"Grooming Gary" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from Season 6. In this episode, SpongeBob enters Gary into a pet show.
Characters
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Snails on the Pet Show Flyers
- Gary the Snail
- Perch Perkins
- Squidward Tentacles
- Jellyfish (cameo in painting)
- Fancy fish
- Muffsies the Snail (debut)
- Orange lady
- Orange lady's worm (debut)
- Fred
- Fred's snail (debut)
- Charles (debut)
- Foofie (debut)
- Patrick Star
- Mrs. Squiggles (debut)
- Incidental F4
- Incidental 63 (Blue)
- Kenney the Worm (debut)
- Incidental F6
- Drake the Snail (debut)
- Drake's owner
- Incidental 64 (Green with Light Blue Stripes)
- Incidental F9
- Incidental F9's worm (debut)
- Other pets and pet owners
Synopsis
SpongeBob wakes up with multiple notes reminding him that the Bikini Bottom Pet Show is happening today. He checks his watch and sees that the show starts in an hour. He looks for Gary in multiple places such as in a news broadcast, and Squidward's bathtub. He then finds Gary in the library and goes over a checklist checking Gary's health. Gary then tries to leave without his shell, but SpongeBob finds him.
At the pet show, many people are preparing their pets for the pet show. SpongeBob notices how they treat their pets differently at the pet show. One fancy person starts describing how his pet is very fancy, while SpongeBob notices how Gary isn't so fancy. So SpongeBob decides to groom Gary properly for the pet show.
At SpongeBob's house, SpongeBob puts a wig, and a bow on Gary. SpongeBob then turns off the lights to reveal the final touch of having a glow and a dark paint on Gary. Gary then tries to leave again, but SpongeBob stops him and tries to convince him to go to the pet show with him. SpongeBob then puts a studded diamond collar on Gary.

Patrick arrives and asks what SpongeBob is doing. SpongeBob asks for help, and he agrees. SpongeBob grabs Gary, and he and Patrick take Gary and puts him in the bathtub in order to brush his teeth. They then go to the pet show, and meet the fancy person they saw earlier. SpongeBob asks for his opinion on his pet Gary. The fancy person says there is one way to prove his pet's beauty which is winning the pet show. But he says it is unlikely, because he and his pet has won it the past five years.
They arrive at the pet show, and Patrick leaves because he can't get past the red rope which people who don't have pets have to stand behind. They then walk past many pets who are getting ready for the pet show. Gary tries to stop SpongeBob, but he fails. The judge begins to inspect the pets in the pet show. When its Gary's turn the judge tries to look in Gary's shell, but only to be bitten by Gary.

The pets getting aggressive
Gary then gets angry about expensive clothing and turn the Pet Contest into a Pet Riot. All the other pets began to burn all the clothes and attack their owners. One of the owners named Charles asked his pet Foofie why he is so angry and asked somebody who can understand what the pets are saying. SpongeBob explains what Gary is saying and said that the pets don't want to be in these pet shows because they want to be treated fair and want to be themselves instead of being treated like "rag dolls in scratchy outfits" and that caused the riot is over. SpongeBob apologizes to Gary for forcing him to enter the pet show and promises to not ever do it again, much to Gary's happiness. SpongeBob and Gary are rewarded by the judge. However, it is Patrick that wins the pet show, probably because he wanted to see SpongeBob win the contest close-up.
Running gags
- Whenever Gary is given an undercarriage check, he bites the person doing it.
Production
Art
Music
( ‣ ) Associated production music |
( • ) Original music |
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
• Marlin March - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [title card]
• Wahini Wobble - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Opening]
• New Vibe Hits 2007 - Nicolas Carr ["Gary?"]
‣ Drama Link (d) - Hubert Clifford [SpongeBob looking for Gary]
• Bikini Bottom News Theme - Nicolas Carr [news on TV]
‣ Drama Link (d) - Hubert Clifford [SpongeBob looking for Gary at Squidward's bathroom]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Squidward kicks SpongeBob out]
• Great Idea Patrick - Nicolas Carr ["Gary, there you are."]
• Earl's Revenge - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [testing slime viscosity]
‣ Shock (f) - Dave Hewson [undercarriage check]
• Steel Licks 8 - Jeremy Wakefield [Gary tries to leave]
• Steel Licks 9 - Jeremy Wakefield ["I'll carry your shell."]
‣ Curtain-Raiser - Alan Braden [at the pet show]
• Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [closeup of Gary's eyes]
• Witty Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Steve Marston [diamond-studded leash]
‣ Final Summit A - Mladen Franko ["But no longer."]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [back at home]
• Steel Licks 9 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Oh, you're like a little cuddly present."]
• Gary Glows in the Dark - Nicolas Carr [glow-in-the-dark paint]
• Steel Licks 1 - Jeremy Wakefield ["Gary, wait, we got to go back to the pet show."]
• Great Idea Patrick - Nicolas Carr [diamond-studded collar]
• Goofy Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [brushing Gary's teeth]
‣ Starlight Flight - Magnum Opus ["Let's go win our battle, Foof."]
• Unknown Track 41 - "This is it, Gary. This is our time to shine."
‣ Fruity Flute - Harry Bluestone [everyone grooming their pets]
‣ Hawaiian Cocktail - Richard Myhill ["I'm all alone behind this rope!"]
‣ Fruity Flute - Harry Bluestone ["There it is, Mrs. Squiggles, your new hairdo."]
• What's This - Nicolas Carr [Gary biting the leash]
‣ Fruity Flute - Harry Bluestone ["Now let's try this cape."]
• Entrapped - Nicolas Carr [Gary resisting]
• Steel Licks 7 - Jeremy Wakefield ["There you go."]
‣ Fashionable Enclosure - Phillip Green [pets judged]
‣ Footsteps of Horror - William Farran [Gary bites judge]
‣ Revolution - Paul Hart, David Arnold [Gary makes a speech]
‣ House of Horror - William Farran [pet riot]
‣ It Is Never Too Late [#56.02] - Gregor Narholz [SpongeBob translates Gary's speech]
‣ Final Summit A - Mladen Franko [SpongeBob finishes translating Gary's speech]
‣ State Processional - Barrie Hingley [Trophy awarded to SpongeBob]
• Steel Licks 10 - Jeremy Wakefield [ending]
Release
- This episode is available on the SpongeBob's To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants, Season 6 Volume 1, Complete Sixth Season, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 9, Snail's Meow, Slumber Party, The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set, The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection, The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection, 3 DVD Value Pack, Kids Double Pack: Volume 4, Kids Double Pack: Volume 7, Next 100 Episodes, and The Best 200 Episodes Ever DVDs.
Trivia
General
- This episode was originally supposed to premiere on Thursday, August 7, 2008 for the Bikini Bottom Confidential event, but it was replaced with "Boating Buddies."
- Even though "Boating Buddies" was supposed to premiere on Friday, August 8, 2008, it was replaced with "The Krabby Kronicle."
- This episode premiered as one of seven in the Super Stuffed Nicksgiving Weekend 2008.
- This is the second episode where SpongeBob searches for Gary in Squidward's bathtub. The first is "Have You Seen This Snail?"
- Most the participants' models are recycled from "Culture Shock."
- This episode is a bit similar to "The Great Snail Race" since both include SpongeBob entering Gary into an event he doesn't want to partake in.
Cultural references
- A reference to Mary Poppins is shown when Charles and Foofie glide via umbrella.
Errors
- One time when Gary talks to the other pets, he has arms, but in the next scene, he does not.
- While Muffsies' owner is backing away from her, the snail is not Muffsies; it is Victoria.
- The fact that SpongeBob is the only one who can understand Gary is not true, as other characters have understood him numerous times throughout the series.
- The pets' owners change throughout the episode.
Running gags
- Gary attacking anyone who gives him an undercarriage check.