When Elise's parents prevent Chris from going to the Renaissance fair with him, he convinces himself that her father is in the Mafia, before actually getting wrapped up into one of their plans.
This episode provides examples of the following Tropes:
- Accidental Truth:
- Dan frames Elise's parents as crime lords, not realizing that her mother actually is in the mafia.
- The word "cupcake" being used as an Unusual Euphemism for "kill", like Dan claimed to the police.
- Action Girl: Elise beats up the entire mafia.
- Affably Evil: Elise's mom is the more outwardly polite of the parents. She's also the one who's actually a mobster.
- All for Nothing: Dan finally gets Chris to come to the Renaissance fair, but it's shut down because of a wenches strike.
- Bait-and-Switch: Louie's preference for dressing up draws scrutiny from Dan and others, and it almost seems like that'd be the case with his boss.Peter Verelli: Louie, why do you insist on wearing that dress?
Louie: I'm undercover.
Peter Verelli: I mean that dress in particular. It makes you look cheap.
Louie: The color compliments my eyes. - Berserk Button: Subverted with the Renaissance fair. Chris points out that Dan normally hates crowds, price gouging, and foppery.Dan: But you put it all together, and it really works.
- Blatant Lies: Elise Sr. knows the name of the mob boss (Peter Verelli) after seeing him enter the room.Don: How do you know that?
Elise Sr.: I... read something about it... in the paper? - Casting Gag: Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter as a married couple...with the wife named Elise - as opposed to Elyse. At the time, Family Ties repeats regularly aired on The Hub, so the episode promo highlighted that.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: The duct tape Dan used to wrap a recorder on himself ends up saving his life later.
- Crying Wolf: Dan tries to convince the police that Don is part of the mob. Later, when he sees their own officer working with them, they don't believe him. Not that they believed him to begin with.
- Dirty Cop: Louie is a police operative, but also works tightly with the mafia.
- Disney Death: Dan has one for about three seconds, before getting up and revealing that the poison dart only hit the duct tape he could never get off of his chest.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Dan has no problem trying to get Elise's parents arrested on charges he knows are bogus, but he draws the line at getting them killed.
- Freak Out: Elise after she learns her parents want to move to Los Angeles. Chris also gets worried when she tells him they'll start pestering for "a little Elise the Third," but he still copes better.
- Freudian Excuse: Elise's issues really come into focus here.Elise: You think they're inconveniencing you? Ever since I was a kid, nothing I've ever done has been good enough. Straight A's, full scholarships, captain of every conceivable team the schools had, everything—never enough. Why do you think I became a top operative in a shadowy, quasi-governmental organization?
Dan: Wait, what was that?
Elise: What? Oh, never mind. - Hidden Wire: Averted. The police won't give Dan a wire, so he tapes a recorder to his chest and plugs it into the wall.
- Incredibly Conspicuous Drag: Louie as "Heather." He has five o'clock shadow and a questionable voice.Dan: You don't even look female!
"Heather": You monster! Why are you so hurtful? - Ironic Hell: Chris is expected to work in Don's new cupcake shop, which he doesn't think will be so bad until Elise tells him he won't be allowed to eat anything.Chris: Wait, I'll be surrounded by food all day and not allowed to eat it?
Elise: That's the food industry for you.
Chris: That sounds like one of the circles of Dante's Inferno.
Elise: Only less fun. - Jerkass Has a Point: Don's main reason for not wanting to hire Chris to work in his shop is "because of the company he keeps.""Do you really want Dan in our store?"
- Love-Obstructing Parents: Neither Don nor Elise Sr. are fond of Chris, which is further explained by the ridiculously high standards they set for her daughter as seen on Freudian Excuse above.
- The Mafia
- Morality Pet: Dan admits he doesn't want Elise's parents to die, but also that doing nothing will ensure they'll stop monopolizing Chris's free time. He intends to watch some TV to think on it, but Mr. Mumbles keeps meowing at him—guilting him into doing the right thing.
- Never Say "Die": Hilariously averted. It's said, but when Don doesn't say it in Dan's recording, he uses the word "cupcake" instead, and tells the police officer that it means "kill". Later at the mob's warehouse...Peter Verelli: We're going to cupcake him!
- Noodle Incident: Dan was the best man at Chris and Elise's wedding.Don: As I recall, his best man toast was about how marriage was a sham, and you and Elise Jr. would be divorced within the year.
Chris: Well, he was wrong about that.
Don: [depressed] Yeah. - No "Police" Option: Between Dan's wild accusations and Louie being a dirty cop, by the time Dan goes to the police to bail Elise's parents out against the mob, they won't hear him out any more.
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Elise Sr. at least tries to be polite to Chris and even pushes Don to hire him for the new store. Don is much more outwardly obnoxious.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Elise is much more on edge than usual.Dan: Are you okay, Elise? You seem tense.
Elise: Of course I'm tense! My parents are here judging every single aspect of my life! - Paper-Thin Disguise: Louie's disguise as Dan's girlfriend Heather.Louie: Hey Don, kill anyone lately? Be honest.
- Also, Dan's disguise while trying to record Don saying something he can use against him. He tapes a tape recorder to his chest and plugs it into the wall.
- Recorded Spliced Conversation: In order to frame Don as part of the mafia, Dan records a conversation about buying a cupcake store in the area, then rearranges the contents to appear malicious.Dan: And what about the local crime syndicate?
Don: I'm going to - permanently - cupcake - them. - The Reveal: Elise Sr. works for another mob family.
- Solid Cartoon Facial Stubble: Louie, the undercover cop, has a muted brown section running from his jaw to his ears and nose, even when crossdressing.
- Swarm of Rats: Dan's first plan to get rid of Elise's parents was to unleash a bag of rats into the house.
- Taking the Bullet: Dan takes a poison dart for Don, but it hits the duct tape on his chest.
- "Well Done, Daughter" Gal: Elise
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Louie the undercover cop, who is really excited about being Disguised in Drag. He's later revealed to be working for the mob, so he might qualify as a Creepy Crossdresser.Desk Sergeant: Hey, Louie's our best undercover guy. Sometimes I've seen him dressed as a woman, I didn't even know he was workin' a case.
