Original air date: October 10, 2021
Written by: Kevin Seccia
Directed by: Joel Moser
Directed by: Joel Moser
During Alaska's darkest day of the year, where it'll be near dark for 24 hours, the Tobin kids and their classmates believe a lumber zombie apocalypse is happening after witnessing some events that give them that impression. While that's occurring, Judy and Ham thinks Moon is afraid and they keep babying him despite his protest. Back at the Tobin house, Wolf accidentally destroys Beef's favorite shirt that he won at a shrimp eating challenge so he and Honeybee do the challenge in order to replace the shirt. Meanwhile, Beef enters the "Beef Sleep", where he sleeps the entire day to recuperate his body and mind from working so hard.
Tropes:
- Agent Scully: After Wolf lays out all the reasons he believes in lumber zombies, Beef argues that there's always a rational explanation for everything weird that happens during the Dark Days.
- Air Vent Escape: Moon climbs through the air vents to try and get help. Justified in that he's the only one small enough to safely crawl through the vents.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Wolf says the signs of lumber zombies attacking during the dark days are “people going missing, strange accidents, delivery orders get mixed up and you get pad thai for someone named ‘Jeft.’”
- Couch Gag: The boat in the opening is The Bowbadook.
- Fantasy Twist: On the longest night of the year, Beef sleeps all day to recharge from all the chores he does all year. His dreams, however, are of doing said chores. At the end, he wakes up and makes the bed... but that too turns out to be a dream.
- Grievous Bottley Harm: When Moon enters the science room with Principal Gibbons, Gill breaks Erlenmeyer flasks and charges towards Gibbons when he thinks he's a zombie before the screen cuts to black. Luckily in the next scene, Gill doesn't go through with it once the school's power comes back on.
- Headphones Equal Isolation: Crispin misses most of the zombie drama and the announcements over the loudspeakers because he’s had his headphones on all day.
- Incredibly Lame Fun: During Beef's dream, he dreams about doing a huge amount of chores which he's happy to do.
- Man Bites Man: After falling through the vent onto Principal Gibbon’s desk, Bethany gives everyone a head’s up that she just bit the janitor.
- Meat-O-Vision: After earing so much shrimp, Wolf and Honeybee start seeing everyone at the restaurant, even themselves, as shrimps. The waitress notes that this always happens to those who reach stage three of the shrimp challenge.
- Mega Meal Challenge: Beef's favorite T-shirt is the "Shrimp Pimp" one he got at a local restaurant for taking their shrimp challenge. When the shirt is accidentally destroyed, Wolf and Honeybee enter the challenge to win a replacement.
- Mistaken for Apocalypse: The Tobin children and their classmates think the school is being attacked by lumber zombies who are taking all the children. Actually, all the events they thought were zombie related had rational explanations.
- Must Not Die a Virgin: No mention of actual sex, but believing it's the Zombie Apocalypse, Ham says he doesn't want to die single, so he proposes to Crispin.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: The title is based on Dawn of the Dead (1978).
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Gill does not use the phone in the nurse’s office to call his mom every day because he misses her, in case any of his friends were wondering.
- That Came Out Wrong: In his story about lumber zombies, Wolf shortens "lumberjacking" to "jacking"note , which Beef points out but lets slide.
- The Workaholic: Even when he's dreaming, Beef still dreams about doing chores and working.
♫ Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips a sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn her music on ya
You won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow
She got Bette Davis eyes. ♫
Her lips a sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn her music on ya
You won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow
She got Bette Davis eyes. ♫
—Moon
