Texas
Original air date: 3/22/2000 (produced in 1999)
When Sandy gets homesick and decides to move back to Texas, SpongeBob and Patrick try everything to keep her from leaving.
The episode begins with SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy playing in the sand at Goo Lagoon. While the dimwitted duo make pretend with sand piles and their hands Sandy makes Texas, which SpongeBob has no knowledge of. Before Sandy can explain what “Texas” is, the sand is washed away from the tide. She walks off sadly while SpongeBob tries to cheer her up but Sandy reveals she’s feeling homesick. SpongeBob and Patrick then blindfold her and take her to her treedome but only make things worse. She begins crying, and runs off. To keep her friends out, she put up the shields to close off. Both SpongeBob and Patrick are confused until they hear Sandy singing a song from on top of her treedome about how she’s homesick for Texas (with country singer Junior Brown’s voice at the end to boot). They decide to cheer up Sandy by throwing a Texas-themed party for her at the Krusty Krab. They rush over to Sandy's house to ask her to come to the Krusty Krab with them, but it looks like they’re too late as she’s already on the bus back to Texas. SpongeBob is shocked by this, and tries to convince her to go to the Krusty Krab, but she’s made up her mind and leaves. SpongeBob is heartbroken and Patrick wonders out loud "What's so great about dumb ol' Texas?" Suddenly, the bus barrels backwards down the road as Sandy was gravely offended by Patrick's remark. When Patrick then asks if he can say that people from Texas are dumb only makes it worse… and gives SpongeBob an idea. He and Patrick continue insulting Texas, and Sandy begins chasing them back to the Krusty Krab. Patrick continuously insults Texas, thinking Sandy is too slow to catch up to them, only to soon realize that she is catching up to them and she’s angry. Sandy lassos Patrick and nearly catches SpongeBob as he hangs by a finger to the door handle of the Krusty Krab, ripping it and the rest of the front off. Sandy realizes that Bikini Bottom is her home and she’ll stay. Everyone (except Squidward) cheers and Patrick asks "Yeah, who needs dumb old Texas?" Sandy gets angry once again, and Patrick asks "Should I start running now?" as the episode ends.
"Texas" contains examples of:
- Berserk Button: "Don't you dare take the name of Texas in vain!"
- Body Wipe: With Sandy, as she is chasing SpongeBob and Patrick with a lasso.
- Bullying a Dragon: SpongeBob and Patrick do so to Sandy to get her to come to the Krusty Krab. It worked, but that didn't stop Sandy from going into an Unstoppable Rage.
- Cheer Up Episode: Sandy becomes homesick for her home state, prompting SpongeBob and Patrick to gather many of Bikini Bottom's residents to have a party to make her feel at home.
- Disproportionate Retribution: You insulted Texas? Prepare to be hog-tied and blown up!! It should be noted that SpongeBob and Patrick have been insulting Texas deliberately to Sandy's face and really went at it when they noticed it made her mad.
- Everybody Cries: Sandy's song about her homesickness for Texas causes a short montage of SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, and two Krusty Krab customers bursting into tears from listening to the song.
- Everything Makes a Mushroom: Patrick gets roped by Sandy and is pulled away into the horizon, after which there is a huge mushroom cloud.
- Funny Background Event: More like Funny Foreground Event, but when everyone cheers over Sandy deciding to stay, Squidward can be seen still looking bored and annoyed.
- Gone Horribly Right: SpongeBob and Patrick try insulting Texas so that Sandy can angrily chase them and thus lure her to her goodbye party. It's only afterward that the two realize that they've triggered Unstoppable Rage in Sandy and now have to run for their lives.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: Sandy chops the leaf stalk SpongeBob was hiding behind in half, cutting him too in the process. But, as usual, he remains alive and conscious, and puts himself back together.
- Here We Go Again!: Patrick once again incurs Sandy's wrath by insulting Texas.Sandy: What did you just say?
Patrick: Should I start running now? - Homesickness Hymn: Sandy sings a Blues song of yearning for her homeland of Texas, and it brings all of Bikini Bottom to tears.
- I Shall Taunt You: To get Sandy back to the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob and Patrick deliberately press her Berserk Button. Unfortunately, it worked too well...
- Larynx Dissonance: At the end of her song, Sandy briefly gains a deep voice courtesy of country singer Junior Brown.
- Literal-Minded: How the Bikini Bottomites interpret various Texas customs like square dancing (dancing with a square), barbeque (a Q-shaped thorn branch), and ten-gallon hats (wearing ten-gallon bottles as hats).
- Melancholy Musical Number: "Texas", which Sandy sings due to her being homesick.
- Mood Whiplash: "You think she knows the 'Muffin Man' song?"
- Oh, Crap!:
- Patrick when he sees Sandy chasing after him and SpongeBob.
- SpongeBob gives a bigger one when a mushroom cloud comes from Sandy's beat down on Patrick.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: As SpongeBob and Patrick continue to make fun of Texas, a close-up shows her eyes turning bloodshot red as she boils with fury.
- Sand In My Eyes: SpongeBob asks Sandy what is she crying about, and she bluntly claims she sprung a leak; SpongeBob knew she didn't.
- Shaking the Rump: To lure Sandy to the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob does this in front of her while mockingly saying "Texas".
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Downplayed during Sandy's sad song. There’s a small instance of levity, where Patrick is briefly attacked by the musical notes, but he, along with everyone else, begins to cry. Immediately after the song ends, Patrick asks SpongeBob if Sandy knows the "Muffin Man" song.
- Song Parody: SpongeBob does a... less-than-Affectionate Parody of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" when egging Sandy on.The stars at night are dull and dim / Whenever they have to be over dumb, ol', stupid Texas!
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The scene where SpongeBob and Patrick are running for their lives as Sandy is running after them, out for their blood, is set to... peppy lap steel music.
- Special Guest: Junior Brown, who not only sings the last line of the song "Texas", but he also performs a Texas themed cover of the theme song over the episode's credits.
- Spoonerism: "Get a dog, li'l longie!"
- Through a Face Full of Fur: Sandy angrily blushes as SpongeBob and Patrick mock Texas in front of her.
- Tranquil Fury: Sandy responds to Patrick insulting Texas with a calm, menacing, "What did you say?"
- Unstoppable Rage: SpongeBob and Patrick's insults toward Texas piss Sandy off so much that she chases them across Bikini Bottom, furious as she has never been. She manages to capture and violently beat up Patrick and would have caught SpongeBob if he hadn't reached the Krusty Krab in time.
- Visual Pun: For Sandy's Texas party, SpongeBob brought barby Qs, peas-in-a-can pies, squares (well, cubes) for square dancing with, and ten gallon hats made from gallon containers.
- Wingding Eyes: Patrick gains X-eyes when he sees Sandy running towards him.
- With a Foot on the Bus: Sandy quite literally has one foot on the bus just as SpongeBob and Patrick catch up to her and try to get her to stay, but to no avail. Of course, as soon as Patrick mentions "dumb ol' Texas," the bus reverses immediately and Sandy angrily steps off to confront him. SpongeBob and Patrick decide to egg her on in order to lure her down to the Krusty Krab for her surprise party, where she realizes that Bikini Bottom was her home and decides to stay.
Walking Small
Original air date: 3/22/2000 (produced in 1999)
Plankton plots to use SpongeBob as an unwitting pawn to drive away the beach patrons so he can build his new Mega Bucket restaurant.
The episode starts with Plankton arriving at Goo Lagoon in his bulldozer to tell everyone to leave as he plans to make it the future site of the "Chum Bucket Mega Bucket". Seeing how he's so small, his efforts are in waste and he needs someone a lot bigger to scare everyone away. Fortunately SpongeBob nearly steps on him and Plankton hatches his plan. He'll make SpongeBob more "assertive" and force everyone to leave. When SpongeBob loses his chance to get ice cream, he finds Plankton weeping loudly on a bench. Plankton can't eat two ice creams and SpongeBob offers to eat the spare. When SpongeBob is done enjoying his dessert Plankton tells him he can get anything if he’s more "assertive". His first example is on the guy who stole his ice cream, but SpongeBob is too nice to get it back. Plankton, in SpongeBob's mouth, threatens the eel who runs off crying. SpongeBob's next example is Scooter, but SpongeBob's attempts only make things better for him. Plankton gives up before SpongeBob shows he can be assertive. SpongeBob proceeds to show how assertive he is by acting like a huge jerk, all according to Plankton's plan. When SpongeBob scares everyone off Plankton shows his true colors, much to SpongeBob's dismay, and tells him "nice guys finish last" and "only aggressive people conquer the world!" But not aggressively nice people, as SpongeBob's generosity brings everyone back. The episode ends with SpongeBob playing volleyball with the other beachgoers... except he gets to be the volleyball.
"Walking Small" contains examples of:
- And That's Terrible: "You used me... FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT! That wasn't nice!"
- Be the Ball: SpongeBob becomes a volleyball to replace the one he destroyed during his rampage. And surprisingly enough, he actually enjoys being smacked over the net.
- Blatant Lies: When Plankton threatens the Eel with a swirling torment of pain and misery if he doesn't surrender his ice cream cone, the Eel runs off crying. When SpongeBob shows concern, Plankton tells him that the Eel was crying Tears of Joy because Spongebob was assertive.
- Bottle Episode: The whole episode is set at Goo Lagoon.
- Comically Missing the Point: Plankton berates SpongeBob for not being enough of a stand-up guy. SpongeBob responds by telling a terrible joke about airline food.
- Community-Threatening Construction: Plankton wants to build his new Chum Bucket Mega Bucket on the beach at Goo Lagoon. Subverted in that he's too small to be taken seriously, and his construction equipment is mistaken for toys. So he plans to drive the beachgoers away with SpongeBob's unwitting help. He also gets a full-sized bulldozer.
- The Corrupter: Plankton to SpongeBob.
- Corrupt the Cutie: Plankton does this to SpongeBob over the course of the episode's second half.
- Crocodile Tears: When Plankton is crying over having two ice cream cones, he briefly stops to check if he's getting a reaction out of SpongeBob.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Plankton's goals in this episode have nothing to do with stealing the Krabby Patty Formula, something that wouldn't happen again for another five seasons.
- Extreme Doormat: SpongeBob is revealed to be this, as Plankton lampshades this.Plankton: SpongeBob, you'll never get what you want! You'll always let people step all over you! You're just like stairs!
- And ironically enough, SpongeBob is pretty much "stepped over" in the ending: one fish uses him as a surfboard, and then pretty much the entire beach turns him into a volleyball. Granted, SpongeBob is just making up for the damage he caused, but it still confirms that Plankton had a point.
- Eye Scream: When SpongeBob starts stirring up the sands by fanning a towel, one unfortunate onlooker gets a clump of sand thrown into one of his eyes and quickly runs off tearing up.
- Hailfire Peaks: The episode takes the diabolical scheming of a Plankton episode and merges it with the setting of a Goo Lagoon episode.
- Kick the Dog: While most of SpongeBob's aggressive acts were the result of him being corrupted by Plankton, him popping the volleyball was his own doing without any provocation.
- A Lesson Learned Too Well: SpongeBob takes Plankton's lessons to heart and becomes a massive jerk to everybody, which was all Plankton's plan.
- Literal-Minded: When Plankton makes SpongeBob confront the eel who took his ice-cream.Plankton: Tell him off, SpongeBob! Assert yourself!
SpongeBob: That's my ice cream cone!
Plankton: Great! Now, let him have it!
SpongeBob: You can have it.
Eel: Say, thanks!
Plankton: NO! - Loophole Abuse: Plankton tells SpongeBob Nice Guys Finish Last and only aggressive people come out on top; then SpongeBob has an ephinany and suggests, "What about aggressively nice people?", and proceeds to undo all the damage he caused.
- Manipulative Bastard: Plankton for tricking SpongeBob into driving away all the beachgoers.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Harold's reaction to SpongeBob dusting sand in his eyes is, "MY LEG!!!"
- My God, What Have I Done?: Realizing that Plankton taught him to be a jerk just to use him for land development, SpongeBob reacts this way.
- Nice Guys Finish Last:Plankton: Haven't you figured it out, SpongeBob? Nice guys finish last. Only aggressive people conquer the world! (laughs evilly)
SpongeBob: Well, what about aggressively nice people? - Preemptive "Shut Up":Plankton: You've got to be aggressive to get the things you want! You're too soft!
SpongeBob: But I'm a spo—
Plankton: Don't say it! - Shout-Out:
- When Plankton is seen packing luggage, among his items in Charlie Brown's shirt.
- Plankton's "Butterfly kisses!" line is a reference to the Bob Carlisle song of the same name.
- The Snack Is More Interesting: SpongeBob can't hear Plankton calling his name at first because he's really enthralled with eating his ice cream cone in the most obsessive ways possible.
- Sympathy for the Devil: At the end, SpongeBob still says he's sorry for Plankton about the Mega Bucket's collapse. Plankton complains he's not so upset about that as much as he is being disgusted by seeing SpongeBob's acts of kindness.
- Teach Him Anger: Plankton teaches SpongeBob to be a jerkass.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: SpongeBob when Plankton teaches him to be aggressive. Of course, this was all Plankton's plan to drive away the beachgoers to build his new restaurant.
- Too Kinky to Torture: When Plankton is being repeatedly stepped on by the returning beachgoers, most of his dialogue consists of "ow" and "no", but one of his interjections is a very aroused, "Ooh!"
- Troubled Fetal Position: Plankton after SpongeBob foils his plan.
- Using You All Along: Plankton befriends SpongeBob and ostensibly teaches him how to be assertive, but in reality is taking advantage of his naivety to get him to drive everyone out of Goo Lagoon so he can pave over it and build the Mega Bucket. When SpongeBob finds out, he expresses shock that "you used me... for land development!"
- Villain Has a Point: While Plankton really is using SpongeBob as an Unwitting Pawn for his schemes, he nonetheless makes a valid point when he calls him out on being an Extreme Doormat. Also doubles as Hypocrite Has a Point because Plankton himself is exploiting SpongeBob's generosity.
- Wangst: In-Universe. Done intentionally by Plankton to con SpongeBob into joining him by sobbing about having two ice cream cones but only needing one.
