Alternative Character Interpretation: Did Octavius Rex actually stand Pearl up, or was it just a lie from Pearl so she could get someone better? One sign that points to the latter is Octavius attempting to talk to Pearl during "Doing the Sponge", only for Pearl to tell him to get lost, with Octavius getting offended.
Big-Lipped Alligator Moment: During the "Doing the Sponge" dance scene, one attendee is chased by... a giant apple?
Ensemble Dark Horse: Octavius Rex, a.k.a. Long, Tan and Handsome has amassed quite a following as a Memetic Badass, to the point that he was brought back nine seasons later in "Mutiny on the Krusty".
Employee of the Month:
Alternative Character Interpretation: Did Squidward really believe the Employee of the Month award was just a scam, or was he just saying that to try and break SpongeBob's confidence in winning it so he could beat him?
Franchise Original Sin: Those who complain about SpongeBob constantly driving Squidward up a wall for very little to no reason in later episodes tend to overlook the fact that here, SpongeBob outright told Squidward that he intentionally plans advanced dates in which to annoy him (specifically the 15th). Although there's also the possibility that hewas joking. Not to mention that "Annoy Squidward Day" is just a throwaway gag, whereas later episodes would often have SpongeBob's annoyingness be central to the episode.
Jerkass Woobie: Mr. Krabs, when he sees SpongeBob and Squidward making such a wreck of his beloved restaurant, all for a lousy recognition reward. While Mr. Krabs may be a cheapskate, and he brought a lot of this onto himself, he looks visibly, and rightfully horrified by everything going on, especially when he sees all his Krabby Patties being taken for free because of his employees' misbehavior.
Paranoia Fuel: SpongeBob sneaking into Squidward's house to smash his clock runs on this for both characters. For SpongeBob, he's put in a situation where he has to desperately avoid getting caught, and for Squidward, he gets the nagging suspicion that there's someone in his house, and has a panic attack when he sees SpongeBob's arm from his bed.
Pop Culture Holiday: When SpongeBob asks Squidward if he knows what today is and Squidward snarks if it's "Annoy Squidward Day", SpongeBob tells him that that's on the 15th and shows a calendar with the date marked. Fans deduced that "Annoy Squidward Day" took place on February 15th and began celebrating it as such, with even both the official Twitter account and the official Instagram joining in the fun.
and the official Instagram