfriend named Natalie to show around the park at the same time the Thomas was accused of being a spy by Rigby. Just a couple minutes later, Natalie/Natalya is shown to actually be a Russian/Soviet spy, same as Thomas.
- Glorious Mother Russia: The plot of the episode revolves around Russia trying to use the park to start their plot to destroy the United States so they can (presumably) conquer Europe unopposed.
- Hammer and Sickle Removed for Your Protection: Played with. In this universe, it's clear that the Soviet Union still exists but characters do not refer to it as such, only calling the country "Russia" or having "CCCP" markings on equipment. No references to communism are made and the Soviet hammer and sickle are absent from the flag. In some foreign dubs, references to Russia are completely absent and instead it's a thinly-disguised fictional country called "Druznia".
- Heel–Face Turn: Thomas/Nikolai turns against Natalie and in effect Russia after realizing the park crew was indeed his true and only friends.
- Loophole Abuse: The U.S and Russia have a treaty to not fire missiles at each other. So Russia uproots the park and plans to fly it into a missile since they're technically not firing it from their soil.
- The Mole: Thomas and Natalie turn out to be Russian spies.
- Offscreen Breakup: Benson claims that he and Audrey broke up months ago for reasons never explained (and still haven't been explained, though Benson's anger management issues are the most likely culprit). No one else seems to remember it, even though Benson claims he was devastated the whole time.
- The Reveal: That Thomas is a Russian/Soviet spy? His real name is Nikolai, and his true goal is to take their park into Russia/Soviet Union territory so they can finally have a proper park, unaware that the country's true plan is to use it as the first step in their ultimate goal of destroying America by taking it piece by piece and flying them all into missiles.
- Ridiculously Average Guy: Thomas/Nikolai played himself up as a generic background character so that no one would suspect he is a spy. As this trope's Real Life page notes, this is Truth in Television as the more generic a spy looks and acts, the better since they attract no attention.
- Russian Reversal: If Russia can't take missiles to the US, then they decide to take the US to their missiles, even if it means taking a piece of its soil.
- Sarcastic Clapping: Natalya does it twice, and lampshades it both times.
- Shout-Out:
- One of the Russian diplomats is designed like Zangief from Street Fighter.
- The shoddy Russian parks in Thomas/Nikolai's monologue contain large brick structures that resemble Tetris blocks.
- Spanner in the Works: The Russians' plan would have been successful if Rigby didn't get up to eat a midnight snack and witnessed Thomas' action that night.
- Too Dumb to Live: The Russian agent that tried to drive the park crew off the island. He doesn't bother slowing the van down after the crew escape and drives right off the island. He even lampshades his idiocy as he's falling.
- We Have Reserves: When presented with the fact that the Russian plan to fly parts of American territory into nuclear missiles will also cause damage to Russian land the leader in charge simply says that Russia is a big country.
- Wham Episode: Thomas, the seemingly generic background character, is actually a Russian agent named Nikolai who was sent to infiltrate an American park to see what makes them so special. When the mission turns out to be part of a Russian plot to destroy America and NATO once and for all, he defects.
- You Can't Go Home Again: Thomas/Nikolai has betrayed both America and Russia, so he has to go on the run from both countries.
- You Said You Would Let Them Go: Thomas is genuinely shocked that Natalie tries to have the park crew killed after finishing their assignment.
