"Rita Her Rights" (originally titled "Rita Her Heights") is the thirteenth episode of the third season, and the one-hundred-fourteenth episode of The Loud House.
After racking up tickets, Mom finds it more relaxing to perform community service than being at home.
Synopsis
On a typical day, Rita is hard at work doing her morning routine around the house, and getting her kids ready for school. Eventually, she becomes so overbooked, when she drops Lincoln, Lucy, Lana, Lola and Lisa at the elementary school, she doesn't realize that she parked Vanzilla right on the bus parking zone. Soon enough, an officer named Schoffner comes by and gives Rita a ticket. Rita assures that it's not a big deal, but when she discovers the car's glove box housing numerous tickets, Schoffner tells her that she now owes $2,000 for parking tickets. However, she tells Rita that there's an alternative solution: community service.
At first glance, Rita appears to not find any enjoyment out of it, but realizes that it's rather relaxing. When the day ends, Rita, wanting to experience the relaxation once more, deliberately crashes Vanzilla into a fire hydrant, making Schoffner give her more community service. The next day, Rita reminds her kids that she's off to do community service again, much to their dismay since they need her help with some tasks. However, Rita reassures them that they're more than capable to take care of things on their own. With that settled, Rita heads off. Rita giddily spends her day picking up trash at the park, and eating ice cream with a common squirrel. After spending her whole day doing work, Rita heads back home, only to discover that the house has become a wreck because of her absence. Lana is rubbing her butt against the wall, Lori and Leni are fighting, Lola is doing stunts with her Princess Car, Charles is chewing on the sofa cushions, Luan is using Lily as her subject for her "sawing someone in half" magic trick, Lynn and Lincoln are wrestling with each other, and Luna and Lucy are attempting to carry the latter's coffin downstairs, damaging the stair banister in the process. Realizing the chaos she can't possibly contain, Rita sneakily heads off, and while driving away, she witnesses one of Lisa's experiments blowing the whole roof off, making Rita affirm that she "made the right choice".
Rita attempts to grab Schoffner's attention by parking in two parking spaces, but when a couple people begin arguing with her, Rita decides to head off to Flip's Food & Fuel, since there's a "no loitering" rule. Schoffner sees Rita loitering, and gives Rita another ticket. Before long, Rita begins doing unlawful things around town just to do more community service, like not picking up Charles' poop at the park, running over a mailbox, and destroying an old radio in public (the latter is confirmed to be an old law, as stated in a book). After many days of relaxation, Rita is finally ready to head back home. Upon arriving home, Rita still sees that the house is a wreck, but, staying true to what she stated, greets her family. Suddenly, Schoffner arrives and explains to Rita that the series of small crimes she's committed qualify as a crime spree, evidenced by the many tickets she was given. As a result, Rita is required to spend time in jail, much to everyone's horror. When Schoffner leaves, Rita tells her family that she feels so overwhelmed by them, that she just wanted some relaxation. The family, feeling bad for Rita, tell her that she could've just told them.
At the jailhouse, Rita uses the visiting telephone to keep in touch with her family. Each of the family members ask Rita for help, show her something, etc., and Schoffner, realizing why Rita wanted some relaxation, decides to let her free.
Rita can finally get some relaxation for herself.
The next day, Rita wakes up later than usual, and discovers a note left behind. She reads the note, and sees that Lynn Sr. and the kids have woken up earlier than usual, and took care of things on their own so they can give her some much needed relaxation time, making Rita happy.
This is the first time where a secondary character has a name on the title card, in this case, it's Rita.
This is the sixth episode that had a title change during production.
This episode was originally paired with "The Mad Scientist", as Episode 8A. Now, it is paired with "Fandom Pains", as Episode 7B.
This marks the first time Mindy Sterling is credited in an episode.
This is the second time Mindy Sterling guest stars in an episode. The first was in "Potty Mouth".
Rita's sunglasses are exactly the same as Leni's.
As of this episode, both of the Loud parents have gotten at least one episode centered around them.
When the siblings first come downstairs after being called by Rita, Luan is somewhat already in her regular clothes.
When Rita sees the kids wrecking the house, Lynn can be seen doing Lucha Libre wrestling with Lincoln. This is the second time this happens, with the first being "Space Invader". Coincidentally, Lynn is wearing the same wrestling mask from the aforementioned episode, although she originally wore the mask in "Project Loud House" and performed moves on Lincoln in "Heavy Meddle".
Lori and Leni are seen fighting with each other, which is something that hasn't happened since the Season 2 episode "Potty Mouth".
Lincoln is seen driving Lola's Princess Car, making him the fourth Loud sibling to drive the car, next to Lola, Lana, and Lucy.
This is the third time Lisa's experiment creates an explosion powerful enough to knock the whole roof off the house, the first being "Sound of Silence", and the second one being "Butterfly Effect".
This is the first episode to show Rita not wearing her lipstick while sleeping.
This episode reveals that Lynn Sr. doesn't know how to spell "menu". He thinks there's a "Y" in the word.
This episode seems to imply that when the siblings wake up, Lincoln is the last one to get up.
This episode reveals that Lola wears pantyhose, as she complained about it bunching up.
This is one of the few episodes where one of the family members finds Luan's jokes funny.
This episode confirms that Luan goes to high school, as it was frequently debated on whether she went to middle school or high school.
Also, Lynn is still in middle school, meaning that she is the only Loud sibling that remains in this school.
This is the first episode to show Flip's Food & Fuel at night. It was also the first time that the store had a "NO LOITERING" sign on it.
This is the first episode where Whitney is seen (as a cameo) in an episode written by Whitney Wetta.
Lincoln, look down.
Irony:
Lincoln says he needs to find his blue notebook, despite the fact it's clearly right in front of him, on Lynn's dirty jersey.
Lynn could've asked Lori to wash her uniform, since it's her job to do laundry, as shown in "Chore and Peace".
References
Rita Her Rights - The episode's title is a play on the phrase "Read her rights", which is when you are reading your rights after being arrested.
We Bare Bears - Lisa calling the police "the po-po" is similar to how the birthday kids threatened to call the "po-po" on the bears in this series' 2014 pilot.
It is also a slang term for members of law enforcement.
"I named him "Brad", because he lives in my pit."
Brad Pitt - Lana subtly mentions this actor by saying that she named her new pet flea "Brad" because he lives in her pit (armpit).
The Simpsons - The episode's plot is similar to the episode "Orange Is the New Yellow".
Australian Slang - Luan makes the pun "Toot-a-loo!", playing on the Aussie way to say goodbye, Toodle-oo.
Wild Hogs - Rita driving away from the house and seeing the roof blow off is similar to what John Travolta's character (Woody) did when the bar exploded in the movie.
Errors
Rita simply could've done voluntary community service without having to get a ticket.
When Lincoln is joyriding Lola's car, Lola and Lucy's arms fighting for the book overlap him.
Despite going to the same school with Leni, Luna, and Luan, Lori isn't seen at the high school with them.
If Rita had three parking violations in a year, that would also get her license suspended.
When Rita drops off Leni, Luna, and Luan at high school, at one point, Luna is seen in Vanzilla despite already being outside.
Assuming that Rita was convicted and sentenced by a judge and court, as suggested by the fact that she was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, she could not be let out early simply because a police officer let her free. She would have to be granted parole.
Plot hole: Lynn wants her mother to clean up her dirty jersey, even though "Insta-gran" shows that due to her superstitious nature, she intentionally keeps them filthy for luck.
Running Gags
Rita committing crimes in order to get community service so she can relax.
