Darkwing and Gosalyn go with Morgana to her old magic school, where she is to present her thesis paper. While there, Gosalyn tries to find a shortcut to learning magic.
Hot Spells contains examples of the following tropes:
- Abhorrent Admirer: The Galerian Turanga that Gosalyn conjures up becomes one for Darkwing.Darkwing: Really, I’m not your type...or species!
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The ingredients Aunt Nasty gathers for her spell are toenail of newt, scale of snail, and cream of chicken soup.
- Ash Face: Darkwing gets covered in soot when Moloculo hits him with his magic.
- It happens to him again, but this time from Morgana, and his silhouette is outlined in soot on the wall behind him.
- Blinding Camera Flash: Dressed as reporters, Morgana and Gosalyn take a picture of Beelzebub and his demonic henchmen and blind them with the flash so they can help Darkwing escape.
- Blob Monster: Morgana’s cousin Blobby.
- Boring, but Practical: Magic in general, it can practically do anything but it's based on math.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Gosalyn borrows Darkwing’s “Let's Get Dangerous!” catchphrase and changes it to “Let’s get magical!”
- Chair Reveal: A magical variant. The Dean’s office seems to be empty, but when Darkwing blows up a cloud of dust, McHex appears out of nowhere sitting on his chair.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The Abhorrent Admirer Galerian Turanga ends up being what Darkwing, Morgana, and Gosalyn use to chase off Beelzebub so they can escape from hell.
- Company Cross References: The brooms from Fantasia briefly appear with Beelzebub.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: The torture Beelzebub has saved especially for Darkwing is to watch “Pelican’s Island” forever. The idea of this makes Darkwing scream in terror.
- Copycat Mockery: Darkwing mimics Moloculo when, referencing the Library of Forbidden Spells, he says “Those are the spells and incantations with too great a price to be used.”Darkwing: What? Waiting for the soft cover edition?
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Morgana's father, Moloculo, is not pleased she's still in a relationship with a Normal much like in previous episodes.
- Deal with the Devil: Played straight, and the reason why the episode is banned. In this case, Beelzebub fouls it up by telling a crude lie to Gosalyn to make her agree to the deal. Thus, once the others learn that Gosalyn did not give clear informed consent in her pact, they realize the deal is invalid and they are perfectly free to rescue Darkwing from hell.
- The Devil Is a Loser: Played for laughs with Beelzebub.
- Everybody Hates Mathematics: Gosalyn hates the fact that science and math are a part of the Eldritch Academy’s magic lessons.Gosalyn: Math is for weenies!
- Evil Is Easy: Deconstructed. The power of the Forbidden Books allow use of magic without intellectual effort. Except the power is granted by Beelzebub and can be taken away at his leisure.
- Faustian Rebellion: Defied: Gosalyn tries to use the magic Beelzebub gave her against him, but he simply snaps his fingers and removes it, asking her where she thought her power came from in the first place.
- Fire and Brimstone Hell: Where Beelzebub lives of course.
- Hair-Trigger Sound Effect: A Scare Chord plays every time someone says “Library of Forbidden Spells”.Darkwing: Um, is it gonna do that every time we say "Library of Forbidden Spells"?
- Hellgate: Beelzebub tricks Gosalyn into conjuring the “Gates of Fire”.
- Hollywood Satanism
- I Have Your Wife: Beelzebub kidnaps Morgana and threatens to take her to hell with him unless Darkwing takes her place.
- Janitor Impersonation Infiltration: Beelzebub pretends to be the Eldritch Academy’s janitor in order to trick Gosalyn into using magic gained from the Library of Forbidden Spells.
- Magic Is Mental: In the Darkwingverse sorcery is based on mathematics which is why Gosalyn decides to cheat.
- Muggle: Normals, which is the prejorative term for non-magic users.
- Ominous Mundanity: What's the name of one of the Forbidden Books that grants effortless power at the price of your soul? "Magic Made Easy."
- Shout-Out: The Show Within a Show “Pelican’s Island” is a reference to Gilligan’s Island.
- Stewed Alive: Aunt Nasty tries to do this to Gosalyn after catching her in a giant cauldron when Gosalyn falls from the ledge she climbed up on to look into the school’s window.
- A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Morgana and Gosalyn give Beelzebub a taste of his own medicine by dressing up as reporters and tricking him, just like how he dressed up as a janitor to trick Gosalyn.
- Wizarding School: The Eldritch Academy of Enchantment has been a center for sorcery studies for thousands of years, and also where Morgana learned magic.
- You Need a Breath Mint: Gosalyn says this about her familiar after it burps in her face.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: The cost of gaining magic from the Library of Forbidden Spells is selling your soul to Beelzebub.
