Prepare to see a dragon's true identity exposed!
Production Code: 215
Jake pulls a prank on Rotwood that gets him fired as Millard Fillmore Middle School's principal. But when the new principal arrives and Jake learns of his true nature, Jake's going to wish he only had to deal with Rotwood...
Tropes
- Air-Vent Passageway: Jake, Spud, and Trixie use the school's air vents to sneak into Brock's office to steal the Brocium before he can use it to expose the dragon's identity.
- Astonishingly Appropriate Interruption: When Trixie is talking about how impressive it was for Rotwood to trick Brock on the American Dragon's identity, Jake bushes it off:Jake: Please. You think that was planned? Rotwood’s so clueless, he probably did think the AmDrag was-
Rotwood: Jake Long! - Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Brock usually gives an air of being a kind, laid-back, docile principal. It's all just a facade for the students. In reality, Brock is not only as obsessed with magical creatures as Rotwood, he's strict at best and choleric at worst.
- Continuity Nod:
- Susan smashing a broom over Rotwood's head when she first sees him is evidence that she still hasn't forgotten the events from "Shapeshifter" where Jake glamoured as Rotwood acted like a nutcase in front of her and Jonathan.
- Rotwood mentions that he always suspected Jake was a dragon, relating to how in "Professor Rotwood's Thesis" where had Jake in the back of an armored in car when he was dragon form and planned to show him to the world in front of a camera crew, for only for Jake to change back to human form.
- Deducing the Secret Identity: Both Rotwood and Brock are able to deduce that Jake is a dragon.
- Brock suspects Jake, Spud, or Trixie could be a dragon based on reading their student files on their unexplained absences and curious behavior, as well how quick they went to investigate the giant bugs he planted in the basement, like they have experienced it before.
- Rotwood reveals he has always suspected that Jake was the dragon he tried to show the world in front of a a camera crew, and confirms it using the last drop of the potion to expose Jake's dragon claw.
- Didn't Think This Through: And how! Jake's plan relied on Rotwood pulling off a drag disguise and Trixie and Spud using suction cups to sneak into Brock's office. But Rotwood's disguise isn't convincing, and both Trixie and Spud get stuck using the suction cups.
- Disaster Dominoes: Rotwood becomes so befuddled in his attempt to explain away the altered script line that he ends up cueing the band early, accidentally knocking off the head of President Fillmore's wooden statue, yelling at Fillmore's great-great-great-granddaughter when she starts singing, and finally tripping over the head where he rips his pants and plants his underwear-laden rear on the bust's face.
- The Dog Bites Back: Rotwood exacts this on both his enemies, Brock for all his badgering years ago and Jake for treating him like a Butt-Monkey (not to mention pulling the prank that lost his job). For Brock, he tricks him into humiliating himself and revealing his true nature, leaving him to take back his job as the school principal. And Jake? He gets a small victory by partially exposing Jake's claw.
- Enemy Mine: Jake and Rotwood are surprised to learn they share a common enemy in Brock.
- Freudian Excuse: Sigmund Brock inspired Rotwood to hunt and study magical creatures, but he was hard on Rotwood and failed him very often. That's why Rotwood is the strict, magic-obsessed teacher he is today.
- Freudian Slip: Jake eventually makes one concerning his prank on Rotwood. (see Nice Job Breaking It, Hero)
- Hidden Depths: This episode marks the start of Stacey developing a personality beyond her surface-level Alpha Bitch cheerleader persona. She develops a romantic interest in Spud because she finds sensitive guys attractive and is smart enough to put two-and-two together when she sees him eating onions on-stage.
- Irony: In order to find a dragon at Jake's school, Brock has the cover of being indulgent and laid-back towards the students. Years ago, when he was Rotwood's professor, Brock was actually a strict teacher who was never easy to please.
- Kick the Dog: In response to trying to get him fired, Brock announces to the whole student body how Jake almost got him (their popular new principal) fired, thus turning the school against Jake and his friends.
- Meaningful Echo: Back when he was his student, Brock would fail Rotwood for his inability to capture magical creatures by donning a dunce cap on the young Rotwood's head. In the present day, before security escorts Brock for caging three children, Rotwood (who tricked him into looking bad) places a dunce cap on his former teacher's head. This has a triumphant ring to it, as it reflects Rotwood's newfound competence.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Jake gets Rotwood fired from his job as school principal, leaving Brock to step in. Not so bad, right? Except Brock is more adept at hunting magical creatures.
- When Jake and Rotwood (after a failed attempt to get Brock fired) look back on the good old days of their rivalry, Jake accidentally lets it slip that he was the one who set up the prank that cost Rotwood his job. This motivates a livid Rotwood to not only team up with Brock out of vengeance (only to manipulate Brock into getting himself fired), but to also get the dragon-exposing potion.
- Oh, Crap!: The looks on Jake, Trixie, and Spud's faces at the end after Rotwood confirms his suspicion of Jake’s magical nature.
- Onion Tears: Spud constantly eats onions throughout the episode to ensure he remains weepy so as to appear sensitive for Stacey.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Jake's "Aww man!" phrase quieter and spoken seriously after Rotwood discovers his secret.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Brock set up the magical monsters in the basement, evacuating the students. All but three (Jake, Spud, and Trixie), according to some recorded footage. Brock deduces that whereas ordinary people would run from the danger, only a dragon (and his friends) would run toward the danger.
- Running Gag: Spud eating onions in order to keep up the act that he's a sensitive guy in front of Stacey.
- Script Swap: Jake manages to get Rotwood fired by replacing a line in his teleprompter script with one saying that he spits gum in his "monkey-faced" students' hair while addressing an audience of their parents.
- Sitcom Homage Episode: The first thirty seconds of the episode parody a standard romantic sitcom starring Spud and Stacey.
- The Stinger: Rotwood reveals other magical secrets that he knows.Rotwood: The Bermuda Triangle? Actually a trapezoid!
[shows trapezoid on the map]
Rotwood: Pixie dust? Made from real pixies!
[shows pixies screaming from within a factory]
Rotwood: Bigfoot? Quite lovely in ankle-high stiletto boots.
[shows a Sasquatch wearing stilettos] - Sudden Downer Ending: Everything appears to work out well for Jake near the end of the episode, with Rotwood tricking Brock into throwing his dragon revealing potion onto Spud instead of Jake while the trio are in a cage in front of a big audience, removing the threat of the potion and getting Brock fired and arrested. With Rotwood back as principal, Jake thinks that the comfortable status quo is going to return... but then Rotwood reveals he saved one drop of the potion and uses it to confirm Jake's magical nature, vowing to expose him in the future.
- Trailers Always Spoil: The promo
for the episode shows Jake with a horrified look on his face and his dragon claws exposed. This is the last scene of the episode when Rotwood exposes him. - Villain with Good Publicity: Brock uses his popularity as a kindly principal to secure his job so he can hunt for "the dragon", which he knows is a student. Later on, Rotwood tricks Brock into dropping the act, and in public no less. Having planned this the whole time, Rotwood uses the opportunity to seem like the benevolent principal Brock previously pretended to be, pulling this trope as well.
- Wham Episode: Rotwood knows Jake is a dragon, and he's also upped his game as a professional antagonist and chessmaster.
