Free Samples

Free Samples  is a  SpongeBob SquarePants  episode from  season Eight. In this episode,  Mr. Krabs  loses patrons because of Plankton, so he resorts giving food away for free.

Characters

 * SpongeBob SquarePants
 * Squidward Tentacles
 * Patrick Star (cameo)
 * Eugene H. Krabs
 * Sheldon J. Plankton
 * Karen
 * Harold
 * Nat Peterson
 * Shubie
 * Fred (cameo)
 * Henry-Bart (Largest role)
 * Dale
 * Lifeguard Fish
 * Nazz
 * Clayton
 * Medley
 * Sally
 * Isabelle
 * Perry
 * Harv
 * Nancy
 * Frankie Billy
 * Bill
 * Pilar
 * Thaddeus
 * Dennis
 * Sadie
 * Tom
 * Nathiel
 * Sheldon
 * Evelyn
 * Mevis
 * Monroe
 * Frank
 * Billy (lime fish)
 * Tina Fran
 * Mary
 * Abigail-Marge

Time Cards

 * 5 Minutes Later...

​Synopsis
Plotting to ruin Mr. Krabs, Plankton comes up with a "new and original" idea: giving out free samples. However, Karen points out this idea isn't "new and original" at all. Plankton gives out free Chum Sticks to eager Bikini Bottomites, but not long after they eat his chum, they become gravely ill. He makes a run for it, and the sickened customers pursue him to the Chum Bucket, where he hides from the furious mob. Plankton angrily points out that the people would never do this to Mr. Krabs if he gave out free samples, and gets an idea.

He sells Chum Burgers under the name "Krabby Patties" and gives them out for free, with the intent of smearing the Krusty Krab's name. Sure enough, the customers get sick. When SpongeBob goes to the Krusty Krab, he sees an angry mob, mistaking it for a crowd of hungry and impatient customers. When he enters, he sees Mr. Krabs hiding behind a table, who explains that the customers have turned on him and the Krabby Patties. A brick is thrown through the window, wrapped in a piece of paper which says the Krabby Patties taste terrible. SpongeBob is shocked, and they realize they need to win their customers back. Mr. Krabs comes up with the idea to triple the prices, but SpongeBob says it's not a good idea, so Mr. Krabs decides to lower prices: by one cent. SpongeBob tells Mr. Krabs the only way to win them back is to give away free samples, which horrifies Mr. Krabs. When he realizes that no customers at all is worse than as free samples, he reluctantly agrees.

Soon after, SpongeBob went on the streets with a grill, ready to give away free Krabby Patties. Mr. Krabs is having second thoughts, but SpongeBob chains him to heavy concrete blocks, telling Mr. Krabs that it's for his own good. SpongeBob announces his free goods, but nobody answers. SpongeBob uses his backup plan: playing a calliope with Squidward acting as the monkey. People are attracted to the sounds of the calliope, and Squidward (in a monkey costume) dances to a woman and a baby in a stroller. When the baby throws a coin at Squidward's head, he rips off his costume and leaves. When the people learn that SpongeBob is giving out free Krabby Patties, they are hesitant. Mr. Krabs laughs that even free isn't good enough for them, then is horrified when he realizes how bad that is for business. He gives up and leaves. Plankton watches from afar, celebrating his accomplishment in ruining the Krusty Krab.

SpongeBob tries a different approach: selling "New" Krabby Patties. This doesn't work at first, until a customer's hunger gets the best of him and he realizes he'd rather take his chances than go hungry any longer. As soon as he takes a bite, he is instantly smitten with the Krabby Patty. He empties his pockets and asks how much it will get him. More people come to eat free samples, as well as paying extra, feeling the Krabby Patty is so good it shouldn't be free. When Plankton hears the commotion, he walks over, and gets upset. A truck dumps money on SpongeBob, as does a helicopter, which causes money to fly all around. One bill lands on Mr. Krabs' nose, he runs to the stand. He leaps into the pile of money, right on top of Plankton and makes money angels. SpongeBob joins him, but they stop when they hear Plankton's high-pitched screams. Mr. Krabs asks what that noise was, and SpongeBob asks, "What noise?". They resume making money angels.

Trivia

 * It's revealed in this episode that Patrick is the only one who can handle eating Plankton's Chum.
 * In one scene, Nat's shirt turns from red to pink.
 * When SpongeBob ties Mr. Krabs to the cinder blocks he can't move, but at the end of the episode he can move with the cinder blocks tied to him.
 * This title card is similar to Plankton's Regular, except this one is blue.
 * This is the second time Frank's shirt changes color.
 * When Plankton calls his idea to give free samples "new and original" even though it clearly wasn't, it might be a reference to the unlicensed Nintendo Entertainment System game, Action 52. The box claimed all 52 of its games were "new and original", even though most were just ripoffs of other games, cookie-cutter shooters, and poorly programmed platformers.
 * This is the third time SpongeBob calls Mr. Krabs "Eugene." The first was The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie]and the second was [[Selling Out
 * SpongeBob mistakes an angry mob for a crowd of fans, the other times were in Sing a Song of Patrick, and SpongeBob's Last Stand. Next time will be Hello Bikini Bottom!
 * This is the 5th apperence of a primate costume. The first was I Had an Accident, the second was Shell Shocked, the third was SpongeBob's Last Stand, and the forth was Perfect Chemistry.
 * Nat has two different voices in this episode.
 * Shubie and Nat are a couple in this episode.
 * Betsy Krabs is mentioned in this episode when Mr. Krabs contemplates moving in with his mother.
 * In this episode we see that if Mr Krabs lower his prices, he'll only go 1 cent.
 * This is the second time Mr. Krabs gives away free Krabby Patties. The first was in Patty Caper.
 * The original plot of this episode was that Plankton buys patty and gives it away for free and SpongeBob and Patrick try to find a way that they could get The Krusty Krab's customers back.
 * Throughout this whole episode, Mr. Krabs and SpongeBob never found out that this was Plankton's doing.