A recent spate of thefts of electrical equipment and a set of priceless crystal skulls brings Egon into contact with an old associate.
The episode contains the following tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: Egon and the Ghostbusters succeed in sending the ghosts home and the crystal skulls are destroyed so that no one can access their dimension again. However, Kirillian allows himself to be sucked into the dimension and be presumably ripped apart by his former servants; Egon is the only one who grieves for him.Egon: I couldn't save him. He let go.Kylie: He let go a long time ago.
- Embarrassing Old Photo: Eduardo and Garrett found out from a school photo that Kylie used to be "Head Cheerleader of the Year" much to her dismay.
- Energy Weapon: Apparently, the way to unlock the powers of all the crystal skulls is to use a huge laser beam. One must wonder how the skulls were originally unlocked.
- Foil: Kirillian serves as this to Egon.
- While both believed in ghosts, Egon wanted to find ways to detain the most dangerous of them and protect people while Kirillian wants to control and enslave them, regardless of their alignment.
- Egon is surrounded by friends; Kirillian only has servants. It's Egon's new Ghostbusters who save him while the ghosts rebel and take Kirillian to his doom.
- Forced into Evil: The ghosts aren't actually evil but are made to do their crimes thanks to Kirillian.
- Made a Slave: After hearing about ghosts becoming slaves, Slimer initially refuses to help the Ghostbusters since he does not want to be like that. Thankfully, the busters are able to convince him that he's their "employee" which sounds a little better.
- Remember the New Guy?: Kirillian was an associate of Egon's at Columbia University, yet he's never been mentioned until this episode. Justified, given they had a major falling out and Kirillian was subsequently fired from Columbia (and this was also presumably before Egon met Ray and Peter).
- The Reveal: Kirillian is the one controlling the ghosts.
- Slave Mooks: Kirillian's ghosts are only serving him because he has them subjected them to his specialized collars.
- They Have the Scent!: Roland trains Slimer to pick up any ghost trails in case the PKE were unusable.
- We Used to Be Friends: Egon and Kirillian used to work together before their different opinions on handling the paranormal drove them apart.
