After not getting the part in a school play and getting detention, Gumball thinks there's a secret society in Elmore Junior High that gives special treatment to select students...and Gumball does what he can to get in.
Tropes:
- Accidental Aiming Skills: Mr. Small tells Gumball that he should leave a "headshot" (a picture), so Gumball shoots an arrow at Mr. Small's head. Gumball says he was actually aiming for the picture Mr. Small was holding.
- Arson, Murder, and Admiration:Gumball: There is a secret society in this school. A corrupt circuit promoting inequality. A disgusting organization encouraging injustice and elitism!... And I want in.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:I'll do anything [to join]! Like drink bats' blood. Or fight with a flaming sword. Or touch the gross metal part of the water fountain with my cheek!
- Bait-and-Switch: There's an obvious setup for Gumball to take the request to "roast" Richwood High (i.e. make fun of) literally and set their school on fire, with him dragging in what looks like a charred corpse. He actually just made fun of Carlton who is in their pig mascot costume, and painted the costume like it was roasted.
- Bittersweet Ending: Gumball still idiotically believes that there is a secret society in their school, but is fine with not being in it, as he has Darwin to always be there with him.
- Bookcase Passage: Gumball keeps pulling things in the library to find a switch, but just manages to cause Bookshelf Dominoes and rip a light fixture and pipe out of the wall.
- Comically Missing the Point:Darwin: I think I know why things never go your way. You never know when to quit.
Gumball: You're right—I always give up too soon!- One step of the initiation involves beating on the head with pillows presented on a silver platter. Gumball decides to do it himself with the platter instead of the pillows.
- Epic Fail: Gumball attempts to explain to Principal Brown that what he did to Mr. Small was an accident using a paperclip and a rubber band. The paperclip gets launched into Principal Brown's eyes, causing him to fall out the window, and bounces around into an electric socket, causing smoke that set off the fire sprinklers. Principal Brown gives him detention for three months.
- Everyone Has Standards: Everyone can't stand Gumball's wreckless actions, but they still don't want him to be hurt.
- Failed a Spot Check: Gumball hides on Tobias's back, even putting his feet in the same shoes, but Tobias doesn't realize what's going on. He thinks the extra weight is just because he's in bad shape and when Gumball starts talking, Tobias thinks he's Hearing Voices.
- Felony Misdemeanor: Mr. Small gets hit by a toy arrow with a suction cup on it, but everyone reacts and speaks of it as if it was an actual arrow.Principal Brown: You're in detention for the rest of the month.
Gumball: What?! Banana Joe just got a slap on the wrist for what he did.
Principal Brown: Banana Joe was running through the hall. You shot an arrow into a teacher's head. - Literal Surveillance Bug: Leslie mentioned that Gumball "tried to bug me—with actual bugs!"
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Gumball shoots a suction-cup arrow at Mr. Small's forehead and, a few seconds later he briefly says "ow", he falls to the ground screaming continuously.
- Mockspiracy: Gumball thinks a bunch of the other students are in a secret society that are planning against him. They aren't, but they pretend to be just so Gumball will stop bothering them about it.
- Never My Fault: Gumball blames everything bad that happens to him on a conspiracy, even though he brings everything on himself.
- No Snack for You: Gumball takes a vending machine not giving him the chips he paid for as proof that the world is against him. He knocks the thing around a lot to get it out before Tobias gets it for free, but when Tobias puts a coin in everything falls out.
- Not Hyperbole: Darwin's role in the play is operating the lightswitch, which he finds a lot more impressive than Gumball does.Gumball: You know when people say "I could do that job with my little finger"? In your case, it's actually true.
Darwin: But I only have one finger. - Paper-Thin Disguise: Gumball fails to recognize the members of the fake secret society because they were wearing face masks, even though everyone can be recognized by the rest of their bodies.Banana Joe: Dude, I clearly look like a banana wearing a sock.
- Reference Overdosed: When Gumball is complaining about the lack of action in the play, he whips through a ton of references to everything from Indiana Jones to The Avengers to Mortal Kombat and more.
- Secret Handshake: Gumball thinks he can get into the secret society if he gives Principal Brown the right handshake. He tries a large number of strange handshakes, which just make Brown uncomfortable.Brown: I... think I need to wash my hand.
- Shout-Out: Banana Joe's mask as the leader of the Secret Society reminds of the mask of Friend, from 20th Century Boys.
- Theory Tunnelvision: Gumball thinks everyone is conspiring against him despite a lack of motive and evidence. Everyone pretends they actually are to get him to stop bothering them, but ultimately admitted to be faking. Gumball gives up on becoming a member, but still thinks the conspiracy is real and they were just bluffing.
- Trust-Building Blunder: The final trial for joining the society is a trust fall on the roof forward onto a bunch of pillows, but Gumball insists that he's supposed to fall backward, which will send him off the roof. They call the whole thing off before he ends up killing himself.
- Who's on First?:Rocky: My ElmorePlus [password] is "unbreakable".
Gumball: Right. What is it though?
Rocky: "Unbreakable".
