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Recap / The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody S 2 E 12 Neither A Borrower Nor A Speller Bee

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Cody attempts to win the district spelling bee, while Zack owes a debt to the semifinalist who is against Cody. Meanwhile, London is earning all the credit for charity work that Maddie, Mary-Margaret, and Corrie are doing.

Tropes Used:

  • An Aesop: Carey keeps making a point to Zack that it doesn't pay to continually borrow money, especially if you can't pay back.
  • Face of a Thug: Maynard. He's big, he looks like your archetypal bully. But he's not as violent as he looks. In fact, he's every bit a nerd like Cody is.
  • Faux Horrific: For his actions, Maynard's family not only grounds him, but revoke his crossword puzzles. Being a nerd himself, Maynard is very distraught and practically begs his father to let him finish the one he's already doing.
  • Good All Along: Downplayed. Maynard may not be saintly if he exhorted Zack to have Cody lose the spelling bee. However, it turns out he's not the violent bully Zack painted him to be. He was simply going to use the peaceful, time-honored method of telling on one's mother.
  • Hidden Depths: So, didn't think a big, burly kid like Maynard would be into spelling bees and crossword puzzles? Think again.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: For both parties. On one hand, Maynard's family grounds him for exploiting Zack to convince Cody to lose the spelling bee. On the other hand, Zack doesn't get off easy and is grounded for borrowing too often.
    • Also in the episode when Zack convinces London to give him the money he needs, Maddie, Mr. Mosby, Norman, and other hotel staff members he owes money to takes so they can get their cut, leaving him with nothing.
  • Poor Communication Kills: If only Zack had bothered to know what "Or else" meant (telling on his mother), then it wouldn't have been so much pressure to pay back Maynard.
  • Spelling Bee: Part of the main plot of the episode.
  • Tempting Fate: When Zack learns Maynard's "Or Else" was to tell on him to his mother, Zack scoffs at the threat and claims he's not scared of his mother. Cue Carey entering the lobby with the retort "You should be".

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