The Plumbers' Kids get an emergency message from Grandpa Max. Ben has turned evil and is going to take everyone down with him!
Tropes Include:
- A Day in the Limelight: For the Plumbers' Kids (minus Cooper).
- Ax-Crazy: Ben suddenly has turned evil and is attacking Grandpa Max. Subverted, as he was only faking it for the simulation.
- Bait-and-Switch:
- Throughout the entire episode, it looks like Ben has suddenly turned evil and is attacking the Plumbers Kids' with glee. Turns out Ben is only acting as a test.
- The Plumbers Kids expect to die by destroying the satellite, only to find that they're still alive and Grandpa Max helps use the emergency thrusters.
- Bookends: Humongusaur is the alien that Ben appears at the beginning and end of the episode.
- Call-Back: Manny suggests that Ben's new attitude shift is because he's pregnant again.
- Creepy Monotone: Ben's voice throughout the episode is soft and lacking signs of emotion. Combined with his smirks and Kubrick Stare and it honestly makes him all the more chilling as a bad guy.
- Didn't See That Coming: Though Ben is pretending to be evil to test the Plumbers' Kids and teach them to work as a team to defeat him, he very much was not expecting them to try to throw them out into space.
- Everyone Has Standards: Ben is clearly having fun toying with the Plumbers' Kids while pretending to be Brainwashed and Crazy as part of their training, and seems impressed when they actually successfully fight back. With that said, he's not happy about being thrown out into space by them.
- Exact Words: Ben mockingly tells Manny that he doesn't need his blasters to fight "little old me". Manny agrees and decides to rush him. Ben then adds, "But you're not just fighting 'little old me'" before turning into Rath.
- Foreshadowing:
- Alan notes that Ben would never hurt Grandpa Max. True to form, Max is all right and this is all a test.
- Throughout the episode, Ben is cold, condescending and smug when talking down to the Plumbers' Kids both while human and in his various alien forms. When he turns into Rath to fight Manny however, he still has the Appoplexian's Large Ham Hair-Trigger Temper personality shift that usually occurs when he assumes the form. This is an early sign that Ben's supposed Face–Heel Turn is actually all an act.
- Heroic Sacrifice: When the satellite is about to crash into London, the kids agree to destroy it, and them along with it, to save everyone. The only reason it doesn't happen is because Grandpa Max overrides the controls and reveals it's all a test.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Piers attempts this with Ben, to which Goop even pleads with Piers that something is making him act malicious. However, Goop then throws Piers' attempt of help back in his face.
- I Warned You: At the beginning of the episode, Humongosaur warned the Plumbers Kids not to arrive at the satellite. Just as Ben is about to transform into Humongosaur once more, he brings this up.
Ben: This satellite is a dangerous place. I told you not to come here.
- Kubrick Stare: Ben is scary good at giving them, helping to sell the image of him turning evil.
- Literal Ass-Kicking: Rath's move of "Sirius butt kicking" has him swing his foot down to kick Manny's butt across the room.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": The Plumbers' Kids have this look just as they see Humongusaur's shadow looming over them.
- Master Actor: Ben can play the part of a villain chillingly well.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Rath's "Sirius butt kicking" on Manny damaged the central core and causes the satellite to become unbalanced. Or so it seems...
- Not Brainwashed: The Plumbers' Kids assume that Ben is under some sort of mind control. Nope, this is all under Ben's free will.
- Out-of-Character Alert: Alan notes that Ben would never hurt Grandpa Max.
- Psychotic Smirk: Ben can pull off some very sinister ones. Big Chill also gets a prominent one, since this is also the second time he's ever smiled in the series.
- The Reveal: Grandpa Max and Ben concocted a test to see if the Plumbers Kids could qualify for Plumbers Academy.
- Reverse Psychology: Ben uses this against Manny; after disarming Manny's rifles, he states that Manny doesn't need them to fight "little old me". Manny agrees and decides to rush him in hand to hand combat...and then gets his ass whooped by Rath.
- Secret Test of Character: The entire episode was a test if the Plumbers' Kids had what it takes to enter the Plumber's Academy.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Kevin and Gwen, whose Casual Danger Dialogue and general banter with Ben makes up much of the comedy in this show, are completely absent as Ben channels his inner bad guy in this episode.
- Slasher Smile: Big Chill has one in this episode as he laughs and phases through the floor to escape the Plumbers' Kids, made prominent as it's the second time he's ever smiled.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Ben never raises his voice when he speaks or taunts the Plumbers Kids, making him all the more terrifying at how he's capable of defeating them without lifting a finger.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Ben appears and disappears in this manner, with his encounter with Alan being his most prominent one.
Ben: Where are the others, Alan?
- Stellar Theme Naming: All of Rath's wrestling moves start with the name of a star like the Polaris Piledriver, which leads to a Punny Name with "Sirius Butt Kicking!"
Manny: (completely dazed) So is that "Sirius" like the star or "Serious" like important?
Rath: LIKE THE STAR!
Manny: Just...wondering... (passes out)
- Superdickery: Ben starts the episode having gone completely nuts and starts dismantling the Plumber Kids one by one in a chilling fashion all while never raising his voice. It's actually part of a test.
- Thrown Out the Airlock: How the Plumbers' Kids defeat Humongosaur. Ben calls them out on it once he returns.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite this episode focusing extensively on the Plumbers' Kids, Cooper Daniels is mysteriously absent in this episode despite his affiliation with them. According to
Word of God, he was specifically left out of this episode because he would've been able to use his powers to figure out what was really going on, and thus end the conflict of the episode far too early. - What the Hell, Hero?: Ben chides the Plumbers' Kids on throwing him into outer space for the simulation.
- Wham Shot: The scene of Grandpa Max arriving being completely unharmed, followed by Ben covered in a blanket, revealing this was all a test.
- Wrestler in All of Us: All of Rath's attacks are wrestling moves like the Polaris Piledriver and Antares Arm buster.
