The episode begins in a flashback, where the leader of a pack, the eldest elder, acknowledges that he's old and has been holding up the pack due to his age. He decides to start a new tradition, where when dinosaurs turn 73, they are to be hurled from a cliff into a tar pit, a day that will be known as "Hurling Day". One of the members suggests that he make it so that dinosaurs can get to hurl their mother-in-laws. Cut to Earl, who is looking forward to mother-in-law Ethyl's 73rd birthday. Earl gets a lot of praise at work, and even gets some respect from Mr. Richfield. Ethyl comes to the Sinclair home to celebrate her birthday, looking forward to being reunited with her late husband, Louie. However, Robbie thinks it's wrong to hurl people just because they are old, and at night, Robbie tries to sneak Ethyl away so that she won't be hurled. Out in the wild, they see several predatory dinosaurs, and Robbie decides to bring her home. Robbie then talks to Fran about the situation, explaining that times have changed since the start of Hurling Day. Fran demands that Earl not go through with hurling Ethyl, but Earl takes her to be hurled anyway.
While Fran and Robbie show up to stop the hurling, Ethyl asks them if anyone cares how she feels about it. She gives her reasons for wanting to be hurled, while Robbie comes up with some solutions. Ethyl remarks that, at her age, she doesn't know what else she has to live for. It is at this moment at Earl states that he's not going to let her live so she can make his life miserable... Which is all it takes for her to decide against the hurling.
Includes examples of:
- Berserk Button: Earl reluctantly greets Ethyl when she arrives, but when she immediately insults him by calling him "fat boy"…Earl: HELLO, you vicious, old, bag of-
- Blatant Lies: After Ethyl decides to not get hurled, Earl makes up a lie to his co-workers over what happened, saying she was hurled but then bounced and landed back in her wheelchair, to account for when they see her again. The co-workers don't believe it.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: A promo for the show Raptile features a segment on "cross-eating", including an interview with a dinosaur who says he feels like a carnivore in an herbivore's body. It's a metaphor for being transgender or cross-dressing.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The dinosaur chief has long hair and a beard, and the dinosaur who suggests they hurl mother in laws also seems to have long hair. This is the only time on the show that dinosaurs are shown with hair.
- Exiled to the Couch: After Fran demands that Earl not hurl Ethyl and Earl refuses to cooperate, Fran asks Earl if he wants to sleep on the couch for the rest of his life. Earl is not phased by the threat.
- Face Death with Dignity: All jokes on Earl aside, Ethyl does have a dignity and respectful acceptance of her imminent death. She does show kindness to her grandchildren and daughter, and figures she’s got nothing else to live for and wants to be reunited with her dead husband.
- Full-Name Ultimatum: Fran uses Earl’s full name when he pops off on Ethyl, and he cowers before it.
- Lies to Children: Charlene is confused when Fran mentions that Ethyl would be reunited after being hurled with her husband Louie, as Charlene had been told that he went on a cruise (while Robbie, in disbelief, says "you bought that?", implying he had also been told this but wasn't fooled). Fran then tells her that she's old enough to know the truth about hurling day.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Ethyl only changes her mind about getting hurled when Earl argues that he doesn't want to deal with her spending the rest of her life making his life miserable. And right after she asks what she had left to live for.
- Obnoxious In-Laws:
- Earl is looking forward getting rid of his mother-in-law and she eventually decides against the hurling so she can make his life miserable. Before that, she asked Fran to divorce Earl and marry a better hurler. She also apologizes to Earl... for the fact that her daughter married him.
- While he might just be saying it as an excuse to still hurl Ethyl, Earl argues that he married Fran so he could hurl Ethyl.
- Must have been the case between all mother-in-laws and son-in-laws. While the tradition was meant to be meaningful, a member of the pack suggests using the opportunity to hurl mother in laws, which gets accepted on the spot. Richfield was proud to hurl his mother in law, and everyone at Earl's work respects him for it (and is disappointed when he doesn't go through with it), and Ethyl is none of their mother in laws.
- Earl intends to use a pair of hurling gloves that were given to him by his father on his wedding day. Perhaps it was just to keep the tradition of using the same gloves alive, or maybe Earl's parents saw Fran's parents as rivals.
- Out of Order: While aired first, the episode "Employee of the Month" is considered to be the actual first appearance of Ethyl as that episode was filmed prior to this one.
- Pet the Dog:
- Spoofed. Ethyl tells Earl she's sorry... Not for her treatment, but for the fact that he married her daughter, basically giving Earl a Reason You Suck speech.
- Richfield also gives Earl some respect while also pointing out that normally he's in a position of power over him. He explains that the Hurling Day is when the lowest of the low is equal to the rich and powerful, though he also says that he would take that honor away from Earl if he could.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Ethyl gives a scathing one to Earl saying that he’s a pathetic excuse of a husband for her daughter and she needs to divorce him to find better. Given how much Earl already hates her, it’s hard to say she’s simply getting things off her chest before the hurling.
- Shout-Out: Baby watches a promo for a show about a talking caveman named Mister Ugh.
- Together in Death: Ethyl cites this as a big reason she’s fine with the hurling, as she says she misses her late husband Louie.
- Villainy-Free Villain: Earl is portrayed as in the wrong for being excited about hurling Ethyl, and does trick the family when Robbie convinces Fran to be against going through with it. However, it was a longtime dinosaur tradition, one that was known for being meaningful and ceremonious (which Fran does mention in an early scene when Earl is excited), Ethyl herself was looking forward to this, and Fran wasn't against the tradition at first. Of course the only reason the elder had part of the tradition be so male dinosaurs could hurl their mother-in-laws was clearly out of malice, but this was after it was suggested, not the original reason for it. And after Ethyl decides to live longer, Earl doesn't fight it or try to hurl her anyway. Plus, Ethyl was an utter asshole to Earl, and he had every right to dislike her and want to hurl her.
