Darkwing and Gosalyn recount Darkwing's encounter with a horrible, powerful entity called Paddywhack.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Beat Them at Their Own Game: In order to beat Paddywhack and escape his jack-in-the-box, Darkwing and Quackerjack play pranks and gags on him. Since Paddywhack can't feed on his own humiliation and suffering, they effectively starve him to the point he shrinks down to the size of an insect.
- Berserk Button: Upon hearing Gosalyn say she wanted to leave the toy museum to go to an arcade, Quackerjack, who had been put out of the toy business because of video games, flips.Quackerjack: Video games? You're leaving to play video games?!
- Cassandra Truth:
- Gosalyn repeatedly denies being behind most of the pranks, but because she was behind the first one, Darkwing refuses to believe her, until he sees Paddywhack.
- Darkwing thinks Launchpad is just panicking when he says that Paddywhack's jack-in-the-box "ate" Quackerjack. Guess who's right.
- Clingy MacGuffin: Gosalyn tries to get rid of Paddywhack's jack-in-the-box by throwing it into a safe and slamming the door, only for it to reappear on the table.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Lampshaded and mocked. Darkwing and Quackerjack have teamed up against Paddywhack and are on the verge of beating him. The two discard the idea of giving him any leeway.Quackerjack (as Mr. Banana Brain): Say fellas, maybe this is where we show him love and kindness and he vows to mend his evil ways!Quackerjack and Darkwing: Eh...nah! (taser the bad guy)
- Deteriorates Into Gibberish: Launchpad begins stuttering uncontrollably after seeing Paddywhack's jack-in-the-box pull in Quackerjack. He only manages to break himself out of it to yell at Darkwing and Gosalyn not to touch the box.
- Dramatic Irony: For the majority of the episode, even after Launchpad saw him get sucked into the jack-in-a-box, Darkwing was under the impression that Quackerjack was the one causing the episode's trouble. He realizes differently when he finally meets Paddywhack.
- Dressed in Layers: Upon getting sucked into Paddywhack's box, Darkwing finds himself wearing a ridiculous outfit, tries to tear it off, and finds another ridiculous outfit on underneath, and so on, and so on.
- Eldritch Location: Not only does Paddywhack's box hold an entire realm inside, but it looks like a twisted, demented version of Wacky Land.
- Electric Joybuzzer: Darkwing gets sneaked up on from behind and buzzed on the keister with an electric joy buzzer twice, first by Gosalyn, later by a possessed Mr. Banana Brain.
- Emotion Eater: Paddywhack, who feeds on humiliation and misery. Darkwing and Quackerjack beat him by laughing at the demon.
- The End... Or Is It?: At the end, Launchpad expresses relief that the case is over...and then they heard Paddywhack's laugh and see a laughing, talking fish in the harbor.
- Enemy Mine: In order to stop Paddywack, D.W. is forced to team up with Quackerjack in the final act of the episode.
- Failed a Spot Check: While at the museum, Darkwing kept an eye out for Quackerjack so he doesn't steal the antique toys, unaware that he's dressed in a trenchcoat and right behind him. Darkwing later claims that he knew Quackerjack was there the whole time.
- Hand in the Hole: Darkwing puts his hand in Paddywhack's box. Nothing happens, but he decides to rib Launchpad by pretending something is happening.Launchpad: Don't touch it [the jack-in-the-box]! That — that thing ate Quackerjack!Darkwing: (hand in box) Fascinating. Then we're dealing with a powerful evil force that could — aah! aaah! Launchpad, get a grip. It's just a toy.
- Hypocritical Humor: After jumping into Launchpad's arms upon realizing that there's something weird about the jack-in-the-box, Gosalyn tells him to "keep calm". Granted, he was clearly unnerved as well, but she acted like Launchpad was panicking and she wasn't scared at all.
- It's Personal: After Darkwing stops the food fight, ruining Paddywhack's 'meal', he earns the demon's ire.
- Mad Libs Catch Phrase:Darkwing: "Let's get ridiculous!" (teaming up with Quackerjack against Paddywhack)
- Monster Clown: Paddywack has beady red eyes, long grasping limbs, fangs and a bottom of the well voice. He is an otherworldly evil entity that feeds on humiliation and misery and has poltergeist powers galore.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Gosalyn woke up Paddywhack by playing a practical joke on her father. He even tells her this upon revealing himself.
- Nightmare Fetishist: Gosalyn wants to hear the story of Darkwing's encounter with Paddywhack.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: When Paddywhack reveals his true form to him, Quackerjack asks 'Mr. Banana Brain' what he had done to himself, leading to this:Paddywhack: Don't. Call me. Banana Brain!
- Rage Quit: After Darkwing and Quackerjack cause him to shrink to minuscule size, Paddywhack declares he doesn't want to play anymore and tells everyone to 'go home', kicking the pair out of his box.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Paddywhack is confined to a jack-in-the-box, although the toy itself isn't quite powerful enough to permanently contain him.
- Security Cling: After she tries (and fails) to throw Paddywhack's jack-in-the-box into a safe, Gosalyn screams and jumps into Launchpad's arms. He hugs her, looking visibly unnerved himself.
- The Shadow Knows: Just before Paddywhack (while inside Mr. Banana Brain) shocks Darkwing with a joybuzzer, the shadow of his true form appears on the wall behind the doll. Gosalyn and Launchpad are the only ones to see it.
- Supernatural-Proof Father: An unusual case in that (given that Darkwing is a single parent) there is no mother to whom to compare him. However, both Launchpad and Gosalyn recognize that the bizarre events surrounding the box are supernatural before Darkwing admits that it isn't just Gosalyn playing pranks and Launchpad freaking out.
- Taking the Bullet: When Paddywhack tries to suck Gosalyn inside the box with him, Darkwing lets himself get pulled in instead.
- Toothy Bird: Paddywhack, who looks like a duck, has a huge, fanged beak.
- Whole Episode Flashback: Most of the episode is Darkwing, Gosalyn, and Launchpad remembering the incident, to the dismay of Launchpad.
- Your Head A-Splode: Paddywhack's head slowly inflates as he rants at Darkwing keeping him from feeding, and then pops like a balloon, grossing out Gosalyn and making Launchpad faint.
