Peg and Cat are visiting Richard on his home planet, aptly named the Purple Planet. Peg is excited by Richard's toys and asks which one they'll play with first: the i-Sky which moves space objects, the "auto-twist" which is essentially a self-spinning hula hoop, or the tractor ray, which can lift things and people? Richard doesn't want to play with any of these toys— instead he wants to buy a new one, namely a gadget from the "Yellow Store".
Peg and Cat are confused, so Richard explains that the Yellow Store is a store that sells yellow gadgets and they've got a new one. He then adds that he wants to be first in line to buy it. Peg asks why that's so important and he laments in song that he's been last in line his whole life and wants to be first for a change.
Peg and Cat are saddened by this song and promise to make this aspiration a reality. Richard is worried because they've been spending valuable time talking, but then Mac drives by on a "space bus". They board the bus, and drive to the Yellow Store, but while they sing Problem Solved, everyone else departs the bus and queues for the store. The line is made up of, in order, the Pig, Toad, a lanky alien, Parrot, the pirates, the Neighbour Ladies, the farmer, a three-eyed alien, the Teens, a one-eyed alien, Beethoven, Peg, Cat, and Richard.
Richard starts to complain in song again, but Peg says that he gives up too quickly and they'll find a way for him to be first somehow. He gives them two of his gadgets as a thank-you, then Ramone appears behind the line. He reveals that he's the Yellow Store's manager and has a strict rule: everyone who steps out of the line must move to the back.
Beethoven volunteers to keep an eye on the line, but Jessie points out he stepped out of line. Beethoven refutes this by saying that he only stepped one foot out and compares it to the Hokey Pokey. Ramone then throws several gadgets into a recycling bin, piquing Big Mouth's interest, and leaves.
Peg has a plan: make everyone step out of line. She wonders how long the line is, and then she sees Cat draw a line in the dirt. This gives her an idea: make a number line. She does, and determines that there are twenty people in the line, but then is sent back for stepping out of line.
Greybeard starts to complain of boredom, prompting Matey and Buckler to complain about Greybeard's "bellyaching". Captain then starts to complain about how long it's taking to cook some bacon. Peg slyly gives the pirates something to do: count the line with terms like "first, second, third". They do, and sure enough, they get sent to the back of the line.
This makes the Teens salty, however, since previously they had the spots in line that corresponded to their ages and now they don't. Peg asks the Teens if they want to swap, and they gladly accept. The Neighbour Ladies overhear Peg and the Teens talking and go to ask Ramone if "swapsies" are allowed, only to get sent to the back of the line.
Big Mouth then appears, causing everyone to run away in fear of him eating their gadgets. Ramone steps in and makes Big Mouth wait in line, prompting everyone to form a new line, with Big Mouth first, then Richard, Peg, Cat, Beethoven, etc. Peg freaks out, this time because she doesn't want Richard to sing again.
This prompts the usual routine of counting backwards and getting inspired, this time by Cat playing with a gadget. Her idea is to have everyone throw their gadgets into the recycle bin to distract Big Mouth. And it works. Everyone buys a new yellow gadget, and it turns out that they produce disco lights. Using the disco lights, they have a dance party and sing about number lines.
This episode provides examples of
- Artistic License – Child Labor Laws: Ramone is somehow allowed to be a manager despite being somewhere between six and twelve.
- Batman Gambit: Everybody throws their yellow gadgets, knowing that Big Mouth will step out of line to try to eat them.
- Big "WHAT?!": Richard shouts, "What?!" when he notices the eponymous long line.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Richard says the "big problem" lines instead of Peg.
- Buffy Speak: Peg describes Richard as her and Cat's "bestest" space creature buddy.
- Complaining About Complaining: When Greybeard complains about being bored, Matey and Buckler chastise him for "bellyaching".
- Continuity Nod: The "i-Sky" from "The Doohickey Problem" features again.
- Contrived Coincidence: Not only does the space bus show up in the nick of time, the Yellow Store is its next spot.
- Cyclops: A one-eyed alien is seen waiting in line.
- Extra Eyes: A three-eyed alien is part of the line.
- Gratuitous Foreign Language: Cat says, "Aloha!" after hula hooping.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Richard lampshades this by reading the episode title, groaning, and complaining, "Why does there always have to be a problem?!".
- Literal-Minded: When Richard says that he's so close to being first that he "can almost smell it", Cat asks what it smells like.
- Melancholy Musical Number: Richard sings too morose songs about him never having been first in line.
- Musical Number Annoyance: Peg's reason for freaking out is she doesn't want Richard to sing again.
- Musicalis Interruptus: Richard interrupts the "Problem Solved" song to ask where the other passengers are going.
- Pun:
- Peg says that space "never gets old, even though technically, it's the oldest thing ever."
- During the song, there's a "seven ate nine" joke.
- Right on Queue: The whole episode has the premise of Richard wanting to be first in line for a change.
- Single Tear: Richard sheds exactly one tear during his first song.
- Space Episode: This episode takes place on an abandoned planet.
- Speak in Unison:
- When Ramone enforces his rules, everyone replies in unison. They then lampshade it.Everyone: "Wow, everybody's talking at the same time! Weird, right?!"
- After the reveal that the gadgets produce lights, everyone says in unison, "Oh, so that's what they do!".
- When Ramone enforces his rules, everyone replies in unison. They then lampshade it.
- Tempting Fate: Peg starts to sing "Problem Solved", which actually causes her and the others to be last in line since it gives the others time to line up.
- Title Drop: When Richard is thanking his friends, he says, "Oh, Peg, oh, Cat, oh, Peg plus Cat."
