Survival of the Idiots
Original air date: 3/17/2001 (produced in 2000)
SpongeBob and Patrick sneak into Sandy's Treedome while she's hibernating, but get locked in when the door freezes over. With no way out, the two must now try to survive until spring.
"Survival of the Idiots" contains examples of:
- Abnormal Ammo: SpongeBob's snow cannon is also able to fire snow station wagons.
- An Aesop:
- When someone leaves a "Do not disturb" message, don't ignore it.
- Never...EVER, under any circumstances, say that you're Dirty Dan.
- Don't steal someone's possessions.
- All Crimes Are Equal: It is implied that Dirty Dan and Pinhead Larry are being charged for tax evasion.Sandy: I'm gonna catch you and throw you in jail, at taxpayers' expense!
- Artistic License – Biology:
- Tree squirrels do not hibernate for the winter.
- As soon as spring arrives, SpongeBob and Patrick are somehow still able to breathe without their water helmets. To say nothing of them being able to survive at all in snow.
- Bait-and-Switch: When SpongeBob sees the snow in the treedome:SpongeBob: What is this stuff?
Patrick: It's a vast, swirling wonderland of sparkling white pleasure. Let it fill your senses with cascading, fluffy pillows of excitement and comfort as you've never felt before.
SpongeBob: (crying Tears of Joy) Wow, Patrick... that was beautiful...!
Patrick: What? I was just reading this candy wrapper, see?
(hands such to SpongeBob, who is disappointed) - Bare-Handed Puppetry: Patrick makes the rolls of his back into "Pat Back".
- Bears Are Bad News: Bulky!Sandy looks more like a bear than a squirrel, and she also roars like a bear. Fittingly enough, she's pretty aggressive.
- Berserk Button: Sandy becomes enraged when SpongeBob and Patrick strip her of her fur, and later has them be her pelt until her fur grows back.
- Big Ball of Violence: Happens when Sandy (while hibernated) attacks SpongeBob and Patrick during one scene. The dust cloud fills the screen while they are completely obscured with stars, nuts and leaves flying out of it.
- Big Eater: In the video she left warning potential visitors to stay away while she's asleep for the winter, Sandy is seen wolfing down a huge pile of acorns. Justified in that she's intentionally gaining weight before her hibernation where she'll have to live off her fat reserves for three months.
- Blatant Lies: Spongebob tells Sandy that “Squirrel Pattern Baldness” is common in small mammals, when he and Patrick are clearly wearing Sandy’s fur.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation: In the Russian dub, instead of "You're nothing but pure evil, just like newspaper comics!" Sandy says "You're pure evil, pitiful comic characters!" It comes out like a weird Non Sequitur.
- Bottle Episode: The majority of this episode is set inside Sandy's Treedome.
- Bring It: SpongeBob and Patrick are ready to face the longest, coldest winter ever with Sandy's fur. Then it becomes spring.
- Bullying a Dragon: SpongeBob and Patrick rudely interrupt Sandy's hibernation by laughing and making loud noise whacking each other with weapons made of snow.
- Butt-Monkey: SpongeBob and Patrick get put through a lot of hell in this episode at the hands of a fearsome, ravenous Sandy. Though they do bring it on themselves as they interrupt her hibernation and end up stealing her fur.
- Circling Birdies: After being knocked out by Sandy, Patrick sees hot wings flying around his head.
- Continuity Nod: Two episodes earlier had Sandy preparing for hibernation.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Sandy's very one-sided fight against "Dirty Dan" and "Pinhead Larry."
- Easily Forgiven: Sandy does snap at SpongeBob and Patrick for stealing her fur, but the most she does after the fact is use them as towels, then jovially offer them lemonade.
- Especially Zoidberg: The video Sandy left in the entrance to her Treedome ends with her saying "During hibernation, animals don't like to be woken up. So do not disturb! (zoom in on her stern face) That means YOU, SpongeBob."
- The Fat Episode: Sandy spends the bulk of the episode overweight, except with Stout Strength. Justified, since SpongeBob and Patrick visit her while she's hibernating.
- Frozen Body Fluids: After being locked inside Sandy's tree dome during winter, the saliva around their mouths freeze, as does their nasal drippings, which SpongeBob even points out.SpongeBob: I'm so cold, that I can use my nose drippings as a pair of chopsticks.
- Fully-Clothed Nudity: Sandy screams after she realizes that her body's naked, but she is still wearing her bikini. So, she would be fully naked if she didn't wear a bikini.
- Hand Wave: SpongeBob and Patrick are able to survive in the snow without any ill effects (besides being cold), because as Patrick points out, snow is technically still water.
- Human Doorstop: As punishment for tearing off all her fur, Sandy wraps Patrick and SpongeBob around her body, using them as living clothing to cover her bare skin.
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: SpongeBob threatens Sandy with a plank of wood, and after she roars at him, he throws it in her direction... only for it to veer completely off-course and hit Patrick instead.
- I Resemble That Remark!: After SpongeBob calls him Pinhead, Patrick responds with "Who you calling Pinhead" while his head is more pointed (see the above image).
- Jerkass Ball: SpongeBob and Patrick taunt Sandy while she's hibernating and steal her fur to keep themselves warm. Also, Patrick insists on them entering Sandy's house despite specifically being told not to, using "No" Means "Yes" as an excuse.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- SpongeBob and Patrick ignored Sandy's "Do not disturb" message, leading them to eventually become trapped inside her treedome when the door becomes frozen, as well as some physical damage from the giant Sandy.
- For disturbing Sandy's hibernation and stripping her of her fur, SpongeBob and Patrick are forced to be wrapped around Sandy's body until her fur grows back.
- Literal Metaphor:SpongeBob: Don't worry, Sandy, we've got you covered.
(cut to Sandy with SpongeBob and Patrick wrapped around her to cover up her bare skin) - Meaningful Name: SpongeBob is quick to label Patrick "Pinhead Larry", for obvious reasons. Patrick though isn't content with this and insists on being "Dirty Dan." When asked why, he proudly proclaims it's because he's dirty.
- Minimalist Cast: SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy are the only characters that appear in this episode.
- "No" Means "Yes": Said word for word by Patrick when he decides to enter Sandy's treedome despite being told by her through video not to.
- Non Sequitur, *Thud*: "Hot wings."
- Oh, Crap!:
- SpongeBob and Patrick's reaction whenever Sandy wakes up.
- They have a bigger one upon discovering that they're trapped inside the treedome until spring due to the door being frozen shut and are at risk of freezing to death before then.
- Their biggest one is when spring arrives and Sandy's hibernation ends, with the duo desperately trying and failing to escape through the treedome's still frozen exit before she notices them wearing her stolen fur.
- Open Sesame: This is Patrick's attempt at opening the frozen door. It doesn't work.Patrick: Well, I've done all I can do.
- Or My Name Isn't...: Sandy, talking in her sleep: "I've had enough of your dastardly deeds, Dirty Dan...I'm gonna catch you and your partner, Pinhead Larry, or my name ain't Sheriff Sandy!"
- Riddle for the Ages: Were Dirty Dan and Pinhead Larry figments of Sandy's dream or an old memory in Texas?
- Screaming Woman: Sandy, when she discovers her fur is missing.
- Screams Like a Little Girl:
- SpongeBob does his trademark shriek when Sandy wakes up for the first time, and another when he sees Sandy behind Patrick.
- A female example: Sandy, who usually has a fairly deep, nasally scream of fear, lets out one very reminiscent of Helga Pataki when she sees her fur is missing.
- Sleep Walking: Sandy's clearly sleeping but her eyes are wide open and she thinks that SpongeBob and Patrick are the outlaws she's hunting and they're in a sore need for a beatdown.
- Snowball Fight: With snow cannons, no less. That fire station wagons with nice paneling.
- Snow Means Cold: Sandy's Treedome has snow in the winter, even though there is no logical reason for it to snow in a controlled environment such as this.
- Take That!: "I'll get you [Dirty Dan and Pinhead Larry], you're nothing but pure evil! Just like newspaper comics." In the DVD Commentary, Aaron Springer says that this was specifically a jab at The Family Circus.
- Talking in Your Sleep: Sandy when dreaming of fighting Texas outlaws. It's all fun and games until she starts Sleep Walking and beats down on "Dirty Dan" and "Pinhead Larry."
- Temporary Bulk Change: Sandy has fattened herself up for hibernation. She loses it all by springtime.
- Weight Taller: Fat Sandy is about twice as tall as regular Sandy.
"If that's the way you wanna thank me... for all that I've done?!"
Dumped
Original air date: 5/11/2001 (produced in 2000)
SpongeBob becomes jealous when Gary starts hanging around with Patrick instead of him.
"Dumped" contains examples of:
- An Aesop:
- SpongeBob:
- As people grow, friend groups change. But it doesn't hurt to keep communicating with people you haven't talked to as much in a while.
- Don't be jealous of other people when they have fun without you. Be happy for them.
- Patrick: Sometimes, your "friends" are just using you to get what they want.
- SpongeBob:
- Bindle Stick: Rex the worm takes one when he runs away.
- Blah, Blah, Blah: As Patrick talks to Gary about his plans for their sleepover, we cut to SpongeBob and hear his thoughts, with Patrick going "blah blah blah" in the background. When we cut back to Patrick, we hear what he's actually saying, but when SpongeBob leaves, Patrick starts going "blah blah blah" again.
- Bottle Episode: The entire episode is set at Conch Street.
- Break the Cutie: SpongeBob does not take Gary's rejection well.
- Cats Are Mean:
- Larry the Snail. Not only does he refuse to obey SpongeBob, he forces him to sleep on the floor while Larry takes his bed.
- Subverted with Gary; it seems like he prefers Patrick over SpongeBob, but he really wanted the cookie in his pocket.
- Disney Dog Fight: Patrick insists SpongeBob put Gary down and let him decide who's best for him; he ultimately goes to Patrick.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?:
- Per the title, Gary abandoning SpongeBob for Patrick is treated like a break up.
- Just as much, Larry's treatment can come off like an abusive relationship with someone tolerating it to feel affection.
- Evil Eyebrows: Larry has these.
- Five-Second Foreshadowing: Gary can be seen looking down Patrick's pants as he heads to the washing machine, and as he is taking his shorts off, Gary seems to follow their sighting before he puts them in.
- Food and Animal Attraction: Turns out the reason Gary wanted to be with Patrick was because of the cookie he had in his back pocket.
- Foreshadowing:
- The first time Gary glomps to Patrick, he is on his middle back, and circles around his waist until nighttime. In fact, he is on Patrick's stomach in most scenes of the two together. This is a clue that he only wanted the cookie in Patrick's pocket.
- When SpongeBob is dragging Gary away and Patrick insists he put him down and Let Him Choose, Gary appears to be not paying attention to Patrick.
- Hypocritical Humor: Patrick gives SpongeBob a scolding for mourning so much over Gary leaving him, but after Gary succeeds in getting the cookie out of Patrick's pocket and so goes back to SpongeBob, Patrick doesn't take it too well either.
- Idiot Ball: The reason Gary was constantly following Patrick was because he wanted the cookie in his pocket, yet throughout the episode, Gary makes no effort to check the pocket until the very end.
- Inconsistent Spelling: Larry's name is written with two Rs on his model sheet and in the credits, but since SpongeBob just reuses Gary's food bowl (with the G hastily replaced with an L), his name comes out as "Lary" in the episode itself.
- Jerkass: Larry for angrily hissing at SpongeBob all the time and taking away his bed.
- Jerkass Ball:
- Patrick treats SpongeBob like crap over Gary seemingly choosing the former over the latter.
- Subverted with Gary, who seemed to deliberately follow Patrick despite SpongeBob blatantly showing his depression over being separated from him, but in reality, he only wanted the cookie in Patrick's pocket.
- Jerkass Has a Point: As much of a jerk Patrick was to SpongeBob in this episode, he is correct in stating that the briberies SpongeBob gives to Gary at such a desperate attempt to get him to return home (denying his litter box and free to rip up the sofa) were indeed pathetic.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Patrick gets his comeuppance for the way he treated SpongeBob when he discovers Gary was only interested in the cookie in his shorts pocket.Patrick: Gary? ...I thought what we had was speciaaaaal!
- Let Him Choose: When SpongeBob tries to take Gary back from Patrick, they both decide to let Gary choose who he wants to go with. Gary chooses Patrick.
- Malicious Misnaming:Patrick: Hold it right there, DadMom AngryPants!
SpongeBob: What's that supposed to mean?!
Patrick: I don't know, but I do know Gary knows who he wants to go with. - Medium-Shift Gag: One of the snails SpongeBob gets to replace Gary is a live-action garden snail named Jerry.
- No Sympathy: When SpongeBob is about to start crying when Patrick asks to do laundry with Gary, Patrick's response is an annoyed, "Here it comes..."
- Ocular Gushers: Done by SpongeBob when he begs Gary to come home; his tears cause the bottles of laundry detergent he's holding to overflow.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Patrick gives one to SpongeBob, saying that it's SpongeBob's fault that Gary doesn't want to be with him anymore. But afterwards, Gary eats the cookie in Patrick's pocket and goes back to SpongeBob.Patrick: I'm sorry, SpongeBob, but Gary's with me now. You had your chance, and you failed! You have to stop living in the past. Face it, SpongeBob, you're only hurting yourself. It's what Gary wants. And what Gary wants... is me! Right, Gary?
- Replacement Goldfish: Subverted. SpongeBob tried replacing Gary with Rex, Larry, and Jerry. But none of those three work out, and SpongeBob breaks down and reduces to just pleading Gary to come back home promising maximum freedom.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: About a minute after SpongeBob brings Rex the worm home, he hops on a bus and leaves. For added irony, this happens right after SpongeBob comments on how Rex is loyal and always by [his] side.
- Happens again with Larry when SpongeBob tells his "snailor" joke, which Larry clearly didn't respond well to.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: It turns out Gary was only around Patrick because of the cookie in his pocket. Once he ate that, he immediately returns to SpongeBob, which Patrick doesn’t take well.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: After SpongeBob's "snailor" joke, Larry shoves off, and isn't seen again for the rest of the episode, which then transitions the episode's comedic center back into the heavy melodrama.
- The Snack Is More Interesting: We see that Gary didn't really care for Patrick, he just wanted the cookie hiding in Patrick's back pocket.
- Theme Naming: All of SpongeBob's replacement snails have names that rhyme with "Gary."
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We don't see Larry again after SpongeBob reunites with Gary. We also don't see what happened to Jerry, either.
