Hank advises Kahn not to pick up his medication at the pharmacy, until he realizes that Kahn needs his medication to curb his manic-depressive mood swings, though Hank must choose between giving Kahn his medicine or exploiting his neighbor's mania in order to create a top-of-the-line grill. Meanwhile, Bobby tries to find the humor in a Ray J. Johnson comedy record after his parents and other adults claim it is funny.
Tropes found in this episode:
- Borrowed Catchphrase:Kahn: Stay with me, cause it's gonna kick you in the hillbilly ass!
- Brought Down to Normal: After Kahn starts taking his meds again, his attitude is brought back to normal. Status Quo Is God however is averted in that following this experience, Kahn and Hank now have a better respect and appreciation for one another.
- Continuity Nod:
- Kahn's manic-depression was hinted at in "Lost in MySpace"
- Tid Pao's "Q-Bag" graffiti can be seen when the guys go to Mexico after Kahn's medication.
- A Day in the Limelight: The episode primarily centers around Kahn (alongside Hank) as the main character.
- Despair Event Horizon: Because of Kahn's condition, he is so prone to fits of depression that he completely shuts down and is potentially on the verge of committing suicide whenever he goes into the "down" state.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Dale is the first person to realize that Kahn, based on the words Hank used to describe the situation, needed his pills for manic depression.
- Excuse Me While I Multitask: When in the midst of the "manic" state, Kahn has plenty of pep and drive to do a number of activities. These range from dusting his house, ironing, organizing his record collection, painting a self-portrait, baking, and drawing up schematics for The Commander-In-Beef with entirely new specs, all the while calculating how much time would be left until Grillstravaganza to finish it.Bill: He's accomplished more in ten seconds than I have in a year!
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Hank has to choose between giving Kahn his medicine to curb manic-depressive mood swings, or allowing an unmedicated Kahn to build the Commander-in-Beef (since his manic side helps him work faster) at the risk of Kahn falling into depression. After a conversation with Peggy, Hank ultimately chooses to give Kahn the medication even if it means the grill won't be finished in time for the sale. Though Kahn goes through another manic episode before the medicine kicks in, which allows him to finish the grill.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Kahn shows shades of this due to his line of work as a systems analyst consultant. It is amped up to eleven when it comes to conceptualizing The Commander-In-Beef with Hank while off of his medication; drawing up schematics for a second iteration of the same grill when Hank and the others visit him, and then when Buck visits to see the initial work. Kahn also comes up with a third iteration of the same grill with Robotic Arms to flip the burgers and serving tray-handling arms as a Grill Robot.
- Mood-Swinger: Kahn's manic-depression in a nutshell; taking him from a full-of-life extrovert in one moment, to a depressed suicidal mess the next.
- Mundane Utility: "Check it out Hank. Miter Saw, perfect for cutting bread."
- New Job as the Plot Demands: After sharing the idea of The Commander-In-Beef for Grillstravaganza, Buck immediately tosses Kahn a Strickland Propane Hat, welcoming him to the team.
- Parenting the Husband: Kahn relies on Minh for quite a lot, and it shows once she's out of town. Minh apparently refills his medicine for him since he doesn't even know the name of the doctor who prescribed it.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: The title references the The Bangles' song "Manic Monday" ("It's just another Manic Monday").
- Special Guest: Bill Saluga guest stars in-character as Ray J. Johnson, who is heard in one of his comedy records.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: When Kahn is finally able to get his medication refilled, the others expect him to return to normal immediately after taking them. He points out to them that it takes time for his body chemistry to stabilize after a period of not taking the meds, and sure enough he goes through another manic episode before the medication takes effect.
- What Are Records?: While searching in the closet, Bobby and Joseph come across several vinyl records.Joseph: (Pulls out a record from a cover) Dude, the computer this goes in must be huge.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Peggy is disgusted and enraged when she demands to know why Hank has unmarked prescription drugs from a Mexican pharmacy, and is even more appalled when she finds out he's deliberately withholding Kahn's medication to make him build a grill.
- Worth It: After seeing the completed Commander-in-Beef, Kahn says that being off his medication was worth it in the end.
