Spinelli accidentally breaks the school clock in a fit of anger, though fortunately she isn't busted. Realizing they need a new clock, Principal Prickly installs a new centralized computer system at the school, which slowly begins to take control.
Tropes:
- Adults Are Useless: Not for lack of trying; Prickly realizes that something is wrong when SAL says You Have Outlived Your Usefulness and goes to shut the AI down. However, SAL locks him up, lures all of the teachers (including Miss Finster and Miss Grotke) into a room, and locks them in turn. They can't get out through the air vents because they're too small.
- A.I. Is a Crapshoot: SAL 3000 starts out friendly but quickly turns malevolent. It's never established why but is implied to be a design flaw.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The kids discuss how SAL has made the Diggers fill their holes, dethroned King Bob and made the Guru Kid wear a shirt.
- Bait the Dog: Prickly defends SAL to the concerned teachers and students. SAL thanks him. Then he says that Prickly's services are no longer required.
- Berserk Button:
- Gretchen decides to shut down SAL after it calls her dumb.
- T.J. declares war on SAL when the latter orders him to take off his hat.
- Call-Back: SAL helps Vince find his lucky nickel after he drops it.
- Destruction Equals Off-Switch: Subverted; Spinelli wants to do this when they can't find a plug for SAL 3000, but Gretchen tells her not to do that. She says that destroying the controls could cause the school's entire electrical system to go down, as well as any life support systems.
- Everyone Has Standards: T.J. takes a stand against SAL when he retires Ms. Grotke and calls Gretchen, "the smartest kid in the school" dumb.
- Even Principal Prickly and Miss Finster call out against SAL for unjustly relieving them and the other teachers of their jobs.
- Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Gretchen doesn't understand why SAL would go rogue when it is programmed to help the students and the district. Then SAL calls her dumb, setting her on the path to shut it down.
- Here We Go Again!: After SAL is disconnected, Prickly tells Miss Finster that he plans to get the SAL 4000 once it's ready, in 18 months. Even better, it comes with wristwatches for every student!
- Let No Crisis Go to Waste: Principal Prickly reassures Ms. Finster that no one is in trouble for the clock getting damaged. It convinced the school board to install SAL.
- Only Sane Man: Gus realizes that SAL is Too Good to Be True when the AI locks him out of school for three hours for missing the late bell to recess. He warns the others that SAL isn't as benevolent as he seems.
- Reading Lips: TJ and the gang discuss SAL's growing insanity in the cheese box, but just like HAL 9000, SAL reads their lips and figures out what they're planning to do.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The kids make it to SAL's control rooms. They quickly realize that SAL doesn't have a plug. Spinelli suggests smashing the system, but Gretchen tells her it will cause irreparable damage to the school. Instead, she pulls out a manual to find the proper shutdown process. Cue a scene of the kids pressing certain buttons and typing commands, while SAL calmly begs to stay online.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Spinelli causes the whole episode when she tosses her football at the big clock, damaging it, when Gretchen calculates it's been losing them nearly a month of recess. Realizing they are due for an upgrade, Prickly gets approval for his attempts to optimize the school by bringing in an AI.
- Villains Want Mercy: Quite calmly, SAL bargains with the kids when they implement the shutdown process. The AI offers to improve playtime during recess.
- We Need a Distraction: Spinelli taunts SAL by standing on her desk in view of the camera. Two other kids follow her lead by chewing gum and wearing a hat indoors. The gang uses the distraction to get into the air vents.
- Whole-Plot Reference: The entire episode is based on 2001: A Space Odyssey, even down to Gus saying, "Open the hallway doors, SAL!"
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: One thing about SAL 3000 is that the AI never physically hurts anyone. Mind, locking up the kids and Principal Prickly is bad, but not on the level of sending someone out of the airlock. Even when the children go through the vents to shut down SAL, all the AI does is try to dissuade them with heavy-duty fans.
