The principal looks different with her hair wet. Maybe it's the green skin.
Production Code: 206
Jake's attempts to get his grandfather off his back by courting him with a girlfriend blows up in his face when Lao-Shi gets romantically involved with Principal Derceto. Meanwhile, a fearsome, life-draining magical creature is preying on magical creatures in Jake's neighborhood, with its eyes ultimately set on the American Dragon.
This episode provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Principal Derceto.
- Actually Pretty Funny: Spud's reaction when Rotwood catches Jake mocking him with a Rotwood puppet and returns in kind with his own mockery of Jake.Spud: I'm sorry, bro, but you gotta admit that was some sweet poopenschpieling.
- Big "NO!": Played for Laughs. Jake lets out one when Lao Shi asks Principal Derceto out to dinner, and she accepts.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Kelpie has been caught and arrested. But not only does this mean Principal Derceto has to return to Atlantis (much to hers and Lao Shi's heartbreak), but Professor Rotwood is the school's new principal.
- Black Comedy: Silver's description of what happens when the Kelpie feeds on its intended victim.Jake: Whoa! Remind and remix! This thing wants to eat me so it can be me?!Silver: He won't actually eat you. He'll just slowly drain your essence with his icy cold bite, sending your soul into eternal darkness, and leaving your lifeless husk of a body behind.Silver: (sees Jake's "No. Just… No" Reaction) Oh. That's not much better, is it?Fu Dog: Well, I guess it's nice that you get to keep your husk.
- Call-Back: When Jake comes to his grandfather with his suspicion that Derceto is the Kelpie, he mentions that he knows how hard it is to realize that the person you love is your enemy, which he experienced in "Ski Trip".
- Continuity Nod: One to "The Hunted". When he meets Silver again for the first time since the Grand Equinox Hunt, Jake asks her how her fear of water is going. She's relapsed.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: After the misunderstanding between Jake and Principal Derceto is cleared up, he soon realizes they've got another problem; the real Kelpie is still on the loose, which means Lao Shi is in danger.Principal Derceto: I was one of the mermaid detectives sent out to find the escaped Kelpie. I thought it might be you. The way I kept finding you every place the beast attacked, the-the changes you'd said you'd gone through in the past year… well, I… I thought real Jake Long had been eaten and replaced. It's the perfect cover, really.
Jake: But what about those chains we found when we broke into your office?
Principal Derceto: (sighs) Evidence I picked up on the… YOU BROKE INTO MY OFFICE?
Jake: I thought you were trying to eat me and Gramps! But if you're not… I mean, that means… the Kelpie is still… GRAMPS! - Foreshadowing: At the very beginning of the episode, Principal Derceto mentions that she's been working at Jake's school for only the past year. Then, when Jake meets with Silver, the latter mentions how their best mermaid detectives have spent the same amount of time trying track down the Kelpie. This hints at Derceto's true identity.
- Also, Derceto's office is full of ocean themed decor, and even has a fish tank.
- Hell Is That Noise: The Kelpie's scream.
- Hypocritical Humor: Fu Dog calls out the Kelpie for using a false identity on the internet, when he's been doing likewise under the fraudulent identity of a rich millionaire. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
- Innocuously Important Episode: This seemingly Monster of the Week episode turns into a Wham Episode by revealing a major twist regarding a recurring character, as well as featuring a final scene with a massive shift in the status quo that impacts the rest of the show going forward.
- Red Herring: From where Jake stands, it looks like the Kelpie stole the identity of Principal Derceto so it could get close to Lao Shi. Nope! Ironically, Principal Derceto thought the same of Jake and thought the Kelpie was impersonating him.
- Running Gag:
- Spud enthusing about mermaids and being one.
- Also, Fu Dog pretending to be a rich dog for Le-Betty42.
- Sick and Wrong: Fu Dog dressed in a tutu and spandex is nothing short of this for Jake.
- Stealth Pun: The kelpie impersonated "Le-Betty42" so he could get close to Lao Shi and Jake. In other words, it was "cat-fishing".
- The Stinger: Fu Dog sings a theme song about Derceto in the style of Shaft.
- Wham Episode: Jake's school principal turns out to be a mermaid. Now that she's returned to Atlantis, Professor Rotwood has taken her place.
- Wham Line: The Reveal.Jake: Gotcha! And the catch of the day is; fresh, ugly Kelpie!
Derceto: What are you talking about? You're the Kelpie!
Jake: Say what?
Derceto: You can't run forever! I'm not the only mermaid who's after you!
Jake: Mermaid? (finally notices her tail-fins) Aww, man…
