TJ and the gang befriend new student, James Stone. They show him their ropes and genuinely accept him as a friend. Little do they know, James is spying on them for the Superintendent and rats out the gang's secrets.
Tropes:
- Adults Dressed as Children: James, who is a 42 year old, disguises himself as a fourth grade student to spy on TJ and the gang.
- Bait the Dog: James Stone does this by appealing to the gang's interests before befriending them in order to learn about their secrets.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: James initially appears to be a new friend for TJ and the gang, but it turns out that he's a government agent spying on them for the Superintendent and selling out their secrets to the school (and being proud of himself for doing so, no less).
- Brick Joke: After they steal the Ashley's flag, Spinelli suggests cutting it up and mailing it back to them one piece at a time. Next time we see the Ashley's flag, its sewn back together.
- Chekhov's Classroom: Near the beginning of the episode, Miss Grotke is teaching the kids about Benedict Arnold and the meaning behind the term. Later after TJ and them discover that James is a spy, they refer to him as a Benedict Arnold or "a grown up Benedict Arnold".
- Et Tu, Brute?: The gang is quite hurt that James was hired to spy on them, since they were doing their best to make a "new kid" feel welcome.
- Enemy Mine: As much as Randall is on hot water with the gang due to his snitching, he is appalled to hear that he's being framed by Stone for ratting out the gang's secrets and shortcuts. Eventually, the gang learns the truth, so they teamed up with Randall to punish Stone.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: When the boys hear a strange whirring sound coming from a bathroom stall, Randall says he's been hearing that sound for three days, the same amount of time James has been a student. They peer into the stall and see James, who turns out to be an adult spy, shaving beard stubble with an electric razor.
- Foreshadowing: Miss Grotke is giving a presentation on Benedict Arnold and how his name is used as another word for traitor just before the new kid enters the classroom.
- Genre Blind: After hiring Stone specifically to spy on the kids, the Superintendent refuses to believe his agent when the agent says he was set up for the prank. Because an adult wouldn't have easily been fooled by kids.Skinner: STONE!!!Stone: Yes.... Superitendent Skinner?Skinner: YOU'RE FIRED!!!Stone: But sir.... this wasn't my fault!! It was these kids! THEY SET ME UP!!Skinner: You're blaming kids?! YOU'RE A 42-YEAR-OLD MAN!!
- Human Ladder: The gang stack themselves into a pyramid so they can reach the control panel for the school clock.
- I Resemble That Remark!:Vince: It's all that jerk Randall's fault.Spinelli: Yeah, he's always snooping around!Randall: [jumping out from a trash can] I am not! Oops.
- Jerkass Has a Point: At first, TJ says Randall can't hear the plan to punish Stone because "cool kids" only, despite knowing that Randall is innocent the entire time. However, Randall admits that he understands TJ's reasons by acknowledging that he can't be trusted since he is the neighborhood snitch. Nevertheless, TJ fills in with Randall about their plan and gets him to rat out Stone as promised.
- Kick the Dog: James spying on the gang could be justified as him doing his job, if it weren't for him Evil Gloating about how he got TJ and his friends into detention with his snitching and framing Randall for it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: For his acts of selling out the gang's secrets and shortcuts and framing Randall for it, Stone ends up being tricked in pulling a prank against the Superintendent, who furiously fires him and has him arrested.
- The Mole: James, who's spying on the gang for the Superintendent.
- The Name Is Bond, James Bond:Miss Grotke: Class, meet your new study buddy, Mr...James: Stone, ma'am. James Stone.
- Not Me This Time: Randall blows his cover hiding in a trash can while the gang accuses him of ratting on them to Miss Finster. Much as he wanted to, it wasn't him this time, it was Stone.
- Pet the Dog: As part of their plan against Stone, TJ fills in with Randall in order to have him rat out Stone as payback for framing him. After Stone is exposed, Randall happily thanks TJ for the opportunity.TJ: (happily nods to Randall after the Superintendent is wedgied) Randall...Randall: (points to Stone as the culprit of the prank) He did it, he did it! (smiles at TJ) Thanks, man.
- Secret Path: The gang use a secret door to bypass walking through the crowd to get to class. Unfortunately when they later try to use it again, they get caught by Miss Finster.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: As Stone is being taken away upon being tricked into getting Superintendent Skinner wedgied on the flagpole:James: (to TJ) You! I'll get you for this!TJ: Oh, grow up.
- Wedgie: Superintendent Skinner gets his underpants yanked on the flagpole at the end of the episode courtesy of James, who was set up to do it. He gets fired as a result.
- Wham Shot: The kids when cornering Randall hear a weird whirring sound, which Randall admitted to having heard it for the last three days. They then peer over the bathroom stall and hear Stone ratting on them to the Superintendent while shaving his stubble with a razor and taking off his baseball cap, revealing he's an adult.
