The Algae's Always Greener

The Algae's Always Greener is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season three. In this episode, Mr. Krabs and Plankton switch lives.

Characters

• Sheldon J. Plankton/Mr. Plankton
• SpongeBob SquarePants 
• Squidward Tentacles
• Mr. Krabs
• Pearl
• Karen
• Nat Peterson 
• Harold 
• Old Man Jenkins
• Shrimp

Plot

After failing to steal the Krabby Patty formula yet again, Plankton decides that he wants to switch lives with Mr. Krabs. Plankton does so after he eats his holographic meatloaf, and wakes up in his Mr. Krabs' office, wearing his uniform, and sees a name plate reading "Mr. Plankton" and a photo of him with Pearl. Plankton realizes that he has successfully teleported to a universe where he was successful, and has an alternate SpongeBob give him two Krabby Patties for "bun inspection". While Plankton is in his office, drooling over the Krabby Patties and celebrating his newfound power and wealth, SpongeBob suddenly appears for his weekly performance review. Plankton tells him that he's fine the way he is but SpongeBob persists and all but demands that something be found wrong with him, Plankton relents and tells him been using too much sauce, which contrary to his insistance of being criticised SpongeBob gets shocked and starts to make weird shuddering noises while twitching. To calm him down, Plankton promotes SpongeBob to "co-cashier", much to the disdain of that universe's Squidward, who enters his office to complain and wants his veiw to be a little less yellow, and is then made fry cook while Plankton replies, "I hope you like Gray!". Before Plankton can get back to his Krabby Patties, an alternate Pearl, now his daughter, comes into the restaurant, asking for an "advance" on her allowance.

An alternate Mr. Krabs, who now has the life of Plankton, and is completely naked, as Plankton normally does not wear clothes, appears, with a Krabby Patty in hand. SpongeBob tries to shoot Krabs using a cannon that shoots out clothes, and throws the Krabby Patty to Plankton after Mr. Krabs is shot with a bra, he is though still confused about what is going on.

As Krabs leaves and the people at the Krusty Krab give a "victory screech". Krabs tells Plankton that he will come back every day as repeatingly saying, "And the next day, and the next day, and the next day-" Soon, when he leaves the Krusty Krab, he calls Plankton on a phone and repeats the lines to him over and over again, Plankton then screams and he wakes up in his reality. The episode ends with him saying "Holographic Meatloaf. My favorite!" and Plankton eating happily.

Music

Original music

• Love Through Adversity - Title card

​APM music

Plankton wakes up and investigates the office of the Krusty Krab building.

• Dramatic Cue D- "Co-cashier?!?"
• Cocktail Lounge- #1: "So, have you two known each other long?"
• Hawaiian Link (a)- "Hope you like 'Grey'!"
• Rococo Rondo- Pearl asked Plankton for an advancement of her allowance.
• Dramatic Cue B- Pearl starts crying.
• Dramatic Cue A- "OH MY GOODNESS!!"
• Fates- SpongeBob booms his failure to Mr. Plankton.
• The Creature A - #3: The Krusty Krab panics for Krabs arrival.

Trivia

• When Mr. Plankton's eye turns into a Krabby Patty, it is the same Krabby Patty from the Krusty Krab Training Video.
• The title "The Algae's Always Greener" came from the saying "The grass is always greener".
• When Plankton says "Rolling stones gather no algae.", it is a parody of the saying "Rolling pebble gather no moss.".
• This is one of the few episodes that is focused on Plankton.
• This is the sole episode where the mainstream SpongeBob doesn't appear. However, his alternate counterpart does.
• The episode is featured on Sea Stories and 10 Happiest Moments DVDs.
• When Plankton says "Rolling stones gather no algae" is a reference to "Rolling stones gather no moss".
• The Dutch title of this episode is "Hoe het is om meneer Krabs te zijn" meaning "How Is It To Be Krab?".
• The part where SpongeBob starts whining just because Mr. Plankton said that he used too much sauce became popular in YouTube for it's stereotypical Asian look.
• The title card is similar to Big Pink Loser, except green and covered with seaweed.
• While everyone is panicking, a wilhelm scream can be heard.
• This is the twenty-fifth time that Patrick doesn't appear.
• When Mr. Plankton says "What, did I say the secret word or something?" is a reference Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
• The shrimp is the only decopod that isn't either a lobster or a crab appearing in the series.
• Squidward thinks that SpongeBob is twice as annoying as he looks with one mouth.
• Also, Mr. Plankton says "It's just an ordinary Krabby Patty..." and the morbid Krabby Patty became Internet memes.
• This isn't the only episode to show an alternate-universe. Alternate-Universe SpongeBob has appeared in mirrors in five other episodes (these are Something Smells, Squid's Day Off, Wet Painters, Chimps Ahoy andGhost Host). An Alternate-Universe Squidward and Patrick have also appeared in episodes.
• This episode's title card is similar to the other episodes The Thing and Hide and Then What Happens?
• This is another instance in which Squidward's Krabby Patty cooking skills are shown to be subpar; a previous instance was in Hooky. His cooked patties were said to taste like fried boots. In fact, one patty was a fried boot.
• This episode's plot is kinda similar to the Spy Buddies plot as Mr. Krabs and Plankton swap places for the day.
• This is the 2nd time a prison siren has been seen/heard in the series. The first was in Valentine's Day. The 3rd is possibly in Krabby Road.
• This is the second episode overall to be centered mainly on Plankton. The first was in Plankton!.