In an attempt to get Jackie to give him all of the talismans, Valmont has injected him with a potion that would turn him into stone in 12 hours.
This episode provides examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: The episode opens with Jackie appearing upside down with the Dark Hand enforcers telling him "You're not gonna get away with this, Chan". Then, the camera flips, which shows that it's the Dark Hand who's stuck upside-down.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: When Finn asks Valmont to rise the room's temperature in response to his and the other Enforcers' cold, Shendu takes the chance to take his frustrations on them by breathing fire at them.Finn: Big V, think you can turn up the heat?
Shendu: Allow me. [breathes fire at the Enforcers] - Both Sides Have a Point: When Jade pleads with Jackie to trade the Talismans for the antidote, Jackie refuses because of the potential consequences the combined power of all twelve Talismans could cause in the Dark Hand's possession. Though it's at this point unknown to him, using the Talismans to return Shendu to flesh and blood doesn't seem to be something to look forward to. Jade argues back that there's no one to stop the Dark Hand from claiming the Talismans if Jackie's gone. Though Jackie claims he's just a researcher, it's mainly thanks to him that the Dark Hand has gotten only two Talismans so far.
- Call-Back: At the end of the second episode, Jade asks if she's now a secret agent. After Captain Black reviews how she infiltrated Section 13, he mutters "She can be a secret agent when she grows up."
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Valmont rescues Jackie rather than letting him fall off from Mount Rushmore due to needing him to get all of the Talismans.
- Carrying the Antidote: Subverted when Jackie tries to forcefully take the antidote from Valmont.Jackie: Where is the antidote?!
Valmont: You think I'd be foolish enough to bring it with me? - Chekhov's Gun: Uncle's failed antidotes prove useful in fighting the Dark Hand towards the end.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Valmont has this moment with Jackie while the latter is hit with the poison. It helps when it starts taking effect, leaving him distracted while Valmont gets the advantage.
- Darkest Hour: By the end of the episode, Jackie fully turns into stone, only for the Horse Talisman to activate and instantly cure him.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Jade realizing the password when she mutters "three numbers and ends with 7" before realizing that it's 0-0-7.
- Exact Words:
- Valmont demands that Jackie trades all of the Talismans gathered so far in exchange for the antidote to remove the stone affliction. When Jade arrives with all but one of them (Uncle catches up with the Horse one), Tohru destroys the antidote.
- The Horse Talisman is claimed to "remove alien powers from within". Jade assumes that's got something to do with aliens from outer space, but it eventually turns out to be talking about foreign bodies, i.e. diseases.
- Gave Up Too Soon: After learning that Jackie's turning to stone, Uncle declares "The riddle of the horse talisman can wait" and he tries to prepare an antidote for Jackie's affliction. If he had stuck to researching the talisman, he would've found out that the talisman possesses the power of healing and they wouldn't have needed the Dark Hand's antidote.
- I Ate WHAT?!: Jackie eats what seems to be a potential cure until Uncle reveals he ate fermented beetle larvae, which he says is good for digestion. Jackie immediately runs to throw up.
- Ironic Echo: Jade's "Scout's Honor" Loophole Abuse from the first episode is thrown back in her face when she begs the Enforcers to give her more time and retrieve the Horse Talisman.Jade: Um... Scout's honor?
Finn: Tch. Like she's a scout. - I Told You So: Uncle says this when Jackie screams after he looks in the mirror to see himself with a lizard skin.Uncle: I told you not to look in the mirror!
- Improvised Parachute: Jackie swipes Tohru's shirt for his parachute.Jackie: Living large, extra large...
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Uncle tries to prepare an antidote for the poison even though he's unable to figure out the formula. Sure enough, Uncle fails and decides to trade the Horse talisman for the Dark Hand's antidote.
- Near-Villain Victory: The Dark Hand almost turns Jackie to stone and take all the talismans in Section 13's possession.
- The Password Is Always "Swordfish": Jade initially believes the password to the vault is "Namsilat", or "Talisman" spelled backwards.
- Poison and Cure Gambit: As Valmont puts it to Jackie, "the cure to your affliction for the Talismans in Section 13".
- Sadistic Choice: Valmont forces this on against Jackie: turn to stone or surrender the talismans in Section 13 for the cure.
- Shout-Out:
- Captain Black's password into opening the vault is 007.
- The opening skiing chase is similar to one at the beginning of The Spy Who Loved Me, right down to skiing off a mountain ledge with a parachute (Jackie takes Tohru's shirt to be his parachute).
- Taken for Granite: Jackie turning to stone from a poison. Unlike other examples, it turns him to stone piece by piece, with his stone parts actually helping a bit fighting the Dark Hand enforcers.
- Took a Level in Badass:
- Valmont taking down Jackie all by himself.
- Jade pretty much hacked Section 13 all by herself. As Captain Black states, "She can be a secret agent when she grows up."
- Xanatos Gambit: Valmont's Poison and Cure Gambit is this; either Jackie will relinquish all the Talismans in exchange for the antidote, or he'll be turned to stone and won't trouble the Dark Hand and Shendu anymore. While trying to convince Jackie to hand over the Talismans, Jade notes that even if he doesn't do that, the Dark Hand will be able to claim them anyway if he's gone.
