Mabel's in charge. God Help Us All...
Despite her buoyant and energetic optimism, can Mabel handle the pressure when Grunkle Stan challenges her to run the Shack for three days?
Tropes in this episode:
- 2D Visuals, 3D Effects: The "Cash Wheel", whenever someone spins it.
- An Aesop: You can't be a good boss without knowing when to be aggressive and tough (like Stan), but it doesn't hurt to be nice and polite at other times (like Mabel).
- Animal-Eared Headband: Dipper wears one as part of his Wolf Boy costume.
- Artsy Beret: In The Stinger, Mabel wears a black beret to complete her stereotypical director look (along with a megaphone and director's chair) while filming Grunkle Stan dancing.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Questiony, the question mark, Soos's mascot's idea. The costume was very revealing and left him Exposed to the Elements. No one thinks to suggest wearing a unitard underneath it in a contrasting color. Dipper, however, manages to spin it into an attraction he dubs "the Question Baby".
- Benevolent Boss: Mabel starts as this until she snaps at Wendy's idleness and Soos's mediocrity at just 7 hours from the time limit.
- The Bet: Stan and Mabel make a wager:
- If Mabel earns more money running the Shack than Stan can in three days while on vacation, he'll let her be boss for the rest of the summer and sing an "apology song" that Mabel wrote.
- If Stan returns from his three-day vacation with more money than Mabel could earn, Mabel will have to wear a "Loser" t-shirt all summer.
- After Mabel and Dipper begin imitating Stan's aggression and underhanded tactics respectively, they manage to earn a net profit of $1 (after deducting the cost to fix the damage done by the Gremloblin). However, Stan lost all the money he made (a whopping $300,000) in a 'double or nothing' segment on Cash Wheel. The word he failed to guess was "please", the word he said would never make him any money. Mabel and everyone else agree that Mabel will not keep running the Shack as she realizes the responsibility and no longer wants the job. Nevertheless, he is still forced to do the apology dance. Funnier still, he has to repeat it until he gets it right, taking at least 31 tries. In a later mini-short, it is subtly revealed how fond Stan has grown of the catchiness of the song.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Even though Mabel wins the bet, both parties admit each had a point. On one hand, Mabel was convinced that being nice and polite to employees would get her far, but the only way she could get Soos and Wendy to shape up was by being aggressive and assertive like Stan. Stan figured he could make more money going on vacation (specifically to a game show) than he would saying "please" to his employees, but as luck would have it, he lost the final round on the game when he was too proud to literally say "please".
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: "Part gremlin, part goblin. THE GREMLOBLIN!"
- Break the Cutie: Mabel just does not get a break in this episode until she starts becoming Stan.
- Brick Joke: The final word for Stan to guess, and the one that makes him lose all his money is the same word he mocked Mabel for using at the beginning: "please".
- The Chains of Commanding: Mabel learns the hard way how tough it is being the boss. The cryptogram in the stinger even translates into "HEAVY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE FEZ."note
- Comically Missing the Point: Stan tells Mabel that if she has a problem with the way he does business, he should write a complaint to "the complaints department": a heaping trash can. Mabel, not getting the joke, immediately begins to do just that.
- Cue Card Pause: Used and immediately lampshaded:Dipper: [reading from the journal] Got it! "When fighting a Gremloblin, use water..."
[Mabel throws water on the Gremloblin]
Dipper: [turns page] "... only as a last resort as water will make him much much scarier"?! Who writes sentences like that?! - Dark Reprise: As Mabel's running herself ragged, a grim/frantic instrumental version of "Mabel's the Boss" plays in the background.
- Didn't Think This Through: Dipper's concern with Mabel and Stan's bet.Dipper: Mabel, did you just make a bet with a professional conman?
- He isn't much smarter later in the episode. What exactly did he think was going to happen when showing a monster whose gaze causes insanity to tourists?
- Mabel also lets the Gremloblin use a spare key for his break, failing to consider that a supernatural monster would likely go on a rampage and not behave like an employee.
- Disproportionate Retribution: When a child gets hurt in the Mystery Shack, Mabel offers the mother a refund to make up for it. The mother accepts it, but then takes a bunch more money from the cash jar before leaving.
- Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: Dipper sports these after Mabel doesn't recognize the obvious sarcasm in Stan's voice when he talks about the "complaints department," much less when he basically spells out that he's just talking about the trash can.
- Eye Color Change: The Gremloblin's eyes turn yellow whenever it begins showing someone their "worst nightmare", and the unfortunate person's eyes turn yellow as well.
- Fatal Flaw: Stan mocked the idea of using the word "please" for anything, and that he'd never be able to get money using the word. By trying to double his cash out of greed and losing it all because he didn't know the word, he lost the bet he so smugly made with Mabel.
- Game Show Appearance: Grunkle Stan tries to win the bet by making an appearance on Cash Wheel.
- Generation Xerox:
- Mabel at the end gets to start to be as demanding as Stan (and ends up saying the same things as he and getting a backache) to get the Mystery Shack repaired at time.
- Dipper gets to dress as Stan and learn to be a Con Artist to get the tourists' money.
- The Gremloblin's worst fear is apparently becoming like his father.
- Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand: The main conflict, of course. As usual, Both Sides Have a Point.
- Gilligan Cut: When Stan is forced to sing the apology song at the end, he tries to lie saying that wasn't part of the plan and runs off saying he won't do it. Cut to the credits as an annoyed Stan sings the song.
- A Glass in the Hand: Mabel snaps her troll-pen when she finally loses her temper with Wendy and Soos.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: The Gremloblin's eyes glow yellow when people look into them and see their worst nightmare.
- Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: Stan is a con artist who runs the Mystery Shack, a tourist trap filled with nothing but fake, overpriced oddities, and is also a bit of a Bad Boss and only cares about pumping his customers for money. Mabel bets that she can make more money running the shack than Stan can on a game show and takes over briefly. She tries to be a Benevolent Boss and has Dipper bring in real monsters for attractions, but despite running an honest business, she ends up with no control over her employees and quickly learns having genuine monsters around is extremely dangerous. However, she still wins the bet with one dollar after Stan loses his prize money. Ultimately leans towards being a balance between the two.
- Hobbes Was Right: As soon as Mabel cuts the shack employees some slack, Soos and Dipper's ideas turn out to be terrible and Wendy stops doing any work at all.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Dipper defeats the Gremloblin by using a mirror to make him project his own worst nightmare.
- Hypnotize the Captive: Mabel briefly when she tries to stare down the Gremloblin only to see her worst fear, until Dipper frees her by turning its power on itself.
- I Am Not My Father: The Gremloblin's worst nightmare is that he becomes his father.
- Ironic Echo: Stan can't see how knowing to say "please" will give you money. It turns out that was the winning word in the "double or nothing" segment on Cash Wheel and he ended up losing everything.
- Jerkass: Stan takes his jerkassery up to eleven in this episode. Heck, it's the reason he ended up on the game show in the first place.
- Also, Mabel has to become one in order to make any kind of profit in the last hours.
- Jerkass Ball: Wendy using Mabel's fear of being like Stan to have a paid day off, even after Mabel just asks her politely to do her job.
- Lady in a Power Suit: Taking advice from a business book from The '80s, Mabel wears a business suit with oversized shoulder pads.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall:
- As Stan proceeds to get naked after managing to spin a "Cash Shower", the "Cash Wheel" host desperately runs to block out the camera's view while yelling to cut to commercial. While we don't do that, we do cut to the next scene.
- Also, Stan's line "It's good to be back" was used in the trailer for the first episode after a long hiatus.
- Mind Rape: Looking into the eyes of the Gremloblin will show you your greatest fear. Two unfortunate tourists do exactly this and are next seen being carted into an ambulance, catatonic with fear.
- Naked People Are Funny:
- Soos' "Questiony" mascot suit only covers his chest and wraps around his head, fortunately he keeps his underwear on.
- Grunkle Stan stripping down for his Cash Shower.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Mabel gave the Gremloblin a key for its cage, so that it could take a break. It promptly trashes the Mystery Shack upon letting itself out of the cage.
- No Longer with Us: Soos makes this misunderstanding when he finds Mabel in Stan's office.Mabel: Stan is no longer with us.
Soos: He's dead?! Oh, it should have been me! - No, You: After Stan and Mabel make their bet.Stan: You got yourself a deal, missy!
Mabel: No, you got yourself a deal! - Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Dipper singlehandedly manages to capture the Gremloblin, a creature that can Mind Rape you if you look into its eyes and happens to be larger than any of the adults seen on the show.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Mabel is normal nice and friendly towards other people and show no hard feelings, but when Wendy and Soos were about to slack off again, Mabel snaps and makes them clean up.
- Purely Aesthetic Glasses: Mabel sports a really dorky pair when she first becomes boss.
- Rage Breaking Point:
- Hearing that Stan shot down Soos's idea for a Mystery Shack mascot is what drives Mabel to challenge Stan.
- After a horrible day working at the shack and dealing with the Gremgoblin, Mabel asks Soos and Wendy to help clean up the wrecked shack. When the two refuse to help, Mabel absolutely snaps:Mabel: ENOUGH!!!!!!!!! I have had it! I fought a monster to save this business! And this is how you repay me?! I'm gonna get an ulcer from your lollygagging!
Wendy: "Lollygagging"?
Soos: "Ulcer"? You're acting different...
Mabel: You shut your yaps! (Soos and Wendy gasp) I've been doing everyone's jobs while you bums have been bleeding me dry!
Wendy: But—
Mabel: No butts except yours on the floor cleaning! Now quit loafing and get to work!
Wendy: (fearfully) Yes, Mabel.
Mabel: That's "YES, BOSS!" [slams her fist on the desk and Stan's fez falls perfectly on her head]
- Raised by Wolves: A wolf family has apparently invited Soos to join them.
- Reality Is Unrealistic: Dipper shows a pair of tourists the Gremloblin. They think it's fake.
- Sarcasm-Blind: Granted, it was probably just meant to show how Mabel's idealism tends to overshadow her being perceptive, but the sassiness of Grunkle Stan remarking that if she has a problem, she should "tell it to the complaints department" and then holding up a trash can is completely lost on her. Cue Dipper making Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes:Mabel: I'm going to write them such a letter.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: The Mystery Shack rounds up enough cash to fill the jar, but lose most of it to pay for the damages made by the Gremloblin, leaving them with only one dollar. On Stan's end, he wins more money than the kids, only to lose it all because he could not say the answer to the bonus word ("please").
- Super-Strong Child: Dipper, in no more than one hour, makes a plan to subdue the Gremlobin, who'd probably still look oversized next to the body weight of the entire Pines family combined into one person, then carries it to its cage and rolls it all the way back to the Shack without breaking a sweat.note Even Grunkle Stan would've thought that making an attempt at doing that himself would be biting off more than he can chew.
- There's also something to be said about him bringing a spiked mace for the capture that's heavy enough to make him topple backwards the first time he holds it, only to go all the way to the Gremloblin with it like nothing happened.
- Taking Advantage of Generosity: Mabel offers Wendy a hand to improve her working situation, Wendy takes the whole arm; even after seeing the shack ruined, she's about to flee out of work until Monday with the excuse of a headache instead of helping until Mabel snaps and goes all Stan on her butt.
- Trash the Set: The Mystery Shack is thoroughly trashed, first by Wendy's friends making a mess, then by the rampaging Gremloblin. Repairing the damage means that Mabel only manages to make one dollar after three days.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Played with when we briefly see the tourists from Stan's point of view. They're all walking, talking wallets, and one of them vomits coins.Stan: Clean-up on the front lawn!
- What Have I Become?:
- Mabel says it word-by-word after snapping and acting as controlling and grumpy as Stan. Reconstructed, when Dipper replies, "What you had to, Mabel."
- The Gremloblin's greatest nightmare? Turning out like his father.
- Who Writes This Crap?!: "When fighting a Gremloblin, use water... [turns page] ...only as a last resort, because water will make it much more scarier! AH! Who writes sentences like that?"
- The World Is Not Ready: When Dipper captures a real monster to show in the shack, tourists don't buy it over the fake attractions. Dipper proves them wrong by letting the monster Mind Rape them, and they end up hospitalized.
- You Did the Right Thing: Dipper tells Mabel this after her What Have I Become? moment.
- "You!" Exclamation: Mabel confronts Grunkle Stan with one of these from behind when she gets tired of his shabby treatment of his employees.
