"See, this is why I don't leave Philly, alright? You leave Philly and bad shit happens. I mean, TREES?! EVERYWHERE TREES?! What the hell is this place?"
— Charlie
The gang gets stranded in the woods after crashing their car while en route to an animal rights benefit in Atlantic City. Mac, Dee and Frank attempt to get to grips with nature while Dennis and Charlie hitch a ride the rest of the way and end up having the night of their lives after Dennis encourages Charlie to embrace his "say yes" philosophy.
This episode provides examples of the following tropes:
- Amplified Animal Aptitude: Played for laughs; Mac thinks that animals can "see souls".
- As Himself: Chase Utley and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies.
- Big "NO!": Mac when he sees the picture of Dennis meeting Chase Utley.
- Binge Montage: When Dennis and Charlie are hanging out with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard at the benefit. It's revealed at the end that their new "friends" have been drinking water the entire time.
- Brick Joke: At the beginning of the episode, Frank states that his idea of an adventure would be flying in a private jet. Later on, that's exactly what Dennis and Charlie spend the last of Charlie's casino winnings on.
- Continuity Nod:
- Mac's crush on Chase Utley is referenced throughout the episode.
- It's revealed that Charlie had to be tied up in the trunk with a bag over his head to make the trip as he's still scared of leaving Philly.
- Control Freak: Dennis laments that "even I can't control everything."
- Cuteness Proximity: Both Frank and Dee want to kill and eat a rabbit that they find in the woods, but both are unable to do so once they get close to it.
- The Dandy: Dennis nonchalantly admits that he's always wearing "a little foundation" when Charlie asks him if he has makeup on.
- Due to the Dead: Mac insists on holding a funeral for a dead crow that he and Dee find in the woods.
- Ephebophile: Dennis tells Charlie a story about a hickey he got from a "very young" lady.Charlie: I thought women our age didn't give hickeys anymore.
Dennis: Oh no, they don't. Young ladies do, though. And I met an extremely young lady...
Charlie: Weird!
Dennis: She was legal, she was totally legal. I always check their licenses. - Evil Is Petty: Frank has donated thousands of dollars to an animal rights charity for the sole purpose of being invited to one of their events so that he can make a mockery of their cause.
- Freak Out: Charlie has one when the gang lets him out of the trunk and he realizes they're stranded in the middle of nowhere.
- Here We Go Again!: The episode ends with the rest of the gang getting picked up by the same trucker, who quickly takes a liking to Mac.
- Insult Backfire: When Dennis asks if Charlie would consider him a methodical person, Charlie replies "oh yeah, like a serial killer." Dennis considers this to be a compliment. Granted, it's unclear if Charlie actually meant that as an insult.Dennis: (laughs) Serial killer, I like that! I like that. It's a little bit of an exaggeration, but I see your point and I like it. I take it as a compliment.
- Karma Houdini: Dennis and Charlie abandon the gang in the woods to have the time of their lives at Atlantic City. Dennis even mocks Mac by showing that he got to meet the celebrity he desperately wanted to play catch with.
- Kick the Dog:
- Dennis sending the picture of himself meeting Chase Utley to Mac.
- In a more literal example, Frank claims that he once "kicked a dog in the face on the subway."
- Man Bites Man: Charlie bites Dennis while the two of them are drunkenly wrestling.
- Mistaken Identity: Charlie and Dennis are mistaken for Frank and Mac respectively at the charity event.
- Mistaken for Prostitute: The trucker who gives Dennis and Charlie a ride into Atlantic City mistakes the two of them for "truck-stop whores".
- Money to Throw Away: Charlie throws wads of cash into the crowd while giving a speech as Frank at the charity event.
- Nature Is Not Nice: Mac tells Dee that the bunny will be better off in the wild when she wants to take it back to the bar with them at the end of the episode. Cue a falcon appearing out of nowhere and carrying the poor thing away.Mac: Goddamnit!
Dee: Okay, nature is bullshit. I'm done with this. - No-Tell Motel: The trucker takes Charlie and Dennis to one of these with the intent of having his way with them.
- Offscreen Teleportation: Frank loads his gun to shoot the rabbit, only to find it has somehow snuck up behind him.
- Pet the Dog: It's revealed that Frank had arranged for Mac to meet Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Of course, it's rendered somewhat moot given that they never make it to the event, but it's still a nice gesture for Frank.
- Punk in the Trunk: Charlie agreed to be tied up in the trunk for the drive to Atlantic City so that he wouldn't freak out about leaving Philadelphia.
- The Scrooge: Frank insists on taking a "shortcut" through the woods because he refuses to pay for the toll road, despite having donated thousands of dollars to an animal charity purely to make a mockery of their cause.
- Shout-Out: Frank yells "it's wabbit season!" while trying to kill the rabbit.
- Straw Vegetarian: Mac becomes one for the duration of the episode, albeit because he thinks it'll impress Chase Utley rather than out of any genuine concern for animal rights.
- Tastes Like Chicken: Frank eats the dead crow that the gang find rotting in the woods because he "thought it would taste like chicken".
- Too Much Information: The trucker goes into explicit detail describing exactly what he'd like Dennis and Charlie to do to him.Trucker: Back in the day, I sure would indulge. Hell, I woulda let you turn me into Swiss cheese. I woulda let you make me into a mailbox, just open the slot and put whatever you want inside.
- Unusual Euphemism:
- "Lot lizard" = truck-stop whore. Which is admittedly only unusual if you don't know any long-haul truckers.
- The trucker later invites Dennis and Charlie into a motel room to "check my oil."
- Vacation Episode: Though only Dennis and Charlie actually make it to Atlantic City. The entire episode takes place outside of Philadelphia, however.
- Yes-Man: Dennis manages to turn Charlie into a literal one by telling him to always be open to new experiences and to say "yes" to them, which allows them to have the time of their lives when they make it to Atlantic City with only Charlie having any money left by having him insist on keep betting it on roulette until he's managed to turn it into $15,000.
