Bob and Linda head for a Downton Abbey-eqsue Larp weekend. Back at home, babysitter Teddy throws out his back.
- Becoming the Mask: Everyone gets a little wrapped up in their roles. Especially the ones who get the rich people roles, who end up Drunk with Power.
- *Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": Teddy spends most of the episode on the living room floor after his back goes out.
- Didn't Think This Through: The entire LARP was arguably this from the start. Just expecting several participants to not just "act" like servants but treated like servants given old clothes and lousy food for an entire weekend was bound go poorly eventually.
- Expy:
- Winthorpe Manor is a pretty clear one to Downton Abbey.
Tina: Winthorpe Manor is the American Downton Abbey.
Gene: I thought that was Mike & Molly.- Additionally, it is an expy of the Downton Abbey-inspired Larp Fairweather Manor.
- Gilligan Cut: Bob is invited to drink brandy and smoke cigars by the upstairs Larpers. He tells Linda that he likes neither and will not stay long. Cut to...Bob: I love brandy and cigars! I finally get why people want to be rich!
- Hypocritical Humor:
- Teddy promised he'd make sure that the kids have a healthy dinner. But because he's unable to move, the kids eat ice cream behind his back, and tell him that they are having steamed vegetables. When they ask if Teddy wants some dinner too, he tells them to bring him ice cream because he doesn't want those gross vegetables.
- Despite being so concerned with recreating an authentic early 1900's atmosphere, the manager has no objection to provide one of the upstairs Larpers with a special gluten-free alternative for dinner.
- Despite the focus on historical accuracy, the treatment of the servants is unrealistically cruel.
- A lady's maid
, like Linda was supposed to be, wouldn't have been expected to do half the chores Linda was made to do, since she would have been needed to wait on her mistress personally at all hours. Lady's maids generally had lighter work than the other servants, rank, a personal room, and more leisure time (although her being expected to wait on her mistress well into the late hours of night is on point.)note At the very least, her being expected to work in the kitchen is a huge stretch. - The idea of servants being fed gruel is also far-fetched, since they would need to be well-fed in order to perform their duties. Realistically, servants would be at least given bread and meat. They also were usually expected to eat leftovers from the main dish, so the idea they would never have the rich foods that were sent upstairs, as Linda complains about, is untrue.
- A lady's maid
- Kick the Dog: With all the stuff Linda goes through, Nancy deciding to take away the trip through the tulip garden from her at the last second, despite being the only thing she had to look forward to, was painful to watch.
- Original Position Fallacy: Linda assumes that role playing a lady of the 1900s will be luxurious. She is naturally disappointed to find that she has been assigned the role of a lowly chambermaid.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: The people who were given the rich people roles quickly become self absorbed assholes who take advantage of Linda and the rest of the participants to be waited on hand and foot.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: Realistically, television shows that film on the East Coast are pretty much limited to New York and Florida. Other episodes imply the characters don't live there.
