Buford challenges Phineas to a thumb-wrestling competition after Phineas spills ice cream on him by mistake.
Meanwhile. Dr. Doofenshmirtz has created a Slaveinator to mind-control people into attending his birthday (and doing the cleanup for him).
This episode marks the introduction of Baljeet and Buford.
Tropes
- As Himself: Evander Holyfield appears to give Phineas some advice on settling his differences with Buford. Notice how his character's design has a piece of his ear missing, in reference to the incident in which Mike Tyson infamously bit his ear off.
- Beyond the Impossible: Neither of the kids' parents showing up at their birth shouldn't be even possible, especially with a mother, and yet Doofenshmirtz' parents somehow accomplish doing that.
- Birthday Episode: The episode is set on Doofenshmirtz's birthday.
- Birthday Hater: In this episode we find out that Doofenshmirtz has never liked his birthday, since things never turn out well for him on his birthday every year. Both of his parents never showed up to his birth, and when he was 5 he had to throw his own surprise parties.
- Bully Turned Buddy: Buford as of this episode.
- Camera Obscurer: Candace takes a picture of the fight, but when she shows Mom, she reveals she had her thumb over the lens, obscuring the evidence.
- Challenging the Bully: Buford challenges Phineas to a thumb war to settle the ice-cream incident.
- Debut Queue: This is Baljeet's first appearance.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Buford becomes a friend to Phineas and Ferb at the end, making him the fifth member of their friendship circle.
- Early-Bird Cameo: It was confirmed that the nerd whose head was covered by a toilet was Irving, a character who was initially part of the series pitch as fourth member of the gang until he was replaced by Buford and Baljeet. Irving would make his proper introduction in the season two episode "Hide and Seek".
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Both Buford and Baljeet are portrayed as the stereotypical Bully and Nerd combo, long before their Character Development as Frenemies and as Those Two Guys.
- Establishing Character Moment: This episode introduces Baljeet, and the first thing he asks Phineas and Ferb is why they aren't studying, establishing his personality as an overachieving nerd.
- Mind Control: Attempted by Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
- Mind-Control Eyes: Whoever is affected by the Slave-inator gets swirls in their eyes.
- Mundane Made Awesome: Buford only challenged Phineas to a thumb-wrestling match, but it is treated like an actual wrestling match, complete with Training Montages, commentary and a FREAKING ARENA.
- No Kill like Overkill: Perry summons a whale to...knock the top scoop off of Doofenshmirtz's ice cream cone.
- Improbable Weapon User: Doof and Perry weaponize birthday hats, party noisemakers, paddle-balls...
- Shout-Out: The episode's title is one to Raging Bull.
- Special Guest:
- Evander Holyfield appears in this episode to train Phineas.
- Michael Buffer voices the announcer of the match.
- Suck E. Cheese's: Doofenshmirtz's flashback to his crappy, lonesome childhood birthdays include him throwing a party for himself at "Gunther Goat-Cheese's, the goat-cheesiest place in Drusselstein!"
- Take That!: The referee reveals the rules for the thumb-wrestling contest by citing the actual Standards and Practices guidelines, which Buford groans at in annoyance.
- Training Montage: Set to the episode's song "He's a Bully"; both Phineas and Buford train themselves for the fight.
- The Wrong Way on the Escalator: During "He's A Bully", Phineas attempts to run up the down escalator at the mall while Evander Holyfield times him with a stopwatch. He eventually succeeds.
