One night, the Flying Dutchman's ship is seen sailing through the seas, but cannot see very well due to heavy fog. His ship then hits a rock and breaks. The Flying Dutchman then calls for repair, giving him residence at SpongeBob's house, where he proceeds to scare, startle, and surprise SpongeBob around the clock. SpongeBob gets scared and goes to Squidward for help, but unfortunately, he does not believe in ghosts. He slams the door in SpongeBob's face. SpongeBob soon turns to Patrick for help, but he just closes his door out of fear. Then he hears Gary cry for help. SpongeBob enters his house to stop The Flying Dutchman. The Flying Dutchman then says that he just wanted to pet Gary, only to reveal that it was a trick by eating him. SpongeBob despairs about the death of hair until Gary appears behind him with no explanation. Soon, the Dutchman begins to take much amusement in terrifying SpongeBob repeatedly.
Eventually, all the spooky shenanigans grow old, and SpongeBob and all of the citizens of Bikini Bottom are no longer afraid of the Dutchman. This creates a panic for the old ghost who now fears that he has lost his touch. So SpongeBob decides to lend a hand and help the Flying Dutchman learn to scare people again.
Unfortunately, his first attempt doesn't work until the customer on the mattress screamed from the startling notice of the mattress salesman. The second attempt also doesn't work since The Flying Dutchman got hit by a jump rope. The third attempt doesn't work when an old lady mistakes him for someone else. He then realizes that the Dutchman is trashing his place and tells him to get active by getting the Flying Dutchman to watch a crazy video about some mysterious people saying "The Power Within" constantly. The next attempt, however, does not work when Larry thought that he had a flab on his pecs.
The Flying Dutchman tells SpongeBob that he has decided to give up, since maybe people don't believe in ghosts anymore. This gives SpongeBob an idea, with SpongeBob telling the Dutchman to try to scare Squidward since he doesn't believe in ghosts. The Flying Dutchman is interested and goes to Squidward's house and successfully scares him, as Squidward is horrified to learn that he was wrong about ghosts and runs out through the walls of the house frantically screaming that such things exist. SpongeBob compliments The Flying Dutchman who finally has the nerve to scare people again. He had a confession to make and tells SpongeBob that his ship had been repaired for three months.
The episode ends with The Flying Dutchman leaving on his ship while giving SpongeBob with a present with a scary surprise, but SpongeBob laughs at it, even though SpongeBob gets eaten by the surprise.
‣The Haunted Castle - Paddy Kingsland [Flying Dutchman's ship appears] ‣Dramatic Impact 2 - Ivor Slaney [ship crashes] ‣Magical Effect (h) - Paddy Kingsland [Dutchman falls] ‣The Dreadnought Tea Clipper (b) - Tim Laycock, Robert Alexander White [Dutchman calls Roadside Assistance] ‣Malleus Mallificarum (a) - Dave Hewson ["The Flying Dutchman!"] ‣Terror by Night - Hubert Clifford ["I'm stuck here while me ship is being repaired."] ‣Comic Walk - Sidney Torch ["SpongeBob, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't believe in ghosts and I never liked you!"] ‣Dramatic Impact 5 - Ivor Slaney ["Gary!"] ‣Finders Creepers - Paddy Kingsland [Dutchman pets Gary] ‣Dramatic Impact 3 - Ivor Slaney [Dutchman eats Gary] ‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Gary!"] ‣The Dreadnought Tea Clipper (b) - Tim Laycock, Robert Alexander White ["Nothing better than giving a good scare."] ‣Frankenstein's Niece A - Gregor F. Narholz ["Don't get too comfortable!"] ‣Dramatic Cue (a) - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob's house on fire/SpongeBob as an octopus/Monster in SpongeBob's refrigerator] •Steel Licks 12 - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob laughs] ‣Dramatic Cue (a) - Ronald Hanmer [Monster eats SpongeBob's head/Eyeballs instead of cereals] ‣Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hmm?"] •Steel Licks 17 - Jeremy Wakefield [skeleton in drawer] ‣The Jitters - Raymond C. Jones [SpongeBob bored as Dutchman tries to scare him] ‣What's This Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hmm?"] ‣Dramatic Cue (d) - Ronald Hanmer ["I've seen all your tricks."] ‣Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White ["I know when I'm washed up."] ‣Happy Jose - Ulrich Hans Wenzel [mattress store] ‣Boys and Girls - Brian Peters [little girl jumping rope] ‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["It's official... I'm not scary anymore."] •Steel Licks 1 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Maybe I just need a break."] ‣Unknown Track 93 - six months later... ‣Beach Party - Harry Bluestone [Dutchman having a party] •Steel Licks 8 - Jeremy Wakefield ["All righty, boys, party's over."] •Steel Licks 9 - Jeremy Wakefield [Everyone leaves SpongeBob's house.] ‣The Dreadnought Tea Clipper (b) - Tim Laycock, Robert Alexander White ["You're a ghost of your former self."] ‣The Power Within - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Self-awareness video] ‣Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill [Dutchman cries] ‣Unknown Track 41 - "It's time to get serious." ‣Furtive Footsteps - Paddy Kingsland ["Let's start you off easy."] ‣The Beast Within - Paddy Kingsland [Dutchman tries to scare an old lady] ‣Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill ["Lonnie, there's this great new product called toothpaste."] ‣Kings Messenger - Sam Fonteyn [SpongeBob flying on Dutchman's back] ‣The Beast Within - Paddy Kingsland [Dutchman enters gym] ‣California Baby B - Jerry Burnham, Wayne Cook [Larry flexing muscles] ‣Shock (f) - Dave Hewson [Dutchman tries to scare him] ‣California Baby B - Jerry Burnham, Wayne Cook ["My latissimus dorsi has gone flabby!"] ‣Here's Adieu Sweet Lovely Nancy (b) - Tim Laycock, Robert Alexander White ["It's no use, SpongeBob."] •Swell Idea - Nicolas Carr ["Wait a minute!"] •Steel Sting - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob whispering to Dutchman] ‣The Stalker - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Squidward gets out of bed] ‣Red Alert [#7] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [green fog appears] ‣ ? - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [clarinet] ‣House of Horror - W. Merrick Farran [Dutchman scares Squidward] ‣Musical Box (c) - Dave Hewson [Dutchman's finger trick] ‣House of Horror - W. Merrick Farran ["No! No! That's impossible!"] ‣Hilo March - The Hawaiian Serenaders ["Dutchie, it worked!"] ‣House of Horror - W. Merrick Farran [ending]
Squidward reveals that his mother calls him Squiddums.
It is revealed that the Flying Dutchman is or was married.
The Flying Dutchman is in denial about said marriage.
It is shown that SpongeBob's TV has a built-in VCR player, just like in the episode "Karate Island."
SpongeBob's pineapple coming to life with the insides on fire is similar to the episode "Procrastination." However, the pineapple does not speak in this episode.
This is the third appearance of Squidward's mother. The first was in "Fools in April" and the second was in "Krusty Towers."
It is revealed that the Flying Dutchman can shapeshift.
This is the second appearance of a mattress store. The first was in "The Lost Mattress."
SpongeBob punching Squidward in the face became an internet meme, which was usually entitled "SpongeBob Gives Squidward Brain Damage."
Squidward claims in this episode that he is not afraid of ghosts. However, in "Pranks a Lot," SpongeBob and Patrick scare Squidward by pretending to be ghosts.
This means that this episode might take place before the following episodes: "Pranks a Lot," "Scaredy Pants," "Born Again Krabs," and "Shanghaied."
In addition to this, Squidward claims that he does not believe in ghosts, but he has met the Flying Dutchman in "Scaredy Pants," "Born Again Krabs," and "Shanghaied."
In the Greek dub, this episode is called "Ο επισκέπτης φάντασμα," which means "The Ghost Visiter."
In the Polish dub, this episode is called "Duch druh," which means "Ghost Companion."
In the Croatian dub, the episode is called "Duh u Kući," which means "Ghost in the House."
"The Power Within" became a somewhat popular meme.
List of the Flying Dutchman's successes at scaring SpongeBob:
Comes out of the floor in front of SpongeBob with a "Raargh!"
An evil laughter and snakes coming from his mouth.
Pretending to eat Gary.
Says "Don't get too comfortable!" in a dark voice with the fire in his eyes and in the background.
SpongeBob's house coming to life laughing evilly and catching on fire.
Transforms SpongeBob's lower area into tentacles.
A monster in SpongeBob's fridge that comes out when SpongeBob opens it.
List of the Flying Dutchman's unsuccessful attempts to scare SpongeBob:
Mirror of SpongeBob getting eaten by a shark/dunkleosteus.
Eyeballs in his cereal box, instead of cereal.
Skeleton in his drawer.
A giant slimy bald green monster that appears from the floor and turns into a giant ant creature which turns into a hideous baby-faced worm creature and a clown-worm which turns into the face of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs with a bubble pipe, which he spits out but this turns into SpongeBob's head which pours out spiders and its eyeballs slither away like snakes and then the Flying Dutchman's head and arms come out of the body.
List of the Flying Dutchman's success in scaring Squidward:
Squidward's powder puff engulfs the room and his mother appears in a giant form, asking why Squidward has not called her before melting.
A giant clarinet appears and blares music in Squidward's ear before turning into a rope which goes through Squidward's head. The Flying Dutchman appears, saying "I heard you don't believe in ghosts; as in, the Flying Dutchman!" and throws him to a flooded room where Squidward is swallowed by an immense, yellow multi-eyed monster.
Squidward finds a hole and escapes in a room where he sees a giant smiling SpongeBob, rocking back and forth and breathing very heavily.
SpongeBob's eyes turn to slither away like snakes and the spiders engulf the body and once leaving the Flying Dutchman appears, making a scary finger trick and forcing a screaming Squidward to run out of his house, screaming "Ghosts!"
Errors
While the Flying Dutchman is trying to scare SpongeBob, the house becomes big and SpongeBob is small.File:Ghost Host 033.jpg
Tiny SpongeBob
In at least one frame before SpongeBob kicks everyone out, part of his belt is the wrong color.
SpongeBob with a miscolored belt
Squidward's teeth alternate between yellow and white when he is cowering from his "ghost-like" mother, lying on the floor and saying "Squiddums l-loves his Mamá..."
When the Flying Dutchman raids Squidward's house, the Dutchman has five fingers, but when he is at SpongeBob's, he has only four.
When SpongeBob holds Gary he is shown to be in his normal size, but when SpongeBob says, "It's Ok, Gary!," Gary is shown to be a bit smaller.File:Ghost Host 025.jpg
Gary is not supposed to be that small.
When Patrick's rock is open, a sky flower appears in his living space.
