Recap / SpongeBob SquarePants S4E2 "The Lost Mattress" / "Krabs vs. Plankton"

The Retriever becomes the Worm Bait.

The Lost Mattress

Original air date: 5/13/2005 (produced in 2004)

After hearing Mr. Krabs complain about how lumpy his mattress is, SpongeBob and Patrick decide to surprise him with a new one. When Squidward hears of this, he decides to take all the credit for it and throw away Krabs' old mattress. But when they find out that the old mattress had all of Mr. Krabs' money inside it, the three have to go to the dump to retrieve it.

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"The Lost Mattress" contains examples of:

• An Aesop:
  • Don't throw things away without getting rid of the non-garbage first.
  • You shouldn't get rid of something unless you understand its value, especially if it's not yours; something seemingly worthless could have more monetary or sentimental value than you might think.
  • Taking credit for other people's work means taking the blame for other people's mistakes.
• Angry Guard Dog: The worm that guards the dump where the mattress is.
• Angst Coma: Upon learning that the mattress with all his money was thrown away, Mr. Krabs goes into a "cash coma".
• Animals Hate Him: At the dump, Squidward keeps getting attacked by the guard worm.
• Aside Comment: Upon seeing the worm resting on the mattress, Squidward looks towards the audience and comments on how he should've seen this coming. He does so again after putting the wooden spoon in his pocket results in the worm biting him in the butt.
• Bad Mood as an Excuse: Because of throwing out his back due to his lumpy mattress, Mr. Krabs was snappy at SpongeBob. Squidward mentions that he likes how Mr. Krabs yells at SpongeBob more.
• Big "NO!": When Mr. Krabs attacks Squidward when he learns that he threw away his money-stuffed mattress, Squidward asks him why he didn't use a bank. Of course, Mr. Krabs is cheap and/or doesn't trust banks.
  Mr. Krabs: ALL MY MONEY WAS IN THAT MATTRESS!!!
  Squidward: WHAT?! HAVEN'T YOU EVER HEARD OF A BANK?!
  Mr. Krabs: NOOOOOO! (faints)
• Butt-Monkey: Squidward, although this time he deserves it for being such a jerk.
• Captain Obvious: Patrick exclaiming "Wow, what a dump!" outside of well… the dump.
• "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot: When Mr. Krabs reveals that he hid all his money in his mattress after Squidward, SpongeBob and Parrick threw it out without his consent, Squidward incredulously asks him, "What?! Haven't you heard of a bank?!"
  • Squidward, himself, could've avoided the whole plot and pain he went through if he didn't try to take credit for the new mattress, assuming SpongeBob and Patrick are "trying to make him look bad".
• *Crack!* "Oh, My Back!": Mr. Krabs keeps breaking his back as a result of sleeping on a lumpy old mattress.
• Curse Cut Short: Technically a threat cut short, but still counts.
  Squidward: If you don't get Mr. Krabs' mattress back from the dump, I am going to mur—
  Officer: Ahem?
  Squidward: Uhh... Help you do it myself.
• Dr. Jerk: First, the doctors take Mr. Krabs out of his hospital room because he's not insured, then they wheel his gurney out on the street because it was blocking the vending machines. Then they kick him down the hill because they're told they can't leave patients on the sidewalk.
• Dumbass Has a Point: When Squidward signs the card for Mr. Krabs, claiming he signed it for everyone, Patrick points out Squidward didn't even help pay for the new mattress. When Squidward first takes sole credit for getting Mr. Krabs a new mattress, Patrick says he thought it was SpongeBob's idea. He later questions what Squidward will be doing while he and SpongeBob hop the fence to retrieve the mattress.
• Exit, Pursued by a Bear: The ending has Squidward getting chased off by the worm with no conclusion.
• Have a Gay Old Time: Mr. Krabs unknowingly lies on his new mattress and says "That's queer." Krabs does have an archaic manner of speaking, and "queer" did used to mean "strange/unusual," but the episode was made well after the new definition of the word had been established.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Squidward's attempts to steal credit for the mattress backfire horribly on him when he tries to pin the blame on SpongeBob, even though it was him who tossed out Mr. Krabs' old mattress without consent. When the police see the card Squidward wrote claiming it was all his idea, he's threatened with arrest if Krabs doesn't make it.
• Hypocrite: Squidward accuses SpongeBob of being a kiss-up to Krabs when Squidward signs the card, giving himself full credit for the gift.
• Idiot Ball:
  • Mr. Krabs for stuffing all his cash inside his bed mattress instead of a bank, where it could accrue interest.
  • Also SpongeBob, Patrick and Squidward have no excuse to not transfer the money from Mr. Krabs' old mattress into the new one, though it seems justified as they didn't know there was money in it.
• It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: Getting Mr. Krabs a new mattress seemed like a thoughtful and generous gesture... at least until it was revealed that his old mattress held all of his money.
• Jerkass: Squidward. He takes the credit for Krabs' new mattress, threatens SpongeBob into getting the mattress back, and even tries to trick SpongeBob and Patrick into getting themselves injured so he doesn't have to.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Despite all of the selfish acts he does later throughout the episode, Squidward makes a valid point at the start that spending money on Mr. Krabs is effectively wasting money.
  Squidward: What?! You want me to spend my hard-earned money on my richer-than-me, skinflint boss? No, thank you!
• Karma Houdini: The nurse and the doctor who thoughtlessly left Krabs out to expire in the hospital hallway before straight up shoving him out of the building while still on the gurney.
• Laser-Guided Karma: One of the few post-movie episodes where Squidward definitely deserves his Butt-Monkey status due to Stealing the Credit and overall jerkassery.
• A MacGuffin Full of Money: Krabs' old mattress, which has all of his money inside.
• Never My Fault: Squidward blames SpongeBob for throwing away Mr. Krabs' old mattress, but the police officer tells him he took full credit for it after signing his name on the card. Granted, he only wrote that to claim said credit before things backfired, but he still considers SpongeBob as the one who got him into trouble when he made the decision himself out of suspicion and jealousy.
• Never Say "Die": Squidward threatens to murder SpongeBob if he doesn't get the mattress back, but stops himself when recalling the officer is nearby him before he finishes the word "murder". Very justified here, as making death threats to someone in front of a police officer would've gotten Squidward in more trouble.
• No-Sell: Mr. Krabs had just woken up from his coma due to being reunited with his old mattress, but his response to the guard worm still on top of it is to just toss him off there (where it ends up landing on Squidward).
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Squidward gets a big moment when Mr. Krabs says all his money was in the mattress that he just took credit for disposing of. Considering this is the same crab that almost ripped a man's arm off for a penny, Squidward is right to be afraid.
  • SpongeBob and Patrick realizing why their code name is "Worm Bait" — to become bait to the guard worm and Squidward wants them eaten.
  • Squidward had this when the police officer show them the card when he wrote "This was all MY idea love Squidward" and the cop holds Squidward responsible and threatens to put him in jail.
• Out-of-Character Moment:
  • Squidward seems worried that SpongeBob and Patrick are supposedly "trying to make him look bad". Normally, Squidward wouldn't care about his performance at the Krusty Krab.
  • Also, Patrick seems unusually competent here compared to most other episodes.
  • In contrast, SpongeBob is incredibly idiotic and oblivious here from beginning to end, compared to the pre-movie seasons and even the first few episodes of Season 4.
  • A subtle moment: When Mr. Krabs painfully reveals that all his money was in the now disposed-of mattress, he says "my money" instead of his usual "me money".
• Pet the Dog: After Mr. Krabs snaps at SpongeBob in the below mentioned Sarcasm-Blind incident, he apologizes.
• Poor Communication Kills: Mr. Krabs explains he is in a foul mood because he can't get a proper night's sleep with his lumpy mattress, so Spongebob decides to buy him a new one. When Squidward finds out and tries to steal credit for the idea, he has Mr. Krabs' old mattress taken to the dump. Then Mr. Krabs reveals the reason his mattress was so lumpy was because he kept all his money in it. If he had mentioned that one detail earlier most of the trouble of the episode could have been avoided.
• Rhetorical Question Blunder: When Mr. Krabs attacks Squidward for throwing out his old mattress, which was stuffed with all his money, Squidward yells "Haven't you ever heard of a bank?!" to which Mr. Krabs responds with a Big "NO!".
• Running Gag: Squidward getting attracted by the guard worm and Mr. Krabs being moved around.
• Sarcasm-Blind: When Mr. Krabs throws out his back, SpongeBob asked if he was hurt.
  Mr. Krabs: (through gritted teeth) No, I'm just doubled over in pain, fighting back tears in me eyes because it's a new dance craze!
  SpongeBob: Oh, good. I thought you were hurt.
  Mr. Krabs: I AM HURT, YOU IDIOT!
• Scare the Dog: The guard worm barks at Mr. Krabs, who only scares the worm back with a roar and then launches the animal off his mattress.
• Soap Opera Organ Score: Heard during the scenes set at the hospital, where the doctors keep moving the comatose Mr. Krabs around.
• Stealing the Credit: Squidward, thinking that SpongeBob is trying to make him look bad, signs his name on the card to take credit for it. This gets him in trouble as the police say since he took all the credit, he will be the one sent to jail if Mr. Krabs doesn't pull through.
• Stolen Credit Backfire: Squidward claims the credit for buying the new mattress, even writing "It was all my idea" on the greeting card. Naturally, this gets him in trouble when Mr. Krabs, who had all his money in the old mattress that was just thrown away, goes into a coma from the shock, which could incur serious criminal charges (including being sent to jail) for Squidward if Krabs doesn't pull through.
• Suddenly Shouting: "RUN, MR. KRABS! RUN LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN A COMA!"
• Tempting Fate: After sending SpongeBob and Patrick into the dump dressed as choice cuts, Squidward proudly remarks he's not going to get hurt this time. Cue Mr. Krabs barreling towards him on a runaway gurney.
• This Is Gonna Suck: Patrick's tone when he tells SpongeBob he's realized why "Worm Bait" is not a desirable code name.
• Truth in Television:
  • Most notably in the Great Depression, people would hide their money in their mattresses because they couldn't use the banks.
  • Also, Mr. Krabs' poor treatment by the hospital staff.^note Although in real life, it's illegal to turn someone away because of lack of insurance.
• Walkie-Talkie Gag, Over: Upon Squidward hiding deeper in the dump and SpongeBob and Patrick infiltrating it, SpongeBob, under the codename Worm Bait, attempts to communicate with Squidward, under the codename Retriever, over a walkie talkie. Unfortunately, while SpongeBob understands the usage of "out" as a way to end a remote conversation, Squidward mistakes it as SpongeBob and Patrick leaving the dump.
  SpongeBob: Worm Bait to Retriever, Worm Bait to Retriever, we're in! Out.
  Squidward: Retriever to Worm Bait, stay in! Don't go out!
  SpongeBob: Understood! Out.
• What Were You Thinking?: Said verbatim by Administrator Flotsam to the head doctor when confronting him about the decision to leave Mr. Krabs outside the building.
• Wingding Eyes: Mr. Krabs gets X eyes when he passes out, due to the lack of money.

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"SpongeBob LawyerPants, Your Honor!"

Krabs vs. Plankton

Original air date: 5/13/2005 (produced in 2004)

After slipping on the wet floor at the Krusty Krab, Plankton decides to file a lawsuit against Mr. Krabs as yet another plan to get the Krabby Patty formula. Unfortunately, Mr. Krabs' lawyer becomes indisposed, so it's up to SpongeBob LawyerPants to save his boss.

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"Krabs vs. Plankton" contains examples of:

• An Aesop:
  • If you think somebody is lying to gain sympathy, don't be afraid to call them out.
  • Always make sure to have a wet floor sign when you need it.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Even before SpongeBob brings out the Krabby Patty, Plankton is already sweating and nervous when asked exactly why he went into the Krusty Krab on the day he slipped.
• Artistic License – Law: Granted, Bikini Bottom is a fictional place, but while it's loosely based on an American court system with decent accuracy, there are a few liberties taken for laughs:
  • In real life and in just about every legal system in the world, SpongeBob would have gotten in serious trouble for posing as a lawyer — though the episode makes it clear just how in over his head he is when trying to be one anyway.
  • It's implied Plankton's case against Krabs is a civil case. Realistically, in a civil case, the jury wouldn't decide "guilt" or "innocence", merely who is liable for damages, and some civil cases don't have a jury at all. It's also very unlikely even in a best-case scenario that Plankton would earn the millions (and the Krabby Patty Formula) worth of damages he's trying to swindle had he won — depending on the jurisdiction, the soft cap is usually somewhere around $25,000-$50,000 for a civil case.
  • While the jury giving Mr. Krabs a "not guilty"/"not liable" verdict is obvious karma to deny Plankton what he wanted after faking all his injuries, they probably would still be required to uphold the duty to be impartial to the case at hand — that Mr. Krabs acted irresponsibly in a way that led to Plankton slipping — which is something that no one disagrees with, meaning he probably would remain liable. That probably still wouldn't work for Plankton given his chicanery that would likely result in "nominal damages" (i.e., paying Plankton as little as $1 for all the nonexistent harm that was caused), though this isn't presented as a possibility.
• Aside Glance: SpongeBob shoots one to Mr. Krabs' injured lawyer when he wonders where he can get a suit in order to take his place.
• Backfire on the Witness Stand: When brought on as a character witness for the defense to confirm Mr. Krabs' generosity, Squidward instead says that Mr. Krabs is cheap and can't think of any time Mr. Krabs has been generous.
• Bait-and-Switch: SpongeBob angrily cross-examines a witness, only for viewers to see it's a mop.
• Brutal Honesty:
  • The jury finds Mr. Krabs to be innocent... but adds that he is cheap.
  • Same applies to Squidward, who does not hold back when questioned on Mr. Krabs' greedy nature. Not to mention that he states that today happens to be the first day-off he has received in three years.
• Courtroom Episode: The latter half is a spoof of The People's Court, even going so far as to use the theme music.
• Diegetic Soundtrack Usage: SpongeBob hums the end credits theme as he strolls towards Mr. Krabs' office.
• "Eureka!" Moment: Finding that the lawyer only left a Krabby Patty for SpongeBob to work with, SpongeBob finally figures out that the only way to break Plankton is to give him exactly what he wants most... in front of the entire courtroom.
• Everybody Cries: Plankton's sob story makes everyone in the courtroom cry, including the judge and especially SpongeBob, who is supposed to be defending Krabs.
• Flaw Exploitation: Plankton's desire to claim the Krabby Patty formula is used against him to reveal to the court that he's faking his injuries.
• Foreshadowing: Plankton when asked why he went into the Krusty Krab the day he slipped. Plankton tries to act like he was visiting his old friend Krabs. While at the time, it seemed like an obvious lie, the start of the next season reveals that Plankton and Krabs were actually best friends at one point.
• A Fool for a Client: Plankton actually does a pretty good job representing himself in the civil case. His ultimate downfall comes from his being baited into revealing his scam, not from mistakes he makes as an attorney.
• Frivolous Lawsuit: Downplayed; Plankton pretends to be seriously hurt by the slip at the Krusty Krab so he can sue Mr. Krabs for all he's worth — including the Krabby Patty formula. However, he takes advantage of the fact that Mr. Krabs was being genuinely reckless with the lack of a "Wet Floor" sign that would have prevented the trip, so he ends up having a decent case that nearly convinces the jury, though they quash it when they realize what Plankton is up to.
• Glurge: Utilized In-Universe. Aside from pretending to be a Wheelchair Woobie after he fakes his injuries, Plankton resorts to using a sob story to win the court's sympathy, even when he visibly breaks character. In spite of trying to maintain a calm and collected demeanor when he takes up the role of Mr. Krabs' attorney, even SpongeBob falls for it.
• Half the Man He Used to Be: SpongeBob literally tears himself in half trying to open the briefcase.
• Idea Bulb: One pops out of a pore on top of SpongeBob's head when he realizes he can use the Krabby Patty in Richard's briefcase to expose Plankton's ruse.
• Jerkass Has a Point:
  • Mr. Krabs should have a wet floor sign to prevent injuries like Plankton's from happening.
  • Mr. Krabs matter-of-factly says that he fears SpongeBob will be a liability if he steps up to defend him. As rude as it was to state this to SpongeBob's face, he turns out to be correct when SpongeBob takes over as Krabs' lawyer and fumbles several times trying to advocate for him. Additionally, SpongeBob was the one mopping the floor before Plankton's accident, which makes him a questionable character witness for Mr. Krabs.
  • Squidward also points out that Mr. Krabs isn't generous as SpongeBob thinks as he only gets one day off in three years.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: When SpongeBob is skipping to Mr. Krabs' office to tell him his proposed testimony, he can be heard humming the show's ending theme.
• Liar Revealed: When SpongeBob uses the Krabby Patty the lawyer left him to tempt Plankton, his hunger gets the better of him and he sheds all his casts, revealing he's not injured after all to the whole courtroom.
• Make the Dog Testify: As a stalling tactic, SpongeBob cross-examines a mop. "So, it was you who made the floor slippery, wasn't it? Answer the question!"
• Mean Boss: Mr. Krabs, in more ways than one:
  • Didn't have a wet floor sign because the sign "seemed so superfluous".
  • After testifying against his boss, Squidward mentions that this is his only day off in three years.
• Near-Villain Victory: Plankton was poised to win, until the "Eureka!" Moment.
• Not Helping Your Case:
  • After Plankton's sob story caps off with his regret over his injury meaning he can't honor a promise to his grandmother.
    Judge Stickleback: (teary-eyed) Does the defense have an opening statement?
    SpongeBob: (stoic) Yes, Your Honor. (sobbing) POOR GRAM-GRAM!
  • Mr. Krabs sheepishly admits he thought a wet floor sign was superfluous, the lack of one being the entire reason Plankton has taken him to court, legally speaking.
  • SpongeBob attempts to demonstrate that Mr. Krabs is not the cheap miser he appears to be by dropping a dollar in a blender. Krabs immediately freaks out and tends to the ripped up dollar as if it were an injured child.
  • SpongeBob tries to call Squidward as a character witness on Mr. Krabs' behalf. Unfortunately, Squidward ends up throwing Krabs under the bus by immediately agreeing with the "ludicrous" claims that he was cheap. He concludes by revealing that the only day off he had gotten in three years is today—most of it being spent in the courtroom.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Plankton clearly never anticipated being called on to the stand himself. It does not take long for SpongeBob to bait him out of dropping the ruse.
  • This also applies to Mr. Krabs throughout most of the episode like when Plankton announces his intentions to sue him, SpongeBob replacing Mr. Krabs’ attorney and doing a rather horrible job at defending him, and when Mr. Krabs is called to the witness stand, he ends up hurting his case a couple of times.
  • It gets even worse when Squidward is called to the stand. "Can I go home? One day off in three years and I have to spend it testifying?" Mr. Krabs starts sweating bullets when the jurors glare at him.
• "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Mr. Krabs in response to SpongeBob taking over as his lawyer.
• Percussive Maintenance: After multiple failed attempts at trying to pry the briefcase containing the decisive evidence open because Richard never gave him the combination, SpongeBob finally manages to get it open by slamming his fist on it during his Rousing Speech to Mr. Krabs.
• The Perry Mason Method: SpongeBob uses a Krabby Patty to trick Plankton into revealing that he's not hurt at all.
• Plot-Sensitive Latch: The lawyer's briefcase won't open because he never told SpongeBob the combination. At the end it opens when SpongeBob lays his hand over it when he's saying that the case won't be won by what's in the briefcase.
• Poor Judge of Character: Squidward is one of the witnesses testifying at the trial. His testimony throws Krabs under the bus.
• The Scapegoat: Getting desperate, SpongeBob attempts to blame the whole thing on a wet mop. For bonus points, SpongeBob was the one using the mop in the first place.
• Shout-Out:
  • The title card music for this episode is the Theme Song for Perry Mason.
  • When Plankton and Mr. Krabs enter the courtroom, the music from The People's Court can be heard.
• Shown Their Work: A few liberties aside, this episode has a surprisingly accurate depiction of how a court case would actually play out, as real life lawyer Legal Eagle attests.
• Small Role, Big Impact: The two fish who comment on Plankton slipping on the wet floor give Plankton the idea of suing Mr. Krabs in order to finally take the formula.
• Tempting Fate: Krabs has full faith that Squidward will stand up for him in court, calling him a "loyal employee". Seems he forgot just how much his much-abused cashier openly despises him.
• This Is Gonna Suck: After SpongeBob's attempt to cross-examine a mop, Mr. Krabs lets out a defeated, "I'm doomed."
• Truth in Television: There are people who will fake injuries or blow things out of proportion to get money from lawsuits. Thankfully, this is much harder nowadays because many businesses have multiple security cameras.
• Versus Title: The episode is titled "Krabs vs. Plankton".
• Villainous Breakdown: SpongeBob using the Krabby Patty in the lawyer's briefcase to entice Plankton causes his confident demeanor to crack as he throws off his casts and attempts to steal it, only to be stopped by Mr. Krabs. All he can do is weakly mutter "No...", which descends into full-blown Rapid Fire Nos as Krabs eats it right in front of him.
• Villain Has a Point: While it is malicious of Plankton to sue Mr. Krabs for the Krabby Patty formula instead of simply a restitution sum to cover for alleged medical costs, he does bring up a point that Mr. Krabs really should put up a "Wet Floor" sign. When this is brought up, the jury audibly sides towards a guilty verdict for Krabs, not helped by him trying to explain it by saying it would have been too costly, which only makes him look more like an irresponsible cheapskate. In the end, though, the jury does see through Plankton's ruse and decides to spare Mr. Krabs the verdict... though they still agree that he is cheap.
• Wingding Eyes: Exaggerated — when the possibility of counter-suing Plankton is breached, Mr. Krabs' eyes go into the standard dollar signs... and then into gold ingots.
  Richard: Does that happen a lot?
  SpongeBob: No. They're usually silver.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Plankton pulls one on Mr. Krabs to sue him into giving him the formula.

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