Tropes:
- Bait-and-Switch: The "peep show" Moe paid to watch wasn't a strip show; it was a bunch of marshmallow Peeps.
- Brick Joke: When Mr. Burns learned Smithers had hired people to pose as villains to sustain his delusions about being a hero, he was told that the Abominable Dr. Lenny was “a happy accident”. During the epilogue, Dr. Lenny is enough of a threat that a Nick Fury Expy recruits expies of other superheroes in an Avengers homage.
- Call-Back:
- Homer's hidden talent for music (last seen in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet") comes back when Homer conducts the Springfield Elementary band and puts more energy and passion into it than Mr. Largo has ever done (even though Mr. Largo scoffs, "Anyone can conduct Sousa").
- Once again, Bart is blamed for a prank that turns out to be Groundskeeper Willie's fault. Unlike before, Willie gets found out this time.
- Cerebus Call-Back: To the "Mike Rotch" scene from the Season 2 episode "Blood Feud", showing how traumatized Moe became from Bart's Prank Call.
- Chuunibyou: Possibly the best way to describe Mr. Burns's behavior in this episode. An elderly man who has delusions of being a superhero with Smithers forced to play into them.
- Clueless Mystery: The culprit was Groundskeeper Willie, who hates Easter due to belonging to a Scottish Christian sect that disavows most holidays. None of this is foreshadowed and his guilt is only discovered at all because Marge offered to wash all the egg-splattered clothes and Lisa notices that Willie's kilt has egg crushed directly into it.
- Continuity Nod:
- Lisa mentions that Bart has ruined Thanksgiving (which we saw in "Bart vs. Thanksgiving") and Christmas (most obviously "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace," though he came pretty close in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" and "Marge Be Not Proud" too).
- Moe testifies about Bart's "Mike Roch" prank call as seen in "Blood Feud."
- The Corrupter: During his first stint as "Fruit Batman", Mr. Burns says that he can’t trust cops because they're corrupt and that he knows it because he corrupted them.
- Courtroom Episode: The main story focuses on Bart having to prove his innocence at a trial after being framed for pranking the school on Easter.
- Easter Episode: The opening scene starts on Easter with Springfield holding an Easter celebration.
- Eye Contact as Proof: Bart admits that he'd lie easily to just about every member of the family, but he'd never be able to lie while looking into the innocent eyes of Maggie. Lisa is impressed when he passes "the Maggie Test."
- Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Mr. Burns' father's position regarding comics. He even burned down a comic publishing house just to show his son how much he hates them.Comic Publisher: Why did you locked us inside?
Burns' father: To teach my son a lesson. - Hero with an F in Good: Fruit Batman's feats just barely count as heroic. Most of his victories are staged by Smithers, he's prone to old behaviors like bribing cops or releasing the hounds, and at one point he orders Smithers to gouge out Lisa's eyes to preserve his "secret identity." At the end, when he asks if good or evil won, he needs an extra nudge to be reminded what side he was on.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Back in The Father, The Son and The Holy Guest Star, Willie pranked the school out of annoyance and Bart was unfairly blamed and expelled, with Willie getting no comeuppance. Here, in a similar situation, Lisa discovers proof of Willie’s guilt, and Mr. Burns captures him and forces him to confess, exonerating Bart.
- Kick the Dog: Mr. Burns' father wanted him to literally kick dogs instead of reading comics.
- Living Lie Detector: Maggie is the only one at the Simpson household Bart cannot lie to.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Lisa would have cleared Bart of all charge on lack of concrete evidence alone if she didn't try a plea of clemency, as almost whole town can give good reasons why Bart shouldn't receive any clemency.
- Noodle Incident:
- Smithers admits one supervillain wasn't paid, it was just a really lucky accident.
- When she initially believes Bart to be the egger, Lisa says that by ruining Easter he's achieved the "legendary grand slam," having previously ruined Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. While we saw the latter two occur in the show, how Bart ruined Halloween remains unknown.
- When Bart uses Maggie to prove his innocence of the prank, Lisa remarks, "Remember how Maggie solved Cookiegate?"
- At some point Moe apparently found out that Bart was his anonymous tormenter. No word on the promised payback.
- Not Me This Time: Bart insists that he didn't pull the prank. He's telling the truth.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Discussed as Burns says he just arrested three Homer lookalike villains this week.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Comically played when Marge objects to Bart's diet.Marge: Objection! Unhealthy!
- Shout-Out:
- Burns' superhero persona is obviously a homage to Batman, as well as the Avengers reference described above.
- The way Marge objects to Bart's diet during the trial, as well as her gesture, is strongly reminiscent of Ace Attorney.
- Superhero Episode: Burns decides to be a superhero, although Smithers bribes most of the villains.
- Visual Pun: The fake supervillain persona of Catwoman belongs to the crazy cat lady.
