History Recap / SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E1TheAlgaesAlwaysGreenerSpongeguardOnDuty

* PyrrhicVictory: What Plankton found his new life in the alternate universe to be. Turns out being a wealthy owner of a prosperous restaurant with great publicity is not worth all the trouble to maintain it especially when you have to put up with employees like [=SpongeBob=] and Squidward, a daughter like Pearl and annoying customers.

* PlotHole: If Plankton is the new owner of the restaurant, why is it still called "The Krusty Krab?"

* TemptingFate: [=SpongeBob=] claims to be as cool as Larry, and then states that if he isn't, he'll be struck by a flying ice cream truck...and live. Guess what immediately falls out of the sky?

'''United States airdate: March 22, 2002'''

'''Canada airdate: June 21, 2002'''

'''United States airdate: March 22, 2002'''

'''Canada airdate: June 21, 2002'''

* AbsenteeActor: To date, this is the only episode where main-universe [=SpongeBob=] does not appear, not counting his alternate-universe counterpart. This means that every character of the show has been absent for a at lease one episode.

* AbsenteeActor: To date, this is the only episode where main-universe [=SpongeBob=] does not appear, not counting his alternate-universe counterpart.

* {{Irony}}: [[BigBad Plankton]] is moved to tears when Spongebob explains Krab's plan to steal the formula so he can ruin the Krusty Krab.

* AbsenteeActor: To date, this is the only episode where main-universe SpongeBob does not appear, not counting his alternate-universe counterpart.

* AsideGlance:Plankton looks at the audience while Alternate Spongebob is shooting clothes at Alternate Krabs.

* BreakingTheFourthWall:
** After taking the Krabby Patty, Alternate Krabs then introduces himself to the audience by saying "And he's finally got a Krabby Patty!".
** after being shot with a bra, Alternate Krabs then questions "Huh?" directly to the screen.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Squidward being the chef leads to an impossibly gross Krabby Patty that even '''Plankton''' calls doesn't approve of being served. Plankton is a LethalChef himself so you know Squidward is bad if even he doesn't approve of his cooking.

* ToiletPaperTrail: When Patrick comes out of the bathroom, he has toilet paper sticking out of his pants.

* CryingWolf: The Sponge who cried sharks, followed by The Sponge who cried Sea Monster and then The Sponge who cried [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar somebody went]].

-->'''Sea Monster:''' You know, we sea monsters have made great strides in the fields of science and literature.

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Deconstructed. At first being a lifeguard is portrayed as simply doing fun activities while everybody adores you. Turns out the reason people adore lifeguards is because they save people drowning at sea. [=SpongeBob=], who can't seem, actively tries to keep people out of the water so he doesn't have to do his job.

* TemptingFate: [=SpongeBob=] claims to be as cool as Larry, and then states that if he isn't, he'll be struck by a flying ice cream truck. Guess what immediately falls out of the sky?

-->'''[=SpongeBob=]:''' Uh... somebody went?

-->'''SpongeBob:''' Um... Somebody went?

** The 'wimpy' shark that appeared in [[{{Recap/SpongebobSquarepantsS1E11}} the commercial for Anchor Arms]] makes a live appearance alongside his family.

* RecycledScript: The plot of this episode is similar to [[SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E11 [=MuscleBob=] [=BuffPants=]]]. Both have [=SpongeBob=] aspiring to become like a cooler friend of his, achieving a means of doing so through a cheap way. He enjoys the fame he's getting for a while, but it comes to a point where he's meant to do something that comes with his newfound status that he can't actually do. A nervous [=SpongeBob=] tries to put off said task, but forced into doing it anyway, ultimately failing and having his cover blown. Cool friend becomes disappointed in [=SpongeBob=], punishing him by doing something relatively mundane.

* RecycledScript: The plot of this episode is similar to [[SpongeBobSquarePantsS1E11 [=MuscleBob=] [=BuffPants=]. Both have [=SpongeBob=] aspiring to become like a cooler friend of his, achieving a means of doing so through a cheap way. He enjoys the fame he's getting for a while, but it comes to a point where he's meant to do something that comes with his newfound status that he can't actually do. A nervous [=SpongeBob=] tries to put off said task, but forced into doing it anyway, ultimately failing and having his cover blown. Cool friend becomes disappointed in [=SpongeBob=], punishing him by doing something relatively mundane.

* LethalChef: Squidward, as usual.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: "Oh, if I'd only known that being a lifeguard meant guarding their lives, I would never have said yes!"

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: "I didn't think being a lifeguard meant guarding everyone's lives!"

* HypocriticalHumor: Patrick rants against lifeguards showing off their "gross, misshaped bodies", as his belly sticks out. The guy sitting next to him asks him to "put that thing away".