Alex gets a new job at a better-paying new supermarket after his colleague Skippy tells him of it. But is the job as good as it sounds?
Tropes associated with this episode:
- Always Someone Better: The new supermarket is more modern, has a greater variety of products, and pays better than Adler's Grocery. But it is also more stressful and dehumanizing.
- Be Careful What You Wish For:
- Skippy gets burned out from having to do Alex's old job at Adler's Grocery — so much so that he has to ask for help from Alex.
- Alex gets burned out from his new job at the supermarket — and accidentally reveals he liked working at Adler's, not at the supermarket. He also would have a hard time becoming a supermarket executive, if he even could ever be so.
- Establishing Character Moment: For Skippy, right out of the gate: He's clumsy, awkward and got a huge crush on Mallory.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Alex treats Skippy with just as much contempt as Mallory does. It's only later established that they were friends from childhood.
- First Appearance: Of Skippy Handleman, the awkward neighborhood kid who is a stockboy at Adler's Grocery, the small mom-and-pop store where Alex is employed.
- Hard Work Fallacy/Hard Work Hardly Works: Alex and Elyse have an argument about how his new job is burning him out, and for what reason. Alex argues that his hard work will, someday, make him an executive at the supermarket. Elyse argues that he should find a job that he likes instead of something that would earn him money, which in her case was freelance architecture (vs. being an architect at a large firm), in Steve's case was running the local PBS station (vs. running a large private station)... and in Alex's case, as he accidentally reveals, is working at Adler's. Elyse's earlier line about Alex's job revolving around cat toys is also proven to be this, as he would climb — very difficultly and taking much, much time — all the way at the supermarket to become... President of Cat Toys.
- Idiot Ball: Why doesn't Skippy just apply for the better-paying job at the new supermarket instead of waiting for Alex to leave and keep his? (Although, given that Alex got burned out at his new job, and Skippy also got burned out doing Alex's old job, it was better this way.)
- Implied Death Threat:Alex: Skippy, remember when we were little kids and I accidentally ran you over with my bicycle?
Skippy: Yeah...
Alex: I drive a car now. - Mundane Made Awesome: Alex's job at the new supermarket is to be in charge of the cat toy section. Elyse complains that Alex's job will now revolve around cat toys, making it sound as if it were unimportant, and Alex responds with how many kinds of cat toys there are, making it sound fascinating. Later, when Bobby Cahill comes by his house to pick him up for their training, he says that Alex took the supermarket by storm due to how well he handles cat toys.
- By the end of the episode, inverted. Alex says he now hates cat toys because he got so bored of having to restock and put prices on them.
- Nothing Personal: On his last day on the job, Alex says this to Mr. Adler, stating that he just likes cat toys. Mr. Adler tries to convince him to stay by stating his Grocery could also sell cat toys.
- Percussive Maintenance: Alex fixes the cooler at Adler's Grocery by touching the temperature controller, then a tube, then waiting a bit, then kicking it.
- Predatory Business: The new, larger and more modern superstore supermarket that opens, where Alex interviews for and gets a new job.
- The Rival: Skippy is after Alex's job at Adler's Grocery.
- Rags to Riches: To his family, Alex portrays his application to the new supermarket as this.
- Status Quo Is God: Alex ends up coming back to his old job.
- Workaholic: Alex now works afternoons and evenings at the new supermarket, and has to study during dinner, because he wants to get the first promotion he can get. Although, technically he isn't working, but training.
- You Are Number 6: Alex is called "Junior Stockboy #28" or, for short, "#28", at the supermarket. Steve sarcastically refers to Elyse as "Mrs. 28". Alex also refers to two of his colleagues as "#17" and "#24" and doesn't talk to anyone at his new job (so he just assumes they're nice).
