Sandy takes her Science Scout troop on a trip to the moon.
"Goons on the Moon" contains examples of:
- Batman Can Breathe in Space: Unlike everyone else, Santa does not need a helmet to breathe in space.
- Body Horror: Happens to anyone exposed to the radiation belt, like SpongeBob's hand, and Squidward.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: After popping out of a moon crater, Squidward ends up at Nickelodeon Studios and encounters his voice actor.
- Brick Joke:
- Squidward sees a record titled "Fixin' to Go Nuts" after entering Sandy's treedome. Later, he ends up in the guitar of the squirrel seen on the record.
- Sandy hits the "lunch" button instead of "launch" near the beginning of the episode. When SpongeBob wants lunch, he hits the "launch" button instead and is flung out of the spaceship.
- Christmas Episode: The second half of the episode qualifies as one.
- The Cameo: At one point, Squidward runs into his voice actor, Rodger Bumpass while trying to find a way out of the crater he's trapped in.
- Detonation Moon: Spongebob cranks up a jack-in-the-box so hard that he accidentally destroys the moon with it. He becomes a temporary moon while a replacement is being prepared.
- Did Not Think This Through: Really, what was Sandy thinking when she put the lunch button right next to the launch button?
- Early-Bird Cameo: The character of Squidina will later appear as a major role in The Patrick Star Show where she is Patrick's adopted sister.
- Either/Or Title: The episode is also entitled "SpaceBob MerryPants", which was used in advertising.
- End of an Age: This was the final episode of the series to premiere during show creator Stephen Hillenburg's lifetime, as he passed away the day after this episode aired.
- Harmless Freezing: Squidward gets trapped in ice while exposed to the cold belt.
- Idea Bulb: SpongeBob's helmet shapes into a light bulb when he comes up with an idea to move the moon.
- The Man in the Moon: SpongeBob becomes one until Santa brings a new moon for Christmas.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: SpongeBob's attempt to use Santa's jack in the box ends up shattering the moon into pieces.
- Reactive Continuous Scream: Squidward and Rodger Bumpass have this reaction after the former ends up in Nickelodeon Studios.
- Remember the New Guy?: Squidina is introduced in this episode, but she isn't treated any differently from the established characters, and everyone else seems to know her.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder: When Pearl asks Squidina if "someone can be any nerdier", SpongeBob interjects, "I can!" and pulls out a very nerdy photo of himself.
- Scout-Out: Sandy leads a troop called the Science Scouts in this episode.
- Security Cling: Pearl and Squidina do this at one point.
- Shock and Awe: While floating around in the space ship, Pearl floats over to an open panel with some loose electrical wires and gets electrocuted.
- Shout-Out: The “lunch/launch” button placement and confusion seem to be references to Far Out Space Nuts.
- Space Episode: The episode centers on Sandy taking the Science Scouts on a camping trip to the moon.
- Space Is Noisy: Santa can speak freely in space, along with the characters burping very loudly to try to push the moon back into its place.
- Special Guest: Lewis Black as Santa Claus.
- Trip to the Moon Plot: SpongeBob, Sandy, Pearl, and Squidina all going to the moon for a science experiment. Squidward ends up coming along too when he delivers Sandy's food.
