iBalls is the 18th episode of the 4th season of iCarly.
While Carly goes to visit Granddad, Freddie comes up with a technology to make webcasts appear 3D without the use of special glasses, but it causes vision problems for viewers.
Meanwhile, Spencer hires a personal assistant to help with his daily problems, but soon realizes he doesn't have enough in his account for the salary.
Tropes:
- Achievements in Ignorance: Freddie manages to cure a rare eye disorder with a new 3D camera technology.
- Brick Joke: Dr. Scholl's daughter Courtney is first seen wearing special glasses as part of suffering from "bilateral optic stenosis". The second time she's seen, her eyesight has been cured thanks to the 3D webcast.
- Cannot Tell a Joke: Freddie is dismayed to learn that the woman wanting to help iCarly won't interview him because is not a "creative" part of the team. And when he tries to prove her wrong by doing a skit involving him starring as a robot in a diner, the jokes he produces come off as flat and unfunny.
- Fictional Disability: Mrs. Benson's therapist's daughter Courtney is suffering a condition known as "bilateral optic stenosis", and has been to a dozen eye doctors since she was young, but none of them had any effort. Her eyesight instantly becomes normal when she saw the iCarly 3D webcast, and the therapist tells Freddie to share the technology with the American Optometric Association.
- Failed a Spot Check: When Marty gets a low balance alert from Spencer's bank, Spencer remarks he checked yesterday and should have $11,340 at that point. But Marty double-checks and reveals Spencer has $11.34, pointing out a decimal point he didn't notice.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Among the list of complaints, one of them reads, "Where's Carly?"
- One complaint happens to come from a viewer by the name of "DanWarp".
- Innocently Insensitive: Spencer tells Freddie that he liked his skit, thinking the robot was intentionally unfunny. When Spencer realizes that bit was SUPPOSED to be funny, Freddie angrily says it was.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When Freddie tries to show he's creative, his second attempt involves using software to film an episode that uses 3D video footage. Unfortunately for the viewers watching the show at the time, this video causes their eyesight afterwards to become very distorted for a while. The only one not suffering was the daughter of Mrs. Benson's therapist, who had her eyesight cured from the 3D webcast.
- Out of Focus: Carly doesn't have much of a role in this episode, as she leaves to visit her grandfather in Yakima.
- Plot Hole: Marty was alongside Spencer watching the 3D webcast, yet he did not suffer any eyesight problems.
- Ridiculous Counter-Request: In a conversation between Sam and Freddie:Freddie: I just wanted people to think I was creative.
Sam: And I wanted a mom without stretch marks. That ain't happening. - Shown Their Work: While it's not a real disease, the terminology used would actually cause eye problems. Bilateral Optic Stenosis would refer to narrowing of the optic nerve on both sides.
- Stealth Pun: The episode title, "iBalls", is a formatted way to say "eyeballs", as in the subject matter that is altered by watching Freddie’s 3-D software.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Freddie manages to accidentally create a cure for a rare eye disease, earning him well-deserved praise and helping hundreds, maybe even thousands of people in the process.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Freddie gets this when people complain to him that his 3D filming gave them bad vision. Complainers of the webshow point out that this has led to accidents involving damage to their cars, bikes, and property. iCarly is lucky that they didn't get hit with any lawsuits.
- Wham Line:Courtney: You cured my bilateral optic stenosis.
