| The Chaperone | |
|---|---|
| Season 1, Episode 12a | |
| |
| Air date | October 2, 1999 |
| Written by | Sherm Cohen Aaron Springer Peter Burns |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost |
Next Employee of the Month |
The Chaperone is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season one. In this episode, SpongeBob takes Pearl to her prom.
Characters
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Pearl Krabs
- Mr. Krabs
- Judy (debut)
- SpongeBob's dummy
- Gary the Snail
- Squidward Tentacles (cameo)
- Pearl's friends
- Prom Attendants
- Octavius Rex
- Billy Fishkins
- Bryan Flounder
- Fred
- Nathiel (brief cameo)
- Patrick (mentioned)
- Joe
Timeline
Before Barnacle Face
Plot
At the Krusty Krab, Pearl runs in crying so profusely that her tears begin literally flooding the restaurant. Mr. Krabs asks her what's wrong, and she explains that her prom date has just dumped her, and the prom is tomorrow night. Mr. Krabs suggests taking himself, but she starts crying, causing an earthquake. He then suggest he takes Squidward or one of the restaurant's customers to the prom, but she continues crying, which causes the earthquake to become worse. Ultimately, he chooses that SpongeBob should be the one that has to go with her. Pearl doesn't want to be embarrassed by SpongeBob, and begs him to do his best not to. At home, using a magazine as a guide, SpongeBob dresses up and uses extremely long artificial legs to make himself look "long, tan and handsome" for Pearl. On the night of the prom, things initially work well for SpongeBob and Pearl. However, SpongeBob's costume soon begins malfunctioning, resulting in disaster and severely embarrassing Pearl. SpongeBob, after having broken everything at the prom, runs into the ladies' restroom crying. Pearl, feeling sorry for him, attempts to console him and restore his confidence.
This ultimately succeeds, and Pearl and SpongeBob join the prom dance. They begin doing a dance called "The Sponge", which everyone else soon begins doing. However, this results in many deaths and mass destruction. An angry mob forms and lifts up Pearl and SpongeBob, who think this means that they are popular until the mob throws them out of the building. SpongeBob apologizes, and Pearl says even though it was a disaster, it was really fun. Pearl says goodnight to SpongeBob as she returns home, and tries to get SpongeBob's attention, but as she does so SpongeBob appears to be frozen. Mr. Krabs congratulates SpongeBob on his success at the prom, and the real SpongeBob appears to retrieve his wax dummy of himself (which was seen earlier in the episode), and carries it off, laughing.
Trivia /Goofs
- SpongeBob will wear a similar tuxedo in "Squilliam Returns".
- All the customers at Krusty Krab during the scene where Mr. Krabs offers them to be Pearl's prom date look identical. (They are all Freds).
- When SpongeBob asks what's wrong, there is a window on the door that goes to Mr. Krabs office, rather than an anchor, but the anchor is back in a later shot
- 17th time SpongeBob cries.
- 9th time Patrick doesn't appear. 1st was Reef Blower, 2nd was Ripped Pants, 3rd was Pizza Delivery, 4th was Pickles, 5th was Jellyfish Jam, 6th was Squeaky Boots, 7th was F.U.N. & 8th was Musclebob Buffpants.
- MY LEG: When the music is playing, everyone struggles to dance as the prom is ruined.
- Note: This is the second time the MY LEG! gag sounds completely different than the usual ones and the fastest one yet. The first time the MY LEG! gag sounds different is in Culture Shock.
- This is the first episode to focus on Pearl. 2nd will be Bossy Boots, 3rd will be Whale Of A Birthday, 4th will be Slumber Party, 5th will be Growth Spout, 6th will be Tunnel Of Glove, 7th will be Barnacle Face & 8th will be Mr. Krabs Takes A Vacation.
- At nine minutes and thirty-four seconds into the episode, there is a reference to the film "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" (1978), when a girl in a white dress is chased by a giant apple.
- At the beginning when SpongeBob makes a Krabby Patty, the patty looks wider than usual. Also, the bottom bun looks smaller and narrower.
- This is the first time SpongeBob dispenses a drink because he absorbs it. The second time will be in The Slumber Party.
- Interestingly, there is no chaperone watching Pearl and SpongeBob.
- Pearl's "pizza topping" remark is a reference to anchovies being used as a topping for pizza. At first glance, one would think she's referring to his acne, since "pizza face" is a term for a bad case of acne.
- Even though it was everyone else's dancing during "The Sponge" which caused havoc, not SpongeBob or Pearl, they're thrown out and blamed for the prom being ruined.
- It is unknown which SpongeBob is the dummy and who is real because it is like the dummy talks.
- In some scenes Pearl's rubberband was the same color as her hair.
- When SpongeBob and Pearl are getting thrown out,the sign says "Prom Nite" instead of "Prom Night"
- In this episode and Bossy Boots, Pearl likes SpongeBob, but on other episodes like The Slumber Party, She hates him.
- The Chaperone/Employee of the Month are the first pair of episodes Patrick doesn't appear. All the other pair of episodes are Dying for Pie/Imitation Krabs, Graveyard Shift/Krusty Love, As Seen On TV/Can You Spare a Dime?, Fear of a Krabby Patty/Shell of a Man, Whale of a Birthday/Karate Island, Penny Foolish/Nautical Novice, Keep Bikini Bottom Beautiful/A Pal for Gary, One Coarse Meal/Gary in Love, Gramma's Secret Recipe/The Cent of Money, Drive Thru/The Hot Shot, and Squiditis/Demolition Doofus
Goofs
- In the shot, immediately after SpongeBob's legs malfunction, they are back to normal.
- In the scene where SpongeBob is coming to Mr. Krabs' house before the prom, sounds of him struggling to walk can be heard, though his legs can clearly be seen through the window, not having moved the whole time.
- When Pearl floods the Krusty Krab with her tears, the customers are thrown up into the air. When they fall,Fred can be seen falling twice, one on the floor and one on Mr. Krabs .
- In one scene,when talking to Gary,SpongeBob clearly has lighter than usual blue eyes.This error goes on until the middle of the prom.
- One of Pearl's friends is seen on a stretcher during The Sponge, But when the teens throw SpongeBob and Pearl out of the prom, she is one of the teens who threw them out.
- During that same scene, another of Pearl's friends is sitting on the floor with her arm in a cast. She also throws Pearl and SpongeBob out, and the cast is missing.
- When Spongeob asks what's wrong, there is a window on the door that goes to Mr. Krabs office, rather than an anchor,But the anchor is back in a later shot.
Running Gags
Most of the dates of the girls saying "meep".
APM Music Identification
- Border Run - Title card.
- The Rake Hornpipe - SpongeBob cooks a weird food.
- Lonely Violin - SpongeBob hears Pearl crying
- Vibe Link B - "What do you mean?"
- The Rake Hornpipe - Krabs asks if anyone wants to take Pearl to the prom.
- Hawaiian Breeze - Mr. Krabs talks to Dummy SpongeBob.
- Orchestral Climax 12 - "I am a prom failure!"
- Hawaiian Cocktail - "Oh, Gary, I'm a prom failure."
- Cha Cha Nova - SpongeBob dresses up for the prom.
- Hawaiian Link A - A limo pulls up in front of the Krabs house.
- Love for Sale A - SpongeBob at the door
- Baby Elephant - Pearl has a aglifag fsdklgbasiedrfyaegwr
- Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture - Pearl sees her ex-boyfriend.
- Surf Buggy - Music playing at the prom.
- Border Run - The dancers are doing the whack.
- Lonely Violin - Pearl cries again.
- Kona Angel - SpongeBob cries.
- Kamakani B - SpongeBob and Pearl walk back to her house.
- Dramatic Cue H - "Keep her away from my precious girl.
- Kamakani B - SpongeBob arrives to pick up his dummy.