"Science hates it when things can't be fathomed! The scientific mind demands to fathom things completely!"
A Plot: Hank becomes convinced that he is psychic after having vague dreams. Brent is naturally skeptical, but after Wanda decides to play on Hank's suspicions, Brent devises a plan to turn it back on her.
B Plot: Lacey is up in arms about what to do with the town pothole. Having learned from past experiences, she believes it best not to get involved. However, she is dragged into action, anyway, as the pothole is replaced with a speed bump.
C Plot: Davis gives Karen a hard time for leaving her squad car keys in the trunk, but it turns out he has no right to complain as he's done the same thing.
Tropes Referenced:
- A Bloody Mess: When Emma calls up Brent and speaks in a hushed whisper, standing over a large red puddle. Turns out she spilt a can of tomato juice and didn't want Oscar to find out.
- Brick Joke: Emma’s panicked call to Corner Gas establishes that Oscar loves tomato juice and hates to waste it. Later, Oscar is sitting in The Ruby drinking a glass of tomato juice with a big pitcher of it next to him on the counter.
- Call-Back: A reference is made to Wanda's penchant for discussing definite/indefinite article use.
- Brian makes another appearance.
- Duck Season, Rabbit Season: In the Cold Open, Hank expresses his disbelief that anyone would fall for this. Brent then gets him to fall for it, of course.
- Gagging on Your Words:Wanda: I don't know whether I like this development in our re-re-[indiscriminate sounds]
Hank: Relationship?
Wanda: Oh, that's way too strong. Much, much too strong. - The Generation Gap:Oscar: How's your stupid plan to fill in the stupid pothole going?
Lacey: I'm not gonna fill in the landmark.
Oscar: Typical.
Lacey: What, you not saying thank you?
Oscar: No, you givin' up. That's what you Baby Boomers do.
Lacey: I'm not a Baby Boomer. If anything, I'm-I'm Gen X.
Oscar: Just give up, that's all you do.
Lacey: Or the young side of Gen X, more Gen Y.
Oscar: [mocking voice] "I don't have to do anything for myself. I'm a Baby Boomer."
Lacey: I'm not a Baby Boomer! - Genre Savvy: Lacey shows she has started to realize her The Complainer Is Always Wrong status in town, which is why she refuses at first to get involved with the pothole. Eventually, her Principles Zealot ways and goading from Oscar override this.
- Hypocritical Humor: Davis goes into detail about how stupid Karen would have to be to lock her keys in the trunk. Then they find Davis' keys there, as well.
- I Was Just Joking: The Leroys complain that the new speed bump looks contrived and start discussing something that could slow cars down but still look natural. Lacey then jokes "like what, a pothole?" and begins laughing, seeing as that's what they had just got rid of. Oscar and Emma look up at her thinking the pothole is a great idea. When Lacey realizes they took her suggestion seriously, she shoots a Death Glare back at them.
- Mathematician's Answer:Davis: Hey Hank, can you fix the trunk release on the patrol car?
Hank: Yeah, probably. [Beat] Oh, you want me to?
Davis: If you don't mind. - Not What It Looks Like: Davis's trunk contains a shovel, rubber gloves, and lye. Karen tells him how suspicious it looks, then we're treated to a series of flashbacks showing that he was asked for each of the items by a different person, on three completely separate occasions, and he felt useless when he couldn't produce the items on the spot.Davis: They were losing faith in me... and when that happens, they lose faith in the rule of law... and then the door opens to our old foes: chaos and anarchy. Plus I like people to like me.
- Out-Gambitted: When Brent sees Wanda playing with Hank's head about his supposed psychic ability, Brent intentionally sets up a "true" Hank prediction about Wanda's hair appointment. Wanda spends most of the episode acting preoccupied about how Hank could possibly have been right. In the end, she reveals she knew of Brent's plan from the rumor mill and was intentionally acting preoccupied so Brent would do all the work at the gas station.
- Psychic Powers: Hank thinks he has precognition, though his "visions" are so nondescript that they could mean just about anything.
- Later, Brent "attempts" to stack items at the gas station using his mind, wondering out loud if he has telekinesis. However, this is just Brent being silly
- Road-Sign Reversal: When the pothole is replaced with a speed bump, Oscar just flips the pothole warning sign upside down. "There. It's a speed bump now!" At the end of the episode, when they replace the speed bump with another pothole, Oscar tries to flip the sign again, but it won't hold in place, so he says they have to build the speed bump again. Lacey angrily tells him to take the sign down and put it back up properly.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: No matter what Lacey does or doesn't do about the pothole, it is perceived negatively. This is what she specifically is trying to avoid.
- Status Quo Is God: In-universe, Lacey proves the town is resistant to any type of change, even small ones like changing water pitchers and waitress pads. Davis complains about Lacey switching from Equal to Sugar Twin, and he uses regular sugar. note Emma: When did you start using yellow waitress pads?
Lacey: I'm not sure.
Emma: [angrily] Not sure? Do I look stupid to you?!- Then there's the main plot involving the pothole: People complain about the pothole, so it gets filled in. Now people complain that it's too hard to cross the street because cars don't slow down for the pothole anymore, so a speed bump is built in the same place. Now people complain that the speed bump "doesn't look natural", so the pothole gets put back. Even then, they still complain that they liked the old pothole better.
- Stop Saying That!: Oscar gets this treatment from Emma after he keeps uttering the words "hear, hear".
- Tongue Twister: Brent thinks "psychic sleuthing" might be one, but Hank demonstrates that he has no problem saying it three times (and more) fast.
