A depressed Plankton wakes up and goes to the Krusty Krab one morning without a plan to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula, telling Karen that he will "wing it", not knowing what he might get himself into. When he goes inside, he slips on the floor where SpongeBob just mopped and is ridiculed by Mr. Krabs. Two customers observing the incident comment that there should've be a wet floor sign and that they would sue Krabs for everything he possesses if that happened to them, including the Krabby Patty secret formula. Plankton then pretends to be badly injured and, after paramedics come and pick him up, Plankton threatens to sue Mr. Krabs unless he gives him the formula, but Mr. Krabs angrily refuses.
Fearing that he will lose the case, Mr. Krabs hires a lawyer named Richard A. Bottomfeeder, who tells him that he will not charge him anything unless they win and that they will counter-sue Plankton for everything he owns. Later, in Mr. Krabs' office, SpongeBob wants to read his testimony speech to Mr. Krabs. However, Mr. Krabs declines SpongeBob's testimony and tells him that he could be more of a liability than an asset. Unfortunately, as they prepare to leave for the court hearing, Richard slips and falls, breaking his back. He gives SpongeBob his briefcase, saying that they only need what's inside the briefcase to win the case. SpongeBob takes Richard's suit and arrives late to the trial, dubbing himself "SpongeBob LawyerPants" to Judge Stickleback.
When the plaintiff Plankton first takes the stand, however, SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs realize that Richard did not give them the combination of the suitcase. Plankton comes to court in a wheelchair and a few casts and bandages, and gives a convincingly painful testimony, dishonestly earning the sympathy of the jury. Meanwhile, SpongeBob desperately tries crazier and crazier attempts to open the briefcase, but to no avail. Plankton uses the fact that Krabs does not own a "wet floor" sign as evidence against him, while SpongeBob only inadvertently demonstrates Krabs' unhealthy greed in his attempts to defend him. Mr. Krabs also accuses Plankton of being a fake, but the courtroom goes against Krabs, not seeing Plankton's more apparent dishonesty. SpongeBob then calls Squidward to the stand, but Squidward testifies against Mr. Krabs, saying that this is his first day off in three years.
Plankton exposing his true intentions
Disheartened, Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob to give up, but SpongeBob refuses and gives a short sermon telling him that they cannot quit now. When he finishes, he hits the case lightly, and it opens unexpectedly. They peer inside, only to find a Krabby Patty. Suddenly realizing that they can win the lawsuit once and for all with this, SpongeBob calls Plankton back to the stand and entices him into confessing his attempted theft with the Krabby Patty, eventually getting Plankton to expose his true actions. Plankton runs for the exit with the Krabby Patty, but is quickly stopped by Mr. Krabs who ate it, much to Plankton's dismay. The judge asks the jury to go into deliberation and they find Mr. Krabs not guilty (though they still proclaim that he is admittedly cheap). Plankton is then arrested off-screen. Mr. Krabs thanks SpongeBob and apologizes for not accepting his help in the first place. SpongeBob then gives Mr. Krabs a homemade "wet floor" sign, riddled with nails and a shoddy paint job. Mr. Krabs, while initially surprised, accepts the gift because it is free.
Production
Music
( ‣ ) Production music
( • ) Original music
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music
‣Perry Mason's Pants - Nicolas Carr, based on "Park Avenue Beat" by Fred Steiner [Title card] ‣M'Wanna - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Plankton wakes up] ‣Monster Bug (a) - Gregor F. Narholz [Plankton slips] ‣The Girl I Left Behind Me - Brian Peters [Krabs teases Plankton] ‣Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr [Plankton gets an idea] ‣Fates [#61.03] - Gregor F. Narholz [Plankton pretending to be hurt] ‣Funeral Music - Alfred Kluten [Plankton on a stretcher] ‣Furtive Footsteps - Paddy Kingsland ["See you in court, Krabs!"] ‣Funeral Music - Alfred Kluten ["I mean... oh, the pain!"] ‣Witty Fellow - Gerhard Trede ["Richard A. Bottomfeeder, Attorney at Law."] ‣Keel Row - Brian Peters [SpongeBob's testimony] ‣Lovely Scenery (c) - Mladen Franko [Lawyer slips] ‣Beautiful Moonlit Night - Carl Maria Von Weber, George Wilson ["Wracked with pain... can't move..."] ‣Steel Sting (b) - Jeremy Wakefield ["Really? Everything?"] ‣People's Court - Alan Stanley Tew [At the courthouse] ‣Melodrama - Eric Spear [Plankton's sob story starts] ‣Savage Episode - Len Stevens [SpongeBob trying to open the briefcase] ‣Melodrama - Eric Spear ["Then came the fateful day that I paid an innocent visit to the deathtrap known as the Krusty Krab."] ‣Savage Episode - Len Stevens [SpongeBob trying to open the briefcase with a knife.] ‣Melodrama - Eric Spear ["Upon entering said establishment, I found myself without any warning..."] ‣Savage Episode - Len Stevens [SpongeBob gets shot to the light on the roof.] ‣Melodrama - Eric Spear [Plankton finishes the story.] ‣Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["Poor Gram-Gram!"] ‣Finger of Fear - Fredric Bayco [Krabs says he does not own a wet floor sign] ‣Vibe Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Huh?"] ‣Unknown Track 40 - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob puts a dollar into a blender] ‣Menace [#41] - Harry Bluestone, Emil Cadkin ["No! No! No!"] ‣Dramatic Cue (e) - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob nervous] ‣The Quest (a) - Will Schaefer ["Must... open... case!"] ‣Pomp and Ceremony - Frank Damico ["We can't give up just because things look bleak."] ‣Steel Sting - Jeremy Wakefield [Briefcase opens] ‣Harp Ding - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gets an idea] ‣People's Court - Alan Stanley Tew ["Defense calls Plankton to the stand."] ‣Impression - Gerhard Trede [SpongeBob tempts Plankton with the Krabby Patty] ‣Dramatic Cue (e) - Ronald Hanmer [Plankton takes the patty] ‣Dramatic Impact 1 - Ivor Slaney ["Finally it's mine!"] ‣The Girl I Left Behind Me - Brian Peters [Krabs takes the patty from him.] ‣Hawaiian Link (b) - Richard Myhill ["No, no, no, no!"] ‣Hawaiian Party - Peter Dennis [Ending]
As of June 10, 2019, The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) gives this episode a rating of 8.5/10 based on 367 ratings by users.[1] TV.com users give this episode a rating of 8.3/10 based on 191 votes.[2]
"Krabs vs. Plankton" was ranked #69 during the Best Day Ever event from November 9–10, 2006.
Trivia
General
Although this episode premiered in 2005, it was made in 2004 according the credits.
This is also the last episode to be made in that year.
This episode premiered on Paul Tibbitt's 37th birthday.
When SpongeBob asks Plankton what he is doing in the Krusty Krab, he says, "To say hello to my once good friend Mr. Krabs, why?" This alludes to "Friend or Foe", which this episode predates.
When SpongeBob says that Mr. Krabs being cheap is a "ludicrous statement", in many other episodes SpongeBob agrees that Mr. Krabs is cheap. For example, in "Krabby Land", SpongeBob says that all he saw was "Cheapy the Cheapskate" (Mr. Krabs), and in "Pickles" and "Can You Spare a Dime?", SpongeBob calls Mr. Krabs a "crustaceous cheapskate", which kind of proves that he thinks that Mr. Krabs is cheap.
Plankton describes the water by saying that he slipped on a viscous fluid (probably because the ocean is already water).
Squidward mentions, when he is called up to defend, he says that it's his first day off in three years. He is most likely referring to the episode "Imitation Krabs".
According to SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs' gold bar eyes are usually silver bar eyes.
In real life, the jury would have had to deliberate to review the evidence before giving the verdict.
Despite the fact that Plankton fakes his injuries, Mr. Krabs would be liable because there was a potential for injury. Mr. Krabs had a duty of care to keep the floor slip free and/or provide proper signage to designate a slippery floor, and he could be charged with negligence because he didn't meet whatever standard of care that exists in Bikini Bottom.
It's likely Plankton got arrested for lying under oath.
The French title of this episode is "Le Procès," or "The Trial."
This episode's premiere was simulcast on Nicktoons.
Cultural references
When Plankton and Mr. Krabs enter the courtroom, the music from The People's Court can be heard.
When Plankton says, "That was easy," he sounds extremely similar to the "That Was Easy" button normally sold at Staples.
Errors
In the United States, the name of a court case starts with the plaintiff's name, so the episode should be called "Plankton vs. Krabs" instead.
The jury in this episode consists of 10 fish when a real jury consists of 12.
TurboNick calls this episode "Krabs vs. Patty".
When SpongeBob opens the case, the Krabby Patty is not hot, but when he shows Plankton, it is.
At the end of the episode, the jury deems Mr. Krabs not guilty. However, this was a civil trial, meaning Krabs could have been found liable. "(not) Guilty" is only used in criminal court.
In most other episodes, there is a wet floor sign at the Krusty Krab.
When Plankton enters the courtroom, the fish on the right on the door is blue. When the jury is seen again, the fish is orange. The third time they are seen, she is blue again.
When Plankton slips and falls, he is next to the counter, but later, he is next to Charlie and Nat's table. After Mr. Krabs says, "...and You never will!", Plankton is away from Nat and Charlie's table. When Charlie speaks, Nat and Charlie's table is at the front of the Krusty Krab.
In the Malay version, when the jury cries after hearing Plankton's fake story, their cry sound was mute.
When Mr. Krabs goes after the dollar in the room, Tom's eyeballs are white instead of yellow, and after SpongeBob yells "Answer the question!" to Mop, Tom's eyeballs are white again.
In the beginning, when SpongeBob says, "Careful Plankton, I just mopped there.", the word "Plankton" is missing from the closed-captions.
Charlie and Nat are seen at the table when Plankton slips on water. However, when Mr. Krabs teases Plankton, they are both nowhere to be seen. They do return afterwards when Nat gives Plankton an idea.
Before Plankton says, "Ow, my other arm!", Mr. Krabs has his hand next to Plankton's wheelchair, but then when he says it, Mr. Krabs' hand is right next to Plankton, and then in the next shot, both of his hands are down.
When Mr. Krabs yells, "Never, you little runt!", Fred is blue and has the same eye scale as Tom. He is brown before and after that moment.
Numerous objections could have been made, such as speculation, leading the witness, etc. None are ever called.
When Mr. Krabs walks and complains about Plankton, Squidward has two eyebrows instead of one.
When SpongeBob says, "They're usually silver", his mouth doesn't close.
When Mr. Krabs walks back and forth, his legs are transparent.
