Mount Trace. A picturesque little town where people can just get away from it all. Typically in the oft-rented Froggy Cottage.
But this little slice of heaven has its share of issues. Such as a blackmailing stripper and her dopey step-son, a shady doctor going through a messy divorce, the odd marriage of the cottage owners and etc.
And that's not even mentioning the baggage the guests bring. All recorded in the Guest Book.
Season 1 tropes
- Anthology: Each episode follows a new pair of residents in Froggy Cottage.
- Bikini Bar: The local strip club is even called such by people.
- "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: Turns out a large chunk of season 1 was pointless, due to Emma knowing Wilfred went to the bikini bar.
- Didn't Think This Through: Blake successfully runs a scam on Trina and everyone trying to protect him from the mob and ends up stealing one of their cars and fleeing to Mexico. As he's telling this to the bartender, it's revealed that he missed one crucial part.Bartender: Wait, you came here in a government vehicle?
Blake: Yes, I did.
Bartender: Don't they have a way to track those?
Cut to Trina showing up to arrest Blake. - Fat Bastard: Vivian, the blackmailing stripper. Very fat, very mean.
- Hidden Depths: Despite being a bit of a moron, Frank turns Chubby's into a successful sports bar in a matter of hours.
- Minion with an F in Evil: Frank, Vivian's step-son, isn't very good at his job.
- Murder by Inaction: After Dr. Galiff discovers her Alzheimer's patient is a former Klansman who burned down a church and killed someone, he tells her to hurry up so he can drive them to church in the old truck. When she and her nurse see the truck's exhaust fumes filling up the garage, they step back and let him gas himself.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Dr. Galiff from episode 8. In her quest to help an Alzheimer's patient remember his past, she successfully reminds him he's a domestically abusive Klan member.
- Oblivious to Love: Doc Brown to Officer Leahy's advances.
- Previously on…: The show has an interesting way of doing this. Every episode begins with an employee at an electronics store trying to convince a coworker to watch the show and fills him in on the story surrounding the strip club. The coworker always finds a half-hearted reason not to watch it. In the season finale, the coworker admits he watched the show the previous week and decided it wasn't for him.
- Small Town Boredom: Mount Trace isn't the most exciting place to live.
- Too Dumb to Live: Inverted by Jacob the Amish boy who seems to be too dumb to die. He repeatedly tries to commit suicide, only for his attempted methods to have a serious flaw that anyone else could have known about. There's also the reason he wants to kill himself: after watching 8 Mile, he develops a crush on Brittany Murphy and is convinced God wants him to kill himself to be with her after finding out she died.
Season 2 tropes
- Actor Allusion: Michael K. Williams is well known for playing Omar, who's known for whistling "The Farmer in the Dell" which is what precedes his first appearance in the finale. In addition he is well known for playing many gay characters (including Omar) which is fitting since he plays a spirit advisor to a man coming to terms with the fact that he's gay.
- An Arm and a Leg: Mike from episode 5. Who lost a leg during an accident while working a double shift.
- Anthology: As with season 1, each episode focuses on the residents of a rental property. This time a beach house.
- Ascended Extra: Eddie the delivery man graduates from bit player to main character.
- Book Ends: The season begins and ends with Nikki pregnant.
- Brick Joke: Vivian's downfall in Season 2 happens the same way as her season 1 downfall
- Celebrity Paradox: Tim from episode 4 is mentioned to have had a bit part on My Name Is Earl. The same series Eddie's actor played Darnell on.
- Cool Old Guy: Uncle Bill from episode 4. A righteous old guy who decides to have a little fun before his black lung does him in.
- Dénouement Episode: The penultimate episode of the season dealt with most of the running plotlines coming to a head, such as the paternity of Nikki's baby. By contrast the finale is just a quieter episode with the only recurring characters being Nikki and Tommy getting ready for a second child.
- Devoted to You: Officer Kimberly Leahy's crush on Dr. Brown seems to no know bounds. She seems utterly consumed by him whenever he's near her and would rather get close to him than do her job.
- Freudian Excuse: Adam from season 1 returns in episode 3, and has discovered the source his counting fixation: A repressed desire to crossdress.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: A more benevolent version than usual. Shelly from episode 2 is unwittingly put into her own installment of rock bottom by her partner, Rob, so she will get clean.
- Making Room for Baby: The second season finale has Tommy and Nikki expecting a second child. Tommy decides to discontinue rentals of Barefoot Retreat so they can move into it.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: This seems to be the case for Nikki's baby. Her fiance seems none the wiser. Eventually revealed to indeed be her fiancee's baby.
- Once More, with Clarity: Clem from "Invisible Son" narrates his life in flashback detailing how he grew up with a rare condition that caused clumps of his hair to fall out, his mother later married his favorite wrestler, and they got their own reality show which Clem was forbidden from appearing on because of his bald spots. He later started taking medication which cured his bald spots and was allowed to visit his family while they were in town. We see the flashbacks again and it's then revealed he's actually the son of their former housekeeper, his condition was actually the result of him ripping out his hair and eating it when stressed, he wasn't allowed on the show because he wasn't actually a relative, and the medication he took actually controlled his stress.
- The Reveal: Logan from episode 8 seems like your typical spoiled, social media obsessed jerk. Until we find out he needed his phone to work for his grandmother's memorial service.
- Shout-Out: My Name is Earl is referenced as one of the few gigs that Tim's uncle is proud of him for
- Take Up My Sword: After successfully getting Shelly to hit rock bottom and go to rehab, Rob leaves Rock Bottom Industries to the sibling duo who assisted him.
- Time Skip: One appears in the next to last episode. During the twenty-six months it covers, Vivian serves a prison sentence for her crimes, Eddie gets promoted to manager at the restaurant, Nikki is pregnant again, and Tommy's mother has died in a plane crash having him decide to stop renting Barefoot Retreat.
- Villainous Crush: Vivian's actions are motivated by her crush on Donnie
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Adam the counter.
