The Aqua Teens, along with the rest of the world, are in a global lockdown after giant ear people invade. Frylock believes that he can stop them while Shake and the others embrace the power of music.
- Continuity Nod: While no one directly calls attention to it, the Emperear is a clear allusion to Dr. Wongburger. Being a dorky, glasses wearing alien trying to go back to his Planet of Hats home.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The alien invasion is a blatant parallel to the COVID-19 pandemic; most of the world is sent into lockdown because of a major threat that is going around killing people (COVID/the ear aliens).
- Ear Ache: The aliens are anthropomorphic ears led by an eardrum in a giant ear shaped ship. Frylock defeats them by giving them an infection that leaves them grotesquely swollen and red, with oozing pus.
- Flipping the Bird: Shake's form of sign language involves communicating through his middle finger.
- Gasshole: Carl takes a moment to let out a fart he's been holding in to avoid the aliens once he stops believing they exist. The Aqua Teens' eyes go wide with shock as it goes on and a green cloud begins to form around him.
- In Medias Res: The episode starts off eighteen months after the ear aliens invade.
- Karmic Death: The ear aliens crash their ship when trying to get back home, killing all of them in the process.
- Mood Whiplash: The episode pulls a Special Edition Title by playing the upbeat and energetic theme song... before it abruptly cuts to an eerie shot of the deteriorated Aqua Teen household after the aliens invaded their home.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Frylock saves the world by himself and then gets unceremoniously devoured by Glen to the nonchalance of his friends. To be fair, it's Frylock's own fault that he died as they did at least try to warn him about Glen, but he brushed them off and spouted science out in the open, thinking that they were just messing with him.
- Special Edition Title: The theme song abruptly cuts off to an eerily silent shot of the deteriorating state of the Aqua Teen household — likely to emphasize the ramifications the lockdown has on the world.
- They Killed Kenny Again: Frylock gets eaten by Glen, a nerd-eating alien.
- Whole-Plot Reference: On top of being a riff on the 2020 pandemic, the concept of sound-sensitive aliens forcing humanity to be on lockdown is a clear nod to A Quiet Place.
