Fern can't think of a good story for Muffy's Fiction Forum, so she steals one from Ladonna.
Tropes from "Fern and the Case of the Stolen Story" include:
- Adaptational Villainy: In-universe. Ladonna complains that her Aunt Mabel, who's quite nice in real life, cheats and bribes to win at bingo in Fern's stories.
- Feud Episode: Between Fern and Ladonna due to the former stealing a story from the latter.
- Moment of Weakness: Fern suffers a case of writer's block when she has to come up with a good story, so she resorts to using Ladonna's real-life stories to make her own detective stories. This causes Ladonna to become upset at Fern for stealing her ideas, and when she calls her out in front of everybody, Fern is forced to confess that she did plagiarize because she was desperate.
- Plagiarism in Fiction: Fern's detective stories are all based on real-life stories Ladonna tells her. She passes them off as her own, however, and Ladonna is upset at Fern stealing her ideas. However, they come to realize that there were some original aspects mixed in, meaning Fern did get over her writer's block.
- Write Who You Know: In-universe. Fern's stories are very thinly-veiled ripoffs of ones that Ladonna told her.Fern: It wasn't your aunt. Her name was Mabel, my character was Sabel.
Ladonna: Big deal! You changed a letter!
Sue Ellen becomes a vegetarian, so Muffy and Francine decide to tag along.
Tropes from "Sue Ellen Vegges Out" include:
- Brainy Pig: Sally is a pig whom Sue Ellen became very close to, and very smart enough to learn tricks, how to open doors, and greet by bowing.
- Call-Back: Francine gets advice from Catherine on being a vegetarian, the latter being established as one in "Frensky Family Fiasco".
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: Muffy and then Francine start craving meat not too long after becoming vegetarian, with the latter hallucinating that a burger is telling her that he misses her. Muffy also utilizes this trope against Francine in order to beat her, namely presenting said burger, leaving meaty Chinese food at the Frenskys' apartment, and throwing a potluck with only meat or non-vegetarian dishes.
- Everybody Has Standards: Sue Ellen may have chosen to become a vegetarian, but she doesn't hold it against Francine or Muffy for wanting to eat meat, saying their eating style is their choice. What she does hold against them is when they turn vegetarianism into a last-man-standing competition.
- Feud Episode: Yet another one between Muffy and Francine as they compete to see who can last being a vegetarian the longest.
- Heel Realization: Muffy and Francine realize how petty their feud has grown when Sue Ellen tells them off for turning vegetarianism into a competition, saying she considers animals better friends than them.
- I Ate WHAT?!: After catching on to Muffy's plan to trick her into eating meat at the potluck, Francine eats some "vegetarian" collared greens only to learn from Ladonna that they are actually simmered in duck fat.
- I Warned You: Francine tells Muffy she wouldn't last being a vegetarian for one day. And sure enough, she gloats that she was right after overhearing Muffy has resigned from her vegetarianism the next day. This triggers their competition over who can be the better vegetarian.
- Irony: Sue Ellen (a cat) decides to become a vegetarian. Buster (a rabbit), on the other hand, likes meat and is shocked at the thought of giving them up, though he still likes vegetables just as much.
- Meat Versus Veggies: Triggered when Francine becomes a vegetarian to one-up Muffy, who proceeds to tempt her with meat to beat her at their feud. This conflict ends up enraging Sue Ellen, who only became a vegetarian because of the animals she befriended.
- Never My Fault: Francine accuses Muffy of tricking her into eating collared greens simmered in duck fat. Muffy replies that she didn't knew about the duck fat and that Francine was the one who found them.
- Rage Breaking Point: Sue Ellen has had it up to here with Muffy and Francine's vegetarian feud when Muffy declares herself the "winner" after Francine unwittingly eats a non-vegetarian dish (duck-fat collard greens), erupting into an argument that tries her patience.
- Real Men Eat Meat: Subverted. Arthur and especially Buster are surprised by Sue Ellen deciding to give up meat, only because meat is delicious. It's Francine and Muffy who show the most taste for meat out of all the characters.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Sue Ellen gives one to Muffy and Francine for turning vegetarianism into a competition.Sue Ellen: That's it! I've had it with you two. Neither one of you really cares about being a vegetarian. You're just using it as an excuse to fight with each other! You want to know why I gave up eating meat? Because there are some animals whom I consider friends, so I lost my taste for eating them. Frankly, they're a lot better friends than some of the people I know!
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Sue Ellen storms out of the Crosswires' mansion after calling out Muffy and Francine, with Buster, Binky, Ladonna, and the rest of the guests deciding to leave as well until Muffy and Francine are left.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Sally the pig only appears for the teaser, but she plays a pivotal role in convincing Sue Ellen to become a vegetarian.
- Take That!: The clerk at Chicken Lickin' (the show's version of KFC) explains that the restaurant uses "poultry by-products with real chicken flavoring" rather than actual chicken meat. When asked if the restaurant has any vegetarian options, she presents a pickle slice dabbed with mustard.
- Vegetarian for a Day: Muffy becomes a vegetarian because of a trend, and then Francine becomes one to outdo her.
