Rob walks in on Laura and Millie discussing an effort to fool him, which turns out to be a surprise party. Laura quickly finds out that he knows, and the week descends into chaos as the pair try to outwit and outmaneuver each other.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Birthday Episode: Laura knows that Rob knows that Laura is planning a surprise party for his birthday, but she manages to surprise him anyway by making it look like everyone is cancelling their attendance - then suddenly SURPRISE! It's his party - and everyone are in their pajamas (because the party is at 6am).
- Birthday Party Goes Wrong: Subverted. Rob overhears Laura talking to Sally on the phone just before the birthday party she planned. When he comes into the room, she tearfully tells him that she was planning a surprise party for him, but none of the guests can make it. Rob reassures her, and the two leave the room for breakfast...whereupon everyone jumps out from behind the living room furniture. It was all part of the plan.
- Chekhov's Gun: Sally shows Rob two theatre tickets belonging to her and her Aunt Agnes to prove that her turning down Laura's dinner invitation isn't part of a plan to throw a surprise party. It turns out that Sally bought those two tickets for him and Laura, to go along with the presents the others gave Rob.
- Kansas City Shuffle: Laura lets Rob find out that she's planning a surprise party under the guise of a private dinner party...so he won't suspect anything about her plans to throw the party in the morning.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Rob initially thinks Laura and Millie are talking about Laura having an affair. Rob is is horrified to overhear the conversation. ("Gee, Millie, I hope this is worth it. I mean to go through all this deception just for a few fleeting moments of excitement. I don't know.") However, on the second conversation he eavesdrops on, he hears Laura lament how difficult throwing a surprise party is.
- Surprise Party: Laura outwits Rob by pretending that she was planning a surprise birthday party for him (which she does every year and he always finds out in advance) but her plans fall through — but then it turns out that that was a fib, and the surprise party happens at like 6 in the morning.
- Zany Scheme Chicken: Laura schemes a surprise party for Rob. He snoops on her and finds out about it, but counter-schemes by pretending not to. Guest after guest says they can't make it. Late that evening, after the last phone call, Laura breaks down crying and apologizes for ruining his birthday. Rob consoles her by saying he knew about the party all along. Laura then jokes that "next year" he'll be surprised for real, because she'll have the party — right now! Yelling "Surprise!", all the guests come into the living room wearing pajamas.
