Darkwing and Launchpad ride through St. Canard's streets in the Ratcatcher in pursuit of Megavolt, who hides in Andy's Anvil Factory. Although Darkwing dodges Megavolt's first few attacks, Megavolt defiantly declares there's nothing he can't do, but when Darkwing taunts him with a finger dexterity trick that he can't perform himself, the electrified crook is able to distract him for long enough to drop two anvils on his head, ruining his motorcycle helmet. As Megavolt flees, Darkwing insists on going after him, ignoring Launchpad's pleas that he get a replacement helmet first both for his own safety and to set a good example. But when he loses track of Megavolt, Darkwing crashes the Ratcatcher into a bench, launching him into a brick wall.
Darkwing is surprised to find the experience of crashing headfirst into a wall is quite painless - until he notices he is floating in a void, and falls into a strange cavern in which he finds a very long line of people and a familiar-looking red figure with horns, a tail, and a pitchfork. The Devil is delighted to see that Darkwing is a prospective resident of his domain, and laughs off his question of how to leave, but Darkwing quickly flees to a nearby elevator and takes it to the top floor, where he emerges in front of the Pearly Gates. St. Peter is surprised to see him, as there is no record that he is expected so soon, but his search on the celestial computer is interrupted by the Devil's arrival. The two afterlife guardians argue for a moment, then decide to toss a coin for who gets Darkwing's soul. Darkwing interrupts and insists that he's not dead, and takes the elevator back to Earth, where he emerges from the brick wall through which he was launched. However, he doesn't notice he is now a ghost, and simply interprets other people ignoring him as rudeness.
Darkwing returns home moments before Gosalyn and Launchpad, both of whom are dressed in funeral clothes and sobbing uncontrollably over the thought of life without him. Darkwing frantically tries to get their attention, and finally succeeds; his daughter and his sidekick are equal parts alarmed and delighted to see him again, and all three decide that if anyone can solve his problem of having one foot each in the worlds of the living and the dead, it's Morgana Macawber. Morgana tries casting a reincarnation spell on the spectral Darkwing, but ends up turning him into a giant flower. However, any further attempts to bring him back are derailed when Darkwing sees Megavolt advertised as a guest on the Opal Windbag show in his capacity as the supervillain who allegedly killed Darkwing Duck. Enraged, Darkwing goes after Megavolt, but since he is only visible to his closest friends and family, Megavolt cannot see or hear him. Darkwing's attempted revenge is thwarted by the arrival of a skeletal figure in a hooded cloak carrying a scythe.
The Grim Reaper motions Darkwing toward a door; Darkwing tries to outwit him by letting him go through the door first and slamming it behind him, but Death simply reappears and shakes his head. Darkwing tries fleeing back to his house and directing Death to the Muddlefoots' house instead, but although Death proceeds to take Herb away, Darkwing gets a pang of conscience and tells Death to let Herb go seconds before fleeing back to Morgana's house. Morgana makes another unsuccessful attempt to bring Darkwing back to life, and the crimefighter seems resigned to his fate... until he and Launchpad visit his grave (marked by a traffic cone with his photo on it) and Launchpad reveals that he and Gosalyn were the only mourners at his funeral. His despair at being ignored even in death gives way to anger when he sees The Opal Windbag Show with Megavolt as Opal's guest; Gosalyn is in the audience and confronts Megavolt over lying about killing Darkwing, and Megavolt proceeds to kidnap Gosalyn and vows to kill her instead, live on camera. Darkwing and Launchpad both show up at Megavolt's lair, but Megavolt can't see Darkwing and easily captures Launchpad and ties him up next to Gosalyn. Darkwing vows to rescue them, but is interrupted by the return of Death, who drags him away.
Darkwing is able to buy himself an extra hour by daring Death to perform the same finger dexterity trick that distracted Megavolt; Death is likewise unable to perform it, and grants Darkwing's request. Darkwing returns to Megavolt's lair and instructs Launchpad on how to untie himself and deliver a speech to Megavolt that preys on his loneliness and insecurity, distracting him for long enough for Launchpad to tie him up and untie Gosalyn. Back at Morgana's, the sorceress is forced to admit she has no way to bring Darkwing back to life. Death arrives to take Darkwing away, and although he puts on a brave face to say his final goodbyes to Morgana, Launchpad, and Gosalyn, but as soon as he is out of sight of his nearest and dearest, he begins frantically begging for his life and promises to always wear a helmet. However, within seconds, he finds himself clinging not to Death, but to Launchpad, who explains that Darkwing knocked himself out on the brick wall and has been unconscious for a few hours. Gosalyn notes that he's lucky he wasn't killed, and Darkwing realises his death was All Just a Dream. Ecstatic to be alive, he begins planning a huge party with a cake, but as he prepares to put the cake in the oven, he finds the Devil hiding inside, asking for a light. Was it a dream?...
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- All Just a Dream: ...or was it? Even though Darkwing discovers he's alive at the end, he ends up encountering the Devil inside his oven.
- Anvil on Head: Exaggerated by Andy's Anvil Factory.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking:Darkwing: (to Gosalyn when Gosalyn and Launchpad return from Darkwing's funeral, sobbing hysterically) Oh, what's the matter, sweetheart? Bad grades? Sad movie? Launchpad cook dinner?
- Attending Your Own Funeral: Darkwing Duck "was late for his own funeral" and regretted about this. He visited his grave, though, and was deeply disappointed.
- Chess with Death: Darkwing challenges the Grim Reaper for one more hour in the world of the living so he can defeat Megavolt and save Gosalyn and Launchpad. The game? Darkwing simply has to do something that Death can't do; he does a cute finger trick with his hands. Death, lacking necessary muscles, tendons and other body parts, fails to copy him.
- Crashing Dreams: Darkwing clings to Death as he begs him to give him a second chance. Within seconds, he finds himself in bed, tugging not at Death's robes but at Launchpad's jacket, the whole thing seemingly having been a nightmare.
- Damsel in Distress: Gosalyn falls under the category as she is taken hostage by Megavolt who decides to kill her on live TV.
- Description Cut: Launchpad's comment about Darkwing being so brave as he marches away with Death is immediately followed by Darkwing breaking down and begging Death to give him another chance.
- Due to the Dead: Parodied; Darkwing's grave is his photo taped to a traffic cone. He's less than amused about it.
- Dying Declaration of Love: Just before the Grim Reaper is about to take him away for good, Darkwing gets a small amount of time to say goodbye. While he says some affectionate things to everyone, Gosalyn, interestingly, is the only person to get a direct (platonic) declaration of "I love you."
- Everyone Has Standards: Darkwing has fought Megavolt, causing him to flee, and he and Launchpad prepare to give chase on their motorcycle. However:Darkwing: Come on, Launchpad! Let's get dangerous!Launchpad: Hold on, D.W.!Darkwing: What?!Launchpad: You aren't wearing your helmet! That's a little too dangerous!
- Naturally, Darkwing ignores this advice, and an accident happens, leading to a Dream Sequence while he's out cold where he believes his own death. When he wakes up, he decides maybe he should have the same standards.
- Fantasy Helmet Enforcement: The entire plot is caused by Darkwing not wearing a helmet when chasing after Megavolt on the Ratcatcher, and appears to parody the version of the trope where not wearing a helmet results in dire consequences.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: After floating in a void, Darkwing falls down into Hell with a line of dead souls going into a big fire cavern after being burned by that familiar guy with horns.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Darkwing takes a while to realize that he died, but he realizes it after seeing Gosalyn sobbing . . . and wearing a dress.
- Fluffy Cloud Heaven: After fleeing the Devil, Darkwing finds himself in front of the Pearly Gates, surrounded by fluffy clouds in all directions.
- Hanging Up on the Grim Reaper: Darkwing spends some time avoiding the Reaper's attempts to take him back to the underworld, from shutting the door on him to tricking him into going after Herb Muddlefoot instead.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Launchpad cries loudly and messily when returning from Darkwing's funeral. So does Gosalyn.
- Intangibility: Darkwing, being a ghost, is completely incorporeal. (For reasons unexplained, he can still manipulate objects like doors.) It shows up comedically when Gosalyn, attempting to hug him, smacks into the wall, and then appears again, more dramatically, when he's unable to save her from Megavolt because he can't touch him.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Megavolt gets a special guest appearance on a show hosted by Opal Windbag, who's a dead ringer for Oprah Winfrey.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: It takes a while for Darkwing to realize that Gosalyn is wearing a black dress and not complaining about it.
- Overly Narrow Superlative: Darkwing tells Launchpad that he was the best sidekick he ever had. He then comments that Launchpad was the only sidekick he ever had.
- Papa Wolf: Launchpad tries to step into Darkwing's role of protecting Gosalyn. He gets curbstomped by Megavolt during a scene cut. However, with Darkwing's tutelage, he manages to save Gosalyn and himself.
- Platonic Declaration of Love: Darkwing tells his daughter, Gosalyn, that he loves her as part of a final goodbye (in a dream...Or Was It a Dream?).
- Shout-Out:
- From the moment when D.W. on his knees promises to Death "to be good" begging for a second chance and especially after his wake-up, with his joyful cries "There's my couch, there's my chair. There's that rug I always trip over, I love that rug!", is a quite clear allusion to Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
- It may also be a reference to The Wizard of Oz, given that Darkwing says to Launchpad and Gosalyn that "you were there, and you, and..."
- Take Care of the Kids: As he says goodbye before Death takes him away, Darkwing passes on Gosalyn's care to Launchpad.
- Tragic Intangibility: Darkwing becomes intangible thanks to dying and becoming a ghost. When Gosalyn and Launchpad return from his funeral, Darkwing finds he can't hug his grieving daughter and best friend and when Gosalyn attempts to glomp him, she crashes into the wall. It shows up again at the climax when Darkwing is helpless to protect Gosalyn from Megavolt because he can't touch him.
- Would Hurt a Child: Megavolt tries to kill Gosalyn as part of a TV program. However, it's uncertain if this is a reflection of the real Megavolt, given that it's left ambiguous whether the episode was a dream or not.
