**Patrick suggests that they were at [[Martha's Craft Zone]] that day. However, Gary would have taken a week to 10 days to get back to Bikini Bottom.
**Patrick suggests that they were at [[Martha's Craft Zone]] that day. However, Gary would have taken a week to 10 days to get back to Bikini Bottom.
*SpongeBob is seen driving a plane during the montage of "Gary Come Home" even though he does not have his license.
*SpongeBob is seen driving a plane during the montage of "Gary Come Home" even though he does not have his license.
−
*[[File:Haveyouseenthissnail_RDKerror.jpeg|thumb|221x221px]]SpongeBob promises to give Patrick kelp cookies and seahorse milk, though when the scene pans to the kitchen, no kelp cookies are seen, just seahorse milk.
+
*[[File:Haveyouseenthissnail_RDKerror.jpeg|thumb|221x221px|A Rough Draft Korea card is seen.]]SpongeBob promises to give Patrick kelp cookies and seahorse milk, though when the scene pans to the kitchen, no kelp cookies are seen, just seahorse milk.
*When SpongeBob says "I can’t find Gary!," right before the scene changes in a bubble transition, a Rough Draft Korea card appears for a split second. This also happens in the following episodes:
*When SpongeBob says "I can’t find Gary!," right before the scene changes in a bubble transition, a Rough Draft Korea card appears for a split second. This also happens in the following episodes:
**Season 2: "Squidville", "[[Gary Takes a Bath]]," "[[Procrastination]]," and "[[Sailor Mouth]]."
**Season 2: "Squidville", "[[Gary Takes a Bath]]," "[[Procrastination]]," and "[[Sailor Mouth]]."
The episode begins with SpongeBob bringing snail food to his house. When he reaches home, he gets a package containing the Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy paddle ball set. Also in it is the Dirty Bubble challenge, requiring SpongeBob to do 29,998,559,671,349 hits with the paddle ball.
He gets so carried away with the game that he forgets to feed Gary and gets angry with him for distracting him from his game. This causes Gary to leave SpongeBob and go out of town.
Later, Patrick comes to see SpongeBob, but it turns out he is still trying to complete the Dirty Bubble challenge. SpongeBob realizes that he hasn't fed Gary yet, but he eventually realizes that Gary is gone as he had been doing the challenge for a week. The two try to find him, and after awhile they find a note from Gary stating that he ran away.
Act 2
Meanwhile, Gary is going through a town faraway from Bikini Bottom, and gets picked up by an old lady who thought he was another snail. At the same time, SpongeBob tries to look for his snail all over town, but can't find him.
At the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob is sad that he can't find Gary until Mr. Krabs unintentionally motivates him to work harder to get Gary back. He starts putting up papers and messages all over town in an attempt to do this.
Gary slowly gets overfed by the old woman, and at some point he sees the papers from SpongeBob telling him to come back. After realizing that the old woman has caused a lot of snails to die, he runs away from her and finds SpongeBob desperately wanting him back. The episode ends with them reuniting and going home.
Production
Promotional artwork, depicting SpongeBob putting up posters and signs
A print advertisement for the episode.
In a press release on November 1, 2005, Nickelodeon officially announced the episode and promoted it as the "Where's Gary" special. According to the network, "it's a sad day in Bikini Bottom when SpongeBob learns that his beloved pet snail Gary is missing and that he may be at fault in the mollusk's disappearance." Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President of Development and Original Programming for Nickelodeon, said "kids love their pets and there's certainly some relatability here in the relationship between SpongeBob and Gary -- skewed though it may be[...] It's fun to see Gary express a whole range of emotions using only his signature 'meow.'"[1]
Deleted scene
According to the storyboard, SpongeBob was originally going to visit Squidward's house and ask him if he could give him a hand with the bag of snail food.
‣Open and End Fanfare - Nino Nardini ["Ahoy, it's a SpongeBob SquarePants special!"]
‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Ahoy, it's a SpongeBob SquarePants special!"] ‣Alley Cats - Robert Mersey [title card] ‣Alekoki - Kapono Beamer [SpongeBob carrying snail food] ‣What's This Sting - Nicolas Carr [form letter] •Gator - Steve Belfer [SpongeBob reads it] ‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob leaves the snail food outside] ‣Knights of the Air - Sam Fonteyn ["Let's see what we got here."] ‣Life on the Wild Side - Sam Spence [Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy paddleball set] ‣The Beast Within - Paddy Kingsland [Dirty Bubble challenge] ‣The Holy Land - David Farnon [choir] ‣Grand Orchestral Fanfare - Gregor Narholz [SpongeBob begins playing paddleball] ‣On the Beach - Kapono Beamer [Gary goes over to his food bowl/Gary meows to SpongeBob] ‣Life on the Wild Side - Sam Spence ["Mermaid Man needs me."] ‣Rescue - Cecil Milner [SpongeBob describing Dirty Bubble] ‣Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill ["Pets."] ‣Dramatic Impact 2 - Ivor Slaney [Gary leaps onto SpongeBob's face] ‣Dramatic Cue (b) - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob runs around screaming] ‣Pua Paoakalani B - Queen Lili'uokalani, Kapono Beamer [Gary about to leave SpongeBob's house/Gary leaves SpongeBob's house on a bus] ‣Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr [Patrick sees bag of snail food] ‣Graveyard - Johnny Pearson [Patrick looking for SpongeBob] ‣Dramatic Impact 2 - Ivor Slaney ["SpongeBob, what happened?!"] ‣Fates [#62] - Gregor Narholz [SpongeBob on the floor] ‣Bittersweet Memory - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["Many years ago, I took that challenge!"] ‣Closing the Door - Nicolas Carr [door closed] ‣Quiz Logo 1 - Dave Hewson ["I think it has something to do with this bowl."] •Swell Idea - Nicolas Carr ["That's it, I gotta feed Gary!"] ‣Hawaiian Party - Peter Dennis [SpongeBob puts food in Gary's bowl] ‣Waddle Cop - David Farnon [solid milk] ‣Of Love and Destiny - Leighton Lucas [SpongeBob can't find Gary anywhere] ‣Harmonica Shorts [#30] - Robert Appleton, Rick Fenn [Gary wandering through a desert] ‣Harmonica Shorts [#31] - Robert Appleton, Rick Fenn [Gary's stomach howls] ‣Harmonica Shorts [#32] - Robert Appleton, Rick Fenn [Gary sneezes] •You're Nice - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Gary's favorite treats!"] •Transition Sting - Nicolas Carr [later that night] ‣Torn Apart - Mike Sunderland ["Gary, where are you?"] ‣Comic Walk - Sidney Torch [Squidward taking a bath] ‣Six Powerful Cues (f) - Wilfred William Burns [looking for Gary in Squidward's bathroom] ‣Unknown Track 40 - Nicolas Carr ["Here goes nothing."] ‣Comic Cues [#25] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [letters fly out of mailbox] ‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Look, Pat"] ‣Woe is Me! - Richard Myhill [note from Gary] ‣Whisper from the Past [#64] - Gregor Narholz ["Dear Neptune, what have I done?"] ‣Alley Cats - Robert Mersey [Gary in the city] ‣Heavenly Voices (b) - David Farnon [nachos] ‣Alley Cats - Robert Mersey [other snails hiss at Gary] ‣West Side Rumble - Sam Spence [Gary slithers away] ‣Evil Alien Attack 1 [#15] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin [Gary sees a shadowy figure] ‣Light and Easy - Harry Rabinowitz ["There you are, Miss Tufsy."] ‣Waltzing in Dreamland - Alan Moorhouse [Gramma puts on music] ‣Pacific Romance - Jan Rap [SpongeBob looking all over town for Gary] ‣Stealthily - Jack Shaindlin [Gary and Gramma watching TV] ‣Lynda's Music Box - Peter Dennis [Gramma puts Gary to bed] ‣Botany Bay (b) - Robert Alexander White [the next morning at the Krusty Krab] ‣Dramatic Impact 3 - Ivor Slaney [Krabby Patty covered in tears] ‣Hawaiian Breeze - Jon Jelmer [SpongeBob crying] ‣Marching to Honolulu - Kapono Beamer ["If I'm gonna find Gary, I'm gonna need to work harder at it."] ‣Dramatic Cue (d) - Ronald Hanmer ["It's the apocalypse!"] ‣Unknown Track 41 - "Patrick, now is not the time for talking. We've got work to do." ‣Lambs in Clover - Jack Strachey [Gary having breakfast] ‣Beach Boy - Hilmar Doetsch, Karl Heinz Kroll [inside the craft store] ◦Gary Come Home - Stew [montage of SpongeBob looking for Gary] ‣Folli the Foal - Andrew Fenner ["Gramma will get a lovely meatloaf in the oven for you."] ‣Whisper from the Past [#64] - Gregor Narholz [Gary sees SpongeBob's flyers] ‣Stepping into Danger - Mike Sunderland [Gary opens a door] ‣Dramatic Cue (d) - Ronald Hanmer [closet full of snail shells] ‣House of Horror - William Farran [Gary finds out Grandma's true plan of eating him/Gary escapes from Grandma's house] ‣Footsteps of Horror - William Farran [Grandma shows Gary deviled eggs] ‣House of Horror - William Farran [Grandma goes after Gary/"Miss Tuffsy, I know you're back there, I can't hear your stomach growling."] ‣Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["When Gary left, he took all my tears with him."] ‣Drowsy Reef - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Gary loved balsa wood!"] ‣Romantic Entrance [#22] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["Gary!"] ‣Romantic Entrance [#24] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["So, did you hear any of that, or do I have to repeat myself?"] ‣Celebrations - Jan Rap [ending] ◦Where's Gary? - Andy Paley, Tom Kenny [Closing credits]
Nickelodeon supported this episode with a month-long off-air marketing campaign including print, outdoor, and consumer product partner support, along with the release of a preview clip and bonus coverage of the episode on Nickelodeon's broadband online platform TurboNick, and the Trail of the Snail online game.
In a sweepstakes event with the promotional name of the special, every night for five days leading to the episode's premiere, Patchy the Pirate and other celebrity guests searched in various locations for Gary. By visiting Nick.com, the viewers could receive a Trail of The Snail tracking card to enter Patchy's search locations in order to win the sweepstakes. The prize was a trip to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio to meet the production team of the show and sit in on a voice recording session with the series' cast.
Reception
"Have You Seen This Snail?" was viewed by eight-million people.[2] It was the highest-rated program on all TV with children aged two to eleven for the year of 2005 behind the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl kick-off, and the highest-rated program on all of cable TV with children aged 2 to 11 and children aged 6 to 11 in 2005.[3]
Critics produced mixed reviews for "Have You Seen This Snail?" Tom Shales of The Washington Post called the episode deeply hilarious and described the plot as a "bittersweet riot." He drew attention to how the story is similar to the plot of "Dumped," an earlier episode in which Gary deserted SpongeBob.[4]
The television critic for the St Petersburg Times was not so positive about the episode, criticizing how SpongeBob's disappointed and sad character in "Have You Seen This Snail?" is quite different to the character's normal bright personality.[5]
"Have You Seen This Snail?" was ranked #10 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
Trivia
General
This is the first episode to be made in 2005 according to the credits, and also the last episode to premiere that year.
Around the time this episode premiered, Cartoon Network had a snail resembling Gary at the bottom of the screen during its programs. The joke was that Gary had run away from Nickelodeon to Cartoon Network at the time. [1]
One of the buses is seen being driven by a policeman rather than a typical Bikini Bottomite.
The original plot for this episode was going to be Granny fattening Gary up to eat him, but this was changed due to it being deemed too scary for a children's series.[7] Also, she had an axe that was replaced with a tray of cookies.[8]
The original plot is highly similar to the fictional story Hansel and Gretel.
It is revealed that Gary has a clock inside his shell that tells what time he eats.
It is revealed that Gary loves balsa wood.
It is revealed that Gary has been SpongeBob's pet since he was a child.
The scene where Squidward screams when SpongeBob and Patrick enter his house has become a famous meme on YouTube. The videos are usually named "[Insert name here] drops by Squidward's house." It consists of a collection of videos depicting the scene being edited so that a completely random character is pasted into the picture, covering up view of SpongeBob and Patrick. He screams normally, but it is looped backwards to help extend the video.
In Poland, this episode is called "Kto widział ślimaka?," which means "Who Seen the Snail?"
In Brazil, this episode is called "Cadê Esse Caracol?," which means "Where Is This Snail?"
"Have You Seen This Snail?" featured an original piece of music written for the episode by the musician Stew, entitled "Gary Come Home."[4]
This episode marks the second instance of Gary leaving SpongeBob. The first was in "Dumped."
This is the first double-length episode not to feature Patchy, not counting his cameo in the opening.
It would be impossible to hit the paddleball 29,998,559,671,349 times in a row. With a constant four hits per second the challenge would take at least 238,000 years.
It has also become a meme along with the face he makes when he tries the spoiled milk.
Granny mistakes Patrick for a "little chubby boy."
This episode shows that SpongeBob and Patrick share a mailbox together as the text "SquarePat" is imprinted on it. However, this is not shown in any other episodes.
The solid condition of Patrick's milk resembles a marshmallow in appearance and texture.
This is one of the few episodes where SpongeBob is shown to have a hallway leading up to his bedroom. Usually, it is just the staircase following his kitchen.
SpongeBob is shown to have a picture of a Krabby Patty hung on his bedroom wall.
The Hats location from "My Pretty Seahorse" reappears, but in a different location and with a different appearance.
In the bedroom Granny puts Gary to sleep in, there are a lot of pictures of her with a snail who looks exactly like Gary hung on the wall. Unless this is Miss Tuffsy or another snail who resembles Gary full-on, there is no way she could have gotten photos of her and Gary up that quickly, since she has only known him for barely an hour at this point.
When Gary and Granny are riding in the latter's car, Granny says "Set phasers on fun!," a pun on the Star Trek line "Set phasers on stun."
The alley snails group is the show's equivalent to alley cats.
Errors
When Granny takes Gary to dance, the blanket is still there, but after that, it is gone.
When Patrick flips SpongeBob, the paddleball is missing, but it later reappears.
When SpongeBob trips on Gary's bowl, the milk splashes out from the jug, but when Patrick shakes the milk out of the glass, it is in a solid form.
When SpongeBob reads the note left on his door, he walks inside and leaves the door open, but when the mailman rings the doorbell, SpongeBob opens the door even though it was already open.
When Gary is getting out of the food dish, he does not have the running-away sack. In the scene right after, he has it on his back.
Squidward's weird teeth
When Squidward says "What are those neanderthals up to?," his teeth look different and one can see each individual tooth, similar to Patrick's teeth.
Squarepat?
When Granny puts Gary down, he is missing a dot on his shell.
When Gary gets back to SpongeBob's house, he groans after SpongeBob suggests Gary being hungry. However, he should be hungry since it would have taken him a week to ten days to get back to Bikini Bottom, even though it only took him less than an hour.
Patrick suggests that they were at Martha's Craft Zone that day. However, Gary would have taken a week to 10 days to get back to Bikini Bottom.
SpongeBob is seen driving a plane during the montage of "Gary Come Home" even though he does not have his license.
A Rough Draft Korea card is seen.
SpongeBob promises to give Patrick kelp cookies and seahorse milk, though when the scene pans to the kitchen, no kelp cookies are seen, just seahorse milk.
When SpongeBob says "I can’t find Gary!," right before the scene changes in a bubble transition, a Rough Draft Korea card appears for a split second. This also happens in the following episodes:
When Patrick visits SpongeBob's house to check up on him, the bag of snail food is not seen on his doorsteps in the preceding shot of his house, but when a closer view of the house is shown when Patrick knocks on his door, the bag suddenly appears.
The overflowing mailbox does not explode right away once it is shown; it does so once SpongeBob attempts to open it even though it should have realistically done it right away.
When the customer removes the Krabby Patty bun to show Mr. Krabs and Squidward that it has tears in it, the lettuce and the cheese vanishes.
Running gags
Patrick worrying about something, only for it to turn out what he is worrying about is completely unrelated to the situation.
Granny calling Gary "Miss Tuffsy."
SpongeBob saying "Darn it" when failing the Dirty Bubble challenge.
Best Sound Editing in Television Animation – Sound
Nominees:Nicolas Carr (for "Karate Choppers;" 2000) • Andrea Anderson, Jimmy Lifton, Monette Holderer, D.J. Lynch, Vincent Gutisetti, Jeff Hutchins and Gabriel Rosas (for "Rock Bottom"/"Arrgh!;" 2001)
Best Sound Editing in Television – Animation
Nominees: Timothy J. Borquez, Jeff Hutchins and Daisuke Sawa (for "The Secret Box"/"Band Geeks;" 2002)
Best Sound Editing in Television Animation
Nominees: Jimmy Lifton, Jeff Hutchins, Tony Ostyn and Chris Gresham (for "Nasty Patty"/"Idiot Box;" 2003)
Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated
Nominees: Jimmy Lifton, Nicolas Carr, D.J. Lynch, Jeff Hutchins, Tony Ostyn, Chris Gresham and Paulette Lifton (for "Pranks a Lot"/"SpongeBob Meets the Strangler;" 2005) • Vincent Gutisetti, Jimmy Lifton, Nicolas Carr, Monique Reymond, D.J. Lynch, Mark Howlett, Jeff Hutchins, Aran Tanchum, Mishelle Smith and Paulette Lifton (for "Have You Seen This Snail?;" 2006) • Nicolas Carr, Mishelle Fordham, Monette Becktold, Jeff Hutchins, Timothy J. Borquez, Tom Syslo, Jason Stiff, Tony Orozco and Kimberlee Vanek (for "SpongeHenge;" 2008)
Best Sound Editing: Television Animation
Nominees: : Chiho Oyamada Carr, Nicolas Carr, Mishelle Fordham, Daisuke Sawa, Monette Becktold, Jeff Hutchins, Timothy J. Borquez, Tom Syslo, Eric Freeman, Dan Cubert, Lawrence Reyes, Jason Stiff, Tony Orozco and Kimberlee Vanek (for "Suction Cup Symphony;" 2009) • Chino Oyamada Carr, Nicolas Carr, Mishelle Fordham, Monette Becktold, Jeff Hutchins, Timothy J. Borquez, Eric Freeman, Tom Syslo, Keith Dickens, Jason Stiff, Sergio Silva, Tony Orozco and Kimberlee Vanek (for "SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One;" 2010)
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR Animation in Television
Nominees: Devon Bowman, Justin Brinsfield, Nicolas Carr, Andrea Anderson, Mishelle Fordham, Monette Becktold, Jeff Hutchins, Eric Freeman, Tony Orozco and Danny Tchibinda (for "Gary's New Toy;" 2013) • Mishelle Fordham, Monette Becktold, Jeff Hutchins, Timothy J. Borquez, Tom Syslo, Eric Freeman, Bobby Crew, Keith Dickens, Gabriel Rossas and Tony Orozco (for "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!;" 2013)
