Original air date: 4/2/2023 (produced in 2022) note
Production code: 206a
Molly's dream date with Ollie at the prom forces her to face a harsh reality.
Tropes:
- Accidental Hand-Hold: Molly grabs Ollie's hand by mistake at one point, and this was while she was saying she'd like to avoid the "typical middle school dance clichés".
- Aesop Amnesia: Molly already learned back in "Book Marks the Sprite" that dating Ollie would be too risky, but it's here that the lesson sticks.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Darryl uses his tech skills to rig an online contest and get Atomic Pink to play at the prom, but, after boasting to them that he can get anything with those same skills, is driven to distraction fulfilling their requests.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog:
- When Molly is being pulled away from Ollie by Scratch:
Molly: Sorry, Ollie, I need to go, uh...powder my nose! I think that's a thing people still do...- Later, when she learns that Scratch got caught in a trap:
Molly: Ooh! (sweating, fanning herself) Did it get hot in here? I forgot my...uh, g-gotta go! (runs out) - Internal Reveal: Ollie finds out about Scratch and his friendship with Molly.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Ollie learns about Scratch, but keeps the ghost's existence a secret for Molly's sake.
- The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: After seeing Scratch imprisoned by a ghost trap, Molly is finally forced to admit that she can't make a romance with Ollie work as long as he refuses to give up on catching ghosts and she promises to Scratch that she is done seeing him as a result. Ollie sees the whole exchange through his ghost goggles and is heartbroken, but he still keeps quiet about Scratch's existence to his mom.
- Nervous Tics: While trying to act as the backstage manager to the band, Darryl becomes so stressed that he seems to have completely plucked out his eyebrows. This is indicative of trichotillomania,
a nervous disorder similar to OCD (and may be considered an expression of it). - Not a Date: Molly and Ollie (though mainly the former) initially insist that going to the school dance together isn't a date, but rather business, as they're co-chairs of the school dance committee. During one dance, Molly admits that she's willing to consider the evening a date. Ollie is happy to hear this.
- Oh, Crap!: Molly gets a look of horror on her face when she realizes that Scratch got caught in one of Ollie's planted snare traps.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: Playing off Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
- Portmanteau Couple Name: In-universe, Molly's friends start referring to her and Ollie by the couple name "Mollie". Molly lampshades that it just sounds like her name.
- Relationship Sabotage: Invoked by Scratch to try to alleviate Molly and Ollie’s romantic tension at the dance. However, it doesn’t work, as each attempt only ends up bringing them closer to each other instead. This is emphasized even more with the song playing over being called “I Keep Ending Up With You”.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Molly and Scratch get into an argument about Molly's growing feelings for Ollie, leading to Scratch pointing out that the closer she gets to Ollie, the more danger she puts Scratch in. She points out that Scratch isn't considering her happiness, and how he constantly makes his own unhappiness everyone else's problem despite rarely caring about anyone else's. Both Sides Have a Point, but it still results in a (short) Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure.
- Secret Secret-Keeper: Ollie discovers Molly's friendship with Scratch, but Ollie keeps it a secret from his mom.
- Shipper on Deck: Pretty much all of Molly's friends, (except Scratch), and even her parents think she and Ollie make a cute couple and approve of their relationship. One schoolmate in particular is very vocally enthused, and Molly lampshades that she's way too into other people's happiness.
- Spell My Name With An S: As mentioned above, the couple name Molly's classmates come up with for her and Ollie is essentially just her name spelled with an "-ie."
- Wham Episode: Ollie learns about Molly's friendship with Scratch. He also hears her declare that she’s not going to go out with him anymore if it puts Scratch in danger, and Ollie's genuinely saddened over it.
