History Recap / SpongebobSquarepantsS1E6MermaidManandBarnacleBoyPickles

* SleepsWithBothEyesOpen: Barnacle Boy warns Mermaid Man can get annoyed if his nap is disturbed; we are then treated to a shot of Mermaid Man sitting still with a big smile on his face.

* RousingSpeech: [=SpongeBob=] gives one as he vows to reunite their heroes

* RealityEnsues: PlayedForLaughs near the end of the episode, where we see Bubble Bass pathetically running off as fast as he can, wheezing thanks to his poor shape and obesity.

* AnnoyingLaugh: Bubble Bass's shrill, winny-like cackle makes Spongebob's famous "dolphin cry" laugh seem pleasant by comparison.

-->'''Bubble Bass:''' I'll take a double triple balty deluxe, on a raft=S, 4x4 animal style, extra shingles with a shimmy and a squeeze, light axle grease, make it cry, burn it, and let it swim.\\

* AnAesop: Have faith in yourself even when you thought you made a mistake. What saves this from being a BrokenAesop is that during Bubble Bass' first attempt Spongebob had little enough confidence in himself to think he forgot the pickles, the second time he's so confident in himself he knows he didn't forget them and considers the fact Bubble Bass lied.

''{A wedding theme is played as [=SpongeBob=] is thrown out of Shady Shoals and rolls home, where Patrick is waiting for him)''\\

* DeadpanSnarker: Squidward gets a brilliant putdown in response to Bubble Bass' absurdly specific order, one that's all the funnier for how drily delivered.
--->'''Squidward:''' We serve ''food'' here, sir.

* FatBastard: Bubble Bass.

* MundaneMadeAwesome: [=SpongeBob=] trying to make a Krabby Patty in front of Mr. Krabs.

'''Squidward:''' We serve food here, sir.

* BatmanParody: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, of course.

* {{Expy}}: Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy are rather obviously based on [[Series/Batman1966 the 1960s version of Batman and Robin]] (with an ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} twist, of course).
** The Invisible Boatmobile is a mix of the Batmobile and ComicBook/WonderWoman's Invisible Jet.

-->'''Bubble Bass:''' I'll take a double triple balty deluxe, on a raft, 4x4 animal style, extra shingles with a shimmy and a squeeze, light axle grease, make it cry, burn it, and let it swim.\\

* KickTheDog: Bubble Bass' tossing Squidward around definitely qualifies.

* {{Gaslighting}}: Bubble Bass deliberately hides the pickles under his tongue so he can trick [=SpongeBob=] into thinking he forget them for no reason other than to break his confidence for kicks (though scamming Krabs out of two bucks wasnt a bad incentive either).

* SouthernBelle: When dressed in drag, [=SpongeBob=] puts on these mannerisms.

* BerserkButton: Never paint the Invisible Boatmobile. [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick learn that the hard way.

* BigBad: Bubble Bass, who is literally big cause he's fat. See FatBastard below.

It’s a busy day at the Krusty Krab but [=SpongeBob=] handles every order that he comes across and leaves every customer happy. That is until a fish, half as wide as he is tall, walks up to order. He orders, in his words, “a Double Triple Bossy Deluxe on a raft, four by four, animal-style, extra shingles with a shimmy and a squeeze, light axle grease, make it cry, burn it, and let it swim”, to which Squidward snarks. It turns out that the customer is none other than Bubble Bass, the most persnickety patron to ever set foot in the Krusty Krab. [=SpongeBob=] is assured that his meal is exactly as he ordered… until Bubble Bass reveals he forgot the pickles! [=SpongeBob=] tears the patty apart, trying to find such a simple mistake while Mr. Krabs is forced to give Bubble Bass is money back. With his confidence shattered [=SpongeBob=] is sent in a tizzy, unable to make a Krabby Patty and is sent home. Mr. Krabs is soon forced to get [=SpongeBob=] back as every patty, fry, and yes even the shakes are burn to a blackened crisp and the restaurant is losing money and customers fast. He finds [=SpongeBob=] and his house mixed up and in disarray and decides that he will stick with the little yellow guy until he remembers how to make it, even if it takes days. [=SpongeBob=] eventually gives up in frustration… until he makes it perfectly. Mr. Krabs says it’s time and the two return triumphantly to the Krusty Krab. Word spreads fast and Bubble Bass shows up again, confident that he’ll beat [=SpongeBob=] again. [=SpongeBob=] gives him his meal perfectly until Bubble Bass reveals that [=SpongeBob=] messed up yet again! That is until [=SpongeBob=] notices something. It turns out that Bubble Bass was hiding the pickles the whole time to get free meals and harass restaurants. With his scam and cover blown, Bubble Bass hightails it out of there as fast as his girth allows. The crowd gives [=SpongeBob=] three cheers and Squidward three boos, the last one (“Boo! You stink!”), ending the episode.

* CoolOldGuy: [=SpongeBob=]'s speech about old people being great as it regards to Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy.
** Complete with a live-action shot of an ''actual'' Cool Old Guy giving him an approving gesture.

* {{Harmless Villain}}s: Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy go out of retirement to put a stop to evil...by stopping two idiots such as [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick.

* {{Old Superhero}}es: The titular dynamic duo, of course. They're old and retired in a quiet community, at least until a certain sponge keeps bothering them. They come out of retirement in the end.

* SouthernBelle: When dressed in drag, [=SpongeBob=] puts on these mannerisms, that would even make [[WesternAnimation/WackyRaces Penelope Pitstop]] say, "Ah don't sound a li'l ol' bit like that!"

* AnAesop:
** [[{{Gaslighting}} Don't trick people into believing they have a problem that doesn't actually exist]]. It can cause psychological damage to them by having them worry that they aren't doing a good enough job and lowers their confidence.
** Honest mistakes happen, but don't rub it in the person's face even when they try to amend it.
** Have faith in yourself even when you thought you made a mistake. What saves this from being a BrokenAesop is that during Bubble Bass' first attempt Spongebob had little enough confidence in himself to think he forgot the pickles, the second time he's so confident in himself he knows he didn't forget them and considers the fact Bubble Bass lied.