Seymourlama
Henry and Ellen Strand (David Gale and Kathleen Doyle) are visited on a snowy night by Chai Fung and Madame Wu (Divine and Cathy Lipinski), representatives of the small and relatively obscure Himalayan country of Lo Pu. The Strands are surprised to learn that the pair have come to collect their teenage son Seymour (J. D. Roth), who has been signified by an ancient prophecy to become the next Lama of their country. Overcome by the fame, fortune, and women his new position grants him, Seymour promptly lets the power go to his head, using his authority to torment his parents. Henry and Ellen quickly tire of their son's new attitude, but they can do very little about it given that renouncing him as the lama will result in their visitors taking away their newfound wealth and luxuries.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: The episode ends with Henry and Ellen preparing to assault their now-powerless son to the point of intensive care after he pushes them around for the majority of the episode. It's the only time that parental abuse is played for comedy in this series.
- All for Nothing: Thanks to a mix up on Chai Fung's part, he and Madame Wu end up entering the wrong house. As a result, they take back everything they gave the Strands and leave Seymour powerless, which allows his parents to eagerly prepare to return the favor for everything he put them through.
- An Arm and a Leg: When Madame Wu's back massage accidentally gives Seymour pain, she nearly chops off the hand that damaged him. The unnerved Seymour puts a stop to it before he gets blood all over his wool.
- Antagonistic Offspring: Related to the above, once he's erroneously made Lama, Seymour grows addicted to pushing his parents around under his limitless power.
- Asshole Victim: Seymour, who is beaten senseless by his parents when he loses his religious power.
- Berserk Button: It's a grievous offense in Lo Pu culture to badmouth or ridicule the Lama, the punishment being evisceration and having your innards fed to a mongoose. Chai Fung whips out a sword and threatens Henry with this punishment when he mockingly laughs that his son is the next Lama.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: To highlight his regal atmosphere, Chai Fung has eyebrows that are just as white and long as his beard.
- Big, Screwed-Up Family: Even before their visitors enter the house, the Strands are rather critical of one another, frequently calling each other out for everything they do.
- Bookends: The beginning and end feature Henry staring out the window at the blustery winter night.
- Bratty Food Demand: As Lama, Seymour forces his mother to get him a Twinkie, and ends the episode by ordering a hamburger with fries and onion rings, as his parents prepare to pummel him.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: The teenage Seymour is mistakenly crowned the Lama of Lo Pu by his parents' eccentric guests, and he wastes very little time in letting the power go to his head.
- Comically Missing the Point: As Seymour tells him that Lo Pu is said to be near Tibet, Chai Fung responds thusly:Chai Fung: Nothing like Tibet. They're reformed, we are Orthodox.
- Contrived Coincidence: As Henry offers to take the family dog for a walk, Ellen reminds him that the dog died last month, with Seymour joking that it committed suicide without leaving a note. As it happens, Lo Pu's previous Lama, Shi-Shu Shah, died last month as well, and they arrive at the Strands' house that very night to collect Seymour as Shah's replacement.
- Deadpan Snarker: For the spitting image of nerdiness, Seymour has quite a good amount of wit at his disposal, foreshadowing how his attitude worsens under his reign of power.
- Death Glare: As his parents argue about letting potential murderers inside and suggest remaining quiet so they'll go away, Seymour cracks that they could possibly see through the trick by being able to smell their blood through the aluminum siding, prompting his parents to glare at him in annoyance.
- Denser and Wackier: The third comedy episode in a row, and it goes hard on the laughs.
- Disowned Parent: Seymour declares that he no longer needs a mother and father after becoming the Lama, viewing them as slaves and peons to torment.
- Entertainingly Wrong: As Madame Wu knocks on the Strands' door from outside, Ellen nervously tells Henry that she thinks she and Chai Fung are those people she's read about who come to peoples' doors asking for help with their cars, before they murder them in cold blood. Their visitors are the furthest thing from murderers, but they're still quite eccentric.
- Evil Nerd: Seymour starts the episode as a textbook geek, with thick glasses, slicked-back hair, a passion for knitting, and desiring to do his homework instead of living life. When he's declared the next Lama of Lo Pu, he ditches the appearance and gains a massive attitude problem.
- Excrement Statement: Among the gifts Chai Fung and Madame Wu give to the Strands are piles of dung produced by "privileged yaks".
- Extreme Omnivore: Under Seymour's command, Madame Wu is more than happy to devour his father's baseball card of Willie Mays.
- Fictional Country: Lo Pu, a small kingdom nestled in the Himalayas, close to Tibet.
- Foreshadowing:
- The opening shot is of the Strands' front door, the house number 254 being plainly visible. The end of the episode has Ellen clarifying to Chai Fung, after his attempt to call the Prime Minister, by giving him that same number, causing him to learn that he and Madame Wu have entered the wrong house.
- Early in the episode, Henry dotes over his extensive baseball card collection, looking over a card of Pete Rose and asking Ellen how much it's worth. When Seymour comes into power, he forces Madame Wu to eat the one of Willie Mays as a means to atone for hurting his back during a massage, and later orders Chai Fung to throw them in the crater of the country's volcano, horrifying Henry.
- Funny Background Event: As Chai Fung describes the circumstances of why he and Madame Wu have come to collect Seymour, the Madame stands next to him and pantomimes everything he says as a means to translate.
- Generation Xerox: Before he's declared the next Lama, Seymour appears as a carbon copy of his father, Henry, down to the glasses and the outfit. Ironically, Henry insists on looking at Seymour's birth certificate for a gene check, unable to comprehend why his son is doing homework and knitting instead of going out and living life on a Saturday night, like he used to do.
- Give Geeks a Chance: Madame Wu becomes the right-hand woman of the formerly-geeky Seymour once he's the new Lama, and it's strongly hinted that he lost his virginity to her. Their first few minutes together even result in a makeout session.
- Gold Digger: Seymour's parents, specifically his mother, quickly tire of their son's tyrannical attitude, but they keep their visitors placated with everything they and Seymour do so they can keep the riches they're showered with.
- He Cleans Up Nicely: When Seymour becomes the next Lama, he quickly ditches his dorky glasses and slicked-back hairstyle, becoming quite attractive.
- I Kiss Your Foot: After giving who she thinks is the new Lama a necklace, Madame Wu kisses Seymour's sneakers in worship, the young man shown to be notably aroused as she does so, to the point where it escalates to a full-on makeout session.
- Incoming Ham: The representatives of Lo Pu barge through the front door and stomp the snow off their boots in unison, indicating just how eccentric they are to their hosts.
- Kick the Dog: Seymour makes Madame Wu eat his father's Willie Mays baseball card to atone for accidentally hurting him without chopping off her hand, then orders the rest to be thrown into Lo Pu's volcano solely to make his father suffer.
- Lampshade Hanging: The episode's ludicrous plot of having Seymour be sanctified as the Lama of Lo Pu, and then using his authority to torture his parents, is noted by Henry, who asks Chai Fung if Lo Pu has ever considered democracy.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Seymour's parents prepare to put him in the hospital after Chai Fung and Madame Wu take their riches and leave them with nothing.
- Missed Him by That Much: It's revealed near the end of the episode that the "child" who has been prophesied to be Lo Pu's next Lama actually lives next door to the Strands, as Chai Fung thought their address was 255 Daffodil Lane instead of 254.
- Ms. Fanservice: Madame Wu, who spends the episode wearing a pink silk dress and clinging to Seymour's side once he's made Lama, the young man hinting that he gave her his virginity in the second act.
- Neutral Female: Madame Wu has very little characterization, spending the episode acting as fanservice, following Chai Fung's orders, and sitting by Seymour as he basks in his newfound power.
- Never Say "Die": Former Lama Shi-Shu Shah is said to have "went to his reward" when the moon touched the tip of Lo Pu's sacred mountain.
- The Quiet One: Madame Wu is very rarely heard speaking, but she gives a surprised declaration of "Shoot!" when she realizes she and Chai Fung are in the wrong house.
- Running Gag: A gong sounds whenever Seymour is identified by Chai Fung as the new Lama, as well as when he is given gifts from the ambassador's native country.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Seymour gains this attitude after lounging in the luxury that Lamahood has brought him.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Near the end of the episode, Chai Fung tries to call the Prime Minister of Lo Pu, through which he learns that the new Lama he and Madame Wu have been looking for actually lives next door to the Strands. They promptly take back all the treasures they gave the Strands and leave, prompting Henry and Ellen to kick their now-powerless teenage son's ass for all the hell he put them through.
- Stock Sound Effects: For such a cartoony episode, it's just natural that they're all over the place.
- A modulating slide whistle is heard to illustrate Seymour's arousal at Madame Wu kissing his shoes in worship.
- A squeeze/pop sound plays when Chai Fung takes a photograph of the jet for Lo Pu Airlines Seymour will be flying on.
- As she and Chai Fung realize their mistake and reclaim the treasures they bestowed upon the Strands, Madame Wu removes the parents' jewelry with "pop" and "whoosh" noises.
- Tempting Fate: As the tradition of giving gifts to the new Lama begins, Ellen notes that she loves surprises. She's in for an unpleasant one when the first gift is a collection of yak-pies.
- That Came Out Wrong: Ellen telling Chai Fung, who insists on Seymour returning to Lo Pu with them, that no one wants him. Seymour is understandably offended, prompting his mother to clarify that he's a late bloomer like his father, prompting Henry to give his wife an offended glare.
- Title Drop: An incredulous Henry declares the title as Chai Fung explains what he and Madame Wu wish to do with Seymour.
- Took a Level in Jerkass / What You Are in the Dark: Seymour seemed like a good enough kid before Chai Fung and Madame Wu entered the house, albeit completely nerdy and just a little snarky. Once he's given the power that comes with being the religious leader of an entire country, he becomes a tyrant who relishes making his parents grovel before him.
- Tranquil Fury: Chai Fung stoically whips out a sword and threatens Henry with having his chest sliced open and his organs fed to a mongoose in response to his mocking laughter about his son's new Lamahood.
- Wizard Beard: Chai Fung has one to accentuate his status as a powerful representative of his native country.
- World of Ham: Everyone here is nuttier than peanut butter, especially Henry and Chai Fung.
- You Need a Breath Mint: One of the gifts brought to the Strands is former Lama Shi-Shu Shah's final breath, sealed in an air-tight plastic bag. When Chai Fung opens it in Henry's face, he gags and recoils from the smell.
