After the Baby breaks one too many frying pans from hitting Earl over the head, Fran calls the company that makes the frying pans about it. Although it's not the intended use, a sturdier pan is made, and when the Baby tries it out on Earl, he remarks "this pan is pretty good!", which the head of the company likes so much that he has Baby and Earl appear in commercials for the frying pan. Soon, it's decided that Earl must go, and when Earl is fired, he wants the Baby to stop appearing in the commercials, but Fran insists on having him continue being in the commercials, on the grounds that the money will go towards Baby's college education, but it soon becomes clear that Fran has become a Stage Mom, and Earl even agrees with Monica about her behavior. After Earl calls Fran out, she imagines a Bad Future where the Baby, as an adult, had let fame go to his head, get arrested, and blames her for it. Fran decides to have the Baby stop appearing in the commercials then.
Includes examples of
- Baby See, Baby Do: This episode begins with Fran cooking breakfast and Baby pretending to do the same while imitating her. At first, Fran finds Baby's impression of her cute, but soon she finds it too accurate and unflattering. This later comes back to bite them even harder when Baby starts picking up on the commercial producer's showbiz callousness, firing one of his attendants for petty mistakes using the exact same tone and phrasing.
- Bait-and-Switch: After Baby hits Earl over the head and breaks the pan for the first time, Fran acts concerned... Not because Earl was hit, but because it's the third pan he's broken recently.
- Catchphrase: Baby's catch phrase in the commercials is "This pan is pretty good!"
- Disproportionate Retribution: Played with. Baby sees the producer fire people and imitates this behavior, telling crew members they are fired over minor offenses. But (perhaps due to the Baby's popularity) none of the higher-ups deny that they are fired, instead agreeing with Baby.
- Future Loser: In an imagine spot, a grown-up version of the Baby appears on a talk show, having been a former child star who got annoyed at Fran making him act, having gotten arrested for robbery as a child, and is now promoting his own biography, "I Blame You, Mommy!"
- Get Out!: Earl says this to his eldest kids so he and Fran can discuss alone.
- Goo Goo Getup: The adult version of Baby shown in Fran's Imagine Spot is shown to be wearing a yellow shirt and a diaper, much like the infant version of Baby.
- It Will Never Catch On: Robbie's opinion of one of the screenplays Baby was offered: "A baby dinosaur's family goes on vacation and leaves him home alone?! It's just not believable."
- Loophole Abuse: While the head of the frying pan company tells Fran that the Baby's habit of hitting his father over the head is not normal use for the pans, she says that it is in their household.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Fran after having an Imagine Spot where the Baby becomes a Future Loser thanks to her being a Stage Mom.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: How do we know Fran has gotten low? Earl is the one telling her off for it!
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Earl gives one to Fran when she starts riding the Baby's coattails.Earl: A lot of people are talking about you, Fran. And not all of it is good.
Fran: Just say what you came here to say.
Earl: Alright. You're getting a little too caught up in this glitzy dream factory you call show business.
Fran: Anything more?
Earl: Yeah. I got more. Plenty more. You say you're doing this for the baby? Well, tell me this. Who gets to ride in a limo? Who gets the cappuccino? Who gets herself a fancy new blouse for the award ceremony?
Fran: You think that's all this is?
Earl: It doesn't matter what I think. It's what you think. And you better think hard. - Stage Mom: Fran becomes one for the Baby.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Earl tells off Fran for becoming a Stage Mom, which leads to her Heel Realization.
