Detective Dusty
Mrs. Portillo calls Manny with a vexing problem- her socks are going missing, and she thinks her dryer is to blame. But when he opens up her dryer, he can’t find any problem- or any socks. And then Dusty takes it upon herself to find a solution to this bizarre mystery.
Tropes in “Detective Dusty” include:
- Alliterative Title: Detective Dusty
- Behind the Black: In The Wing And Nut Show, Wing and Nut fail to notice (or be affected by) the magnet hanging over the stage until the camera pans up and reveals it to the audience.
- Blind Without 'Em: Mr. Lopart apparently has this problem, as when he loses his glasses he’s reduced to having to feel around on the ground for them (and the newspaper, which is what he was trying to get in the first place before he lost them).
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: At the end of the episode, after Carlos hops over the doggie gate Manny built and steals Mrs. Portillo’s socks again, Felipe pops up in front of the camera to give the audience a hearty “Dun dun dun DUN!”.
- Continuity Nod:
- When Pat looks under Mrs. Portillo’s couch and comments on the amount of dust bunnies under it, Rusty being afraid of bunnies is mentioned.
- Mrs. Portillo has a box of Spiffy Soap in her laundry room.
- Cuteness Equals Forgiveness: Mrs. Portillo is unable to stay mad at Carlos for stealing her socks due to this.
- Dropped Glasses: Mr. Lopart has lost his, and is reduced to feeling around on the ground for them. At the end of the scene he’s in, it’s revealed that, somehow, the glasses ended up on Fluffy’s face.
- Here We Go Again!: At the end of the episode, Carlos is seen jumping over the doggie gate Manny just built to keep him out of the laundry room, and once again steals Mrs. Portillo’s socks.Felipe: Dun dun dun DUN!
- Iris Out: One happens on Felipe after he provides the episode’s final Sting.
- Laugh Track: The Wing And Nut Show plays one after the second time Nut does a Dramatic Sting.
- Literal-Minded:Dusty: Okay, everybody! Keep your eyes open!
Pat (briefly closes his eyes): Huh. How else are we gonna look around? - Mystery Episode:
- The episode revolves around a (fairly low-stakes) mystery- Mrs. Portillo calls Manny because she thinks her dryer is “eating” her socks, but Manny can’t find anything wrong with the dryer. Dusty takes it upon herself to become “Detective Dusty” and solve the case, and ends up discovering that Carlos, Mrs. Portillo’s new chihuahua, was the one stealing her socks.
- The Wing And Nut Show also has one in the form of “The Search For The Missing Nail”- as it turns out, the nail was pulled Behind the Black by some Selective Magnetism.
- Kid Detective: Dusty tries her (metaphorical) hand at being one (well, the question of whether she’s a kid or not aside), and ends up solving the mystery of Mrs. Portillo’s disappearing socks.
- Running Gag: Felipe saying “Dun dun dun DUN!” whenever anything even vaguely dramatic or surprising happens.
- Sarcasm-Blind:Turner: Is there anything you’re not afraid of?
Rusty: Cake! - Selective Magnetism: In The Wing And Nut Show, a magnet which is just above Wing and Nut (and just above the screen) doesn’t attract them until the (in-universe) audience can see it despite the fact that a. It was there the whole time, and b. It could magnetically attract a nail they had from the very beginning.
- Show Within a Show: The Wing And Nut Show makes a return, with its Mystery Episode (about Wing and Nut searching for a missing nail) inspiring Dusty to want to solve a mystery herself.
- The Stakeout: This is parodied, with the tools hiding behind a box of soap in Mrs. Portillo’s laundry room in order to catch Carlos stealing her socks.
- Sting: Apparently, Nut has a tendency to do this on The Wing And Nut Show; Felipe picks up the habit from her and spends the rest of the episode saying “Dun dun dun DUN!” as a Running Gag.
- Thieving Pet: Carlos, Mrs. Portillo’s new pet chihuahua, turns out to have been stealing her socks.
- Title Drop: Dusty:Dusty: Detective Dusty is here to help!
Radio Rusty
When Manny is called to repair a microphone at a radio station, Rusty is thrilled to meet his idol, the DJ Jack Stack. But, when something goes wrong, Rusty finds himself having to temporarily replace Jack as the station’s DJ!
“Radio Rusty” contains:
- Alliterative Title: Radio Rusty
- Ascended Fanboy: Rusty gets to meet his idol, the DJ Jack Stack, and ends up having to fill in for him when he (Rusty) is accidentally locked in the studio by himself (It Makes Sense in Context).
- Audible Gleam: The key to the studio emits one when Jack manages to find it.
- Duct Tape for Everything: This is played fairly realistically, as Manny uses duct tape as a temporary solution to hold a loose microphone in place while he goes to collect the parts to properly repair it.
- Performance Anxiety: Rusty has a major case of this when he has to fill in for Jack as a DJ (It Makes Sense in Context); Jack tells him to close his eyes and imagine he’s talking to his best friend, which apparently works as Rusty quickly gets over his fear and actually has a good time DJing.
- Remember the New Guy?: Jack Stack is apparently a popular DJ, and Rusty’s number one favorite celebrity. He’s also never been seen or mentioned before on the show.
- Rhyming Names: Jack Stack the DJ; this is apparently not a stage name but his actual, real name.
- Sarcasm-Blind:Rusty: I can’t believe I’m gonna meet Jack Stack! I don’t know what I’m gonna say to him!
Turner: How about, uh, “Hi, Jack”.
Rusty: “Hi, Jack”. Ooh, that’s pretty good!
