Recap / The Amazing World of Gumball S3E15 "The Law"

Donut Cop: Crime is a slippery slope. If I turn a blind eye on the smallest misdemeanor, before you know it the whole society falls apart.

After catching Gumball jaywalking in order to get to Larry's ice cream truck, Donut Cop takes Gumball and Darwin on a ride-along to show them how important upholding the law is, but when Darwin and Gumball convince Donut Cop to be cool, it gets him fired and leads Mrs. Parham (the orange woman who has the blue little boy named Billy) to hijack the ice cream truck and go on a crime spree.

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Tropes:

• All Crimes Are Equal: According to Donut Cop's logic.
• Barefoot Cartoon Animal: Lampshaded as Gumball's bare feet start to melt in the extreme heat.
• Baby Carriage: Double subverted when Donut Cop hits a carriage that was just full of cans ("Oh thank gosh, it's the old 'stroller full of trash' trick"), but one of the cans nails a baby in the head.
• Can't Get Away with Nuthin': After getting tired of waiting for the light to change, Gumball attempts to jaywalk and only has to take a single step before Donut Cop catches him.
• Da Chief: Donut Cop's is a bucket of fried chicken. Needless to say, he is not thrilled to learn the things DC did. Donut Cop ends up saving him from Felicity in the end.
• Description Cut: As the squad car drives by Felicity and her kid:
  Felicity: Look Billy, Elmore's finest, risking their lives to protect our freedom. (Billy and woman salute)
  (cut to inside of the squad car)
  Donut Cop's Siren: *Whoop* *Whoop*
  Darwin and Gumball: That's the sound of law enforcement!
  Donut Cop's Siren: *Whoop* *Whoop*
  Darwin and Gumball: That's the sound of law enforcement!
• Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: The ice cream truck plays a sped up version of the show's ending theme.
• Flashed-Badge Hijack:
  • Played with:
    Donut Cop: I can commandeer any vehicle I want!
    Gumball: Any vehicle?
    Donut Cop: Anything.
    (scene changes to Donut Cop, Darwin, and Gumball on a kiddie ride)
    Gumball: Ugh, I guess I can't complain. It is a spaceship.
  • He does it again after totaling his own car, taking an actual car this time:
    Donut Cop: Stop! I commandeer this vehicle.
    (the driver stops the vehicle. He unbuckles his seatbelt and he flies through the front window and through the Doughnut Sheriff's mouth)
    Donut Cop: And that sir, is exactly why you need to wear a seatbelt. Come on guys, (Opens the door to the car and enters) get in the car!
    Gumball: Uh, this doesn't feel right.
    Donut Cop: IN THE NAME OF THE LAW, GET IN THE CAR!
• Disproportionate Retribution: Donut Cop's treatment of Gumball's jaywalking, though according to him, there's no such thing as "disproportionate" retribution.
• Furry Reminder: During the heatwave, Darwin points out that, as a fish, he doesn't have sweat glands.
• Heat Wave: The episode takes place during a massive heat wave. It's all but said that the reason for Donut Cop and Felicity's sudden Sanity Slippage is due to the heat.
• Hero Stole My Bike: Played with in that three conveniently unguarded bikes are ignored to instead use a stroller.
• I Am the Noun: When Donut Cop is going insane with abusing his power:
  Gumball: Please, I'm begging you! Someone is going to get hurt unless you stop breaking the law!
  Donut Cop: Ha, don't worry kid, nothing can happen: I am the law! Hahaha!
• Karma Houdini: Felicity hijacks a car, nearly runs dozens of people over, and takes a police officer hostage and arrested for this but Donut Cop Invokes this trope and lets her off with a warning because he thinks that's the "cool" thing to do. Cue Gumball chewing him out for this.
• Left the Background Music On: The trumpet music playing in the background of Gumball's Rousing Speech is just Darwin making the sounds with his mouth.
• Lightning Can Do Anything: Donut Cop uses his stun gun to make a vending machine give free soda (then shoot more soda out uncontrollably) and make Bobert dance (until he does it too many times and trigger his combat mode). Subverted when he uses it on a balloon and ATM, which just catch on fire and shoot ink at them for tampering.
• Malaproper: Chief Chicken Bucket really likes to jumble a lot of phrases around.
• My God, What Have I Done?: After getting fired by the police department, Donut Cop regrets being reckless while trying to be cool.
• Oh, Crap!: Gumball, Darwin, and Donut Cop had the biggest one after they accidentally hit a baby with a can after going too far of trying to be cool.
• Stylistic Self-Parody: When Darwin and Gumball pretend to be handcuffed, Darwin asks Gumball to scratch his nose, but:
  Donut Cop: You're not handcuffed. And he doesn't have a nose.
• Surprise Jump: Gumball, Darwin, and Donut Cop trick people into walking in front of a squad car then honk the horn to propel them into the air. They come back down... eventually.
• Take That!: According to Gumball, Darwin said Donut Cop was "as cool as World Music", which Darwin regretted.
• Turn in Your Badge: The Chief of Police fires Donut Cop. He also tries to take Darwin and Gumball's, not realizing they weren't cops. The chief gives it back when he's taken hostage.
• What the Hell, Hero?:
  • The Chief of Police gives an...interesting one to Donut Cop after he hits that baby with a soda can:
    Chicken Bucket: Misuse of your police siren! Unlawful discharge of your weapon! Absolute disregard for traffic regulation! Grand theft auto, assault with a motorized vehicle! BABY BASHING?! My sand castle's got a jelly moat here, and there's no one to scoop out the dice! I'm blowing a foghorn, but the only thing coming out of it is hot foam! AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?!
    Gumball: Nnnnn-not really.
  • So does Gumball after the Donut Cop lets Felicity Go.
    Gumball: Are you kidding me? That woman is a menace to society! She's an absolute psychopathic criminal!
    Donut Cop: Ah... too cool?

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