The Big Day
While attempting to destroy a planet to top Lord Dominator, Lord Hater finally captures Wander and Sylvia. But before he can destroy them, Wander suggests that he kill them in a big way and not just for a quickie. Wander then tries to help Lord Hater plan their destruction in order to make it a perfect day, but little does he know, Peepers wants him to stay on task.
Tropes appearing in "The Big Day":
- Actor Allusion: When Peepers (voiced by Tom Kenny, better known as SpongeBob SquarePants) finds Hater trying to destroy Wander, he breaks down crying and says verbatim, "I thought what we had was special!"
- Big Word Shout: Peepers screams "STOOOOOP!!!" when he barges in on Hater abandoning the Boomapalooza in favor of killing Wander and Sylvia.
- Black Comedy: The episode revolves around Wander actually agreeing to get killed by Hater, as long as they make the occasion special.
- Cake Toppers: One is placed at the top of the large cake that looks like Hater blasting Wander. The Credits Gag shows Hater playing with it.
- Continuity Nod:
- Hater's obsession with capturing Wander interfering with conquering the galaxy was first touched upon in the last episode.
- Also, Hater's loss of respect to Lord Dominator is mentioned.
- Costume-Test Montage: Hater trying out outfits for when he destroys Wander.
- Darker and Edgier: Despite the comedy of the episode, it comes off as quite dark and gruesome as Wander is actually asking Hater to kill him.
- Death by Genre Savviness: Someone wrote on the invitations "Don't tell Peepers." Peepers reads it, and gets angry.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The entirety of the episode plays out like two lovers who want to consummate their love (or hatred, on Hater's side) for each other in holy matrimony, complete with a "destruction" ceremony for Wander and Sylvia that all of Hater's Watchdogs are invited to, and the planning thereof. And a cake. With a figurine. And Hater walking down the aisle in glitter.
- Wander: I just can't believe, after our long relationship, this is how you're gonna do it! (...) When I pictured you destroying me, it wasn't quick and cheap in some cramped hallway. It was gonna be special. It was gonna be... (Cue title card reading The Big Day).
- And when Peepers crashes the destruction ceremony? He is heartbroken at how Hater wasn't following through on his plans to spread evil throughout the galaxy with him.
- Other than that, Hater's speech to the Watchdogs about how his "problem" with "the W-word" does not sound out of place for an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
- Fake-Out Opening: As with "The Brainstorm", the opening scene is a video being shown to the Watchdogs.
- Foe Romance Subtext: The day when Hater finally destroys Wander plays out pretty much as a wedding day, with Wander claiming that his relationship with Hater has been "special", and Peepers becoming jealous that Hater cares more about Wander than about him.
- Heroic Sacrifice: For the first time, Wander actually wants Hater to destroy him, much to the shock of Sylvia, and the audience.
- How Did That Get in There?: One of the music selections Hater goes through is a demo of his original song, "I Hate to Say That I Loathe You". Hater, embarrassed, skips right through it.
- Ignored Epiphany: Hater acknowledges that Peepers is right that their reputation matters more than Wander, but he DOESN'T CARE.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Peepers does this when he finds out that Hater prioritized destroying Wander over their Boomapalooza.
- Near-Death Experience: Wander was once again almost killed by Hater, along with Sylvia, but Peepers bursts in at just the right time.
- Near-Villain Victory: Hater comes within two seconds of killing Wander and Sylvia, but is stopped by Peepers.
- Never Say "Die": Actually averted; while the substitutes "destroy" and "destruction" are used, the words "die" and "death" are said word per word a couple times as well.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Peepers intertupting the ceremony gives Wander and Sylvia the time they need to talk, plan and escape.
- Odd Name Out: Out of the watchdogs Wander refers by name, Sebastian is the only one whose name doesn't end in "ry".
- Oh, Crap!: Peepers when he realizes that Hater is going to kill Wander and Sylvia, despite the fact that he promised he wouldn't.
- Secret Message Wink: Wander indicates that he's "doing a thing" (i.e. running a game on Lord Hater) with an exchange of winks with Sylvia ("Wink!" "Wink!"), leading to this dialogue later when Sylvia realizes that he got caught up in the trick he was playing to the point of taking it as seriously as Hater.Sylvia: But the—the "wink!" What about the "wink!"?
Wander: It started as a "wink!" - Shout-Out:
- Among the music that plays on Lord Hater's iPod is "Night On Bald Mountain".
- Peepers interrupting Wander's... execution references Lancelot storming Swamp Castle in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
- Too Dumb to Live: Wander was briefly perfectly willing to let Hater destroy him because of all the hard work he put into planning it. Which he only did in the first place as a distraction, but then it turned into something "real", presumably just to keep with the metaphor.
- Villain Episode: Hater is the main star of this episode, with Wander as the supporter.
- Villain Has a Point: Peepers knows that the Boomapalooza is more important than Wander because Hater's dominion has a reputation to uphold.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Hater tries, but Wander and Sylvia distract him by asking him to spice up the event.
"It's half full!" "It's half empty!"
The Breakfast
In this special simultaneous episode, Wander and Lord Hater go through their opposite daily lives as they struggle to make breakfast in different ways.
Tropes appearing in The Breakfast:
- Animals Hate Him: Hater gets chased and attacked by a group of animals when he tried to steal Sylvia's breakfast.
- Androcles' Lion: Because Wander feeds the other animals before, they help protect Sylvia's breakfast from Lord Hater.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Possibly. After Wander’s first batch of toast is made, he hands it out to hungry animals. Later, they are clearly mad at Hater for trying to steal the breakfast he made for Sylvia.
- Beleaguered Assistant: Poor Peepers. He seems used to Hater tossing away his delicious meals after being rudely woken up.
- Continuity Nod: This isn't the first time Wander has to put his current job on hold to help someone else.
- Lord Hater has a bottle of Thunder Blazz in his refrigerator.
- Dem Bones: Hater is shown here to be just a skeleton underneath his robes. Not that this should be surprising.
- Fanservice: Hater fangirls finally get to see what he looks like without those robes. For everyone else, this could be Fan Disservice.
- Disney Creatures of the Farce: A whole gang of woodland critters shows up, first to eat Wander's freshly baked bread (which he reluctantly shares with them), then to maul Lord Hater.
- Foil: The entirety of the episode is one between Wander and Hater, exploring how each prepares to greet the day.
- Here We Go Again!: After finding out he was eating breakfast that was made by Wander, Lord Hater tosses the plate out the window, once again leaving him without anything to eat.
- Honor Before Reason: Hater would rather go hungry than eat a breakfast made by Wander as a token of their "friendship".
- I Ate WHAT?!: Parodied when Hater throws up after reading Wander's note, since the secret ingredient to his breakfast is love.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Sylvia lampshades how Wander is always waiting for karma to strike him. Sure enough, a plate of breakfast (the one he gave to Lord Hater) lands right in front of him.
- Lethal Chef: Hater's attempt at cooking breakfast for himself looks...less than appetizing.
- Master of All: Wander shows that he rivals the likes of Steve in survival skill.
- Master of None: As opposed to Hater, who fails (in a kitchen filled with easy ingredients and appliances) at pretty much everything Wander does easily.
- Not a Morning Person: Lord Hater.
- Overly Long Gag: Wander singing and Lord Hater groaning in the shower simultaneously.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: Hater's minions in their locker room.
- Splitscreen: The whole episode is presented this way, with Wander on one side of the screen and Hater on the other.
- Stock Scream: Lord Hater gets bitten in the butt by a bear when he suffers the woodland creatures' wrath, making him emit the Howie Long Scream.
- Take That!: What does the good-natured Wander do first thing in the morning? Meditate. What does the evil Lord Hater do first thing in the morning? Check social media.
- Talking in Your Sleep: The Credits Gag shows both Sylvia and Peepers doing this, each saying something similar at the same time.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Peepers, loyal as ever, jumps at hearing Lord Hater demand he make him breakfast early in the morning. He slaves for him in the kitchen, makes an appetizing and fancy breakfast which (in Hater's shoes) Wander would've probably appreciated. But Hater isn't Wander, so he doesn't appreciate the breakfast, and instead makes it a point to be a picky-eater to the point of dumping the breakfast all over Peepers.
- The Unreveal: While Wander is showering, he has both his socks and shoes off; yet we do not get a glimpse of his bare feet.
- Vomit Discretion Shot: Lord Hater does this upon finding out that the breakfast he was eating was made by Wander.
