After Robbie is fed up with Earl constantly telling him what to do, Ethyl mentions a "Code of the Dinosaur", in which a young dinosaur can challenge its father for superiority of the house. Ethyl didn't expect Robbie to actually challenge Earl, and they go to an office to have the fight. Fran shows up and threatens to cut off Earl's premium cable, which allows Robbie to win. Earl is depressed that he's not in charge of the house anymore until Roy points out that it can be fun, and Earl starts acting like a child. Robbie, meanwhile, soon realizes that being the supreme male of the house is not as much fun as he had expected, since he has to get a job, pay bills, and do other adult responsibilities. At first, he decides that he can handle it, but after a few days, he can't take it anymore. While Earl plays miniature golf, Robbie shows up, yelling at him for the same reasons Earl yelled at Robbie earlier, but then breaks down and begs Earl to be in charge again. Earl, however, refuses, until Fran arrives at the golf course and reminds him of one benefit to being an adult - Thursday nights
note Otherwise known as Spaghetti Night, which is adults only. Robbie now understands what Earl goes through, while Earl has realized that the young have it better and plans to hold that against Robbie.
Includes examples of:
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: From Robbie's perspective, Earl is this for showing up at the golf course to scold him for not mowing the lawn while he's spending time with a girl there.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Robbie wins Earl's power... then discovers it also means winning Earl's responsibilities.
- Bookends: The episode begins and ends at the miniature golf course, first with Earl reprimanding Robbie for not cutting the grass, and later with Robbie reprimanding Earl for not cutting the grass.
- Disproportionate Retribution: During the fight, Fran's threat to Earl if he harms one scale on Robbie is to cut off his premium cable channels.
- Epic Fail: When Charlene asks Robbie to point out where Pangea is on the map of the world, he grounds her for a week on stupidity for not realizing it's right in the center.
- Growing Up Sucks: A sentiment that both Robbie and Earl come to agree upon after spending a while in the other's shoes.
Robbie: I thought getting to do everything I wanted would be great, but... this whole thing has taught me a valuable lesson.
Earl: That with freedom comes responsibility?
Robbie: No. That your life bites. No wonder you yell at me. I'll just stay out of your way from now on.
Earl: Yes, thanks. And you know what? I learned something about your life too.
Robbie: That it's frustrating being under someone else's control all the time?
Earl: No, that it's way better than mine.
Robbie: Um, you're not gonna hold that against me, are ya?
Earl: Every chance I get.
Robbie: Figures.
Earl: Cause you see son, it's one of my responsibilities as a parent to wean you from life's joy, and prepare you for the relentless heartache that is adulthood.
- Improbable Age: Apparently, a young dinosaur can challenge its father for the role of the supreme male of the household. Deconstructed, in that the associated responsibilities of the role eventually prove to be too much for Robbie to handle.
- Ironic Echo: "Do you recognize this? It's grass. And do you know what grass? It's the grass I told you to mow this morning!"
- It's All About Me: Earl treats being relieved of his duties as the supreme male of the household as an opportunity to act like a carefree teenager, completely uncaring towards the fact that his son has now been saddled with said duties which he is too young to handle. Even when he is forced to reinstate himself as the supreme male, he states that he plans to hold the fact that he's learned Robbie's life is better than his against his own son.
- Manchild: After Robbie becomes the supreme male of the house, Earl behaves like a child. To the point that Robbie eventually reprimands Earl the same way Earl had done to Robbie at the beginning of the episode.
- My God, What Have I Done?: When Ethyl tells Robbie about the code of the dinosaur, she didn't expect Robbie to do that to Earl, and tries to talk Robbie out of it.
- Nature Tinkling: When Fran gets on Robbie's case about fixing the clogged toilet, Robbie angrily points out that there are bathrooms everywhere and gives trees and bushes as examples, implying that it is considered okay for dinosaurs to relieve themselves outdoors if toilets are unavailable.
- Status Quo Is God: By the end of the episode, Earl is forced by his wife to resume his role as the supreme male of the household, allowing Robbie to return to his life as a carefree teenager.
- Swapped Roles: After Robbie becomes the supreme male of the house, he now has to handle all of the responsibilities Earl previously had, while Earl starts acting like a carefree teenager now that he no longer has said responsibilities to deal with.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Ethyl is the one who gives Robbie the idea to challenge his father. She immediately regrets it.
- When I Was Your Age...: "In my days we didn't have lawnmowers. We didn't have scissors. We had to get on all fours and graze like cows!"
- You Are Grounded!: Robbie grounds Charlene for a week for being too stupid to realize that Pangea is right in the center of the world map.
