With 3 days before the school's winter dance, Jonesy wants to ask Nikki out, Wyatt and Caitlin try to score their dream dates, and Jude fears he has been permanently banned from the mall.
Tropes:
- Alpha Bitch: Tara Johansen is considered to be the most popular and beautiful girl in school. She's also shallow, pretends to love Jonsey just to make her ex-boyfriend jealous, and makes fun of Darth and Julie for their homely appearances.
- An Aesop: It's okay to go to a school dance without a date—plus, as long as you're there with your friends, you're not truly alone.
- Big "NO!": Caitlin has this reaction upon realizing that she's probably going to have to go to the dance by herself after her crush turns her down while Wyatt's crush (an attractive redhead named Marlowe who ultimately becomes Wyatt's girlfriend) agrees to go to the dance with him as his date (meaning that Wyatt can't be Caitlin's "backup date").
- Didn't Think This Through: Apparently, Caitlin (nor Wyatt) considered the possibility of one of them being able to score a date for their school dance while the other wasn't.
- Everyone Can See It: It's obvious to the rest of the gang that Nikki and Jonesy still have feelings for each other—according to Jen, Jonesy still keeps a picture of him and Nikki (from when they were dating) in his room, and later on, after Tara Johansen agrees to be Jonesy's date for the dance, Nikki admits to Jen that she still has feelings for Jonesy.
- High-School Dance: The episode's main storyline is the gang getting ready for one, specifically their school's "Winter Wonderland Dance." Jen's the lead organizer for the dance because of her position on the student council.
- Imagine Spot: Jen gets one where Coach Halder is allowed to chaperone a school dance.Coach Halder: (separates a couple) You two! Break it up! (stealing a guy's cup) That's too much punch! (blows his whistle on two other dancers) Two-minute penalty!
- Informed Attractiveness: Tara Johansen, the girl who Jonesy initially brings to the dance as his date, is apparently considered to be the hottest girl at their high school—while Tara certainly is very pretty, most of the other female characters (including the three main girls) are easily just as pretty as Tara is (if not prettier).
- Laser-Guided Karma: Jonesy had enough of Tara being a shallow bitch and as a result dumps her at the party. Just after she was already humiliated, her ex-boyfriend Justin along with his date Tricia laughed at her.
- The Promposal: At the skating rink, Jonsey presents a wrist corsage to Nikki while asking her to be his date for their school's Winter Wonderland dance in the same manner how a man would present a ring to his future wife. She accepts as she cries Tears of Joy, and they embrace in a kiss (re-signifying their status as a couple).
- Sand In My Eyes: When Jonesy catches her, Nikki tries to cover up her crying by claiming that "I just have–something really big in my eyes, okay?"
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Caitlin spends most of the episode failing to get Steph's attention. She at the end gets asked by a handsome Greeter God to dance with her.
