Production Code: 204
After receiving an ominous vision from the Oracle Twins foretelling the Huntsman possibly causing the doom of all magical creatures, Jake and Spud go undercover at the Huntsclan's top secret training facility to try and learn more. What they instead find is Rose, who offers to help them. But has Rose really changed her ways... or will she finally slay her first dragon?
This episode provides examples of:
- Aborted Arc: The Oracle Twins’ visions of “magical creatures crying out in agony” because of the Huntsclan.
Executive Meddling made sure that it never paid off. - Academy of Evil: The Huntsclan Academy.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jake and Spud manage to escape the Huntsclan Academy with their lives, but they fail to learn anything about the Huntsman's master plan. Rose also gets out of the Academy and returns to Millard Fillmore Middle School, vowing to be a close ally to Jake...but the danger the Huntsclan presents is going to have to make them keep their distance.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: This episode is the first notable instance of Spud actually being a genius when it comes to math and computers. He's able to decode the Huntsclan's encryption after only a few seconds of hacking, something that the magical community failed to do after centuries of effort.
- Call-Back:
- Jake makes one to the end of "The Hunted" after Spud states that Rose can't be trusted.
Jake: Rose had a chance to slay me once. She let me go.- Rose's visit to Jake's dream in "Half Baked" also gets two of these. After hearing Sara's prophecy, Jake compares her warning to Rose's. Later, after the two of them are reunited in the Huntsclan Academy, Rose reminds Jake that he can't save her.
- Chekhov's Gun: The potion Jake and Spud accidentally make that gives a dragon the temporary appearance of being dead. Guess who uses it to get both himself and Rose out of the Academy.
- Disproportionate Retribution: This seems to be the Huntsclan Academy's stock in trade; if students step out of line, instead of putting them in detention, they are made to fight a sea monster.
- Faking the Dead: The end of the episode consists of Jake and Rose staging a battle where Rose feigns slaying Jake to help Jake escape and get herself back in the good graces of the Huntsman.
- Fed to the Beast: As mentioned above, misbehaving students are sent to an amphitheater to fight a sea monster, most likely to the death, in order to win their place back.
- The Infiltration: Jake and Spud spend most of the episode dressed in Huntsclan trainee uniforms and in the Huntsclan Academy to uncover the Huntsman's endgame plan.
- Lame Rhyme Dodge: Spud, as he's being forced to watch Jake and Rose's duel to the death.Spud: Jake! I mean...cake is what I'll eat to celebrate the slaying of this dragon!
- Most Definitely Not a Villain: Jake isn't very good at keeping a low profile sometimes.Huntsclan Academy Teacher: You, there! Front and center! I need a dragon!Jake: I'm not a dragon! I hate dragons! Blech!Huntsclan Academy Teacher: I need you to *play* the part of a dragon for a little demonstration.Jake: Oh, right. I'll just pretend to be a dragon because I'm obviously not a dragon.
- Never Say "Die": A notable aversion. The potion Jake and Spud make is said to give "the temporary appearance of death".
- Ninja School: The Huntsclan Academy, again.
- One-Hit Kill: It's revealed in this episode that a direct hit behind a dragon's left ear will result in a "clean slay".
- Pinned to the Ground: Jake is pinned down twice by Rose:
- The first time, he is pinned down in a lesson to demonstrate how to keep dragons in place before going in for the kill.
- The second time, Rose finds him sneaking around and pins him to the ground to remove his mask.
- Plot Hole: Despite facing him in battle countless times in the past, the Huntsman doesn't recognize Jake as the American Dragon after he's exposed as an impostor. It's because the plot demands that the Huntsman think the dragon is killed by Rose so Jake can escape and Rose can get out of the Academy, but it still makes for a headscratcher.
- Running Gag: The two Huntsclan trainee girls fighting each other over Spud.
- The Stinger: Huntsboys #88 and #89 wind up as freak show attractions on Coney Island after an attempt to find Lao-Shi's shop.
- Villains Out Shopping: Jake lampshades how the Huntsclan's academy isn't that different from their school, it has jocks, nerds, and motor-heads sitting at their respective tables.
- You Monster!: Spud lashes out at Rose when it appears that Rose has killed Jake and she comes to join him beside Jake's body. Subverted shortly thereafter, when Rose explains the ruse. Spud then awkwardly apologizes.Spud: You did this, you evil two-faced dragon-slaying ninja she-witch!
