"You're Going to Pay...Phone" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 13. In this episode, Mr. Krabs installs a cursed payphone in the Krusty Krab.
Characters[]
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- French Narrator
- Eugene H. Krabs
- Squidward Tentacles
- Sheldon J. Plankton
- Old Klopnodian man (series debut)
- Demon (single appearance)
- GrandPat Star (cameo)
- Incidentals
- Handsome Squidward (cameo as statue)
- Granny Plankton (mentioned)
- Sentient quarter
Synopsis[]
Mr. Krabs chasing after the quarter.
The French Narrator, located inside an art museum, walks towards the screen. He walks through the museum, heading to a portrait of the Krusty Krab, saying it is "painted in shades of greed." A zoom-in into the portrait leads into the episode, which starts with Mr. Krabs locking up the Krusty Krab. While leaving the restaurant, he notices a quarter rolling down the street and chases after that. After Mr. Krabs stops for breath, the quarter suddenly stops rolling. Mr. Krabs gets a glass of water and splashes it into his face. He gives a signal for the quarter to continue rolling, leading him into a store. Passing through the store, the quarter bounces off a loose floorboard and lands inside a payphone. Mr. Krabs shakes the payphone to try to get the quarter out, while an old Klopnodian man calls him from behind. Mr. Krabs asks the man for his quarter, to which he says that he can have the payphone. However, the man warns Mr. Krabs of a curse inside the payphone.
The next morning at the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs installs the payphone and informs the customers that they can use it at the cost of a quarter. Mr. Krabs gets a call from the payphone, to which a voice tells him to give away Krabby Patties for free. Mr. Krabs questions the voice inside, but the phone suddenly attaches to his eyes and hypnotizes him into saying the Krabby Patties are free. SpongeBob takes notice of these words and throws the patties towards the customers. The phone detaches from Mr. Krabs, causing him to get out of his hypnotized state. A quarter comes out of the payphone and Mr. Krabs quickly realizes SpongeBob is giving away free patties. Mr. Krabs takes away all of the patties and forces SpongeBob to get back into the kitchen.
Mr. Krabs getting hypnotized.
Mr. Krabs receives another call from the payphone, to which he is then hypnotized into giving away all of his money. He goes into his office and gives his money to his customers. SpongeBob questions Mr. Krabs' actions at first, but thinks he still has his generous side and grabs the register. The phone detaches from Mr. Krabs' eyes and Mr. Krabs is de-hypnotized again as he gets another quarter. He notices SpongeBob giving money out and grabs the register from him. SpongeBob gets confused from Mr. Krabs' state as another call from the payphone comes in. Mr. Krabs is then hypnotized into giving away the Krusty Krab.
Plankton is seen outside of the restaurant, preparing a laser cannon. Mr. Krabs, in his hypnotized state, gives the Krusty Krab deed to Plankton. Plankton questions the action at first, but still celebrates his win. Meanwhile, a bolt falls out of the laser cannon, causing the machine to hit Plankton. Mr. Krabs is de-hypnotized again, but a quarter does not come out of the phone this time. The voice inside the phone laughs as Mr. Krabs uses a crowbar to unlock the coin slot.
Mr. Krabs notices a demon inside the phone, revealed to have been using a commutator to hypnotize Mr. Krabs. The two glare at each other until it turns out that the demon and Mr. Krabs have switched places. The demon locks the coin slot and asks SpongeBob for a quarter for a bus ride. Mr. Krabs, now managing the payphone, enjoys being inside due to the money near him. However, he soon notices shaking, which is revealed to be coming from Squidward smashing the payphone with a mallet, while Plankton now owns the Krusty Krab. Plankton tells Squidward to get rid of the payphone. Squidward throws the payphone into the dumpster, with Mr. Krabs still inside.
The scene cuts to the French Narrator in the center of a wormhole, with him saying "a free phone sometimes comes at a very high price" and "cheapskates sometimes get stuck with the bill." A payphone flies over to the French Narrator. As he answers it, the phone takes over and hypnotizes him, causing him to tell another story. His introduction sets up the events of "A Skin Wrinkle in Time."
Production[]
Arielle Phillips drew promotional art referencing this episode for the Tidal Zone's San Diego Comic-Con poster during February and March 2022.[3]
This episode was confirmed by Cartoonlounge.de on August 2, 2022.[4]
This episode, along with "Welcome to Binary Bottom" and "A Skin Wrinkle in Time" were later officially completed in September 2022. However, they were shipped to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio on December 2, 2022 because of the Kamp Koral Tidal Zone segment being completed and delivered on the same date.
Promotional art[]
Comic-Con Tidal Zone poster, drawn by Arielle Phillips.[3]
Art[]
Background design[]
![Mystery Store[1] emporium pan shot #1](/wiki/File:FmyofA1akAMjYjS.jpeg "FmyofA1akAMjYjS.jpeg (778 KB)")
![Mystery Store[1] emporium pan shot #2](/wiki/File:FmyoxA4acAIJuJA.jpeg "FmyoxA4acAIJuJA.jpeg (989 KB)")
Music[]
| ( ‣ ) Production music |
| ( • ) Original music |
| ( ◦ ) SpongeBob music |
• Drunken Sailor - Nicolas Carr [Title card]
‣ ? [Opening.]
• Krusty Krab Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Krabs locks up the Krusty Krab.]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Krabs sees a quarter.]
• Earls Revenge - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Krabs chases the quarter.]
• Missing Frycook - Nicolas Carr ["Hey, get back here!"]
• Drunken Sailor Solo Accordion - Nicolas Carr [Krabs shakes the payphone.]
‣ Pusta Czardas - Janos Lehar ["Greetings, stranger. Welcome to my emporium of wonders."]
• Lap Steel - Nicolas Carr [The next morning...]
• Galley Cooks Shanty 2 - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Krabs installs the payphone at the Krusty Krab.]
‣ Code "Dead End" - Gregor F. Narholz ["Give away your Krabby Patties. Give them all away."]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone [Krabs gets hypnotized by the payphone.]
• Listen to the Mustard Flow - Kaz Prapuolenis, Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob giving away free patties.]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone ["All... free..."]
‣ Ooh-Er - Fredric Bayco [Krabs takes back the free patties.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 6B - Jeremy Wakefield ["It was too good to last."]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone [Krabs gets hypnotized by the payphone to give away his money.]
• Heavenly Sent - Nicolas Carr [Krabs giving money to the customers.]
‣ Comedy Suspense - Jack Shaindlin [SpongeBob sees Krabs giving away his money.]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone [Krabs becomes un-hypnotized.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 13B - Jeremy Wakefield [Krabs gets another quarter.]
• Mr Krabs Happy Jig Pt2 - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob throwing money for the customers.]
‣ Fraidy Cat - Fredric Bayco ["What are you doing with me money?!"]
‣ Struggle for Power - Gyorgy Behar [Krabs gets hypnotized to give away the Krusty Krab.]
‣ Comedy Suspense - Jack Shaindlin [Plankton working on a laser cannon.]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone [Krabs gives Plankton the deed to the Krusty Krab.]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr ["Something doesn't seem right here."]
• Another Goofy Cue - Nicolas Carr, Barry Anthony ["But like Granny Plankton always says, never look a gift snail under the shell!"]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 7A - Jeremy Wakefield [Plankton gets zapped by his laser.]
‣ Il Tempo Che Passa - Ennio Morricone [Krabs becomes un-hypnotized again.]
• Hot Steel and Slide Licks 35 - Jeremy Wakefield [No quarters come out of the payphone.]
‣ Fraidy Cat - Fredric Bayco [Krabs trying to open the payphone.]
• New Vibe Hits - Nicolas Carr [Krabs looks inside the payphone.]
• Tension Bits - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Krabs and the demon growl at each other.]
• Whats This Sting - Nicolas Carr [Krabs switches places with the demon.]
‣ Toil and Trouble (a) - Daryl Griffith [Demon laughs maniacally.]
• Salty Squid Jig 1 - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, James King [Krabs operating the payphone.]
• Tidal Zone Theme - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [Ending.]
Release[]
- This episode is available on the digital media of the same name, SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 22, The Complete Thirteenth Season, Kamp Koral Season 1, Volume 2, The Patrick Star Show Season 1, Volume 2, Another 100 Episodes, and The Best 300 Episodes Ever DVDs.
Trivia[]
General[]
- This episode premiered as a part of "The Tidal Zone" special event.
- On its original airing, and all subsequent Tidal Zone re-airings, this segment, along with "A Skin Wrinkle in Time," were paired with the Kamp Koral segment, "The Switch Glitch."[6]
- This episode was originally scheduled to premiere on Friday, November 25, 2022 in the United States at 7:15PM,[7][8][9][10] but it instead got replaced with the Nickelodeon premiere of the 2021 film The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run due to this episode not being delivered at its intended release date.[11][12]
- This episode was later scheduled to premiere at this exact time on the January 13, 2023, but it instead premiered at 7:44PM, mirroring its proposed chronological order in The Tidal Zone.
- This episode was also scheduled to premiere in Italy on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 8:15PM, but the segment (along with the entire "Tidal Zone" event) was later postponed for unknown reasons.
- The time card "The Next Morning" was later used in "Abandon Twits," but the difference is being the contrast and the time card being zoomed in a little bit.
- This is the first SpongeBob episode to share the exact same production code with another segment, with this and both "A Skin Wrinkle in Time" using the production number of 325-1324.[note 1]
Episode references[]
- Handsome Squidward from "The Two Faces of Squidward" appears as a statue in the beginning of the episode.
- The Nasty Patty from the episode of the same name appears at the beginning of the episode.
- Mr. Krabs chasing after a quarter is a loose reference to "Imitation Krabs" when he chases after a penny.
Cultural references[]
- This episode's title is a pun on the phrase "You're going to pay for this."
Background design art by Sterling Richter, highlighting tons of nods to other media that can be found in the Klopnodian man's tiny boutique.
- Various references can be found in the Klopnodian Man's Mystery Store emporium, such as Vanessa Stockard's little chair kitty, an Antikythera mechanism, and T-Midi's carpet from Breadwinners.[1]
- Sterling Richter, this segment's background designer,[1] previously worked on that series. She had already made a reference to the show in The Patrick Star Show episode "The Yard Sale," making it the second time the 2014 Nicktoon was given a nod in the SpongeBob franchise.
A BG design from "The Yard Sale," which also featured a hidden "Breadwinners" trinket.
Errors[]
The door is weirdly placed.
- In the scene where Squidward throws the payphone in the dumpster, the kitchen's exit door is weirdly placed and slightly above ground level.
Phone missing error.
- When Mr. Krabs gives the deed to the Krusty Krab to Plankton, he doesn't have the phone attached to his eyestalk, but it is there when he returns to the restaurant.
Videos[]
Names in other languages[]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| German | SpongeBot Kabelkopf | SpongeBot CablePants |
| Russian | Ты заплатишь... за телефон Ty zaplatish... za telefon |
You Will Pay... for Phone |
| Slovenian | Plačali boste... telefon | You Will Pay... Phone |
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g Sterling Richter on Twitter - "The Mystery Store pan from..."
- ^ SpongeBob SquarePants: Tidal Zone : 553. - Catalog.org Public Catalog
- ^ a b Arielle Phillips - Storyboard Artist - Linkedin
- ^ SPONGEBOB SCHWAMMKOPF - EPISODE GUIDE
- ^ Brad Sutton on Instagram - "Heres a couple more. Ive..."
- ^ January 13, 2023 - Nickstory
- ^ SpongeBob SquarePants Episode Listings - The Futon Critic
- ^ November 2022 on Nickelodeon USA - NickALive!
- ^ Nickelodeon's First-Ever SpongeBob Universe Crossover Event, "SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone," to Debut Friday, November 25 - 02
- ^ Nickelodeon's First-Ever SpongeBob Universe Crossover Event, "SpongeBob SquarePants Presents The Tidal Zone," to Debut Friday, November 25 - 01
- ^ Weeknights on Nickelodeon Promo - November 2022
- ^ November 25, 2022 - Nickstory
- ^ Ian Vazquez on Twitter - "To reduce some of those..."
Notes[]
- ^ a b The full #1324 production code is listed as "You're Going to Pay...Phone / A Skin Wrinkle in Time." Considering that background art just lists "1324" as the code, it likely means that both segments use 325-1324 as their prod. number.
- ^ Special Tidal Zone compilation syndication code used on websites such as The Futon Critic, used to label the episode in broadcast logs, copyright listings, etc.
| The Tidal Zone (V • E) | |
|---|---|
| Episodes: | Shrinking Stars • The Switch Glitch • Welcome to Binary Bottom • You're Going to Pay...Phone • A Skin Wrinkle in Time |
| Characters: | SpongeBot • RoboGary • Pat-Tron • SquidBot • SquidBot twin • Sandroid • RoboKrabs • PlankBot • Karen • "RobotInc" incidentals • RoboLarry • Bubble Bass robot • Mama Bass robot • Mrs. Puff robot • Lady Upturn robot • RoboRube • Bathroom mirror robot • SpongeBot's alarm clock robot • Rubedor • Demon • Cowboy 1 • Cowboy 2 |
| Locations: | Binary Bottom • Shmandor • SpongeBot's house • SquidBot's house • Pat-Tron's house • The Krabby Battery • Grease Bucket • Sandroid's treedome • Lube Lagoon |
| Objects: | Lightning berries • Pat-Tron's shrink ray • Jumbo Grow • Krabby Battery employee hat |
| Songs: | GrandPat Sea Star |
| Others: | The Tidal Zone (in-universe event) |