Is That Kosher?
"Do you know why we celebrate Yom Kippur?"
Francine tries to fast for Yom Kippur for the first time.This episode includes examples of:
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite all the teasing and doubting Catherine did about Francine’s first fast, she actually ends up being very understanding about Francine not making it until the end of the day and doesn’t take the opportunity to rub it in her face.
- Blowing a Raspberry: Francine does this to Catherine when her parents tell her they’re proud of her for sticking with the fast.
- Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: For some reason, Francine decides to go to Arthur’s house to try to take her mind off fasting, where she knows he’s hosting a pizza party. The Read residence is full of pizza, people eating pizza, and even pizza-themed decorations. The ultimate temptation is when Paula, the pizza shop owner, hands Francine a piece of pizza to hold for a group picture. Needless to say, it doesn’t end well.
- Desert Skull: One is seen in the Cold Open as Francine travels through the desert.
- Diet Episode: A variant. Francine is not dieting in this episode, but rather she’s fasting for Yom Kippur. However, it does deal with the same issue of avoiding food and the lesson of doing what’s right for your body and personal health.
- Doting Grandparent: Bubbe can be quite brash and critical, but she clearly adores her granddaughters and does everything she can to make sure Francine is taken care of during her fast.
- Funny Photo Phrase: Pizza Paula has the kids say “Mozzarella cheese!” when she takes their picture.
- Future Self Reveal: In the Cold Open, the mysterious hooded figure Francine is talking to ends up being herself trying to warn her about breaking her fast.
- Genius Book Club: Francine reads Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. Several other classics are seen on her bookshelf including Moby-Dick, Catch 22, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Romeo & Juliet.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Francine deciding to fast for Yom Kippur stems from wanting to do it better than her sister.
- Growing Up Sucks: Bubbe’s advice to Francine about not trying to grow up too fast:Bubbe: Listen, young lady, don’t be in such a rush. Before you know it you’ll be old, you’ll be eating mashed peas again, and looking forward to nothing but nap time. You want that?
- Growling Gut: Francine is so hungry that her stomach starts growling loudly while she’s at a Yom Kippur service; so loudly, that her Bubbe asks if a dog has somehow gotten into the synagogue.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Francine reacts in this way when she breaks her Yom Kippur fast.
- Questioning Title?
- Special Guest: Joan Rivers as Francine’s Bubbe.
- Word Shmord: When Francine’s mom says kids grow up so quickly when Francine decides she wants to fast, Bubbe replies “Quickly, shmickly!” and then lectures Francine on growing up too fast.
- Your Television Hates You: Francine tries to watch TV to distract herself from fasting, but every channel she switches to shows delicious-looking food. The same thing happens when she tries to find a book to read.
Never, Never, Never
"No! You lied! You don't love me at all!"
D.W. decides to give up some of her toys to her friends.This episode includes examples of:
- Affection-Hating Kid: When D.W. is showing what romantic love is by having two of her dolls kiss, she calls it icky and is glad that it’s only for grown-ups.
- Arc Words: “Never, never, never!”Emily: That’s a lot of never’s!
- Big Brother Instinct: D.W. has no luck getting her toys back from the Tibbles and is standing outside their house getting soaked by the rain when Arthur shows up and holds an umbrella over her. She gives him a big hug and starts crying about the situation she’s gotten herself into. He then marches right up to the Tibbles and demands that they give her back her toys.
- Don't Ask: When Arthur returns from the Tibbles’ house with D.W.’s toys, one of the arms on his glasses is broken. D.W. notices it and he tells her not to ask how it happened.
- Empathic Environment: As D.W. fights with the Tibbles, thunder cracks and the wind picks up. Then when she leaves the Tibbles’ house empty-handed and is at her lowest, it starts pouring rain.
- Everyone Has Standards: Even Emily, D.W.’s best friend, finds it ridiculous that D.W. is making the other kids profess their love for her before she’ll give them her toys and refuses to participate.
- Exploding Closet: D.W. has so many toys that when she opens her closet to put a new one away, an avalanche of toys them pouring out.
- Filthy Fun: The way the Tibbles play with D.W.’s toys is by pelting them with mud. D.W. is horrified, of course.
- Hand Puppet: In the episode’s Cold Open, D.W. puts on a puppet show to teach the audience about different kinds of love. She ultimately determines that love from a grandparent is the best kind of love because it involves being given lots of gifts.
- Hope Spot: D.W. gets one when she asks the Tibbles if she can just have a couple of her toys back and they happily agree. However, her hopes are quickly dashed when she sees that they’ve destroyed almost all of them and want to keep the only ones that are still intact.
- It's the Best Whatever, Ever!: D.W. tells Arthur he’s “the best brother ever!” when he gets a box of her toys back from the Tibbles before they could break them.
- "Knock Knock" Joke: Nadine tells D.W. several throughout the episode: one to cheer her up, one to let her know she’s on her own concerning the Tibbles, and one to tell her to knock on the Tibbles’ door to help Arthur.
- My Friends... and Zoidberg: When talking about familial love, D.W. tells her family she loves them all…even Arthur.
- Title Drop: D.W. does this when she tells her mom that she “never, never, never!” (with a few more never’s added in for good measure) lets her do what she wants or loves her as much as her grandma does because she’s making D.W. give away some of her dozens of toys.
- Whole-Plot Reference: To King Lear. Both stories have a character (D.W./Lear) choosing untrustworthy inheritors (the Tibbles/Lear's daughter Cordelia's elder sisters) for their possessions. Emily/Cordelia refuses to play along with games to prove her love to D.W./Lear, D.W./Lear rages against a storm, and "never, never, never, never, never" are Arc Words in both stories.
