If it is not written, it cannot be done
The XGBs investigate a string of disappearances, and discover the culprits were brought to life from the writing of a children's horror novelist.
This episode contains the following tropes:
- Badass in Distress: In his attempt to rescue the other victims, Roland gets captured by the Vathek. He's about to be ripped apart till Garrett's terrible writing skills saves his life.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The Vathek want to invoke this. Their true goal is to have Kline made them real which would allow them to take over the world.
- Brutal Honesty: To be fair, Garrett wanted Eduardo's honest opinions about his book. And with his permission, Eduardo tells him how really bad it is.Eduardo: It stunk bad.
- Can't Take Criticism: Garrett's reaction to Eduardo's above honesty is to start giving him the stink eye, as well as disregard Eduardo's complaints.
- Cassandra Truth: Eduardo thinks one of the ghosts is Crainiac, but the others dismiss it since Crainiac is just a fictional character in a book. Then Crainiac shows up.Eduardo: Kline's book have no basis in reality, huh?Kylie: *gulp* My mistake.
- Exact Words: Part of Kline's deal with the Vathek is that they should be only writing fiction. The Vathek honored their deal until they tricked Kline into bringing them back to life.
- Expy: The Vathek are obviously based on the Cenobites from Hellraiser.
- Foreshadowing:
- While Eduardo's honest opinion can come off as his usual snarky attitude, his feedback on Garrett's manuscript suggests Garrett is not a very creative or impressive writer. This is shown later when he takes the typewriter from Kline to rewrite the story. While his more comical writing does save Roland from the Vathek, notice that when writing about the above monkeys that Garrett pauses in his words, as well not bothering to type something like, say, turning the Vathek to stone, rather just inconveniencing them. Then, when he attempts one last time to finish the book in the Ghostbusters' favor, he's unable to come up with anything and Eduardo has to destroy the typewriter. This is solidified at the end of the episode, in which his manuscript has numerous rejection notices.
- Whenever Garrett takes the typewriter, Kline has a notably annoyed look on his face. While this can be described as him thinking Garrett is going to get him trouble, it also suggests he genuinely find Garrett annoying. At the end of the episode, in Kline's new book, he described Garrett as the "loud mouthed guy in the wheelchair", much to Garrett's anger.
- Her Code Name Was "Mary Sue": Garrett wrote a book (more for fame than literary interest) that was basically him being an Invincible Hero blasting ghosts. At the end of the episode, it's shown Eduardo isn't the only one who didn't like it, as he got numerous rejection letters.
- Hidden Depths: Garrett is surprised Eduardo reads, much less has a good understanding on how to write horror.Eduardo: There's a lot you don't know about me.
- Gory Discretion Shot: We don't see the Vatheks' operation on one of their victims because the camera pulls back before it starts. However, the screams and various horrific noises leave pretty much an imagination to figure it out.
- "I Know You Are in There Somewhere" Fight: Kylie tries to bring out the humanity of the Vathek-transformed Jimmy. It seems to work until he transports the other victims to his masters' lair.
- Irony: Kylie is an avid hater of Kline's works, as she believes his work gives demonology a bad name. She and the rest of Ghostbusters find out he's writing for a group of actual demons, each word under their watch to ensure they're invincible.
- I Should Write a Book About This: As thanks for saving him from the Vathek, Kline writes a new book with the Ghostbusters in it. Eduardo, Kylie and Roland and his little brother like it but Garrett doesn't because he's described as "The Loud Mouth Guy in the Wheelchair".
- It's All About Me: Garrett is writing a book....about himself and his exploits in ghostbusting. The rest of the Ghostbusters are also in it till they die.Eduardo: It's just forty pages of you. Blowing away ghosts and chasing skirts.Garrett: What's wrong with that?
- Not Helping Your Case: Eduardo and Kylie heavily disagree with Garrett's characterization of them in his book, particularly them squealing. Scenes later, they are squealing, proving Garrett's point.Eduardo: Don't let 'em eat my brain!Garrett: And he wonders where I get "squealing for mercy".
- Real After All: In a sense. Eduardo at first thinks Craniac, Corpuscle and Gristle were real all along and Kline simply chose to write about them. Kylie suggests, and is later proven right, they are the Vathek, beings who only turn real if they are written about.
- Reality Warper: The reason why the Vathek are ahead of the Ghostbusters is because Kline is forced to write the events that way using a supernatural typewriter. Said typewriter is also their weakness.
- Shout-Out: The episode has a triple play with an author named Kline, whose children's horror novels come to life.
- The children's horror theme is a play on R.L. Stine's Goosebumps.
- The Vathek's designs look like Cenobites.
- When we see Kline himself, he bears a resemblance to Stephen King.
- Silly Simian: In a humorous scene, Garrett uses the typewriter to have the Vathek be attacked by rabid monkeys with tire irons.
- Undignified Death: In Garrett's manuscript, the other Ghostbusters only appear for a page before they die "squealing for mercy". Eduardo and Kylie were not amused.
