Penny invites Gumball to her house, which he thinks is for a date, but turns out to be a funeral for her pet tarantula.
Tropes:
- Amazing Freaking Grace: Judith plays "Amazing Grace" for Mr. Cuddles funeral on a bagpipe, then switches to "Danny Boy".
- Be Yourself: Nicole's advice for Gumball's date is to be himself. Richard tells Gumball women only think they want that "because they don't know how wretched we actually are.". Anais agrees with Richard.
- Bittersweet Ending: Gumball manages to patch things up with Penny and her family, along with rescuing their pet spider. However, he ends up hospitalized due to the multitude of spider bites he endured.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Darwin tells Gumball to practice for trouble during the date on cardboard cutouts and make Bond One Liners every time he does.Darwin: Hi, I'm Penny's father and I don't approve of you because you don't have any prospects.
Gumball: (shoves cutout) I'm sorry daddy, but you're grounded.
Darwin: Oh hello, I'm Sebastion Lonquin, Penny's successful ex-boyfriend.
Gumball: (punches cutout) Looks like this ex is catching some z's!
Darwin: Is that all you've got? What do you say to someone who doesn't believe in love?
Gumball: (tears the cutout's heart out) You don't need that heart.
Darwing: Actually, that was a little too extreme. - Continuity Nod: Penny's painting of the cheerleading team from "The Mystery" can be seen on the wall of her house.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Penny.
- Dumpster Dive: Richard says that he scavenges most of his clothes, including the outfit he gets for Gumball's date, from the dump, and got the sweater Gumball always wears from a sewage outlet.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: This is the only episode to depict Anais having her own bedroom, with later episodes establishing she shares a room with her brothers.
- Fourth-Wall Portrait: Oddly, the picture of Mr. Cuddles Polly had was live-action, yet he himself is 2D animated.
- Fun with Flushing: Penny's pet tarantula, Mr. Cuddles was accidentally flushed down the toilet by her father. Actually, he hid under the toilet seat, and Gumball finds him and returns him to Penny, but not before getting bitten multiple times in the process.
- Irony: Once Gumball finds out the funeral is for Penny's pet, he suddenly doesn't feel bad about coming dressed like an idiot or laughing about it. His brother and best friend was a pet.
- It Always Rains at Funerals: It's sunny when Gumball arrives at Penny's house, but at Mr. Cuddles' funeral in the backyard it's suddenly stormy.
- Meet the In-Laws: Gumball meets Penny's parents, makes a complete ass of himself in front of her entire family, but manages to get their gratitude when he return the pet they assumed was dead (at great personal expense).
- Money to Burn: Although he was trying to show how to get things without spending money, Richard wipes his nose with a stack of $20 bills and throws them away because he doesn't realize the ATM is only giving him as much money as Nicole puts into it.
- Not a Date: Penny invites Gumball to her house and he thinks it's a date because he was too lovestruck to hear everything she said; it really wasn't one, it was a funeral for her pet tarantula, which he ruins.
- Lampshade Hanging: Gumball is especially distressed to find out his sweater came from a sewage pit because "I wear this all the time."
- Orphaned Punchline: At the beginning of the episode Richard finishes telling the family a story referencing the urban legend of mixing Pop Rocks and soda. His appearance at that point suggests he attempted it and the mixture blew up in his face.
- Redundant Romance Attempt: Despite Penny frequently showing she reciprocated Gumball's attraction, he ignores his mom's advice to be himself and listens to his other family's ideas about how to impress Penny (except Anais, who abandons him after trying to teach him manners). More to the point, he missed that Penny didn't ask him on a date, she wanted a shoulder to cry on over her dead pet. Luckily, Gumball discovers Mr. Cuddles is alive, and manages to get back Penny's favor by returning him to her—although Gumball ended up more concerned with a multitude of spider bites.
- Rhetorical Question Blunder:Richard: You don't need money to show a girl a good time. You think I have money?
Gumball: No.
Richard: Do you see mom leaving me?
Gumball: Yeah, everyday to go to work and earn money. - Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Darwin imagines facing a richer guy who wants to be with Penny as one of the obstacles Gumball must be prepared for.
- Secret Stab Wound: Gumball asks if he needs to be worried about a bite from Mr. Cuddles, but Patrick tells him it would only be dangerous if he was bit a huge number of times. Gumball then turns to go, revealing a back side covered with spider bites, takes a few steps, and collapses.
- Soda-Candy 'Splosion: The episode begins with Richard finishing a story by stating that you should never mix Pop Rocks and soda. Given his battered appearance, one can assume he attempted this himself.
