A Plot: Hank, Karen, and Wanda's willpower is put to the test when they try to make one another break their New Year's resolutions.
B Plot: Davis tries to get out of making coffee at the police station, frustrating Karen. Davis is eventually forced into the role and, not knowing how to make it, seeks Lacey's help.
C Plot: When it's revealed that Oscar was in America when he turned 24, technically invalidating his Canadian citizenship, Brent and Emma teach Oscar a thing or two about being a Canadian citizen.
Tropes referenced:
- Ambiguous Syntax: Though Brent is most likely deliberately messing with Oscar:Brent: I was talking to a friend of mine over at the Canada Council.
Oscar: What's that?
Brent: A friend is someone you like and spend time with.
Oscar: No! What's the Canada Council? - Comically Missing the Point:Karen: Okay, our resolutions have to be hard resolutions.
Hank: I resolve to work a little less hard.
[Everyone gives him a look.]
Hank: What? It's got the word "hard" in there. - Crazy-Prepared: Davis has all the paperwork ready for Emma and Brent to have Oscar committed.
- Crippling the Competition: Hank and Wanda team up on Karen by stealing her special running shoes in an attempt to stop her from running.
- Eagleland: One of the ways Emma and Brent mess with Oscar is by telling him to be more calm and polite, as being loud and brash are considered more American traits.Emma: And that "jackass" thing, it does come off as a bit American.
Oscar: Jack... arse?
Brent: Jack-bum. - Entertainingly Wrong:Hank: Okay, here's what we do: we get a crowbar-
Wanda: That was my first thought, but I like Karen and, somehow breaking her knees just feels wrong.
Hank: I was gonna say we break in her locker, steal her shoes. - Hearing Voices: Wanda has given up licorice as her resolution and is so tempted by it that she hears the licorice talking to her, begging her to eat it.
- Hoist by Their Own Petard: Brent arranges for Oscar to sing the Canadian national anthem at a kid's sporting event, and tries to sabotage him, only for Emma to reveal the truth and Brent forced to sing the anthem himself. He garbles it pretty badly.
- Hong Kong Dub: Throughout the episode, whenever somebody mentions how long it's been since New Year's, they just make random mouth movements while a deadpan male voiceover says "SIX MONTHS". The joke seemingly being that they recorded multiple voiceovers to be swapped into the episode depending on how long it's been since New Year's in real life (which they didn't, it's always six months).
- Hypocritical Humor: Hank decides to wear Karen's shoes after stealing them:Wanda: [to Hank] You are a mental case! [to the licorice] Will you shut up for two minutes! I'm talking here!
- Imagine Spot: When Davis asks Lacey to show him how to make coffee, the scene cuts to the two of them traveling to Colombia and visiting a coffee bean farm in a parody of coffee commercials. Then it cuts back:Lacey: But I don't think we have time for that. It's basically one scoop per cup.
- Lame Comeback: After Karen taunts Hank about not being able to read comic books, he yells after her as she jogs away (keeping her resolution of running every day):Hank: Oh yeah? Well I'm out of shape and I'm lovin' it!
Lacey: Wow, you really told her. - My Greatest Failure: Davis tries to hide the fact that he doesn't know how to make coffee.
- New Year's Resolution: The basis for the A Plot.
- Not What It Looks Like: Davis and Hank both say this to each other, with Davis having been caught pouring coffee back into the police carafe and Hank found holding a crowbar looking for Karen's locker. It turns out neither really cares what the other is doing, and Davis even offers to help Hank.
- Out-Gambitted: Lacey manipulates Hank, Karen, and Wanda into stopping their competition with a tie by breaking their resolutions together...and then Lacey reveals that she still hasn't broken her own resolution, beating them all.
- Pun-Based Title: The title of the episode is a play on the American Revolution, taking elements from the A and C Plots.
- Punny Name: The man that handles Canadian passports isn't a jackass...he's a Mr. Jackaus.
- Separated by a Common Language: One scheme has Brent say American terms aloud (like soda and restroom) only to have Oscar correct him in front of everyone with the Canadian terms (pop, washroom) in order to make Oscar seem more Canadian.
- Shout-Out: There are a few references to Captain America, which Hank can't read since he gave up comic books as his resolution.
- That Came Out Wrong: Lacey walks up to Wanda, Karen and Hank in a booth:Lacey: Hey, what's going on?
Wanda: We had a three-way.
[Everyone stares in shock.]
Wanda: Three-way tie. - Trademark Favorite Food: Brent's resolution is to give up his favorite food, chili cheese dogs. He breaks it literally within seconds of the new year.Brent: Aw, dammit! I forgot about the chili dog thing. Oh well, next year.
- Trick Dialogue: Wanda is apologizing to "Karen", but is revealed to really be practicing her apology in front of the licorice.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Having been taunted all episode as being no good at scheming, Lacey turns the screws on her opponents, having bested everyone (see Out-Gambitted above).
- We Would Have Told You, But...: Played for laughs:Lacey: [perturbed] You could have given me the heads up that the scheme was gonna happen here.
Brent: We wanted it to seem real and natural.
Lacey: But I didn't even know what the plan was!
Brent: So you were real and natural. - Zany Scheme: All over the place. This episode practically makes "scheme" an arc word.
