Attending a gamer convention, Gaz is confronted by an old rival who drags her into a competition with her reputation at stake.
- Black Cloak: The members of SMOG wear these, complete with hoods, with the Grandmaster's being styled with gold trimming.
- Blade Brake: Iggins does this during the final game he and Gaz play, to avoid falling off a platform that just went vertical.
- Challenging the Chief: When Iggins and Gaz face off, he wagers his position of Grandmaster of Gaming on the outcome of the competition. He ends up losing, and she takes control of SMOG.
- Continuity Nod: It's noted that the Vasquez Convention Center was closed for renovation when the Sunset convention from Episode 12 happened, hence why it took place at the Mall instead.
- A Day in the Limelight: This chapter is entirely about Gaz, with the only other major character who shows up being Dib, and he's only in it for one scene.
- Evil vs. Evil: Gaz vs Iggins.
- Fan Convention: This chapter's plot is kicked off by Gaz attending GameCon.
- Foreshadowing: Early on, Gaz proves her gaming skills with the motto "play smarter, not harder". She ultimately beats Iggins in their competition by focusing on winning on points, rather than trying to rush through each game, the way he does.
- Fun with Acronyms: The Secret Masters of Gaming (SMOG). Gaz isn't impressed with the name, noting that the acronym has nothing to do with gaming.
- The Leader: As the Grandmaster of Gaming, Iggins is this to SMOG. By the end of the chapter, he's lost this role to Gaz.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The closing line of the chapter is Gaz reflecting on how her encounter with Iggins and SMOG was an interesting diversion, but now she wants to get back to the fun (of her convention). This reflects the author's views on the chapter as a whole, which was a last bit of filler before getting to the seasonal climax.
- Mugging the Monster: The members of SMOG abduct Gaz by tasering her and then tying her up when she's still in shock. When she recovers, she breaks free of her binds and beats them all up.
- Mythology Gag:
- The chapter's plot, involving Gaz being forced into a series of immersive VR games, is based on (and meant as a counter to) what she puts Dib through in Issue 5 of the comic series.
- The convention center is named after Jhonen Vasquez.
- No True Scotsman: Gaz views Iggins as not a real gamer since he doesn't hold to the same standards she does.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Iggins threatens to use SMOG's connections to blacklist Gaz from the gaming community if she doesn't go along with his challenge. She's convinced her father's own connections could be used to counter it, but ultimately doesn't want to risk it.
- Shout-Out:
- Gaz's motto "play smarter, not harder" is similar to Scrooge McDuck’s motto, "Work smarter, not harder".
- While Gaz is beating up the members of SMOG, one uses a walkie-talkie to issue the warning "Liberate tutemate ex inferis".
- The video games Iggins and Gaz play are a long series of shout outs/parodies:
- Spy Speak: Lampshaded when two SMOG members are communicating over walkie-talkie, and one uses code ("The fly is in the web") to state that he's located Gaz. The person he's talking to doesn't understand what he's talking about, having not read the code-sheet.
- Static Stun Gun: How SMOG gets the drop on Gaz. She's all too happy to return the favor on them when she gets loose.
- Technician Versus Performer: Gaz and Iggins' rivalry comes down to this. Iggins focuses on finishing first, while Gaz squeezes out every last point in the games she plays. This is how she beats him in their tournament.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: A meta example. The author is well known for his dislike of Gaz, yet in this chapter he ultimately has her come out on top.
- Unexplained Recovery: Iggins' canonical example is lampshaded when he admits that it makes no sense that he survived that elevator crash.
