One night, Dib is visited by aliens who look like giant sneakers and give him amazing super powers. The next morning, Dib uses these power and his newfound confidence to convince Zim to turn himself in. As we follow Dib over the next several years of his life, from his young adulthood into seniority, we see him becoming famous for his paranormal discoveries and finally getting all of the recognition he's always wanted. It's almost too good to be true.
Tropes
- Actually Pretty Funny: Initially unimpressed with Dib's non-attack at Zim, Gaz admits that it was at least funny to see Zim freak out over having a muffin thrown at his head.
- All Just a Dream: Well, a simulation.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Zim finds out that it was Dib who threw the muffin at him, and so gets his revenge by...pelting Dib with a muffin as well.
- Bait-and-Switch: At the end of the episode as Dib is sadly leaving Zim's base, Zim quickly notes there is one more thing and presses a button which brings a giant cannon down in front of Dib. The cannon glows brightly for a moment like it is gathering power to blast Dib, only to suddenly stop and when Dib looks back at it a muffin shoots out of it nailing him in the head.
- Buffy Speak: Dib can't even think straight enough to speak grammatically correct and threatens to get Zim back for his "things he do."
- Calling a Rabbit a "Smeerp": Zim angrily refers to a muffin as a "pork cow."
- Disproportionate Retribution: It would have been enough for Zim to interrogate Dib about whether or not he threw a muffin at his head, but being the sociopath that he is, Zim decides it's both more effective and satisfying if he tricks Dib into admitting it by putting him a simulation in which all of his wildest dreams have come true and lives to be a happy old man who's accomplished everything he's set out to do in paranormal studies and humanities, all of which has made him famous and widely respected... and then having someone ask if he threw a muffin at Zim once.
- Epic Fail: Desperate to expose Zim but currently out of ideas, Dib can't think of anything better than to throw a muffin at his head. On the other hand, Zim is so paranoid that he takes it as an actual threat.
- Evil Is Petty: Zim not only puts Dib though an extensive simulation in which all of his dreams come true just to twist the knife when he gets Dib to confess throwing a muffin at his head, but he even makes sure to throw a muffin at Dib's head before he leaves.
- Foreshadowing: Zim almost exposed his deception by jumping the gun on Dib's interrogation about The Massive. Zim thought he was going to ask about the invasion and said "Oh, well you were supposed to."
- Get Out!: After Zim gets Dib to confess that he threw the muffin at him and pulls him out of the simulation, he growls at him to get out.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: What Dib's "wonderful life" turns out to be: Zim trapped him in a simulation just to find out whether or not Dib threw a muffin at his head during lunch that day.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Zim's simulation for Dib included a lot of sensitive information like the identity of the Irken Empire and the Tallest, the existence of the Meekrob who oppose them, and the Tallest's weakness being their snack reserves. Since the series finale Invader Dib would have involved Dib allying with the Meekrob, it's possible Zim's actions in this episode would have become his undoing.
- Noodle Incident: When a seemingly elderly Dib looks back on all his major achievements, he adds that he also got to ride a moose. The interviewer fondly replies "Who could forget that day?"
- Pet the Dog: Initially unimpressed by Dib throwing the muffin, Gaz can't help but smirk at Zim's ensuing epic freakout and admit to Dib that it was pretty funny. One of the few times she ever has anything nice to say to him.
- Riddle for the Ages: What did Dib say to Zim that convinced him to turn himself in?
- Take That, Audience!: This line, directed at fans who kept insisting that Dib's last name was Membrane (this being before it was made canon).Sneaker Alien: Now, Dib... er, Dib.... whatever your last name is.
Dib: (assuredly) That's right. - Yank the Dog's Chain: Dib lives out a wonderful future where he's a widely respected scientist and humanitarian, only to find out that it's all a simulation by Zim.
