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* LongTitle
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* FatalMethodActing: Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], is a guest on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show''. She casts a hex on the host while several scientists are there to debunk her "magic". Unfortunately, things go wrong when Marty actually dies from her hex, and Austin tries to figure out [[ScoobyDooHoax who is really behind]] Marty's death.
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* FatalMethodActing: InUniverse, Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], is a guest on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show''. She casts a hex on the host while several scientists are there to debunk her "magic". Unfortunately, things go wrong when Marty actually dies from her hex, and Austin tries to figure out [[ScoobyDooHoax who is really behind]] Marty's death.
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P Age Creation
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Originally airing on 17 March 1988, "Black Cats Don't Walk Under Ladders (Do They?)" begins with Austin preparing an experiment in his laboratory/warehouse. Mickey comes in while a timer is [[TimeBomb counting down]] (he was testing a bomb). She came in early to share exciting news; Marty Corrigan (Creator/StanleyKamel), of ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', is going to have Sabrina Stillwater (Creator/LinaRaymond) on as a guest to hex him on-air while top scientists like Austin James and Dr. Roman Drakovich (Creator/EricChristmas) [[ScoobyDooHoax debunk her magical powers]].
While Austin is onstage for the talk show, [[FatalMethodActing Marty dies]]. Sabrina is the obvious suspect, but it's up to Austin, and Mickey, to prove who is really behind his death.
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!!This episode provides examples of:
* AllWitchesHaveCats: Sabrina Stillwater, who claims to be a [[WitchClassic witch]], owns a black cat named Dragon.
* BluffingTheMurderer: During TheSummation, Austin uses the killer's own knowledge against them, causing them to believe that they've been affected by the same [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned tea]] that was used to kill Marty Corrigan. He has to do it because until the killer confessed, he wasn't sure which of the suspects had done it.
* BrickJoke: Unimpressed by Mickey's credulity with magic, Austin "curses" her to do three things in the next 48 hours; break out in hives, cook him a trout amandine, and kiss a bald man on the head. He explains that it's because YourMindMakesItReal. The conversation moves on from there, but by the end of the scene, Mickey is already scratching her hands. The episode ends with Mickey having kissed an old bald man and the two having a fancy fish dinner. The joke is on Austin, though, Mickey cooked mackerel, not trout.
* BroadcastLive: Backstage for the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', Sabrina Stillwater challenges the Daytime TalkShow host to let her [[WitchClassic cast a hex]] on him while the whole country is watching him. It's a RatingsStunt because they both need the publicity. Things go wrong when [[FatalMethodActing the hex actually kills Marty Corrigan]].
* CoincidentalBroadcast: When Mickey is talking to Austin about going on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', she turns on Austin's television during the episode where they announce Austin will be showing up as a guest star. Somewhat JustifiedTrope due to Mickey knowing what time the episodes air, but [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail only the directly relevant parts of the episode are shown]], rather than turning it on/off halfway through a sentence or during a commercial break.
* FatalMethodActing: Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], is a guest on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show''. She casts a hex on the host while several scientists are there to debunk her "magic". Unfortunately, things go wrong when Marty actually dies from her hex, and Austin tries to figure out [[ScoobyDooHoax who is really behind]] Marty's death.
* LongTitle
* OmniscientDatabase: Austin uses his laboratory/warehouse computer to logon to the "world directory" when he needs to find information on geneticist Kevin Drake.
* RatingsStunt: For the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', the Daytime TalkShow host is going to let Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], cast a hex on him [[BroadcastLive during a live show]], while the "brightest scientific minds of the country" try to debunk her. Things go wrong when [[FatalMethodActing the hex actually kills Marty Corrigan]].
* ScoobyDooHoax: Austin, along with several other scientists, have been invited to be on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'' while [[WitchClassic local witch]], Sabrina Stillwater, tries to hex the host. They're supposed to be debunking her "magic", but when [[FatalMethodActing the host actually dies after she casts the hex]], Austin and Mickey being to look for evidence to prove [[MurderMystery who really killed Corrigan]].
* ShoutOut:
** Creator/WilliamShakespeare's {{Theatre/Macbeth}}'': Marty Corrigan misquotes one of the lines when Sabrina Stillwater enters his dressing room; "By the pricking of my thumbs, something ''rancid'' this way comes".
** Music/TheClovers: Marty Corrigan misquotes the title to one of their songs, "Love Potion No. 9", when he mocks Sabrina Stillwater for trying to [[WitchClassic cast a spell on him]], calling it "hate potion number 9".
* ShowWithinAShow: ''The Marty Corrigan Show'' is a Daytime TalkShow where the titular host invites Sabrina Stillwater to hex him as well as several celebrity scientists (like Austin James) to [[ScoobyDooHoax debunk her magic]].
* SmokeOut: When Sabrina Stillwater, a [[WitchClassic witch]], appears on ''[[ShowWithinAShow The Marty Corrigan Show]]'', she makes her entrance with a bang and a cloud of smoke.
* TheSummation: Having proven that the "bearded man" and Sabrina Stillwater are both innocent of the murder, Austin has his four remaining suspects meet him on the stage of ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', where he serves them [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink tea]], which he claims is poisoned with the same sort of SyntheticPlague that killed Marty Corrigan. He describes how the virus was developed and delivered, and convinces the murderer to confess.
* SyntheticPlague: Austin realizes that the virus that killed Marty Corrigan was genetically tailored to affect only him, despite being exposed to several other people at the same time. He takes the virus to create his own that he unleashes during TheSummation.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink:
** Marty Corrigan, host of a ShowWithinAShow, [[FatalMethodActing dies]] during a [[BroadcastLive live broadcast]]. Austin suspects someone did something to the tea that was served, but out of the three people who drank, only one died.
** At TheSummation, when Austin is revealing the killer, he reveals that the tea he served his suspects were poisoned the same way as Marty Corrigan's was.
* TimeBomb: When we first see [[MadScientist Austin]] in this episode, he's testing a new chemical explosive, and he sets up an egg timer to do the countdown for him. Unfortunately, his secretary walks in during this test and he has to stop the timer at three seconds.
* WitchClassic: Sabrina Stillwater is a modern-day female wiccan, also known as a witch. She [[InvokedTrope plays up]] several of the traditional stereotypes about witches, including [[AllWitchesHaveCates owning a black cat]] that she named Dragon, and black clothing with occult jewelry.
* YourMindMakesItReal:
** Austin insists that magic isn't real, it's merely the power of suggestion that will cause people to act out a curse.
** Austin uses [[BluffingTheMurderer the killer's own knowledge against them]], causing them to believe that they've been affected by the same [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned tea]] that was used to kill Marty Corrigan.
** Austin claims to be immune to the power of suggestion, so Mickey challenges him, then reveals that she's already tricked him (the dinner she served is actually mackerel, not trout).
----
While Austin is onstage for the talk show, [[FatalMethodActing Marty dies]]. Sabrina is the obvious suspect, but it's up to Austin, and Mickey, to prove who is really behind his death.
----
!!This episode provides examples of:
* AllWitchesHaveCats: Sabrina Stillwater, who claims to be a [[WitchClassic witch]], owns a black cat named Dragon.
* BluffingTheMurderer: During TheSummation, Austin uses the killer's own knowledge against them, causing them to believe that they've been affected by the same [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned tea]] that was used to kill Marty Corrigan. He has to do it because until the killer confessed, he wasn't sure which of the suspects had done it.
* BrickJoke: Unimpressed by Mickey's credulity with magic, Austin "curses" her to do three things in the next 48 hours; break out in hives, cook him a trout amandine, and kiss a bald man on the head. He explains that it's because YourMindMakesItReal. The conversation moves on from there, but by the end of the scene, Mickey is already scratching her hands. The episode ends with Mickey having kissed an old bald man and the two having a fancy fish dinner. The joke is on Austin, though, Mickey cooked mackerel, not trout.
* BroadcastLive: Backstage for the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', Sabrina Stillwater challenges the Daytime TalkShow host to let her [[WitchClassic cast a hex]] on him while the whole country is watching him. It's a RatingsStunt because they both need the publicity. Things go wrong when [[FatalMethodActing the hex actually kills Marty Corrigan]].
* CoincidentalBroadcast: When Mickey is talking to Austin about going on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', she turns on Austin's television during the episode where they announce Austin will be showing up as a guest star. Somewhat JustifiedTrope due to Mickey knowing what time the episodes air, but [[TheLawOfConservationOfDetail only the directly relevant parts of the episode are shown]], rather than turning it on/off halfway through a sentence or during a commercial break.
* FatalMethodActing: Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], is a guest on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show''. She casts a hex on the host while several scientists are there to debunk her "magic". Unfortunately, things go wrong when Marty actually dies from her hex, and Austin tries to figure out [[ScoobyDooHoax who is really behind]] Marty's death.
* LongTitle
* OmniscientDatabase: Austin uses his laboratory/warehouse computer to logon to the "world directory" when he needs to find information on geneticist Kevin Drake.
* RatingsStunt: For the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', the Daytime TalkShow host is going to let Sabrina Stillwater, [[WitchClassic a witch]], cast a hex on him [[BroadcastLive during a live show]], while the "brightest scientific minds of the country" try to debunk her. Things go wrong when [[FatalMethodActing the hex actually kills Marty Corrigan]].
* ScoobyDooHoax: Austin, along with several other scientists, have been invited to be on the ShowWithinAShow, ''The Marty Corrigan Show'' while [[WitchClassic local witch]], Sabrina Stillwater, tries to hex the host. They're supposed to be debunking her "magic", but when [[FatalMethodActing the host actually dies after she casts the hex]], Austin and Mickey being to look for evidence to prove [[MurderMystery who really killed Corrigan]].
* ShoutOut:
** Creator/WilliamShakespeare's {{Theatre/Macbeth}}'': Marty Corrigan misquotes one of the lines when Sabrina Stillwater enters his dressing room; "By the pricking of my thumbs, something ''rancid'' this way comes".
** Music/TheClovers: Marty Corrigan misquotes the title to one of their songs, "Love Potion No. 9", when he mocks Sabrina Stillwater for trying to [[WitchClassic cast a spell on him]], calling it "hate potion number 9".
* ShowWithinAShow: ''The Marty Corrigan Show'' is a Daytime TalkShow where the titular host invites Sabrina Stillwater to hex him as well as several celebrity scientists (like Austin James) to [[ScoobyDooHoax debunk her magic]].
* SmokeOut: When Sabrina Stillwater, a [[WitchClassic witch]], appears on ''[[ShowWithinAShow The Marty Corrigan Show]]'', she makes her entrance with a bang and a cloud of smoke.
* TheSummation: Having proven that the "bearded man" and Sabrina Stillwater are both innocent of the murder, Austin has his four remaining suspects meet him on the stage of ''The Marty Corrigan Show'', where he serves them [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink tea]], which he claims is poisoned with the same sort of SyntheticPlague that killed Marty Corrigan. He describes how the virus was developed and delivered, and convinces the murderer to confess.
* SyntheticPlague: Austin realizes that the virus that killed Marty Corrigan was genetically tailored to affect only him, despite being exposed to several other people at the same time. He takes the virus to create his own that he unleashes during TheSummation.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink:
** Marty Corrigan, host of a ShowWithinAShow, [[FatalMethodActing dies]] during a [[BroadcastLive live broadcast]]. Austin suspects someone did something to the tea that was served, but out of the three people who drank, only one died.
** At TheSummation, when Austin is revealing the killer, he reveals that the tea he served his suspects were poisoned the same way as Marty Corrigan's was.
* TimeBomb: When we first see [[MadScientist Austin]] in this episode, he's testing a new chemical explosive, and he sets up an egg timer to do the countdown for him. Unfortunately, his secretary walks in during this test and he has to stop the timer at three seconds.
* WitchClassic: Sabrina Stillwater is a modern-day female wiccan, also known as a witch. She [[InvokedTrope plays up]] several of the traditional stereotypes about witches, including [[AllWitchesHaveCates owning a black cat]] that she named Dragon, and black clothing with occult jewelry.
* YourMindMakesItReal:
** Austin insists that magic isn't real, it's merely the power of suggestion that will cause people to act out a curse.
** Austin uses [[BluffingTheMurderer the killer's own knowledge against them]], causing them to believe that they've been affected by the same [[TamperingWithFoodAndDrink poisoned tea]] that was used to kill Marty Corrigan.
** Austin claims to be immune to the power of suggestion, so Mickey challenges him, then reveals that she's already tricked him (the dinner she served is actually mackerel, not trout).
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