Cassandra receives the chance to be a guard, but only if she can complete her handmaiden duties in time.
This episode provides examples of:
- A Day in the Limelight: Cassandra plays a bigger role and has more character development than usual. Varian apppears for just the second time in the first Season, and also has a notable role.
- An Aesop: Substance over style. This is shown when Varian turning sand into a brand new element in a souped up cement mixer is obviously superior to a flashy performance, done by someone who is almost definitely a charlatan. Also, Cassandra struggles between keeping a promise to Varian and the glory of being a royal guard. It takes her a while, but she makes the right choice.
- Commonality Connection: Varian and Cassandra both bond over the fact that they have trouble making their fathers proud.
- Continuity Nod: This episode is a continuation on Rapunzel’s quest to find out why her hair grew back.
- Foreshadowing: When Varian is about to tell Cassandra the name of his new element, a Guard interrupts him by calling out her name. At the end of the episode, it is revealed he named the element Cassandrium in tribute to her.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Cassandra agrees to act as Varian's assistant on the condition that he helps her finish her chores. However, Cassandra is offered the opportunity to be a guard and jumps a the chance, breaking her promise to Varian despite him holding up his end of the deal.
- Know-Nothing Know-It-All: Doctor St. Croix is an arrogant Stupid Scientist who believes himself the top science authority because of his position. He tampers with Varian's invention despite Varian's warnings that the doctor has no idea what he's doing. St. Croix arrogantly says he knows exactly what he's doing and tampers with it anyway, which he almost winds up destroying the kingdom.
- Laser-Guided Karma: St. Croix gives first prize to a so-called scientist with a flashier invention, then messes with Varian invention (despite the boy's protest), nearly destroying Corona. While it's a slap on the wrist, St. Croix is injured from the chaos he caused, to the point he's in too much pain to scold Cassandra.
- Literary Allusion Title: "Great Expotations" is one to the novel Great Expectations: Where an All-Loving Hero becomes a Dogged Nice Guy to an Aloof Dark-Haired Girl who due to have been raised by an Abusive Parent has become an Emotionless Girl.
- Mood Whiplash: The end of the episode suddenly shifts to sheer drama when Varian shows the rocks to Rapunzel, whose hair is somehow now glowing in their presence.
- Never Say "Die": Rapunzel builds a device to chop vegetables for the science expo, unaware that it's a miniature guillotine. The sight greatly disturbs Eugene, but he only tells her something to that effect has been invented already without explaining what it's used for.
- Precocious Crush: Varian's crush on Cassandra is on full display this episode, helping out with her chores so she can be a royal guard as well as naming his new element after her, and giving it to Cassandra in a necklace as a gift.
- Stupid Scientist: Doctor St. Croix is a self-proclaimed scientist that values style over substance, choosing Fernanda Pizazzo's floating, magnetic ball because it looks neat despite not having any real practical purpose, and he dismisses everyone else. He then proceeds to mess with Varian's invention and dismisses Varian's attempts to warn him of the inherent dangers.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Rapunzel calls out Cassandra when she chose to be the fill-in royal guard for the visiting scientist rather than keep her promise of being Varian's assistant after he sacrificed his time to help her finish her handmaiden duties.
