SpongeBob's Frozen Face-Off
Original air date: 7/15/2011 (produced in 2010)
Everyone competes in a worm-sled race for one million clams, but it turns out to be a ploy by Plankton to get the Krabby Patty secret formula.
"SpongeBob's Frozen Face-Off" contains examples of:
- Artistic License – Nuclear Physics: The episode depicts a massive explosion occurring when Plankton breaks apart an atom. In reality, splitting a single atom only yields a negligible amount of energy. It's only when those atoms split other atoms in a chain reaction that continues for trillions of other atoms that energy on the level of a nuclear explosion is released.
- Bad Omen Anecdote: Mr. Krabs turns out to have already encountered the vicious Abominable Snow Mollusk currently terrorizing them all long ago as a young captain in the Navy. SpongeBob assumes he defeated the monster single-handedly, or at least managed to pull off a daring escape, but in fact, not only did Krabs and his Navy-crew get Swallowed Whole, they had to wait to come out of the monster the old-fashioned way...
- Big Damn Heroes: The Abominable Snow Mollusk appears to save SpongeBob and his friends from Plankton's grease trap.
- Big "NO!": Mr. Krabs shouts one after Karen's turbo boost!
- Braving the Blizzard: The episode focuses on SpongeBob and his friends trying to get through a frozen wasteland.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The Abominable Snow Mollusk initially shows up to menace the gang in the snowy wasteland, but returns near the climax to save them from Plankton's grease trap.
- Clothing Damage: Mr. Krabs' winter coat has been torn off by his sled worms when he meets up with SpongeBob and the others.
- Continuity Nod: SpongeBob asks everyone if they want to hear a campfire song, much to Squidward's refusal.
- Danger — Thin Ice: Squidward wanders onto a frozen lake, which cracks under his weight, freezing him in a block of ice.
- Eaten Alive: Mr. Krabs tells a story about how, back when he was in the Navy, he and his crew were eaten by the Abominable Snow Mollusk. This happens to Plankton at the end after the monster mistakes him for a jellybean.
- Entitled Bastard: The heroes manage to survive the frozen wastelands and confront Plankton for tricking them. Plankton then has the audacity to ask Karen for help, and that's after he doomed her to freeze alone, something Karen sarcastically muses:Plankton: [nervously] I sure hope my lovely Karen isn't a part of this posse. You gotta help me, Karen.
Karen: "You gotta help me". My monitor nearly froze up for good on your little race to oblivion! - Exactly What I Aimed At: During the group's first encounter with the Abominable Snow Mollusk, it launches out its tongues which strike the ground at their feet, prompting Sandy to mock that it missed, only for Mr. Krabs to inform her that it wasn't the attack. Sure enough, the Mollusk was using its tongues to scoop up snow into its mouth to fire at the group.
- Eye Scream: Patrick's eyes have icicles sticking out of them at one point.
- Growling Gut:
- This happened to Mr. Krabs' worms, causing them to snarl and attack Mr. Krabs.
- This happened to SpongeBob too, after talking about his empty stomach.
- Harmless Freezing: Squidward gets frozen in a block of ice and remains that way for most of the episode. This eventually also happens to SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Gary, and Karen, leaving Sandy to try and thaw them out.
- Here We Go Again!: Squidward says this word for word after Plankton escapes the Chum Bucket with the formula and the group has to chase after him.
- Kansas City Shuffle: Plankton had organized the snow race so he can have the entire town distracted while Plankton steals the secret formula.
- Kick the Morality Pet: Plankton was perfectly willing to deep fry Karen, his own wife, alongside the rest of the heroes.
- Made of Indestructium: The safe containing the formula. Until it breaks apart via Plankton splitting an atom, but even then a majority of it was still intact compared to the rest of the Krusty Krab.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Everyone screams in terror when it looks like the angry sled worms are about to maul them.
- Medium Blending:
- The Abominable Snow Mollusk is animated in stop-motion.
- A live-action nuclear explosion (like the one from "Dying for Pie") is seen.
- Meat-O-Vision: Sandy sees SpongeBob as a sponge kebab at one point.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Karen chooses to side against Plankton in the end out of anger for him leaving her to freeze in the blizzard.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Even though Plankton got the bottle with the secret formula, he was able to dislodge the cork...until Patrick easily opens it for him. Everybody gives him a loud Say My Name for that.
- Non-Fatal Explosions: Plankton creates an atomic explosion at point blank range that obliterates the Krusty Krab, yet is alive and only slightly dazed afterwards.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Unlike everyone else who is animated traditionally, the Abominable Snow Mollusk is animated in stop-motion.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Mr. Krabs goes through this when he overworks his hungry sled worms, and they turn on him.
- After countless attempts to open the ludicrously durable safe fail, Plankton snaps and starts trying to tear it apart with his bare hands, "bit by bit (tears a tiny chunk of the safe in two)! Molecule by molecule (snaps a cartoon molecule in two)!" But then... "Atom by atom! (snap-in-two)" Plankton realizes his mistake right before we're treated to live-action footage of a nuclear explosion. Which does finally open the safe.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Squidward says this after he falls in a lake while avoiding the Abominable Snow Mollusk, and ends up frozen in a block of ice.
- Papa Wolf: When the Abominable Snow Mollusk attacks the gang, Gary mews in fear. SpongeBob's immediate instinct is to jump in front of his pet and deflect flying debris by using his pores. While everyone else hides behind snow banks, SpongeBob uses himself as a shield to protect Gary.
- Running Gag: Squidward falling into cold water and being frozen solid.
- Skewed Priorities: Mr. Krabs abandons SpongeBob and the others to venture through a blizzard on foot in order to finish the race and win the prize money for himself.
- Sled Dogs Through the Snow: With the exception of SpongeBob (who uses Gary, his pet snail), everyone competing in the race uses worms (of some kind) to pull their sleds.
- Something We Forgot: After escaping the Abominable Snow Mollusk, SpongeBob realizes that Squidward's missing and they have to go back for him.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: SpongeBob and his friends try to finish a sled race through a frozen wasteland while Plankton tries to break open the safe containing the secret formula.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: None of the other contestants who were competing in the race are seen or heard from again.
- Would Rather Suffer: After Mr. Krabs abandons the sleigh and takes off by himself, he says "I'd sooner swallow a jellyfish than share the winnings with y-" right before a jellyfish flies into his mouth and stings him.
- You Are Too Late: By the time the group gets back to Bikini Bottom, the Krusty Krab is wrecked, the safe with the secret formula is empty, and there's a sign at the Chum Bucket saying it's now serving Krabby Patties, prompting SpongeBob to say this verbatim.Mr. Krabs: We'll see about that, Boy-O!
- Your Size May Vary: Occasionally happens to the Abominable Snow Mollusk. It's gigantic compared to other characters, being able to hold them like action figures but in Mr. Krabs's flashback, it’s so massive that it easily lifts an entire pirate ship as if it were a little toy model.
