iCook is the 2nd episode of the 3rd season of iCarly.
When famous chef Ricky Flame challenges Carly, Sam and Freddie to a cook-off, the iCarlys end up winning which sends Ricky into an emotional depression, and they must help him.
Meanwhile, Spencer has a vision of the future and tries to make it come true.
Tropes:
- Berserk Button: When Sam asks Jo-jo the Gigantic Baby how much he weighs, it causes Jo-jo to flip out.
- Beyond Redemption: It becomes clear to the gang that Ricky is an irredeemable lost cause of a Sore Loser who isn't even worth helping to break out of his depression. His returned Troubled Fetal Position at the end of the episode turns out to be well-deserved.
- Broken Pedestal: The iCarly trio respect Ricky as a great cook, and when they beat him, they try to comfort him. However, when they find out that Ricky is a Competition Freak who hates losing and has sunk low enough to easily beating young boys at mini wrestling, they lose all respect for him and decide he's not worth helping after they beat him again.
- Buy or Get Lost: T-Bo tells Spencer, who is waiting for Nug Nug to show up, that he has been sitting there for an hour and he needs to buy something or get out. So Spencer orders a smoothie while he watches the door.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Ricky evokes this at the end, easily overpowering the young boys, much to his amusement and victory. But then Sam, fed up with his behavior, turns the tables on him and wrestles him to the ground, much to the joy of the boys and their parents, who were sick of having to see Ricky beat them so easily.
- Heroic BSoD: Ricky when he loses to the iCarlys.
- Instantly Proven Wrong: Carly, when trying to cheer Ricky up after they beat him, tries to tell him that it's a beautiful day outside. But she uncovers a window, which shows it raining and thundering outside. Well, it IS Seattle, as Carly herself lampshades.
- Jerkass: Ricky turns out to be this.
- Loophole Abuse: The mini-wrestling league that Ricky signs up for says on their brochures that it is recommended for young boys. Because they say that players are "recommended" and not REQUIRED to be young boys in order to enter, Ricky gets to be able to play with opponents who are way younger than him and he easily wins every time.
- Meadow Run: Spencer and Nug Nug when they run up to hug, proving Spencer's vision true.
- Missed Him by That Much: In the final Groovy Smoothie scene, Spencer and Nug Nug leave the restaurant just before the opposite is about to enter, until they finally see each other and hug.
- Shout-Out: A Peruvian Puff Pepper is part of the iCarlys' platter.
- Sore Loser: Ricky, big time. He is reduced to a depressed, crying manchild simply because a trio of teenagers won a minor and insignificant cook-off against him.
- Troubled Fetal Position: Ricky is in this when he loses Food Fight. He does again after Sam beats him in wrestling.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: When Ricky defeats each boy who competes against him, who reluctantly do so despite knowing they will lose, he teases them by pretending that they are serious opponents, and gloatingly beats them to the punch. The parents whom are watching this are not amused, to say the least.
