"What you are witnessing is real. The participants are not actors. They are ticked-off people who can't solve their own problems. They've agreed to have their disputes settled here on ... Citizen's Court."
opening card to Citizen's Court
Tropes seen in this episode:
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: Urkel's Peruvian beetle, which Carl stomps to death with his foot after running loose.
- Face Palm: Urkel, during direct examination of Waldo.
- Idiot Ball:
- Vintage Waldo, whom Urkel blatantly coaches while on the witness stand. Not only that, he is so dense that he answers the question "State your name" with the classic response "Illinois"; when Urkel does a Face Palm, he clarifies the question to a level only Waldo can perhaps screw up: "I said, 'State your name,' not, 'Name your state.'" Of course, Waldo fudges this up: "Oh ... Waldo Faldo ... from Illinois!"
- This also applies to Steve himself. After Estelle's testimony about how Carl encountered and killed the beetle heavily tips the case in his favor, he proceeds to blow his advantage by antagonizing Harriette, blatantly coaching Waldo, and emotionally manipulating Eddie while they're all on the stand.
- Shout-Out: If this isn't an obvious parody of The People's Court – right down to the "these people are not actors" (which itself is parodied) – then what is?
- Show Within a Show: Citizen's Court ... apparently, a localized version of The People's Court.
