My Dad, The GarbagemanMr. Ratburn arranges a field trip with several of the kids' parents to teach them about jobs. Francine isn't worried when her dad is up to teach them about being a garbageman until her classmates make disgusted faces on passing a truck.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: Catherine is embarrassed by her dad's job, and Francine worries a little when the kids are grossed out after the bus passes a garbage truck.
- Cordon Bleugh Chef: Buster's choice of ice cream from Brain's parents mixes pizza and bananas. Mr. Ratburn gets a taste, but is visibly disgusted.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Oliver Frensky is revealed to be one. He takes parts from the dump, cleans them, and then repurposes them into new inventions. He shows Francine that he made a ball thrower so that she can practice her swing.
- Heart Is an Awesome Power: Mr. Frensky explains that knowing how to manage trash is also knowing how to compress space, and what parts that people throw away can be reused. He demonstrates by showing a playground that he made out of parts he found in the dump. The kids are very convinced.
- Hidden Depths: Mr. Frensky is surprisingly introspective about waste management. He does love his job because it makes good money, allows him to come home early enough to play with the kids, and gets creative.
- Rule of Three: Buster asks three times if Mr. Frensky is part of the FBI.
Poor MuffyMuffy starts sneezing uncontrollably while doing tea time with Francine and Mr. Fuzz. They find out it's the carpet giving her allergies. Francine offers to let Muffy stay with her family for a few days until new carpet is reinstalled. Soon, however, Muffy proves to be a "rude and selfish" houseguest, in Francine's words.
Tropes for this episode include:
- Aside Glance: Francine gives one when Muffy keeps bossing her around about how to arrange her things.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Mrs. Crosswire gives her money to sniff, Muffy takes it. Then Mr. Crosswire confiscates it, logically pointing out that no Crosswire is allergic to money.
- Good Parents: Francine's dad is very patient with Muffy's rude questions and arbitrary requests. He also comforts Francine when she feels bad about telling Muffy she's not allowed to stay and explains that Muffy may not be used to living in a house with different rules.
- Hypocritical Humor: Francine in an earlier episode played drums on the roof at seven AM, upsetting the neighbors. She chides Muffy for playing her exercise music too loudly so that the neighbors call.
- Innocently Insensitive: This is Muffy's trademark. She bosses Francine about how to rearrange her room, insults Mrs. Frensky's leftover cooking, asks Mr. Frensky why he doesn't have a better job, and misses that Francine wants to walk to school with her because they're friends.
- Jerkass Realization: Muffy is bowled over when Francine says she's not allowed to stay because she's been "rude and selfish". The next day, she walks with Francine to school and apologizes for her behavior. She asks to stay for one more night and promises to behave.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Muffy says this twice, first when asking about leftovers, and second when Francine tells her she can't play her exercise music really loud.
- Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Muffy really doesn't realize how impolite she is, until Francine calls her out for it. The cincher has to be when she announces she's leaving, and doesn't realize that Francine would actually kick her out after making Mr. Frensky beg her to stay.
- Pet the Dog: Muffy offers her room and amenities to Catherine in exchange for being able to share Francine's room. Catherine revels in having her own room, and full spa service.
- Plot Allergy: The reason Muffy stays with Francine in the first place is because she's allergic to the dust in her parent's old carpet. This kicks off the plot.
- Rage Breaking Point: Francine puts up with a lot of Muffy's rudeness, from insulting her mother's cooking to driving to school without her. She finally loses her temper when Muffy complains about not being able to do what she wants, packs up and calls on her cellphone to make the Frenskys beg her to stay.
- Two Decades Behind: Muffy thinks that the Frenskys' apartment is like this; a glaring example is how the family's TV only gets three channels, something that was more common in The '50s and 60s. She complains in her Little Miss Snarker mode..."No VCR, no video games. I think we studied this period in school. Pretty soon we invent the wheel, right?"
- Was Too Hard on Him: Initially, Francine is rightly angry at Muffy for having been a "rude and selfish" guest for the duration of her stay. Later, however, Francine feels a bit guilty about sending Muffy away, hoping she doesn't succumb to her dust allergy as she claimed. Her dad points out that Muffy's bad behavior may have less to do with malice and more to do with an inability to adapt to a lifestyle that's simply alien to her. Mr. Frensky reassures Francine that she and Muffy can talk it out at school tomorrow and if Muffy is a good friend, they can reconcile. Sure enough, he's proven right.
