"Hi, how are ya'?"
Not NormalOriginal air date: 3/4/2008 (produced in 2007)
Upset by Squidward calling him "not normal", SpongeBob learns how to be normal, effectively stripping him of all personality. He consults Patrick for help on being weird again.
"Not Normal" contains examples of:
- An Aesop:
- Don't force yourself to change to please someone, it will alienate you from your friends. Be Yourself.
- While it’s good to be down-to-earth once in a while, it’s your quirks that make you unique.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Squidward wanted a "normal" SpongeBob. Well, he got it - and quickly became annoyed with "normal" SpongeBob's criticisms of him.
- Big "NO!": Patrick does this when SpongeBob’s transformation doesn’t work near the end.
- Brick Joke: At one point, SpongeBob points out that Squidward doesn't wear pants. The next time Squidward is seen, he is wearing pants in his "normal" form.
- Broken Record: "Hi, how are ya?" "Wonderful weather we're having."
- Creepy Monotone: SpongeBob speaks like this when he's normal.
- Eye Scream: SpongeBob's first attempt to make himself abnormal again causes his eyeballs to pop out of his head.
- "Flowers for Algernon" Syndrome: After SpongeBob is no longer a zany cartoon character, he winds up creating ink and paper Krabby Patties, causing Mr. Krabs to suspend him from work for the time being. SpongeBob then finds out he is incompatible with Patrick's ideas for fun. Squidward's reception for SpongeBob's change in character was positive at first, but gets annoyed at the latter's criticisms regarding his lifestyle and appearance. SpongeBob ultimately decides being normal is no fun for him, and tries to revert to his original personality with Patrick's help.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: The whole point of the plot after SpongeBob comes to the assumption that he is not normal.
- Literal Metaphor: When Mr. Krabs states that the customers are "leaving in boatloads", it shows all the customers rowing out of the Krusty Krab in lifeboats.
- Medium-Shift Gag: When Squidward compares SpongeBob to people that are normal, it cuts to a shot of live-action fish in a tank.
- And again when SpongeBob rearranges Squidward's face. When shown a mirror, we see a photorealistic human face over where Squidward's head.
- Pulling Your Child Away: Patrick tries to help SpongeBob become "weird" again after having been turned "normal" in both appearance and behaviour. They do this by sliding on a water trail that leads to a ramp that launches them into the zoo. A little girl asks, "Mommy, what are those things?", and her mother replies, "Those are undesirables, honey, we only talk to normal people." SpongeBob and Patrick take this to mean their weird behavior is working.
- Pygmalion Snap Back: As per the show's Negative Continuity, SpongeBob returns to his former self by the end of the episode.
- The Scream: SpongeBob screaming like a banshee, and when he sees Squidward turned normal which reverts him to his original self.
- Screams Like a Little Girl: Squidward when he sees his photorealistic reflection after SpongeBob tries to make him look "normal".
- Sdrawkcab Speech: During the montage of making SpongeBob abnormal again, Patrick tells SpongeBob to talk backwards.SpongeBob: Tap, erus uoy era note
- Staggered Zoom: When SpongeBob sees Squidward having turned himself normal like he is, prompting him to freak out and change back to his original self.
- Title Drop: "I'm not normal?"
- Visual Pun: Squidward informs Mr. Krabs that the customers are "leaving in boatloads". It then cuts to rowboats carrying the customers out of the Krusty Krab.
Where did everybody go?!
Gone
Original air date: 3/5/2008 (produced in 2007)
SpongeBob wakes up to find everyone in Bikini Bottom has disappeared. While trying to live out their lives for him, he realizes that he can finally accomplish his dream of getting his license... and becomes obsessed with his new boat.
"Gone" contains examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Boaty" is one for the boat.
- Apocalyptic Log: SpongeBob keeps one in this episode.
- Bedmate Reveal: Happens when SpongeBob wakes up and assumes everything up to that point was All Just a Dream, only to see his new boatmobile next to him in his bed.
- Bittersweet Ending: For SpongeBob, as he finds out that everyone was out of Bikini Bottom to celebrate "National No SpongeBob Day" after they arrive back on a bus, making him feel left out. Everyone then decides to celebrate "National No Patrick Day" when Patrick brings it up, which SpongeBob is able to join and stops Patrick from joining, causing him to get left behind. Patrick was the meanest to SpongeBob out of everyone in the group.
- Call-Back: Spongebob also named his first boat "Boaty" in "No Free Rides"
- Comically Missing the Point:
- SpongeBob misinterprets No SpongeBob Day as a celebration rather than a revolt against him.
- When Patrick gets abandoned for No Patrick Day, he immediately becomes confused as to where everyone is.
- Cope by Pretending: Upon realizing that Bikini Bottom is deserted, SpongeBob's immediate response is to imitate everyone in town, giving up only when he realizes the task is impossible.
- Cruel Twist Ending: Everyone left Bikini Bottom because they went to go celebrate "National No SpongeBob Day," leaving SpongeBob behind and him missing out on all of the events.
- Cuckoo Finger Twirl: SpongeBob does it when he says, "I thought I'd go crazy without all my friends and acquaintances around!"
- The Dog Bites Back: After finding out Patrick also participated in No SpongeBob Day, SpongeBob shoves Patrick off the bus and goes to celebrate No Patrick Day.
- Drives Like Crazy: Well, he didn't quite earn that license.
- Et Tu, Brute?: SpongeBob did not take it well when Patrick celebrated "National No SpongeBob Day" with the others. Of course, he went with the others to celebrate "National No Patrick Day".
- "Everyone Is Gone" Episode: SpongeBob wakes up to find everybody but him has vanished. At the end, it is revealed everyone went to go have a "National No-SpongeBob Day" but ended up getting sidetracked, so it lasted a few weeks.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: SpongeBob’s friends celebrate getting away from him for weeks.
- Ghost City: Bikini Bottom is this during No SpongeBob Day.
- Go Mad from the Isolation: SpongeBob eventually goes crazy from Bikini Bottom being deserted except for him.
- Good-Times Montage: After SpongeBob realizes he's all alone with his boatmobile and it wasn't just a dream, we see a montage of SpongeBob doing various things with his boat next to him.
- Hand Puppet: SpongeBob uses one made out of a pile of Krabby Patty meat that he shapes into Patrick.
- Hard Truth Aesop: Taking the episode more realistically, no matter who you are, even people who love you are going to need a break from you every once in a while. It's not because they hate you; it's just that being around anyone constantly isn't good.
- Hated by All: There is an entire day dedicated to not having SpongeBob around to annoy them. Everyone loves not having SpongeBob around so much that they milk it so "National No SpongeBob Day" ends up being "National No SpongeBob Weeks".
- Here We Go Again!: Everyone, including SpongeBob, leave to celebrate No Patrick Day, leaving said starfish out in the middle of nowhere, wondering where everybody is.
- Jerkass Ball: Everyone grabs this in the end, abandoning SpongeBob in favor of No SpongeBob Day — including Sandy and Patrick, two of SpongeBob's closest friends. Patrick does at least receive his Laser-Guided Karma with No Patrick Day.
- Karma Houdini: Aside from Patrick, who was the only one to get his just desserts, nobody else gets punished for participating in National No SpongeBob Day. Heck, they even pull this stunt off again with No Patrick Day, including SpongeBob, but he has every reason to go since he was left behind for the first holiday.
- Kick the Dog: When everyone comes back, it turns out they were celebrating National No SpongeBob Day, which involves burning a large stake shaped like SpongeBob and dancing on its ashes.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Patrick is left behind for No Patrick Day. He was also among those who participated in No SpongeBob Day, and was the meanest to SpongeBob in the group that returned to Bikini Bottom.
- A Lizard Named "Liz": A Boat Named "Boaty"
- Luminescent Blush: SpongeBob blushes and smiles upon hearing from Mr. Krabs that National No SpongeBob Day is dedicated to him.
- Oblivious to Hatred: When SpongeBob hears of National No SpongeBob Day, he seems somehow unaware it was for everyone to get away from him, instead being more focused on the fact that they've been gone for weeks. When Mr. Krabs says the holiday was in his honor, he smiles and feels appreciated for it.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: It turns out the reason everyone was gone is because it was National No SpongeBob Day, though it lasted for weeks.
- Ungrateful Townsfolk: The people in Bikini Bottom abandon SpongeBob for several weeks in favor of No SpongeBob Day — including his best friend, no less.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: Despite being mentioned, Gary doesn't make an appearance, nor is he seen with the residents when they return
- Wholesome Crossdresser: SpongeBob imitates everyone he knows, including Sandy and Mrs. Puff.
- With Friends Like These...: Even Patrick can't resist getting into National No SpongeBob Day. SpongeBob happily joins in on National No Patrick Day as payback.
- Yandere: As a part of SpongeBob's growing madness, Boaty doesn't like SpongeBob talking to anyone else but it.
