Tak returns to Earth to get revenge on Zim, only to find herself confronted by Norlock.
- Continuity Nod:
- Dib is sleep-deprived from several nights of Norlock stalking out his house, which he started doing at the end of last chapter.
- When hosing down Phil to stop him from eating Skoodge, Zim tells him to stick to the basement cows, one of which he was mentioned as eating last chapter.
- Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: Angry after being burned by the sunlight, Norlock snaps at Skoodge's well-intended offer of help by threatening to make him eat his own face.
- Enemy Mine: Dib and Tak team up to fight off Norlock when he shows up to kill her, on the grounds of Dib believing that she's the Lesser of Two Evils.
- Evil vs. Evil: Zim and Tak's rivalry, which will go on to be a defining part of the series from here on out.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Defied by Tak, as she makes it clear to Dib that just because they fought Norlock together out of necessity, that does not make them friends.
- Lesser of Two Evils: Dib states this as the reason he helps Tak fight Norlock.
- Must Be Invited: Norlock exploits a loophole in this rule — he needs an invite into the house itself, but anything adjacent to the house, like a garage, is fair game.
- My God, You Are Serious!: During their first conversation, Norlock states that the Tallest must have seen something in Zim to send him on his mission to Earth. The Tallest burst into laughter, and it's only when they note Norlock's confusion that they realize he hasn't figured out yet that Zim's mission is fake.
- Pass the Popcorn: MIMI goes into blue-eyed mode during Norlock's fight with Tak and Dib, and starts eating popcorn while watching. The fact that she's got no mouth to eat with doesn't slow her down.
- Waking Non Sequitur: Red nudges Purple awake after he falls asleep during Zim’s rant, and he blurts out "Potato dumplings!"
- Wham Episode: Tak returns to Earth, and Norlock convinces the Tallest to officially make the conquest of Earth a competition between her and Zim.
- Xanatos Gambit: At Norlock's prodding, the Tallest set up Zim and Tak's competition for control of Earth as this — if Tak wins, Zim finally dies. If Zim wins, they appoint him ruler of a completely out of the way planet, keeping him out of their hair. And either way, they add another planet to the Empire.
