While Jim gets a crash course in troll history, big problems - and a bully - await him in the human world. What better time for his first mission?
Tropes for this episode include:
- Asleep in Class: Jim is found sleeping during Blinky's troll-history lecture. To be fair, he was up late studying for his Spanish exam, a class with a very Stern Teacher.
- Bastard Understudy: Steve establishes himself as Jim's understudy, Jim's constant absences and tardiness requiring one for the part of Romeo (despite the whistle in his teeth).
- Been There, Shaped History: Blinky claims that the trolls and gnomes first came to America stowed away on the Mayflower.
- Berserk Button: Never touch a gnome's hat.
- Cool Key: Blinky mentions that the Amulet was used to lock the Killahead Bridge and is used to unlock it later on in the series.
- Incredible Shrinking Man: In order to get to the thieving Gnome, Jim uses the Furgolator to shrink himself down and retrieve his amulet from him.
- Gory Discretion Shot: We don't see the poor night guard getting turned into a midnight "snack".
- Killed Offscreen: Implied. Bular chastises Strickler for leading a security guard to their location. Strickler retorts that he actually let the guard find them as a "midnight snack" for Bular. We do not see the security guard escape successfully.
- Killer Rabbit: The gnome makes short work of everyone for a while, until Jim gets his Trollhunter armor on.
- The Main Characters Do Everything: The trollhunter’s job is to “heed the call”, which apparently means that it is Jim’s job to do everything troll society demands of him, including taking care of one troll’s gnome infestation. Blinky justifies the troll’s request by suggesting that it would make a good first lesson for Jim.
- Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: While rule two tells him to kill the gnome, Jim decides to spare his life after seeing that he was just lonely, allowing him to live in Toby's doll-house.
- Oh, Crap!: Jim's reaction when he accidentally pulled off Gnome Chompsky's hat.
- Pet the Dog: Mr. Uhl gives Jim a passing grade for his sloppy presentation, possibly out of pity and respect for Jim trying to do the report despite being sick.
- Red Shirt: That night guard never stood a chance against Bular.
- Shout-Out: Toby names the gnome Chompsky... Someone's been playing Left 4 Dead.
- Both gnomes are a reference to American academic Noam Chomsky.
- Skewed Priorities: Inverted; Jim is more concerned about his immediate problem, his Spanish oral exam, than about having to face Draal in a couple of days. Blinky doesn't understand the importance, naturally.
- Smarter Than You Look: Steve points out that Jim uses an incorrect Spanish word. And he finds the perfect revenge; to become Jim's understudy in Romeo and Juliet.
- Stating the Simple Solution: When Jim doesn't grow back to normal height, Toby suggests immediately that he call in sick. Jim refuses because he's worried the teacher will spot him lying. Instead, he attempts to telecommute his presentation.
- Sticky Fingers: The gnome keeps running around Trollmarket and stealing anything it can find, necessitating Jim's assistance.
- Take a Third Option: "Finish the fight" is supposed to mean kill the opponent. So also "take care of him". Jim chooses to interpret "take care of him" in a more positive way. He and Toby befriend the gnome and name him Gnome Chompsky. As a result, the Gnome stops being a pest and aids Jim.
