There are thieves discovered to be loose on the Tipton, and the police think it is Esteban. So, to clear his name, Zack and Cody risk total grounding to catch the masterminds of the crime.
Tropes:
- Amateur Sleuth: The twins.
- Benevolent Boss: When Esteban is suspected of being the thief Mr. Moseby vouches for him saying that Esteban is a loyal employee. At the end of episode when the thieves are caught, Mr. Moseby assures Esteban he never suspected him.
- Brainless Beauty: Maddie describes one of her exes as this:Maddie: But, you know, looks aren't everything. I once dated this guy who was gorgeous, but he was so stupid he should have been walking on all fours.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: After the twins crash a Bar Mitzvah because they think a man is a thief, Carey punishes them by making spend Saturday helping her pick out outfits for next show, where tries clothes and lots of shoes much to their horror.
- Fun with Subtitles: Ivana's barks are translated for the audience. They're simply text in broadcasts, but appear on Disney+ as captions.
- Interspecies Friendship: Maddie eventually ends up treating Ivana much like a human friend, even engaging in girl talk with her, doing her nails, taking her out to movies and sporting events, and suggesting she spend all of her "mommy's" (London's) money as revenge for London leaving her behind on her trip.
- Jerkass Has a Point: After the boys catch the real thieves, their mother scolds them for putting themselves in danger. When Zack says she wouldn't believe them, she retorts this by saying if the twins hadn't let their imaginations run wild they would have believed when it mattered.
- Only Sane by Comparison: Maddie in this episode. She calls out Zack and Cody for enacting their cockamamie scheme to catch the thief, but:Maddie: Have you two completely lost it?!
Cody: You're the one talking to a dog! - Overly Long Name: Esteban lists out his full name when reacting to the accusation of him being the thief.Esteban: No one calls Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramirez a thief!
Zack: No one's got the time. - The Shrink: In the final scene, Maddie acts as a counselor for London and Ivana, whose relationship has become strained because London had to leave Ivana for a few days because the ship she was going on didn't allow dogs on board. When she successfully repairs their relationship, she asks for the $10,000 London got due to Ivana catching the jewel thief as payment.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: To catch the thieves the twins employ an old fashioned net trap, which Zach covers with leaves and opens a window hoping that someone will think they blew in from across the park. Sure enough one of the thieves believes exactly that.
- What Were You Thinking?: After they succeed at capturing the thieves, Carrie asks Zack and Cody what they were thinking putting themselves in danger.
