Mario tries to do something he’s never done before… his laundry.
Peach forces Mario to wash his dirty clothes at the laundromat, but he runs into all kinds of trouble there, from pissing off manager Karen to being forced to rescue JubJub from danger.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: While Colonel Sanders is defeated and JubJub and Shroomy are saved, he still gets the last laugh by swiping Mario's clothes for himself, leaving Mario in his underwear. To add insult to injury, Mario accidentally provokes Karen's wrath again.
- Butt-Monkey: Poor Mario. He even lampshades this by asking why people keep pushing him around (literally and figuratively).
- Continuity Nod: SMG4's ID card has a note saying "the cake is still a lie", referencing the title and plot of the very first episode.
- Dope Slap: Mario can't resist making an echoing joke at where JubJub fell. SMG4 nails him with a hard one for this. Karen later gives Mario one after he tells JubJub that his clothes are ugly.
- From Bad to Worse: Mario goes from being forced by Peach to wash his clothes to losing his clothes to Colonel Sanders.
- Hidden Depths: For Karen. Not only do we find out why she has so many jobs, but she shows an empathetic and protective side of children.
- Limited Wardrobe: Mario has only one set of clothes, which he hasn't washed in twenty years. And then they get stolen at the end, leaving Mario in his underwear.
- Mundane Solution: How does SMG4 prove his identity when Mario pretends to be him? Show Karen his ID.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Downplayed when Mario disguises himself in SMG4's clothes. Physically speaking, the disguise is flawless because SMG4 looks like Mario to begin with, what with Mario being his avatar. Rather, it's Mario's piss-poor SMG4 impression that somehow fools everyone—even longtime friends Boopkins and Saiko—until the real SMG4 shows his ID.
- Pass the Popcorn: When Saiko sees Karen chasing Mario around with a gun, she pulls out a chair and a tub of popcorn to watch the show.
- The Pig-Pen: Mario at the beginning, revealing he's worn the same clothes without washing for 20 years. It's why Peach sent him to the laundromat in the first place.
- Series Continuity Error: Mario has washed his clothes in "If Mario Was In... Splatoon 2," albeit in an unconventional manner involving a weapon that happened to resemble and work like a washing machine.
- Spot the Imposter: To avoid Karen's wrath, Mario dresses up as SMG4, throwing the real SMG4 under the bus. This backfires when SMG4 shows Karen his ID.
- Was Once a Man: All of Kernel Sanders's enslaved gremlins in the big washer were once people who fell into the washer.
- When She Smiles: Karen smiles for the first time here when showing empathy for JubJub.
