With Norlock betraying Zim to take Project Domination for himself, the humans and Irkens must team up to defeat him for good.
- Berserk Button: Norlock flies into a rage after Phil is rocketed out of the Meekrob ship.
- Call-Back:
- Dib compares the Lotus-Eater Machine that Norlock sticks him in to the one Zim made in canon.
- Just like back in Episode 3, Skoodge gets chased by Phil after being sprayed with BBQ sauce.
- Chekhov's Gun: The Dream Walker spell from Episode 9 comes back, when Dib uses it to help Steve and Viera escape the Lotus-Eater Machine Norlock stuck them in.
- Enemy Mine: The humans and both Irken factions have to work together in order to defeat Norlock.
- A Glitch in the Matrix: This is how Dib breaks out of his Lotus-Eater Machine. First, he notices there's significant gaps in his memories regarding how he allegedly defeated Zim for good, then he's shocked to see that Gaz and Viera are getting along, and finally realizes that his whole scenario is similar to what Zim put him through in canon, and notes that his life could never be this good.
- Immortals Fear Death: Norlock, countless centuries old, spends his last moments pleading for his life.
- Ironic Echo: At one point during the climatic fight, Norlock says "Here ends the lesson" right before trying to kill Zim. Later, Zim spits it back at him before leaving him to die.
- Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Viera quickly agrees to this with Dib about her dream illusion having her as an anime magical girl in exchange for her not questioning his use of the Dream Walker spell.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: Norlock traps everyone in one of these so he can take Project Domination without their interference. Dib breaks free when he realizes his life can't be that good, and frees the twins with the Dream Walker spell. The Irkens, meanwhile, are freed by their robots.
- Multipart Episode
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Dib's "The Reason You Suck" Speech to him in the previous chapter is what causes the much more dangerous Norlock to break with Zim and try to take Project Domination for himself. Ultimately subverted, however, as this just leads to Norlock's death and the destruction of the weapon.
- No Body Left Behind: Norlock is vaporized when Project Domination explodes with him attached to it.
- No MacGuffin, No Winner: Dib ultimately destroys the control node to Project Domination, rendering it impossible for anyone to use the weapon. Which is itself subsequently destroyed by the resulting Final Battle with Norlock.
- One-Winged Angel: During the final fight, Norlock transforms into a humanoid version of his demonic bat form, which is Nigh-Invulnerable.
- Takes One to Kill One: The Meekrob threw Project Domination into space because they couldn't figure out how to destroy it. Here, though, Dib is able to destroy the control node by throwing it into a blast from the weapon itself, while the main core is damaged after being stabbed with the firing focus. Skoodge even lampshades that it makes sense that the Meekrob didn't think of using that method to destroy it, since as Energy Beings they are above physical force and all.
- This Cannot Be!: Norlock is flabbergasted that Dib and the others managed to escape his Lotus-Eater Machine, and right before he's vaporized says that it can't end like this, and that he can't die.
- Villainous Breakdown: Norlock snaps after the key to Project Domination is destroyed, rendering it useless. He goes One-Winged Angel and mindlessly tries to kill everyone.
- Villains Want Mercy: Norlock and Zim's last interaction is the former begging the latter to save him. Given his betrayal, it's no surprise that Zim leaves him to die.
- Weapon of Mass Destruction: While Project Domination was already established as this, we finally get the details on it here. It's shown that at minimum power, it fires a blast the size of an airplane. Norlock does the math and determines that at maximum power it could blast holes into Earth's surface the size of Lithuania.
- Wham Episode: All three teams ally to defeat Norlock, ultimately killing him and destroying Project Domination in the process.
