A Plot: Inspired by the hit Randy Newman song "I Love LA", Erica goes to Los Angeles to see Lainey and get her mind off her breakup with Geoff. While there, they manage to secure a gig, but things don't go according to plan.
B Plot: Adam gets invited to a secret poker game, but Beverly gets wind of it and gets it cancelled. As punishment, Adam is sent to do errands for Pop-Pop, who is actually game with letting him play the poker game at his home.
- The Bus Came Back: Lainey makes another appearance. Notably, this time it follows the cancellation of her spin-off series Schooled.
- By "No", I Mean "Yes": When Pop-Pop admits to enjoying Adam's company, Beverly asks if he's lonely. He says he's not, because of his "friends" on cable news...and then adds "but yes".
- Call-Forward: Lainey performs at a young girl's birthday party with Erica, a call-forward to what would happen to her in the teaser for the first episode of Schooled.
- Contrived Coincidence: Erica went to LA to get her mind off Geoff. So who should she run into at the Cheesecake Factory but Geoff, who came to LA because his father is attending a conference.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: As punishment for planning to attend the poker game and lying about it, Murray has Adam give Pop-Pop a pedicure.Adam: Is this a punishment, or something you didn't want to do?
Murray: Can't it be both? - Dreaded Kids' Party Entertainer Job: Erica and Lainey perform at a birthday party, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while wearing star and moon costumes.
- I Don't Like the Sound of That Place: The neighborhood Lainey lives in is named Sangre de los Condenados - Spanish for "Blood of the Damned."
- Illegal Gambling Den: Adam is invited to the seniors' secret poker game, which he's always thought was an urban legend. Unfortunately, Bev finds out and has it cancelled. When he mentions it to Pop-Pop, he offers to have the poker game at his house. Unfortunately again, Bev bursts in and catches them in the act.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: It turns out that Pop-Pop's main motivation for having Adam host a poker game at his place wasn't to scam teenagers like he originally claimed, but because he was lonely and enjoyed Adam's company. He even relents on bringing real alcohol and cigarettes because of Adam's influence.
- Jumping Out of a Cake: Invoked. At the birthday party where Lainey and Erica perform, the father asks for help moving the cake because there's a Lakers cheerleader inside.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Barry decides to get involved in Adam's game by playing up the persona of a riverboat gambler, taking Pop-Pop referring to him as a "cooler" (someone that plays poorly to stop a winning streak) as complimenting his coolness, and is shown promptly folding when the game's actually going.
- Missed the Recital: After running into Geoff, Erica invites him to her and Lainey's gig at the Roxy. A montage of scenes from past episodes shows that Geoff was always at Erica's singing engagements, but when she's performing that night and doesn't see Geoff in the audience, Erica breaks down and cries.
- No Poker Face: Despite wanting to be perceived as a riverboat-Texan gambler, Barry is absolutely horrible at playing the game. In The Tag, Adam wins all of his possessions and Barry's last 99 cents before adding that, in addition to being easy to read, Barry's cards were being reflected by his sunglasses.
- The Scapegoat: When Beverly catches the game in-progress, she calls Adam out for taking advantage of Pop-Pop's declining mental health to get away with it, ignoring how hosting the game there was Pop-Pop's idea. She "slightly" calms down and blames Pop-Pop and Barry too after having a fit in the bathroom.
- Waiting for a Break: When Erica meets Lainey in LA, she is driving a fancy convertible... which she rented. Lainey then confesses that her singing career hasn't taken off yet, she's living in a rundown neighborhood, and is making ends meet performing at children's birthday parties. She and Erica manage to get a gig at the Roxy Theater, but it gets ruined by Erica's breakdown.
