Recap / SpongeBob SquarePants S2 E20 "Squid on Strike" / "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm"

"Krusty Krab is unfair! Mr. Krabs is in there! Standing at the concession! Plotting his oppression!"

Squid on Strike

Original air date: 10/12/2001

After Mr. Krabs enforces a new fine system for the most mundane things (like existing), Squidward convinces SpongeBob to go on strike with him, not realizing it would cost him his job. But when SpongeBob hears how passionate Squidward's speeches are, he begins to get a bit too literal with his message.

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"Squid on Strike" contains examples of:

• Ambiguous Ending: Is the scene where SpongeBob and Squidward are still working in the Krusty Krab as skeletons what actually happened, or just a subtle Imagine Spot by Squidward? Notably, the camera pans in on Squidward's eyes as the realization sets in, in a very similar manner to the similar Imagine Spot from previously in the episode where he imagines him and SpongeBob striking as elderly versions of themselves, although there's no transition this time. Then again, an eternity is not actually a measurement of time, so who's to say what's happening.
• And I Must Scream: At the end of the episode, SpongeBob and Squidward are literally forced to work for Mr. Krabs forever, to the point where they are reduced to skeletons, while still working their jobs. SpongeBob doesn't seem to mind though, and in fact views this as the best possible outcome.
• Apathetic Citizens: The Bikini Bottomites, as usual. As Squidward lampshaded:
  Squidward: Nobody gives a care about the fate of labor as long as they can get their instant gratification.
• Artistic License – Biology: The episode ends by skipping forward "one eternity later" to reveal SpongeBob and Squidward still working at the Krusty Krab as dusty skeletons, despite the fact that both octopuses and sea sponges are invertebrates, and therefore lack a vertebral column. Granted, this was probably made for a joke.
• Artistic License – Law: In real life, it is illegal to fire your employees for striking and hire new staff in their place. Mr. Krabs' outrageous reasons for fining his employees wouldn't hold water either, but then again, that's the joke.
• Bait the Dog: The teenager who compliments SpongeBob as a fry cook legend, but then takes his job away while SpongeBob was striking.
• Be Careful What You Wish For: Squidward wished that the Krusty Krab be dismantled. SpongeBob goes a little too literal granting that wish to Squidward's dismay by destroying the restaurant.
  • It also applies to Squidward getting SpongeBob to take the strike seriously. He ends up taking it so seriously, and so literally, he demolished the building, effectively ruining Squidward's negotiations when Mr. Krabs decides to have them Work Off the Debt.
• Body Horror: When Squidward tries to pull SpongeBob away from the window he's stuck on, he ends up tearing his entire face off, and you can see his internal organs.
• Break the Cutie: SpongeBob is reduced to tears after getting fired for going on strike.
• Brick Joke: SpongeBob is willing to go on strike with Squidward, even if it takes FOREVER (though the same couldn't be said vice versa). By the end of this episode, they are re-hired in order to work off the damages to the restaurant, even if it takes FOREVER!
• Broken Record:
  • "Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward?"
  • And also "FOREVER! FOREVER! FOREVER!"
• Comical Overreacting: What triggers the entire plot of the episode is that Mr. Krabs sees his profits have dropped by a measly three dollars from the previous month and decides to bill SpongeBob and Squidward for, what he considers goofing off, basically whatever they're doing when not providing customer service.
• Comically Missing the Point: Squidward reassures SpongeBob early on that the strike will get him his job back and remove any sort of employee discrimination to make it all the better, but SpongeBob never really cared about that latter point, as stated by the ending.
  SpongeBob: The strike worked, Squidward! We got our jobs back! Forever!
• Did Not Think This Through: Squidward begins to realize that he doesn't want to be stuck with SpongeBob going on strike, but he forgets that he got SpongeBob fired along with him. Krabs later re-hires both of them. In short, Squidward and SpongeBob would still be together no matter what happens.
• Elderly Future Fantasy: Squidward's nightmare sees himself and SpongeBob still on strike, even well into their old age.
• Failed a Spot Check: Mr. Krabs doesn't notice the destroyed Krusty Krab even when he walks into it, even "unlocking" the front doors with his key since he was keeping his eyes closed. He finally opens his eyes when he sits down in where his office used to be.
• Fate Worse than Death: Naturally, Squidward is horrified at the idea of being on strike with SpongeBob forever. He envisions himself and SpongeBob as two old men still on strike ^note the latter tries to get the former's attention, but just stands motionless as if dead, or just too depressed at being on a seemingly purposeless strike with the most annoying person in his life to care..
• Gale-Force Sound: When Squidward yells at SpongeBob in his megaphone, "You are a terrible striker!", it's enough to make SpongeBob's skin temporarily fly off him.
• Gilligan Cut: When SpongeBob tells Mr. Krabs that he and Squidward are going on strike:
  Mr. Krabs: You mean you're gonna make picket signs?
  SpongeBob: Yeah!
  Mr. Krabs: And you're gonna make protest speeches?
  SpongeBob: Yeah, yeah!
  Mr. Krabs: AND YOU'RE GONNA DEMAND ME RESPECT?!
  SpongeBob: YEAH!
  [cut to SpongeBob crying outside the Krusty Krab]
  SpongeBob: No... NOOOO!!! Squidward! You didn't tell me I was gonna get fired!
• Gone Horribly Right: SpongeBob's plan to destroy the Krusty Krab to get his and Squidward's jobs back works, as they have to work there forever to pay off the damages.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Squidward manages to negotiate the workers' struggle with Mr. Krabs, which would've gotten him and SpongeBob off the hook, but everything mentioned in the below trope causes Squidward's strike to blow up in his face.
  • Mr. Krabs billing his employees in response to a three dollar profit fall seems to avert this at first, with the duo riling up the crowd enough for the restaurant to see record crowds... but Krabs soon gets annoyed by the teenage scabs he hires, then sees the establishment literally dismantled by Sponge as a result. Then it gets double subverted as he just has them Work Off the Debt, effectively eliminating that "drain" on his profits.
• Idiot Ball: SpongeBob gets hit pretty hard with this in the episode. While naivety was always part of his character, he seems to be completely absent-minded here.
• Literal-Minded: SpongeBob takes Squidward's rally cry of "dismantling the oppressive establishment" too literally and destroys the Krusty Krab.
• Mean Boss: Mr. Krabs as far as fining his employees for standing, breathing, talking, and existing. Also doubles as Hypocritical Humor because even Mr. Krabs does all four.
• Mistaken for Cheating:
  Squidward: Attention, people of Bikini Bottom! You have been cheated and lied to!
  Woman: I knew it! (slaps husband)
• Oh, Crap!:
  • SpongeBob is a little too excited about going on strike, only to learn that he would get fired for making demands to his boss.
    • He is then shocked when one of the residents announces that he is the new fry cook.
  • Squidward upon seeing SpongeBob has as he wished, dismantled the establishment.
  • When Mr. Krabs sees that SpongeBob has destroyed the Krusty Krab, he literally goes to pieces.
• Oh Wait, This Is My Grocery List: Or rather, this is my laundry.
  Squidward: Ah, yes! Our meager restitution! (sniffs envelope) Ahh, the sweet smell of payday! (opens envelope; pulls out underwear) D-huh!?
  Mr. Krabs: Oh, sorry! That's me dry cleaning.
• Paying for Air: Mr. Krabs fines his employees for breathing, as well as other things, such as talking, and existing (which he charges more for than breathing). Provides the page image.
• Rage Breaking Point: Despite being the Extreme Doormat he is, SpongeBob loses his patience with Mr. Krabs when he mockingly decries Squidward's striking methods.
  Mr. Krabs: I wish you two had gone on strike earlier! Thanks for attracting all these paying customers, with all your "signage" and your "sloganeering"!
  SpongeBob: Alright, Mr. Krabs! You've gone too far this time! You can pick on me, but Squidward is a great leader!
• Running Gag: Squidward getting flattened by a crowd running over him.
• Say My Name:
  • "SQUIDWAAARD! SPONGEBOOOB!"
  • "Nyeh, Squidward? Nyeh, Squidward?"
• Shout-Out:
  • The episode's plot is a comical play on the historical labor strikes over the horrible working conditions back in the nineteenth century: Mr. Krabs is the Mean Mr. Bossman, SpongeBob and Squidward were the strikers while the teenagers were the strikebreakers.
  • The song "Hey Mean Mr. Bossman", which SpongeBob listens to in his room, is a humorous reference to the folk protest songs of the early 20th-century labor movement.
• Slogan-Yelling Megaphone Guy: Squidward does this to rally the citizens for support.
  Fish 1: What's that guy talking about?
  Fish 2: I don't know, but he's got a megaphone.
• Status Quo Is God: At the end of the episode, Mr. Krabs forces SpongeBob and Squidward to work for him forever after the former destroyed the Krusty Krabs as part of the strike, also getting their jobs back.
• Streisand Effect: In-Universe. Squidward's protests against the Krusty Krab only brought more publicity and so more customers to the Krusty Krab. He actually helped drum up business by going on strike, and Krabs thanks him for it.
• Strike Episode: After Squidward is fed up with Mr. Krabs' greed and convinces SpongeBob to go on strike with him. SpongeBob eventually proves to be so terrible at it, that Squidward ends up wanting his job back so he wouldn't have to strike with him. Squidward actually goes up to Mr. Krabs to beg for his job back; but it turns out Krabs is even more desperate to get rid of the annoying teenagers he replaced them with. After a little negotiation, it seems things will go back to normal... but when SpongeBob takes the strike too far and vandalizes the Krusty Krab (he "dismantled the establishment"), Mr. Krabs forces them both to work there "forever".
• Sudden Downer Ending: SpongeBob and Squidward get their jobs back. Unfortunately, because the former totaled the restaurant, they end up working for Mr. Krabs forever. Granted, this is only a Downer Ending for Squidward; SpongeBob is overjoyed.
• Swapped Roles: It's subtle, but in the "One Eternity Later" ending, SpongeBob's skeleton is behind the cash register and Squidward's skeleton is cleaning up. Usually, Squidward is behind the cash register and Spongebob cleans the restaurant (when he's not cooking).
• Tear Off Your Face: The third time SpongeBob is fired, when Squidward pries him off of the doors, his entire front is gone, revealing his skeleton and circulatory system.
• Teens Are Monsters: The teenager who takes away SpongeBob's job even while he is on strike. He and his friends then harass Mr. Krabs and later they get fired for this.
• Tempting Fate: Squidward brings SpongeBob along for his protest, and as a result, SpongeBob takes the words in Squidward's speech to the people of Bikini Bottom to heart and, later that night, destroys the Krusty Krab just as Squidward and Mr. Krabs were negotiating business terms, and as a result, Mr. Krabs disregards the negotiations and puts Squidward and SpongeBob to work forever, but SpongeBob doesn't care, as he's just happy to have his job back.
• Time Skip:
  • Squidward has an imaginary one earlier in the episode where he envisions himself and SpongeBob years later as old, frail and still on strike. He's understandably horrified at the prospect.
  • When SpongeBob destroys the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs angrily declares that in order to pay off the damages, SpongeBob and Squidward will be working there forever. The ending then jumps "one eternity later" to show the two of them reduced to skeletons yet still working at the Krusty Krab.
• Took a Level in Dumbass: SpongeBob has done this throughout the first half, such as struggling to toss out his hat (mostly because he doesn't want to) and messing up in making a picket sign.
• Visual Pun: One of SpongeBob's attempt to make a picket sign is that of a finger picking a nose (a pick-it sign).
• Waiting Skeleton: The episode ends with SpongeBob destroying the Krusty Krab, and so Mr. Krabs orders SpongeBob and Squidward to work for him forever. A time card announces a skip to "one eternity later", where they have been reduced to nothing but skeletons, yet they're still working. A bit of Artistic License – Biology going on, considering that sponges and octopuses are both invertebrates, but hey, this is a cartoon, so anything goes.
• Waving Signs Around: Parodied. When Squidward makes a sign reading "Krusty Krab Unfair", SpongeBob makes a sign reading "Krusty Krab Funfair". His first two attempts include a picket fence and then a picture of a guy picking his nose. He eventually draws one that says "I Love The Krusty Krab," at which point Squidward tells him to give it up.
• Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: Squidward when he realizes that he's going to be...
  Squidward: On strike with SpongeBob... forever?!
• You Are Worth Hell: A non-love example. When Mr. Krabs announces that SpongeBob and Squidward will be working for him forever, SpongeBob jumps with joy, happy to have his job back, even though he and Squidward spend one eternity there.

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Alaska beats Texas, no questions asked.

Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm

Original air date: 10/12/2001

After a large Alaskan Bull Worm starts wreaking havoc on Bikini Bottom, Sandy decides to take matters into her own hands, much to SpongeBob's distress.

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"Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm" contains examples of:

• Acquired Situational Narcissism: Being The Ace of Bikini Bottom has made Sandy rather overconfident, insisting she has the Bull Worm covered in spite of SpongeBob's warnings.
• All for Nothing: The Bikini Bottomites used every bit of strength to push Bikini Bottom far away from the Alaskan Bull Worm, but they end up getting crushed anyway, along with relocated Bikini Bottom.
• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: "It's big, scary, and PINK!"
  Sandy: So is Patrick's belly button, but I ain't afraid of that, neither.
• Attack the Tail: The major reason Sandy tries to confront the worm is that it ate her tail.
• Bait-and-Switch: While the town is discussing what to do about the worm, an old man with a hook hand scratches a window, and it seems like he'll be the one to take it on, but then he simply asks where the bathroom is.
• Behind the Black: Sandy doesn't notice that the cave she's walking into, where she believes the worm is hiding, very clearly has eyes and teeth until the camera pans up to it.
• Big Bad: The Alaskan Bull Worm, which is big, dangerous, actively preys on the Bikini Bottomites and serves as the main antagonist.
• Black Comedy: SpongeBob using the paper clip and piece of string to form a necklace as they're being chased. "S for SpongeBob, or S for Sandy! That way, they can identify our bodies."
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: Sandy's logic as to why she's capable of taking on the Alaskan Bull Worm.
  Sandy: Well, I don't know nothin' about Alaska, but lookie here! (pulls out her wallet with photos) Back in Texas, I wrangled bulls... and I wrangled worms! Far as I'm concerned, doin' 'em both together just saves rope.
• Break the Haughty: Sandy goes to take out the Alaskan Bull Worm for the sake of the town and adamantly refuses to listen to SpongeBob's warnings about how big and monstrous the thing is, convinced she's "too Texas-tough" and can easily handle the worm. In the end, she comes across the worm in a cave and apparently beats it... only to discover that what she fought was actually the worm's tongue and that the entire cave itself was the worm. SpongeBob and the Bikini Bottomites were not exaggerating over how big and monstrous it is, and when she finds out, all of her bravado fades in an instant.
• Brick Joke: Patrick at one point recommends that the townspeople push Bikini Bottom somewhere else to avoid the worm. At the very end, we see that they've done that... only to get crushed by the worm.
• Canis Major: Technically the Alaskan Bull Worm is one since it's been established in the series that worms are the underwater equivalent to dogs. However, it doesn't show any dog-like behavior like other worms.
• Chekhov's Gun: The paper clip and piece of string that SpongeBob pathetically attempted to pass off as Sandy's tail to stop her from going after the worm are both later used by Sandy as a grappling hook to latch onto a passing tree, saving SpongeBob and her from the worm by riding on top of it.
• Crazy Enough to Work:
  • Subverted by Squidward, when discussing Patrick's plan to "take Bikini Bottom and push it somewhere else".
    Squidward: That idea might just be crazy enough... TO GET US ALL KILLED!
  • Zig-Zagged afterwards, as the townsfolk still try it... and proceed to get crushed by the Alaskan Bull Worm.
• Delayed "Oh, Crap!": When Sandy sees that the thing she just fought is not the worm, but its tongue, and it slowly dawns on her just how screwed she is.
  Sandy: Ohhhhhhh... This is the tongue... and the whole... thing is the... worm. (beat) RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIFE!!!!!!
• Destructive Savior:
  • Sandy and SpongeBob think they saved Bikini Bottom by sending the worm down a cliff. And they would have, had the town not been relocated to the bottom of that same cliff.
  • That said, Patrick and the townspeople become this when they move the town, having no faith in Sandy and SpongeBob actually succeeding in stopping the worm; they only succeed in putting themselves in harm's way by going through with this plan after the duo has left.
• Disproportionate Retribution: How does SpongeBob try to get Sandy to admit that she was wrong about being able to take on the worm? By threatening to trip her while they're running from the thing so she'll get eaten!
• A Dog Ate My Homework: Among the destruction the worm caused in its first rampage, one fish claimed it ate her children's homework. Her kids aren't as upset about it as her.
• The Dreaded: The Alaskan Bull Worm. Everyone in Bikini Bottom is terrified of the thing. Mr. Krabs, a former Naval officer, says that no one would ever dare try to fight one, and even Sandy, after all of her bragging, panics when she sees it's much bigger than she imagined.
• Failed a Spot Check: Sandy doesn't notice that she's literally walking into the worm's mouth until the the camera pans up to reveal its eyes and teeth.
• Faux Horrific: Mr. Krabs really hams it up when Sandy brings up payment for getting rid of the worm, which he desperately defends his money and cash register, foaming at the mouth, and would rather watch everyone die then lose a single cent. This, of course, just leaves everyone staring in awkward silence with Sandy laughing saying she was just joking about payment. Mr. Krabs, in his relief, nervously chuckles, and then breaks down in tears after being traumatized about his money supposedly being on the line.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Squidward claims that Patrick's idea to move Bikini Bottom could get them all killed. It turns out that he was Right for the Wrong Reasons (but it's a cartoon, so they're all probably okay).
  • The worm is frequently called an Alaskan Bull Worm, and Alaska is the only U.S. state bigger (by a large margin) than Sandy's home state of Texas. Sure enough, Sandy discovers that the Bull Worm is much, much bigger than she realized.
• Go Through Me: SpongeBob's last attempt to keep Sandy from confronting the worm. She literally goes right through him with minimal effort, splitting his body into halves like he was a saloon door.
• I Warned You: SpongeBob desperately tries to keep Sandy from facing the worm, but his warnings are repeatedly dismissed. Once running from the giant worm, SpongeBob calls her on this and threatens to trip her if she doesn't admit it.
• Ignored Expert: SpongeBob may be the only person who actually saw the worm and could identify it afterward. Sandy completely fails to heed his advice on its size and power.
• Insane Troll Logic: Patrick comes up with the idea that in order to get rid of the worm, they should try escaping it by pushing the entire city's foundation to another faraway location. At first, Squidward protests but then eventually Mr. Krabs and the town give it a shot. The idea actually works, they somehow got the entire city to the bottom of a cliff...which is then promptly crushed by the worm falling off the cliff.
• Insistent Terminology: Sandy insists on SpongeBob repeating her word-for-word including her Texan accent, which he complies along with her high-pitched emphasis.
  Sandy: And I can handle your little bull worm too, 'cause I am the best there is! There ain't nothing too big or too ornery for me to catch.
  SpongeBob: Okay.
  Sandy: Say it.
  SpongeBob: There isn't anything...
  Sandy: "Ain't nuthin'!"
  SpongeBob: (in a high-pitched voice like Sandy) Ain't nuthin' (normal voice) too big or too ornery for you to catch.
• It's Personal: Sandy goes after the worm because it ate her tail.
• Kaiju: The Alaskan Bull Worm, complete with a monster-like roar when chasing after SpongeBob and Sandy.
• Laser-Guided Karma: The Alaskan Bull Worm lands at the bottom of the pit and lets out a very painful-sounding "ouch" at the very end of the episode. This comes after violently chasing SpongeBob and Sandy, as well as damage caused to Bikini Bottomites before that.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": SpongeBob panics when he realizes the worm is approaching Bikini Bottom. When he warns the townsfolk, everyone except Sandy starts screaming and panicking too. Their fear of the worm is more than justified.
• Moby Schtick: Like Ahab, Sandy hunts the worm for revenge. However, she is guided not so much by obsession as overconfidence, as she fails to heed SpongeBob's warnings that the worm might be more than she can handle.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • SpongeBob at the start when he wakes up to find the worm leaving after devouring his house.
  • "RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIIFE!!!!"
  • Sandy and SpongeBob when the worm is driven off a cliff, right when they are riding it leading them to scream and make a break for it. The worm does an Oh, Crap! too, in a Freeze-Frame Bonus.
• Oh, No... Not Again!: The fish that had his butt eaten by the worm.
• Only the Leads Get a Happy Ending: Bikini Bottom is completely destroyed when the bull worm lands on top of it with Sandy and SpongeBob completely unaware, and it's all Played for Laughs.
• Post–Wake-Up Realization: SpongeBob does this when his house gets devoured by an ALASKAN BULL WORM!
• Pride: Sandy spends the entire episode bragging about how she can easily take on the Alaskan Bull Worm, only to run away as soon as she sees just how big it is.
• Produce Pelting: When Mr. Krabs tells the panicking people of Bikini Bottom that they should buy a Krabby Patty, the crowd responds by pelting him with ketchup and mustard bottles.
• Pushed at the Monster: While running from the worm, SpongeBob threatens to trip Sandy and leave her to be eaten unless she admits that it actually is too big for her to handle.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: Squidward was correct when he said that Patrick's plan to push Bikini Bottom would get them all killed, but was most likely referring to the logistics behind the proposition, either that they'll die from exhaustion or that the bull worm will pick them off while they're vulnerable. Turns out it does get everyone killed (Amusing Injuries notwithstanding), but only because they pushed the city in the very spot the bull worm would fall on.
• Rule of Funny: The Bikini Bottom residents actually taking Patrick's suggestion to push the city somewhere else. Neptune only knows how Patrick managed to convince them, or what merit they saw in the plan, but that's what makes the joke funny.
• Sanity Slippage: Old man Krabs doesn't take the idea of paying Sandy very well.
  Mr. Krabs: NOOOOOOO!!! You'll never get a cent out of me! Never! (froths at the mouth) I'D RATHER THAT WORM COME IN HERE RIGHT NOW, AND EAT YOU ALL ALIIIIIIIIVE!!!
• Shoot the Shaggy Dog: For everybody but SpongeBob and Sandy. They seemingly defeated the worm, but what they don't realize is that not only did the Yellow Fish have his butt bitten off again, but the worm has demolished the entire city of Bikini Bottom at the bottom of the chasm, meaning that even though they get to celebrate, their hard work was All for Nothing. Not to mention... the worm is in pain.
  Alaskan Bull Worm: Ooouuuuuuch...
• Shout-Out:
  • The title is a reference to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
  • "Worm sign!"
  • The old sailor scratching a window to get the attention of the townspeople while they discuss what to do about the beast spoofs Shaw's introduction in Jaws. Then, Sandy appears telling the townspeople that she'll catch the beast, just as Shaw does. The old sailor additionally wears a fisherman's coat and has a hook hand, referencing the main antagonist of I Know What You Did Last Summer.
  • Sandy entering a cave which then turns out to be the maw of a humongous wormlike creature is a reference to the famous "space slug" scene from The Empire Strikes Back.
  • The episode in general is a parody of Tremors, especially the climax where the worm is tricked into jumping off a cliff to its death. Only in this version the worm survives, crushing the town in the process.
• Sinister Scraping Sound: The sailor man that looks like he is going to volunteer as the worm hunter. In the beginning, he scrapes his hook loudly, then reveals himself, but then says needs to use the restroom instead.
• Skewed Priorities:
  • A very large crowd gathers in the Krusty Krab panicking over the bull worm's rampage and what does Mr. Krabs suggest? That they all buy a Krabby Patty. He is promptly pelted with condiments.
  • SpongeBob insists to Sandy that he was right about the worm. While they're being chased by it.
    SpongeBob: Hey, wait a minute! I was right, wasn't I?!
    Sandy: Later!
    SpongeBob: Ah, he IS too big for you, isn't he?
    Sandy: Not now, SpongeBob!
    SpongeBob: I want to hear you say it.
    Sandy: Can we talk about this another time?!
    SpongeBob: Say it!
    Sandy: SpongeBob!
    SpongeBob: (sticks his foot out) Say it or I'll trip you!
    Sandy: NO! Get away!
    SpongeBob: Say it!
    Sandy: NOT NOW!
    SpongeBob: SAY IT!
    Sandy: OKAY! You were right, and I was wrong! I was wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong-wrong! Are you happy now?!
    SpongeBob: (with the smuggest look on his face) I knew it.
• Stopped Dead in Their Tracks: Parodied. Sandy declares there is nothing SpongeBob can say that will stop her from going after the titular Alaskan Bull Worm. SpongeBob mutters some nonsense words, and Sandy pauses, saying "I got to admit, that slowed me down".
• Sudden Downer Ending: Played for Laughs. At the end, the Bikini Bottomites think they've pushed Bikini Bottom far enough to evade the Alaskan Bull Worm. They cheer until the worm crushes them and relocated Bikini Bottom. This doesn't apply to SpongeBob and Sandy since they were above the cliff before the worm landed, although their town is destroyed.
• Suddenly Speaking: The last line of the episode is the worm letting out a sullen "Ouch..." after landing on Bikini Bottom.
• Tempting Fate:
  • After getting on top of the worm by using SpongeBob's paper clip and piece of string as a grappling hook, Sandy states to SpongeBob that they'll be safe now. Cue the worm driving off a cliff.
  • Patrick and the rest of the Bikini Bottomites manage to move the town to a different location unaware that it's at the bottom of the same cliff the worm falls into. As they cheer, they and the town are crushed by the worm.
• That's No Moon: After investigating some tracks, Sandy deduces that the Alaskan Bull Worm is in a nearby large cave. Sandy spots what she thinks is the worm and fights it. She successfully defeats the creature at the entrance of the cave. However, SpongeBob points out that the creature Sandy defeated wasn't the worm, but its tongue. Sandy looks at the cave again and realizes that the cave is the worm.
  SpongeBob: That's not the worm, that's his tongue.
  Sandy: Ohhhh. This is the tongue. And the whole thing is the worm. ... RUN FOR YOUR LIIIIIIIIFE!!!
• Too Dumb to Live: Sandy for openly underestimating the bull worm's size and strength; doubly so to the townspeople for going through with Patrick's plan to move the town to another location. When both sides carry out their plans at once, they come back to backfire horribly with Sandy running away in fear when she finds out what the worm is really like and Patrick and the entire town ending up being crushed by the worm.
• Truth in Television: Mr. Krabs froths at the mouth when he thinks Sandy wants his money. Real crabs actually do froth if they have trouble breathing.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Both parties (SpongeBob and Sandy on one side, the rest of Bikini Bottom on the other) end up contributing to the city being crushed by the worm unwittingly: SpongeBob and Sandy defeat the worm by sending it off a cliff...while the townspeople are pushing the entire city somewhere else, and that "somewhere else" ends up being right under the falling worm. If only one plan had been enacted and not the other, the city wouldn't have been destroyed.
• Visual Pun:
  • Sandy says she found a "worm sign": a small sign with the word "Worm" on it.
  • The "cave" that Sandy finds the "worm" (actually his tongue) in is just the worm's mouth that it's holding open. The technical name for the entrance to a cave is "mouth".
• Wham Line: "That's not the worm, that's his tongue."
• Wham Shot: After SpongeBob mentions that Sandy fought the worm's tongue, the camera pans up to reveal that the entire "cave" surrounding the tongue (and that Sandy is currently in) is the worm.

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Patrick: PUUUUUUUUUUUUSH!!

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