Template:Episode/196a
Characters
- Sandy Cheeks
- Mr. Pavlovi (debut)
- Jellyfish (cameo)
- Fish on the All About Behavioral Psychology cover
- Fred (green; blue)
- Abigail Marge
- Bill
- Charlie
- Evelyn
- Martin
- Nazz-Mimi
- Shelly Fishbowl
- Thaddeus
- Charlie's wife (mentioned)
- Amanda's Mother (debut)
- Amanda (mentioned)
- Patrick Star
- Patrick Corp President
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Daydream SpongeBob (cameo in a picture)
- Big Miner Fish
- Gary the Snail
- Small Miner Fish (debut)
- Harold SquarePants (cameo in a picture)
- Margaret SquarePants (cameo in a picture)
- Squidward Tentacles
Synopsis
The episode starts off with Sandy sitting in her pool lounge chair listening to music when suddenly a book she ordered arrives at her dome. The book is about behavioral psychology, which Sandy uses to observe the behavior of fishes underwater. She begins off by riding a bus full of fish, who seem to act naturally. However, she disturbs and annoys the Bikini Bottomites by eavesdropping and reading her observations out loud. The fish throw her and her equipment out of the bus and she decides to find someone who will not mind being observed. She then sees SpongeBob and Patrick playing with each other and decides to ask them since they do not mind being test subjects in her experiments. The two both don't know what they're supposed to do during natural observance and just stand straight while saying actions and forms of the word "natural". They are also very nervous due to the microphone and recorder; the nervousness immediately goes away when Sandy ends her experiment. Despite her experiment being unsuccessful, she gives them both an A+ for their effort and when they start cheering, she observes them again, only to provoke the same reaction. She proceeds to give up.
Sandy observing SpongeBob and Patrick.
Reading from the book again, Sandy learns that the test subject will behave abnormally if they are aware that they are being watched and may cause inaccurate results, so she decides to watch them in secret. She starts off by assigning them to go to the beach, to fill one bucket with white sand and one bucket with black sand to count. She also puts Patrick in charge. After that, Sandy hides microphones and cameras everywhere, puts Gary in charge of spying on the two, and observes the cameras from a van disguised as an ice cream truck.
When SpongeBob and Patrick get back home, Patrick is unable to stop thinking about being in charge. SpongeBob asks which method they will use to count the sand, but Patrick does not pay attention and continues to think about the phrase "I'm in charge." After SpongeBob asks how he wants to count the sand, he simply says that first suggestion, which is both of them counting the white sand first and then the black sand. While counting the sand, Patrick continues to think about being in charge and imagines himself running an organization called "Patrick Corp.". When SpongeBob snaps him back into reality, having been stuck at 47 grains, Patrick decides he doesn't like how they are doing it and has SpongeBob count the black sand while he counts the white sand. He has trouble counting the sand but SpongeBob does it flawlessly. Patrick then makes the error of missing the digit in the tens place as SpongeBob has the same digit in the ones place as him, causing him to get frustrated with SpongeBob.
Sandy then starts her second experiment by putting two scoops of the same amount of ice cream into two different sized bowls to confuse Patrick, which she gives to the two disguised as a mustached ice cream man. Squidward tries to get the ice cream, but when he comes, Sandy says the ice cream is sold out and slams the window on his nose, leaving him annoyed. Patrick likes the bigger bowl but believes the ice cream in the other bowl is bigger and SpongeBob and Patrick constantly trade before Patrick says the only way for it to be fair is for him to eat both, causing SpongeBob to protest before Patrick selfishly reminds him that he is in charge.
Sandy then begins observing them both in her third experiment when she hands them two ice cream cones exactly the same size. Squidward again tries to get the ice cream but she says that they are sold out again and slams the window on his leg. Patrick takes both cones and SpongeBob begs to have his but Patrick forces him to rub his feet and then count the sand while his ice cream melts. SpongeBob then counts the black sand after finishing with the white sand, but Patrick cruelly knocks over the bucket and mixes it all together, forcing him to start over. Angry, SpongeBob gives Patrick's ice cream "sprinkles" by covering it with white sand, only for Patrick to retaliate by dropping his ice cream in the sand and eating SpongeBob's melted ice cream whole, finally causing SpongeBob's patience to run out.
Sandy then realizes Patrick is taking advantage of his privileges and taking advantage of SpongeBob due to his power of being in charge. SpongeBob angrily fights back, with Gary telling Sandy that the situation is bad. She runs towards the door and asks them to open it, but they have a fight about who opens it for her and she is forced to break the door down. Still wearing the mustache, Patrick believes that she is a real ice cream lady and asks her to tell SpongeBob to open the door. She then reveals herself to Patrick, shocking him. Sandy reveals her experiment towards SpongeBob and Patrick. She shows them the cameras and microphones which leads to their affected behavior again, with SpongeBob upset that Gary was in on it too. Upon hearing this, Patrick realized that he got carried away with being in charge and apologized to SpongeBob for his selfish behavior with him saying that he deserved a Z-. SpongeBob tells him not to be so hard on himself as it was the experiment's fault, causing Patrick to blame science. Sandy tells them that they all get an A+ and ice cream. The episode wraps up to Squidward who is begging for a drop of the ice cream which Sandy, SpongeBob, Patrick, and Gary all ate, and they end up observing Squidward's desire for the ice cream in the house, now revealed to be a cage.
Production
Vincent Waller confirmed this episode on Twitter on February 25, 2016.[1] Its air date in certain countries is Thursday, April 28, 2016. The episode aired in Poland on Wednesday, April 27, 2016. In the United States, it finally aired on May 2, 2016.
Music
| ( ‣ ) Production music |
| ( • ) Original music |
| ( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
‣ Kalua Jubilee - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Title card]
‣ ? [Opening.]
‣ Unknown Track 24 - Sandy opens psychology book.
‣ Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["I've studied underwater chemistry, geology, and astronomy..."]
‣ Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [Transition to the next scene.]
‣ Cartoon Sting 5 - Sandy does the experiment on the bus.
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (c) - Jeremy Wakefield [Sandy's recording device is thrown back at her.]
‣ The Donut Dilemma - Nicolas Carr [Sandy asks SpongeBob and Patrick to be part of her experiment.]
‣ Unknown Track 23 - SpongeBob and Patrick stiltedly greet each other.
‣ The Donut Dilemma - Nicolas Carr [Sandy says the experiment's done.]
‣ Cream Pie - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick ask how they did.]
‣ Unknown Track 23 - Sandy resumes observation.
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (d) - Jeremy Wakefield ["Oh, forget it."]
‣ Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hmm..."]
‣ Unknown Track 23 - SpongeBob and Patrick get stilted
‣ Hello Blues - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Are you guys up for another experiment?"]
‣ Mission Improbable - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["Time to get to work."]
‣ Skipping to School - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob and Patrick return from the beach.]
‣ Short Military Bridge - Nicolas Carr ["Aye, aye, Captain Sandy."]
‣ Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [Sandy tells Patrick he's in charge.]
‣ The Fruitcake Vendor - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Sandy observing from inside an ice cream truck.]
‣ Bobbins and Spindles - Ronald Hanmer [Patrick's daydream.]
‣ The Fruitcake Vendor - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["We were at forty-seven"/Patrick counting sand.]
‣ Cockney Capers - Ray Davies ["Time to initiate the first variable."]
‣ Unknown Track 10 - Nicolas Carr ["Free ice cream!"]
‣ Cartoon Sting 7 - Sandy gives SpongeBob and Patrick ice cream.
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward's nose crushed.]
‣ Cartoon Sting 7 - Patrick eats all the ice cream.
‣ Unknown Track 10 - Nicolas Carr ["More free ice cream here!"]
‣ Fooling Around - Barry Anthony ["I'll take those, my good man."]
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (e) - Jeremy Wakefield [Squidward's hands crushed.]
‣ Fooling Around - Barry Anthony [Patrick wants SpongeBob to rub his feet.]
‣ House of Horror - William Farran [Closeup of Patrick's foot.]
‣ Fooling Around - Barry Anthony [Ice cream starts to melt.]
‣ Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr ["All right, I will."]
‣ Lite Conversation - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony [Patrick mixes white and black sand.]
‣ Tension Bits - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield ["Jeepers! I didn't see that coming."]
‣ Unknown Track 22 - SpongeBob and Patrick glare at each other.
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks VIII - Jeremy Wakefield ["Aha!"]
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (b) - Jeremy Wakefield [The door throws Squidward to the floor.]
‣ Drama Sting 3 - Steve Marston ["Open the door! The experiment is over!"]
‣ Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Cameras?"]
‣ Unknown Track 23 - "Et tu, Gary?"
‣ Drowsy Reef - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Patrick crying.]
‣ Unknown Track 10 - Nicolas Carr ["...and ice cream!"]
‣ Hot Steel and Slide Licks (k) - Jeremy Wakefield [Everyone eating ice cream.]
‣ Grass Skirt Chase - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Ending with Squidward crying.]
Release
- This episode is available on the SpongeBob LongPants and The Complete Ninth Season DVDs.
Reception
- As of September 28, 2017, The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) gives this episode a rating of 7.4/10 based on 94 ratings by users.[2] TV.com users give this episode a rating of 4.9/10 based on 24 votes.[3]
Trivia
Template:Trivia
- The title card background is the same as "The Algae's Always Greener," but overlapped with blue.
- In this episode it is revealed that Squidward loves ice cream.
- This is the first episode to air for the May 2016 premiere week.
- When SpongeBob is counting the white sand, each grain looks bigger than it should look.
- This episode aired with the series premiere of the Nickelodeon animated series The Loud House.
- Running gags:
- SpongeBob and Patrick standing straight after being told to act naturally.
- Sandy saying "Eureka," Prospector appears saying "That's my line."
- Sandy crushing one of Squidward's parts telling him they're sold out whenever she is handing out free ice cream.
- Patrick behaving meanly to SpongeBob after Sandy put him in charge.
- This episode premiered three years after "Sweet & Sour Squidward" DVD was released in the UK.
- This episode's German title is "Das Experiment," which translates to "The Experiment."
- In the Polish dub, the episode's title is "Badania naukowe" (Scientific Experiments).
- This episode premiered in Germany six years after "Rodeo Daze" premiered in Australia.
- This is the second time that Sandy has gained weight since "Survival of the Idiots."
- The title card letters are similar to "The Main Drain."
- They also appear as a visual 'fish bowl' effect used on cell phones and photo image editing software.
- This is one of a few times where 2 characters cry at different times near the end of the episode near a minute. First, Patrick starts crying because of how selfish he was for eating a lot of ice cream. After that, Squidward starts crying and throwing a tantrum when he realizes that the ice cream container is empty.
Cultural references
- The entire episode is a reference to the Stanford prison experiment.
- When SpongeBob asks Sandy if she was going to expose them to gamma rays, it could be a reference to Hulk (Bruce Banner) since he turned into the Hulk because of gamma rays.
- The ice cream truck and alias that Sandy used for her experiment is a reference to Ivan Pavlov.
- When SpongeBob discovers Gary was part of Sandy's observation, he says "Et tu, Gary?" This is a reference to the famous last words of Julius Caesar "Et tu, Brute?" meaning "You too, Brute?" Brute was Caesar's friend before he turned on Caesar and became part of a plot to assassinate Caesar.
Errors
- After SpongeBob and Patrick are elated to get ice cream, the tub that Sandy is holding with her left hand changes from green to pink.