THE THING

Episode Title: "The Thing"

Episode Airing Number: 83

Episode Production Number: 76

Original Airdate: January 15, 2007

Season: 4

On DVD: "SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 4, Volume 2"

On VHS: (none)

Aired With Episode: "Hocus Pocus"

Running Time: 11:00

Storyboard Directors: Zeus Cervas and Erik Wiese

Writers: Zeus Cervas, Erik Wiese and Steven Banks

Technical Director: Vincent Waller

Animation Director: Andrew Overtoom

Supervising Producer: Paul Tibbitt

In Brief: After Squidward turns himself into a cement creature, SpongeBob and Patrick adopt him as a pet.

Story: It's time for Squidward to get some peace and quiet but as he sits down to watch tv, he hears the laughter of SpongeBob. He won't let SpongeBob and Patrick ruin his day, though, so he tells them to be quiet. That was a mistake. SpongeBob and Patrick soon knock on the door and annoy Squidward so much he has to leave his house just to get some peace and quiet. But as he is riding his bike, he's not looking where he is going so he runs into a cement truck. It unloads a bunch of cement on him, causing him to harden overtime.

Day five and he is waddling through Jellyfish Fields. SpongeBob and Patrick are trying to catch a jellyfish until they notice a gray creature in the distance. They introduce themselves then decide to adopt him as a pet. In SpongeBob's house, SpongeBob introduces Smelly to Gary. But Gary attacks Smelly as if he knew it was really Squidward. So, SpongeBob can't have Smelly as a pet but Patrick wants to. So, Patrick takes him home and plays catch with him but soons discovers Smelly is a wild animal because Smelly threw the ball back at Patrick really hard, knocking him to the ground. This causes Patrick to call animal control to come get Smelly. As he is doing this, Smelly makes a run for it but is caught by the police. SpongeBob tries to negotiate with the police that he's just a poor, dumb wild animal but they explain that those kinds of animals do not belong here but in a zoo. So, they take Smelly away to the zoo.

It's time to go on a rescue mission to retrieve Smelly. SpongeBob explains the plan to Patrick and tells him to follow him. While climbing down, Patrick gets caught in the rope and makes a lot of noise that could get the police there but, luckily, it doesn't. They top-toe their way over to Smelly's cage and carry him out. But soon enough, the police catch up to them and start chasing them. SpongeBob and Patrick find a sewer tunnel they can go down and they do. The police squad do not notice that they went down as they just run past the sewer tunnel entrance.

After their escape from under the sewer system, they walk into a kelp forest. There, they notice a group of other cement creatures that look Smelly. So, they let Smelly be with his own kind. The other gray creatures carry him to Kelpy G, the smooth jazz player from tv. As he is playing, Smelly's exterior breaks and reveals Squidward underneath.

Song: (none)

Quotes:

SpongeBob: Wait a minute. Maybe he's not a monster. Maybe he's an endangered species. We should help him.

Patrick: Yeah, help him. Go away. Can't you tell nobody wants you? You're endangered.

Patrick: You're my hero. *gets tangled in the rope* Spongebob! Help! Ah! *screams making a lot of noise*

Spongebob: Shh, we'll get caught.

Patrick: What? I can't hear you. I'm screaming too loud.

Observations:

Mail Call At the beginning of the episode, we are shown that SpongeBob's mailbox is right beside his house. In other episodes, it's in front of his house near the road.

Remote Buttons There are twelve buttons on Squidward's remote control.

Colorful Jellyfish This is the 2nd time that both blue and pink jellyfish appear in the same episode. Jellyfish Hunter is the only other occurance where this happens.

Flush SpongeBob uses his tie to flush away tears. Sandy used a handle to flush away her tears in "Texas".

Misspelling There is a misspelling on Smelly's food that Patrick pours in his bowl. The box is labeld "Snail Fud". But I'm sure it's meant to say that :-P

You're Surrounded! 3 helicopters, 3 police boats and a truck labeled 'ZOO' surround Smelly in front of Squidward's house.

Familiar Face Since the truck that Smelly is put in is labeled 'ZOO', maybe Clamu is that giant clam inside the truck. ;) But this giant clam seems more vicious than the one in "The Smoking Peanut"