Starfire is fooled by an online scam and sends money to a prince...Joker, the clown prince of crime!
Tropes:
- Beat Them at Their Own Game: The Titans feel the only way to beat a conman like the Joker is to outcon him. And they do.
- 419 Scam: The plot starts with Starfire falling for one of these, and by the Joker of all people.
- Public Service Announcement: The episode ends with one given by the Titans to the show's audience, advising children to get their parents involved before making any promises to help them avoid getting scammed.
- Sdrawkcab Alias: The email that Starfire received was from a "J. Reko". Spelling the last name backwards reveals the true identity of the sender, "J. okeR".
- Shout-Out:
- The male Titans play up the different Jokers starting with Cyborg as Jack Nicholson, then Beast Boy as Heath Ledger. Robin almost blows it doing Jared Leto, so Beast Boy has to bring in his Mark Hamill.
- The password to enter Axis Chemicals is "Jingle Bells, Batman smells 1939note ".
- Social Engineering: The Titans use this to get the password for the front gate of Axis Chemicals by playing up the various Jokers.
- Stylistic Suck: Robin's "testimonials" for his business seminar are stock DC Comics promotional artwork of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, with lips — Scott Menville's own, complete with beard — badly superimposed over them.
- Suddenly Voiced: The Joker gets his first ever speaking role in the series.
- Take That!: When the Titans decide to Beat Them at Their Own Game and weaponize scams against the Joker, Robin takes out most of the henchmen by using what he claims is the most horrid scam of all...a financial advice seminar.
- Title Drop: The titular "Pig in a Poke" is the name of an old scam where a pig being sold is replaced with a cat. The Titans change a few parts of it when using the scam against the Joker's henchmen, having Raven play the part of a hot dog vendor that sells them hot dogs that turn out to be feral cats that chase the goons off with their scratching.
- Too Good to Be True: Although Starfire is initially ecstatic to tell the other Titans of the prince she sent all of her money to online, the other Titans immediately recognize the 419 Scam and help Starfire realize this.
- Unknown Rival: Robin is this to the Joker. Joker thought that if he's here, then Batman must be nearby.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: In the end, the only scam that works on the Joker is when Starfire seemingly trips on some spilled chemicals in his lair and threatens to sue him in retaliation.
