What An Idiot / Big City Greens

It might be called Big City, but the populace are no less immune to bad ideas.

Season 1

• "Welcome Home:" The Greens have arrived in Big City and are heading to Gramma's house to live with her. Cricket and Tilly are so amazed by their new surroundings that they repeatedly ask Bill if they should get out for a moment and see the sights, but he is against this and is determined to make it to their destination safely.
  You'd expect: Cricket and Tilly to listen to Bill and stay in the Kludge until they get to Gramma's.
  Instead: When Bill gets pulled over by a cop, Cricket and Tilly escape the Kludge while he isn't looking, forcing him to come out.
  The result: He stopped the Kludge in a no parking zone, causing it to be towed away.
• "Space Chicken:"
  • Bill says the Greens need to make a good impression.
    You'd expect: For Bill to clarify what that means.
    Instead: He doesn't and chaos ensues.
  • On the flip side...
    You'd expect: Cricket to realize his dad wants him to be on his best behavior in front of the new neighbors.
    Instead: He misinterprets Bill's advice and decides to literally impress the neighbors by trying to launch a chicken into space. Chaos ensues.
    The result: Bill sees what Cricket has done and confronts him that he didn't take his advice properly, and punishes him by sending him to his room for the rest of the day. However, he forgot about the secret passageway in the bedroom, which Cricket uses to escape, thus he disobeys him and remains true to his word.
    However: He does manage to impress the townsfolk indeed.
• "Critterball Crisis" To get the balls back from Gloria, Cricket steals her Eiffel Tower model and asks her to meet he, Tilly and Remy on the sidewalk later. Before he gives her back the tower, he asks her to toss him a ball.
  You'd expect: For Cricket to let Tilly or Remy hold the tower while Gloria tosses the ball to him.
  Instead: He lets the tower drop out of his hands as he catches, causing it to break, making Gloria furious and destroying all the balls.
• "Raccooned":
  • Cricket and Bill come to the garage to find Gramma's missing teddy bear, where they end up disturbing a nest of vicious raccoons.
    You'd expect: Cricket and Bill to close the back door before opening the garage.
    Instead: They leave it open, and thus, the raccoons escape into the house.
  • While inside, Bill sets up a trap for the raccoons, and Cricket is impatient upon waiting. Eventually one appears, but instead of going into the cage, it tries to reach for the bait through the cage bars.
    You'd expect: Cricket to listen to Bill and wait for the raccoon to be captured.
    Instead: He is too impatient and attempts to attack the raccoon head-on, only for it to escape.
    Extra idiot points: Cricket keeps ruining all of Bill's traps, and the two bicker constantly throughout the episode. Gramma eventually calls them out for it.
• "Supermarket Scandal": The Greens decide to sell their fake produce at the Farmer's Market. Chip Whistler, who had been scamming them all this time, shows up and decides to "taste" what's going on, not knowing the food is fake and Cricket warns him not to eat it.
  You'd expect: For Chip to listen to Cricket.
  Instead: He doesn't comply and bites the fake food, thus chipping his tooth hence his name and becoming the Greens' enemy, which is what Bill ultimately predicted in the first place.
  You'd also expect: The Greens to put up a "fake produce" sign so people can know they're fake.
  Instead: They don't, leading to the problem above.
  Alternatively you'd expect: Cricket to quickly grab the fake fruit out of Chip's hand so he doesn't eat it.
  Instead: He doesn't. Again this leads to the problem above.
• "Barry Cuda": Cricket buys a singing fish toy and keeps playing with it nonstop which annoys his family to the brink of insanity.
  You'd expect: Tilly, Bill or Gramma to tell Cricket to knock it off or confiscate the toy.
  Instead: They each take turns to violently attack and decapitate parts of the toy while Cricket isn't watching, without telling him to stop at all, which in turn causes Cricket to turn against and mistrust the family as a whole.
  Alternatively You'd expect: Cricket to let his family do their business and not bother them with the fish.
  Instead: He keeps bursting in on them with Barry Cuda nonstop, leading to above.
• "Mama Bird": Tilly finds a bird's nest with unhatched eggs, and Bill warns her that the first thing the birds see when they hatch will recognize them as their mama. Tilly spends the first few minutes carrying the nest around, hoping the birds will see her as their mama, while Cricket is bothered. Eventually, the eggs begin to hatch and the birds are revealed.
  You'd expect: For Cricket to leave Tilly be so the birds can see her and only her upon hatching.
  Instead: He stays with Tilly when the birds hatch, and thus they see him instead of her, kicking off the conflict of the episode.
• "Photo Op":
  • Bill uses a trip to the food court to trick the Greens into getting a family photo taken to their dismay. Bill apologizes for lying, but did this on purpose on account of wanting a "precious memory" which cannot be forgotten.
    You'd expect: Bill to think twice and understand his family's sadness, and let them do what they want.
    Instead: He still insists on taking the photo, and they escape while he's not looking.
  • While Cricket and Gramma are hiding in Clothington, the owner distracts Bill long enough into leaving. Cricket and Gramma watch from the fitting room they're hiding in, but Bill hasn't exited the store yet although he went offscreen.
    You'd expect: Cricket and Gramma to remain silent until Bill has left the store, or at least talk under their breaths.
    Instead: They take the time to laugh and chat loud enough for Bill to hear, and they get caught.
  • In the climax as Cricket and Tilly are using the train to get to the food court, Bill is swinging on the flag bunting that stretches across the pit to the bottom floor to land in front of them and stop them. Cricket tries to get Tilly to speed up...surprise! The train only has one speed.
    You'd expect: Cricket and Tilly to steer the train around the space where Bill will land so they can safely get to the food court, or to stop the train, get off, and run there.
    Instead: She keeps driving the train straight ahead.
    Then: Bill lands right in front of them, causing them to stop.
    You'd expect: Cricket and Tilly to quickly jump off the train and run around Bill to the food court.
    Instead: They stay right where they are, and Bill takes them back to the photo studio where they get the picture taken. However, after seeing them miserable in the picture and the photographer alters them so they're smiling, Bill realizes the error of his ways and takes them to the food court, where they chow down and take photobooth pictures.
• "Remy Rescue": To help Remy escape his mansion, Cricket holds Vasquez captive in a chair and takes the keys from his pocket; however, Rashida and Russell have arrived outside, so the boys go off to find a way to keep them outside and Tilly is left to watch him.
  You'd expect: Tilly to do as she was told, stay with Vasquez, watch him, and make sure he doesn't escape.
  Instead: She decides to go find a board game, leaving him unguarded, and he gets out of the trap and lets Remy's parents in.
  Fortunately: Tilly crawls into the vents upon learning Vasquez escaped, initiating a Brick Joke where she falls out moments later to tackle Vasquez long enough to free Cricket so he can save Remy.
• "Rated Cricket": Bill takes the Greens out to the movie theater to see Croblins 2, but Cricket would rather see the PG-13 Kiss of Death.
  You'd expect: For Cricket to get information on what the movie is about, such as watch the trailer or ask someone about it.
  Instead: He only sees the poster for the movie and assumes it's a blockbuster thriller, which he's into. Once he watches the movie however, he realizes it's a teen horror/romance drama, which he finds extremely uncomfortable.
  You'd also expect: Cricket to ask the four teens seeing Kiss of Death what the movie is going to be about, as he might learn it's not what he expected from someone who knows about it.
  Instead: He doesn't.
• "Homeshare Hoedown":
  • Cricket discovers Gloria uses a website called Share B&B to have guests stay at her apartment and pay her. He becomes interested in the money.
    You'd expect: Cricket to ask Gloria to set up an account for him on the website.
    Instead: Gloria sets up the appointment on her own phone, under her name.
    The result: Once the tourists leave, the money ends up going to Gloria instead of Cricket because he set it up under her name.
  • Upon discussing with his family, Cricket believes it will be easy and the money will just roll in, but Bill warns him that the job won't be easy as he thinks and he has to contribute to the job no matter what.
    You'd expect: Bill to explain what it means to have guests over, to know what they want, their needs, and especially what kind of guests.
    Instead: Cricket remains true to his word.
    The result: The guests are two eccentric tourists named Val and Justin, and Cricket realizes the hard way that he has to attain to their needs and the money doesn't roll in that quickly.
• "Blood Moon":
  • Gramma is warning the kids that a blood moon will occur that Halloween night, and their family might not be the same afterward.
    You'd Expect: The kids to heed Gramma's warning.
    Instead: They don't listen to her.
    The result: They soon discover Gramma was right all along, and once the blood moon rises, the farm animals are turned into zombies and are attacked.
  • The main point of this episode is Bill worrying the kids are going trick-or-treating without him, as despite not having much in the country, he loved driving them around in his truck and wouldn't give anything for the world.
    You'd Expect: Bill to reason with the kids before they go off.
    Instead: He doesn't do anything about it, and he lets the zombified animals out of the garage in an attempt to stop the kids from leaving the house for the sake of missing them.
    The result: Halloween is almost ruined.
  • Throughout the episode, Remy criticizes Vasquez of stealing his hot dog costume.
    You'd Expect: Vasquez to prove a point to Remy.
    Instead: He says nothing about it until the climax; turns out Vasquez didn't steal Remy's costume, Remy stole Vasquez's costume, as he's always a hot dog every year and he completely forgot about it.
  • The Greens have been cornered by the animals on the roof of the next-door apartment building.
    You'd Expect: The Greens to jump off the roof and safely land on something below, like an awning, tree, or bush.
    Instead: They just stay where they are, and accept their fates. And if the blood moon hadn't ended when it did, then the Greens would've been Eaten Alive.
• "Feud Fight":
  • The tomato war has broken out and both sides are against each other. Tilly stops him and reveals he can only break the cycle by deciding enough is enough, so Cricket decides to call it even with Chip and make a truce. Cue him holding his hand out and smiling innocently.
    You'd Expect: Chip to shake Cricket's hand, make a Heel–Face Turn, and all is well.
    Instead: He believes Cricket is forfeiting the fight; cue "Oh, Crap!" from Cricket.
    You'd Then Expect: Cricket to make a run for it.
    Instead: He stays right where he is, and thus, is pelted with tomatoes all over. The customers are angry at him for this and vow never to shop at Wholesome Foods again, and even a portion of Chip's workers quit on him.
  • After the fight has ended, Chip decides to get back at the Greens by biting all their tomatoes so none of them can be sold.
    You'd Expect: The Greens to intervene and stop Chip from eating the tomatoes, or protect the tomatoes from him.
    You'd Then Expect: They just stand there watching Chip eat them and don't say a word other than get surprised as they lose their produce. Fortunately, Gramma shows up with her bag of Sultan Peppers and when Chip eats them whole, it melts the filling in his tooth and he flees for now.
• "Harvest Dinner": When Cricket and Gramma refuse to go to the store and Bill gives that job to Tilly instead, they are tasked at watching a pie cool off on the windowsill. Both are not happy at this and think Bill gave them the job because he doesn't trust them to get the paprika, despite neither of them wanting to go earlier.
  You'd expect: Bill to explain why Cricket and Gramma have to watch the pie.
  Instead: He only asks them to watch it, and in return, they decide to beat Tilly to the store and get the paprika she was supposed to get for the stew.
  You'd also expect: Bill to check in on the living room window to see if Cricket and Gramma are doing their duty, so that once he finds there's no one there, he realizes they disobeyed him.
  Instead: He stays in the kitchen the whole time to cook the stew with Nancy.
  As a result: Because there was no one watching the pie, it was stolen by a mean rooster and Bill calls them out.
• "Night Bill": Cricket and Tilly find Bill's Beef Up contracts (the copy at first, the original at the very end), and Cricket decides to destroy them so Bill can get out of the job.
  You'd expect: Cricket to rip up the contracts and throw them out, or toss them in a paper shredder.
  Instead: He chooses to eat the contracts and swallow them.
  The result: The first time Cricket does so, Bill warns Tilly to not let Cricket eat paper. The second time, Cricket swallows a staple and has to be ushered to the hospital.
• "Cheap Snake":
  • Bored with nothing to do, Cricket decides to get a pet from the pet store downtown. He sets his sights on a snake.
    You'd expect: Cricket to purchase things to take care of a snake prior to purchasing the snake itself, which is what Remy says to the owner when seeing it.
    Instead: Cricket goes ahead and just purchases the snake, and names it Snakey. He does this because he believes a message from a commercial he saw, "No think, just do."
  • Cricket takes Snakey home with him, and tries to take care of him.
    You'd expect: Cricket to listen to Remy's advice about Snakey, about what he eats, where he should sleep, among other things.
    Instead: He does his own method of snake care: he has Snakey sleep on his hammock, and eat human foods that are long, making him go mad.
  • When Snakey eats the farm animals and goes nuts, Bill, Tilly and Remy use the farm spool to free most of them, but Snakey escapes into the back alley right before they could free the chicken.
    You'd expect: Cricket to pause and think things through before deciding what to do to defeat Snakey, which is what Remy suggests after Snakey runs off.
    Instead: He still remains true to the commercial, and goes into the ally to face Snakey alone.
    The Result: As a reward for his impulsive behavior, Cricket is eaten. He learns his lesson afterward, and upon realizing the pet store closed and they cannot take Snakey back, he thinks through this time and gives Snakey to Remy.
• "Hiya Henry": Tilly finds Gramma's old ventriloquist dummy, Hiya Henry, and decides to use him for the talent show, but Cricket is irked by it.
  You'd expect: For Cricket to tell Tilly or someone else that he doesn't like Henry so he can get it off his chest.
  Instead: He says nothing, fearing that telling Tilly would hurt her feelings, and spends the whole episode freaking out until he ends up destroying Henry in the middle of Tilly's act, which in return hurts her feelings anyway.
• "Valentine's Dance": The Greens attend a Valentine's Day dance. Cricket doesn't want to dance with anyone because he believes love is a bad thing, as it could take things away from you. So when he encounters a pretty girl named Gabriella who wants to dance with him, he is instantly lovestruck with her and cannot bring himself to break her heart.
  You'd Expect: Cricket to tell one of his parents or Gramma his love problem immediately after confessing his problem to Gloria.
  Instead: He keeps shut before them and avoids Gabriella whatever it takes. It's not until Nancy reveals to him what love truly is that he realizes what's going on, and once he's ready to dance with Gabriella, she instantly turns him down, breaking his heart instead, because he constantly avoided her in the first place. Nice job fulfilling your promise before, Cricket.
• "Green Streets": Cricket scampers around Big City hauling some kind of junk, only to inadvertently toss it.
  You'd Expect: Cricket to pick up what he dropped.
  Instead: He leaves them where they are, either ignoring them and going on, or dropping them without notice.
  The result: His actions were caught on camera.
• "Sleepover Sisters":
  • Tilly and Andromeda decide to have a sleepover at the latter's house so Cricket won't bother them with his constant spinning antics. However, he ironically discovers later that night he cannot sleep without Tilly's loud snore.
    You'd expect: For Cricket to use a device (ie. a radio or Bill's phone) to play back a recording of Tilly's snore so he can sleep.
    Instead: He spends his whole night trying to find a way to get to sleep, and it isn't until he gets to Tilly and she and Andromeda doze off that he finally hits the hay.
• "Volunteer Tilly": Inspired by a prank show, Cricket and Gramma play hilarious pranks on Bill to the point of getting so frustrated he takes a bath to calm down.
  You'd expect: Cricket and Gramma to stop their pranks there on in.
  Instead: Cricket feels sorry for not setting up any pranks in the bathroom, so he and Gramma set up one outside the bathroom. Then they slip in the oil they spill and are unable to stand up when a vicious chihuahua from the animal shelter attacks them. They try to alert Bill, but he thinks it's another prank and ignores them. Once he comes out, both are badly mauled, and he punishes them for their pranking.

Season 2

• "Cricket's Kapowie": When Cricket is styling his hair to have "kapowie" before his appearance in the Big Coffee commercial, one strand of hair pops up with no way to keep it stuck down.
  You'd expect: Cricket to use a small pair of scissors to cut the strand or ask a grownup to cut it for him.
  You'd also expect: Cricket to smooth that strand down with hair gel.
  Instead: He uses a razor and unintentionally sheers the whole middle section of his hair, kicking off his problem for the episode.
• "Green Christmas":
  • Cricket wants to get presents for Christmas, and decides to do good deeds to make up for his bad ones.
    You'd Expect: For him to continue doing that.
    Instead: He tries to convince a mall Santa that he's been good.
    You'd Then Expect: For him to be in his best behavior.
    Instead: When a crying kid approaches them saying that Cricket cut in line, he just waves him off.
    The Result: Cricket's chances for getting presents are almost ruined.
  • Feeling he won't get any presents, Cricket decides "nothing he does matters" and resorts to being a naughty prankster, to Tilly's shock.
    You'd Expect: Tilly to call her parents or Gramma and tell them about Cricket's behavior so they can punish him.
    Instead: She doesn't do that and tries to stop him, which ultimately leads her to being blamed for a disaster and put on the naughty list. Cricket soon learns his lesson afterward.
  • When the Hudkins tree crashes, Tilly comes out of the tree first, and the news finds her and believe she is to blame.
    You'd Expect: For Tilly to come clean and sternly tell the news that it wasn't her fault, it was Cricket's.
    Instead: She just stays there shocked and is too petrified to even say that she didn't do anything wrong, and Cricket takes her away with him with no evidence to decipher.
• "Shark Objects":
  • Cricket wants to pull a prank on the beach goers by pretending to be a shark, which Bill forbids him to. Bill also wants Nancy to be responsible for a change.
    You'd Expect: Nancy to do what Bill says and have fun with Cricket in a responsible way.
    Instead: Nancy, wanting to be the fun parent and not a stick-in-the-mud like Bill, goes along with Cricket's plan after he manipulates her into giving him his fin.
    The Result: Nancy finally learns her lesson about being responsible only after Cricket nearly gets killed by a lifeguard with a harpoon gun.
  • Alternatively, Bill should have stuck with his role as the responsible one and let Nancy be the fun one.
    You'd Expect: That Bill should have followed his gut instead of letting Nancy be the responsible one.
    Instead: Bill says he's tired of being the bad guy all the time and wants to be fun for a change, so he lets Tilly build a sand castle over him.
    The Result: Bill is unable to get out and stop Cricket's prank gone horribly wrong because the sand is too heavy. Only a crab pinching his bottom frees him.
• "Reckoning Ball":
  • Chip tries to kill the Greens, luckily Officer Keys shows up to stop him.
    You’d Expect: For him to immediately be arrested for attempted murder.
    Instead: He's not.
  • Chip is forced to apologize to the Greens by his dad when he threatens to fire him; when all this fails at first, he confesses his problem to the Greens and Bill reassures him with advice to "put in the work" before he can "reap the rewards". Chip feels inspired by this, before he proceeds to the apology.
    You'd Expect: The Greens to suspect something is up with Chip when he seems to give a legitimate apology before they sign the contract, as since Gramma points out, he could have some tricks up his sleeve.
    Instead: They immediately believe his apology and sign the contract, Cricket especially. Only Gramma was smart enough to obey the above.
    The Result: Once his dad is out of the picture and he becomes the new CEO, Chip reveals he only used the Greens' kindness and understanding to assume full control of the company, so he can run them out of town someday. Cricket eventually regrets his mistake. The only downfall to his plan is, people are still boycotting the stores, and his reputation hasn't been saved.
• "Wild Side" could be the textbook definition of this trope:
  • Cricket is beginning to experience a weird feeling (the itch) where he has to be outside in the wild one certain day a year or he’ll go crazy.
    You’d expect: For Bill to just take him on a normal camping trip or give him an accurate camping trip in the backyard.
    Alternatively you'd expect: For Bill to take Cricket somewhere to get this explained.
    Instead: He doesn't, and gives him a campout in the backyard instead, because as he puts, "Backyard camping is fun, too."
    The Result: Cricket goes crazy and causes chaos, like in Green Christmas, they’re only saved by lazy writing and the status quo.
  • Throughout the entire episode Cricket’s going crazy and trashing Big City.
    You'd Expect: For someone to call the cops, at least Bill should so they can help him catch his child.
    Instead: No one does and Gramma Alice is recruited instead. She fails and goes wild in the end as well.
  • Cricket is attempting to turn everyone wild by will, he starts with Remy.
    You’d Expect: For Remy to just run if he's too scared to fight.
    Instead: He just takes it in and stays.
  • Bill finally has a hold of Cricket.
    You’d Expect: For Bill to bring him home, and then that’s it.
    Instead: Bill tells Cricket he wants to go wild as well.
    The Result: Cricket manipulates him and Bill destroys a play set. Justified, as Bill was probably entranced by their antics when coming upon the play, and decided to go wild by will.
• "Desserted":
  • Cricket wants to treat his family to dinner, but Bill demands to know how Cricket expects to pay since there's no way he could afford it.
    You'd Expect: Alice and Nancy to side with Bill.
    Instead: They tell Bill to be nice since Cricket is doing something good.
    The Result: They all eat a big meal and Cricket reveals his end game: win an ice cream challenge so they'll eat for free. Unfortunately, by that time, they're too full to eat the giant tub of ice cream.
  • Alternatively, Bill probably had enough money to pay for the meal.
    You'd Expect: That Cricket let the man pay for it.
    Instead: Cricket knew that his family wouldn't go along with his plan to treat them with a free meal if they knew all the details, so he replaced Bill's money with fake cash so he would have no way to pay for it.
    The Result: They have no choice but to eat the ice cream, resulting in them getting sick, and Bill eventually calls him out for it.
• "Gramma Driver": Bill is getting smartphones for the Greens. Tilly, who is unfamiliar with the phone's technology, comes to the belief the phone's assistant Agatha is a person's essence trapped inside the phone, and she does nothing but try to "free" her by destroying the seemingly-indestructible phone right after Bill purchases it for her.
  You'd Expect: Bill, if he had any free time to himself, to stop Tilly and tell her more info on the phone and Agatha is not really someone inside it.
  Instead: He does absolutely nothing about it. By the time Tilly does destroy the phone and "frees" Agatha, Bill calmly says, "That phone cost me $200."
• "Tilly Style": The subplot involves Bill serving zucchini for dinner due to having loads of it stocked up. Cricket, who despises it, has been forced to have it six nights in a row and cannot take it anymore, so he voices his problem to Bill.
  You'd Expect: Bill to listen to Cricket and understand his anger, and let him have a different dinner instead.
  Instead: He insists he eat his zucchini no matter what, to the point he cannot leave his chair unless he does so, prompting him to go around in his chair for the rest of his life. It's not until the end that Cricket tells him he's not listening to him and wants him to, that Bill finally understands his pain.
• "Friend Con":
  • Bill is feeling down because he has no friends left since the move to Big City; so Tilly suggests setting him up in a friendship with Chip as she believe he's changed since the events of "Reckoning Ball", but Cricket isn't sure about it.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to resent Tilly's idea.
    Instead: He goes right with it, they set them up, and hit it off; turns out Cricket was right about his suspicions all along, as Chip is still evil and is plotting to ruin Bill's speech.
  • Backstage before Bill's speech, Chip gives a tip to not eat on a full stomach and presents an oversized saltine and peanut butter sandwich; Bill is unsure as it would dry his mouth out, but Chip convinces him to trust "Good Ol' Chip" no matter what.
    You'd Expect: For Bill to not trust Chip or eat a small portion of the sandwich instead.
    Instead: He obeys and swallows the sandwich whole.
    The result: Bill's mouth is dried out and he is rendered unable to speak, so Chip assumes his identity and insults the crowd. Fortunately, the kids arrive to save the day.
• "Quiet Please": This episode is made of What an Idiot!, so you might be here for a while.
  • Bill has decided to take the Greens to the library to find a book Cricket likes, to teach him about reading. But he warns them it's a quiet place and they can't disturb anyone, especially the strict librarians there.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to be on his best behavior and not bring anything that could make loud noises.
    Instead: He ends up bringing a backpack full of toys to keep from getting bored because of his overly stimulated brain, one of them being a rocket that talks; this alerts one of the librarians who gives the Greens only one warning and if she hears one more noise from them, they're banned for good. Yikes.
    You'd Also Expect: Cricket to keep his backpack closed.
    Instead: He leaves it open when going upstairs to Kids Corner.
    The result: It falls out of his backpack behind his back and lands on the stairs.
  • Later, while coming back downstairs, Cricket is approaching the BLEGO brick that fell.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to notice the block, walk over and pick it up.
    Instead: He doesn't see where he's going and leaves it there on the stairs.
    You'd Also Expect: The librarian to pick it up and take it to the lost and found.
    Instead: Again, the brick is left there.
    The result: He steps on the brick, causing him to scream in pain, alerting the librarian, initiating a mad chase.
    You'd THEN Expect: Cricket to pick the brick up and put it back in his backpack.
    Instead: He leaves it there, again.
    Later: Cricket, Tilly and Bill come back up the same stairs.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to see he forgot that BLEGO brick was there, pick it up, and go on.
    Instead: He doesn't look where he's going — again! — and looks back at his father and daughter, smiling.
    The result: He steps on the brick, screams again, this time alerting a horde of librarians. Tilly then picks up the brick and silently calls him out.
  • Cricket finally finds a book he likes: a graphic novel.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to read the book quietly in his head, take it with him, check out, and leave the library in silence.
    Instead: He takes the time to laugh and talk out loud while reading, completely forgetting the restriction against noise.
    You'd Also Expect: Cricket to realize he's being too loud and quiet himself down, and walk with the book out of the aisle, or better yet, close the book and leave with it before reading somewhere else.
    Instead: He stays where he is, laughing louder and louder, so engrossed in the comic, causing the librarians to hear him and stalk up on him from behind.
    You'd Then Expect: Cricket to notice the librarian's shadow and make a run for it.
    Instead: He is so distracted by the book he doesn't even look up once. Bill notices this.
    You'd Expect: Bill to quickly run over to Cricket, grab him, and escape.
    Instead: He silently tries to warn him in sign language from the same spot, but he doesn't notice, because his back was turned at the time and is several feet away.
    Alternatively You'd Expect: Tilly or Gramma to run over and take Cricket with them to safety.
    Instead: They don't.
    The result: Bill decides to pull a Heroic Sacrifice and screams loudly, resulting in many librarians attacking them so Cricket can escape, and through all this, Cricket doesn't even look up once. Cricket, Tilly and Gramma successfully check out the book, but Bill is banned from all libraries around the world, and on his first visit nonetheless. Huh. Who would have thought they had that kind of power?
  • Throughout the episode, the librarians have rather good hearing and can kick out anyone who makes even the slightest noise, even talking, to the point of mauling them if they're loud enough. Does this seem familiar?
    You'd Expect: For the librarians to be arrested or fired for trying to attack the patrons and their rather strict rules.
    Instead: They don't.
    Bonus points: Everything the librarians do is non-realistic; it technically is okay to talk in the library, just at a low-enough volume so you don't disturb anyone.
• "Chipwrecked": Chip has barged into Big Coffee with a new Wholesome Squad, intent on dismantling things to prepare for the new expansion plan. Cricket, who has stopped taking him seriously, has a Berserk Button and goes in to attack, but is held back. Then Gloria and Ms. Cho arrive and threaten to call the police on him, but Chip begins to bribe Ms. Cho out into handing him the cafe.
  You'd Expect: Ms. Cho to not listen to Chip and attack him, or rip up the ticket he gives her.
  Instead: She falls for it.
  You'd Then Expect: Cricket, the Greens and Gloria to grab the ticket out of Ms. Cho's hand, rip it up, call the police, and arrest Chip, so they win once again.
  Instead: They do nothing and just watch.
  The Result: Chip is now the owner, he fires Cricket and Gloria, and is intent on expanding Wholesome Foods to where the Green house stands, meaning it's going to be destroyed if the Greens don't fight back.
• "Chipocalypse Now":
  • Chip tries to get the Greens banned from Big City Greens by faking a petition signed by everybody to get their house destroyed.
    You'll Expect: For Chip to investigate if they had any friends who would be unlikely to want them banned from the city, thus avoiding any potential suspicious over the authenticity of the "petition", as well as the Greens from investigating why would a close friend want them out.
    Instead: He puts the names of everybody in it, including Remy.
    As A Result: Cricket and Tilly confront Remy over this supposed betrayal, resulting in the petition's fakeness being exposed, and resulting in a series of events that led to Chip being defeated and banned from Big City.
  • Cricket has a firm hold of the evidence needed to prove Chip's petition to destroy the Green house is fraud. He reaches the roof and shows everyone.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to keep a tight grip on those papers.
    Instead: He holds up the papers with a somewhat loose enough grip, and they fly out of his hand and are blown into the blades of Chip's chopper, ruining all evidence. Fortunately, all of Big City shows up to stand up for the family.
  • Having been banned from Big City by the mayor, Chip decides Murder Is the Best Solution and attempts to kill Cricket, but he jumps off the roof just in time and Bill safely catches him. But Chip is full-on loco now — he can now "get all the Greens at once".
    You'd Expect: The Greens and their neighbors to run out of the helicopter's way to safety.
    Instead: They just stay where they are, looking up at the helicopter in complete shock as they prepare to face the inevitable.
    You'd Then Expect: Chip to note any obstacles in his flight path and plan ahead, or maneuver the helicopter down under any power lines, then forward.
    Instead: He launches the helicopter straight down at the Greens, and Cricket sees the flaw in the plan — the chopper skids get caught on some power lines and the chopper stops just inches from his face.
    The result: Chip is slung out of Big City to parts unknown.
    You'd Also Expect: Officer Keys to put Chip in even more trouble for attempting murder, as he noted in "Reckoning Ball" above.
    Instead: He does nothing, and vanishes from the rest of the episode after Cricket jumps off the roof.
  • Although good triumphs over all, Big Coffee is now closed and put up for rent, and Cricket and Gloria are still jobless.
    You'd Expect: Cricket and Gloria to use Remy's money, especially his no limit card, to buy the cafe back, given that his family is the only one with enough cash to buy such a reasonable property.
    Instead: They don't even bother consulting him, and the cafe remains closed to this day.
• "Pool's Gold":
  • While visiting the community pool, Cricket encounters Gregly who doesn't think this pool's the best in Big City and insults it, claiming there's an even better pool in the apartment complex next to the Green house.
    You'd Expect: For Cricket to just shrug Gregly off and keep having fun in the pool.
    Instead: He believes Gregly, causing him to find the best pool in Big City, resulting in him taking all the fun out of his family.
  • In a subplot, Bill becomes a hero after saving a drowning child, causing him to be showered with an endless array of gifts which crowd around him so much he can't move.
    You'd Expect: Bill to politely ask the poolgoers to stop giving him gifts as he's had enough for now.
    You'd Also Expect: That since it's hard for him to move, Bill to ask someone to push him to land.
    Instead: He says nothing, and they keep giving him gifts until his raft sinks, and Bill cannot move. Mark, the hero from "Skunked", comes out of nowhere and saves Bill, and all attention is on him now.
• "Date Night":
  • Cricket is getting ready for his first date with Gabriella as a couple, but she cannot go out without a chaperone; therefor, Cricket asks Bill. Bill is excited, but Cricket reminds him it's not that much of a date and it's just a boyfriend and girlfriend hanging out together and seeing a movie.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to tell Bill more on what is really going on so he can clarify what he really means.
    Instead: He fails to do this, walking out on him after saying the above, resulting in Bill playing up the romantic nature too far and taking the couple to a fancy sky diner instead of the theater, much to their annoyance.
  • To get back at Bill for changing their date plans, Cricket and Gabriella pull pranks on the rich folk; the last prank is to change the restaurant's spin speed to "Are you crazy??".
    You'd Expect: Cricket to immediately push the switch once he reaches it.
    Instead: Just before he could push the switch, Cricket stops, looks back and says, "Wait, was it just me or was this weirdly easy?" This results in Bill catching them and sending them back to their seats, forcing them to do what he wants them to do. Fortunately, Bill realizes he ruined their date not long after and speeds up the diner like they hoped.
• "Sellouts": Cricket performs a literal publicity stunt to try and draw in customers for the vegetable stand; at the same time, the chickens Gloria let out end up taking the bus to the market, and one of them strays over to the bottom of Cricket's ramp.
  You'd Expect: For someone to notice the chicken and shoo her away or otherwise stop her.
  Instead: Nobody even bats an eye at the chicken, and it is free to peck at the post and cause the ramp to fall, resulting in Cricket's stunt having a faulty outcome.

Season 3

• "Squashed!": The pumpkins that Bill grew for Halloween are too small to be carved, so when delivering them to Gwendolyn Zapp at BigTech, she shows a mysterious chemical which makes vegetables grow. Tilly is interested, but Bill turns it down because experiencing with something "otherworldly" would be risky, and there's no telling what side-effects it could bring.
  You'd Expect: Tilly to listen to her father and not take a risk quite this dangerous.
  Instead: She goes right behind his back, steals the chemical, and uses it on the pumpkins, making them grow to proper height.
  The Result: As predicted, a side-effect not only causes the pumpkins to grow, but also turn into vegetating zombies which take over the whole house, possess the party guests, and almost expand their empire to the whole city. Bill promptly calls Tilly out for disobeying him.
• "No Service":
  • Cricket wants to get a free Splishee from Sip 'n Snak, but it has a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" rule, and Cricket cannot go into the store because he doesn't normally wear shoes unless he wants to, as part of a principle in his book.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to find another store selling Splishees instead, one that doesn't have such a rule.
    Instead: He goes to various lengths to get the Splishee, from loopholes to disguises to even protesting, but even that does not work. It's not until he gives in and borrows Tilly's shoes, but he realizes he can't break his principle and denies the drink, getting banned from the store in return for making a mess.
    Alternatively You'd Expect: Tilly to share her Splishee with Cricket or get an extra Splishee for him.
    Instead: She is unable to do any of this according to another absurd rule that sharing Splishees would result in forfeiting the free beverage and would lead to health concerns.
  • During this, Bill tries to find a parking spot, but the store is completely booked. Gramma sets her sights on a parking garage, but it costs $5 to park there.
    You'd Expect: Bill to play fair and pay the desired amount.
    Instead: He believes that's "highway robbery" and refuses, and instead tries to find a free empty spot, only for them to get taken quickly. Each time he passes the parking garage, it goes up several dollars; it's not until it reaches $50 dollars that he finally gives in, but by then, Cricket has been banned and didn't get his drink.
• "The Delivernator": Cricket has completed his last delivery and has all the time in the world to play ping-pong with Mrs. Torres, only for Remy to warn him the Delivernator is reactivating. Cricket is about to leave, but Ms. Torres wants him to stay and play with her.
  You'd Expect: Cricket to tell Ms. Torres no and leave immediately, so he can return to the café just in time for the win.
  Instead: He ultimately succumbs to temptation and stays.
• "Listen Up!": Cricket discovers Bill's box of danger toys and Bill tries to warn him they're not safe, but his mind wanders away and wonders what to do with a set of popper disks. Bill then snaps him back.
  You'd Expect: Cricket to reply, "Sorry, I didn't hear you" and ask Bill to repeat what he said, given that what he told him was super important.
  Instead: Cricket, being Cricket, lies and says "Yeah, 'course," since he was annoyed at Bill talking and just wanted to get to the good stuff.
  The result: After setting off the popper disks, it causes Cricket's ears to pop as well, resulting in a temporary hearing loss as told by the poppers' warning sticker which he was too late to realize.
• "Rat Tail": Cricket has grown out a rat tail and everyone is amused by it, except for Nancy. She tells Bill aside about her dislike of it. Bill's advice is either she tells him her hatred or lives with it.
  You'd Expect: For Nancy to listen to Bill and just tell Cricket she doesn't like the rat tail.
  Instead: She keeps silent about it because she's afraid she'll become just like her dad, who always criticized her. She tries to invoke a third choice to get him to remove the rat tail herself, but all of her attempts fail. That evening when she tries to cut it herself, she accidentally wakes him up and he realizes everything, forcing her to tell the truth.
• "Virtually Christmas":
  • It's Christmas Eve and Cricket has been invited to play a VR game, Outpost Infinity, with Remy; however, Bill is against this as he doesn't want his son to miss out on the family's Christmas Eve traditions which they do every year.
    You'd Expect: Cricket to ask Remy to come to the Greens' house instead.
    Instead: He goes to the Remington mansion as he planned, and plays the game with Remy. They soon see they have been snowed in, kicking off the plot of the show.
  • During the climatic battle, Remy uses his entire XP bar to purchase a candy cane canon from Mr. Extras to destroy the humongous snow monster; Cricket quickly gets a hold of it, but Remy tries to warn him the cannon can only fire one blast within a specific interval period and the cannon needs to be charged.
    You'd Expect: For Cricket to let Remy man the cannon instead.
    Instead: He fires the cannon without warning, missing the monster; thus he now has to wait for the cannon to recharge before it can be used again.
• "Dog Mayor": While Cricket is demonstrating how Phoenix can fetch for the townsfolk, Phoenix gets tired and faints; her stick continues flying through the air and is spotted by a mother who freaks out that the stick is about to hit her baby.
  You'd Expect: The mother to quickly push the baby out of the stick's way.
  Instead: She just claims there's nothing she can do about it and leaves the baby to get hit. Fortunately, the baby is saved by Beans the dog.
• "Chill Bill": Remy is stranded out on a raft and uses his sunglasses to reflect the sunlight to alert someone to his aid. Bill sees it and is blinded by the light, and invites Cricket to do "bo-nuts" with him.
  You'd Expect: For Cricket to recognize the bright light is coming from Remy before the boat takes off.
  Instead: He doesn't.

Season 4

• "Green Trial": Nancy's strawberry cake has been eaten and her kitchen has been messed up, and all the evidence seems to point to Cricket, who was the only one inside the house at the time. Cricket honestly replies he didn't eat it, prompting Tilly to call a trial.
  You'd Expect: For Cricket to tell his family about his time inside the house and explain what he was doing at the time. Despite all evidence pointing to him, he might have had something different on his schedule which was why he called out of chore day.
  Instead: He stays silent and claims he had no idea what happened to the kitchen, which leads to Tilly almost losing her trust with him. It's only when she calls a recess does Cricket reveal he was going to call Gabriella when he was summoned downstairs, which finally allows her to realize he was telling the truth — the kitchen messes were his fault, but he did not eat the cake. When Tilly asks why he didn't tell her earlier, Cricket just says "It never happened."
• "Chipped Off": It was revealed following being slung out of Big City after the Elkins Street battle, Chip escaped his chopper with a parachute before it crashed. The Big City news crew investigate and find the chopper wreckage, but Chip is nowhere in sight.
  You'd Expect: For the news crew to investigate further and find evidence confirming if Chip is still around, as he may be present when they least expect it.
  Instead: They straight-up assume Chip is dead, and everyone on the street (especially Cricket) celebrates his defeat. Little do they know, he's still around and planning bigger revenge on them, right under their feet.