The latest treasure found by Scrooge nearly causes The End of the World as We Know It.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Alas, Poor Villain: Even though Glomgold attempted to use the Goose to turn Scrooge into a gold statue moments before it came to life, when the Goose eventually turns Glomgold into a statue, Scrooge feels even his rival doesn't deserve a fate as horrific as that. Poupon is similarly horrified.
- Artifact of Doom: The Golden Goose. If away from its mystical fountain for too long, it undergoes a transformation and comes to life, where it starts turning things to gold on its own. This is then followed by another transformation in which it sheds its gold coating, which becomes the Golden Death and spreads across the entire world.
- The Atoner: Dijon, especially after he managed to get the Golden Goose back, only to give it up to Glomgold to swipe some loose change.
- Back for the Finale: Launchpad returns, having not been seen since Ducky Mountain High.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: When the triplets demand the Beagle Boys give them the Goose, Big Time obliges in the worst way.
- Captain Crash: Subverted. Launchpad attempts to crash on purpose, only to land perfectly.
- Demoted to Extra: Huey, Dewey, and Louie spend most of Part 2 as gold statues.
- Everyone Has Standards: Scrooge takes no satisfaction in Glomgold being turned to gold.Scrooge: Ay, I wouldn't a wished that fate on me worst enemy, which he is.
- From Bad to Worse: The titular MacGuffin falls into Scrooge's hands, and he gleefully learns it can turn everything into gold. But jealous Glomgold has the Beagle Boys steal it, and when Huey, Dewey, and Louie try to stop them, they get turned into golden statues. A distraught Scrooge teams up with Poupon, whose temple housed the Goose, to recover it, as it turns out to be cursed and will transform if it's away from its resting place for too long. Scrooge, Launchpad, Dijon, and Poupon head to recover the Goose, but as they arrive at Glomgold's hideout, the Goose undergoes its first transformation and becomes sentient and starts turning things (and people!) into gold on its own. Then the heroes manage to catch the Goose, but before Poupon can pour his temple's enchanted water on it to return the Goose to normal, the Beagle Boys destroy his vial. And then the Goose undergoes its second transformation where it sheds its gold so it can start consuming the entire world...
- Godzilla Threshold: Launchpad is quick to point out that there's nowhere to land near the mountain temple they need to return the Goose to. Scrooge, knowing the apocalypse is nigh and they don't have time for caution, straight-up orders Launchpad to "do what [he does] best" and crash into the mountain on purpose. Launchpad proceeds to fail to do so.
- Gold Fever: Scrooge to an extreme degree when he discovers he can use the Goose to turn things into gold.
- Grand Finale: The final episode ever made for the series.
- Heel–Face Door-Slam: After stealing the Goose from the temple, Dijon struggles with running off or putting it back. Just as he seems to finally settle on returning the Goose, the Beagle Boys show up.
- Heel–Face Turn: At the end of the episode, Dijon swears to never steal again.Scrooge: Well, I guess it's time to be... (reaches into his pocket) Me watch. Me wallet! Me money belt!!!
[Poupon glares at Dijon]
Dijon: (shrugs) Would you be believing as of tomorrow?
[Scrooge chases after him] - Hope Spot: Dijon grabs the Goose before it transforms, but then Glomgold distracts him by throwing change on the floor.
- I Have No Son!: When Dijon's kleptomania gets the better of him again and causes him to give up the Goose to Glomgold, Poupon is so angered he nearly cuts all ties with his brother. Fortunately, Dijon manages to make things right.
- Idiot Ball: The Beagle Boys hold this in part two. Rather than let Poupon pour his vial of mystical water on the goose so it's not sentient anymore and then steal the Goose from everyone, they destroy the vial, then hold Scrooge and Poupon at gunpoint to force the two into giving them the Goose. Even if the Goose didn't have a second transformation, it was still alive and turning anything and everything it could into gold on its own, so the moment they tried to steal it, the Goose would have done the same to them.
- It's All My Fault: Seeing what's become of his nephews, Scrooge blames himself for being so greedy.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After the Goose undergoes its second transformation and its gold starts to envelop the world, the Beagle Boys are the first to get caught in its path and become gold statues. After they turned the nephews into statues and destroyed Poupon's vial which could have prevented the entire mess, they more than deserved it.
- Manly Tears: Scrooge breaks down in tears when he comes downstairs and finds Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who have been turned to gold by the Beagle Boys during a robbery.
- Missed Him by That Much: Subverted. When the Golden Death breaches the temple, it almost engulfs the fountain needed to reverse the effects. Shots later, it almost seems like Scrooge failed until the fountain's water was spared the effect and saved the world.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Dijon kicks himself after Poupon disowns him.
- Race Against the Clock: By the time Poupon gets to Scrooge and explains the situation, they only have two hours before the goose transforms. After they fail, it's a race to get the Goose back to the temple before the entire world is turned to gold.
- Running Gag: Scrooge and Poupon repeatedly losing their personal belongings to Dijon's offscreen kleptomania.
- "Save the World" Climax: The episode starts out with a tussle between Scrooge and Glomgold over the cursed artifact (which can turn anything its beak touches into gold with the right magic word). The story escalates when the Golden Goose sets off the "Golden Death" - and Scrooge must return the Goose to its magic fountain before the entire world turns to gold!
- Skewed Priorities: Averted. Scrooge immediately wants to use Poupon's special water to restore the nephews, but upon being told the true stakes, he focuses on helping him get the Goose back.
- Played straight as Dijon stupidly gave up the Golden Goose in favor of some loose change Glomgold distracted him with.
- Springtime for Hitler: With time running out and Launchpad unable to find a place to land by the Golden Goose's temple, Scrooge tells him to just crash on purpose. Launchpad eagerly goes into a dive...and ends up landing safely outside the temple.Launchpad: Aw, shucks. My first chance to crash on purpose, and I blow it!
- Taken for Granite: The Golden Goose has the ability to turn anything it touches to gold...then it's revealed that it also works on people. The episode revolves around trying to reverse the effects of the touch affecting everything on Earth. They manage it, but not before everyone on Earth is briefly turned to gold.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- If Dijon had just refused to listen to his kleptomania, the entire mess potentially could have been avoided. Then again, Glomgold and the Beagle Boys were still trying to steal it.
- The Beagle Boys destroy Poupon's vial of water that's needed to return the Goose to normal seconds before the goose sheds its gold so it can start consuming the world. If Scrooge, Launchpad, and Dijon hadn't returned it to the fountain in time, then the Beagles would have unintentionally allowed the entire world to end.
- Villain Ball: The Beagle Boys, repeatedly. Early on, Glomgold gives Burger the money to legally purchase the Golden Goose from Scrooge, but he tries to steal it instead; doing so begins to tip off to Scrooge that the Goose is a big deal. And then there's their destruction of the purifying waters that would undo the Goose's sentience.
- World-Wrecking Wave: The Golden Goose. If left outside its protective fountain too long, it comes to life and starts randomly turning things to gold. It then sheds its golden coating, which spreads through the ground and threatens to turn the entire world to gold. Only returning the Goose to the fountain reverses the effect.
