076a - The Thing

Squidward Tentacles notices that the neighbourhood is unusually quiet, and proposes that SpongeBob is gone for the evening. Back in his house, Squidward tries to relax and watch some smoothe jazz on public televison, only to be distracted by SpongeBob and Patrick, who emphasize that they're trying to 'enhance' Squidward's evening. Eventually, Squidward lets SpongeBob and Patrick watch with him, only to be bombarded with questions. At last, Squidward is fed up, and leaves Patrick and SpongeBob watching his television.

Departing the neighbourhood on his recumber bicycle, Squidward is hit by a truck of cement and flies off into Jellyfish Fields, where he stays for five days. SpongeBob and Patrick are jellyfishing where they spot him, and decide to adopt Squidward, who they think is a wild animal and refer to as 'Smelly'.

Back at SpongeBob's pineapple house, Gary attacks Squidward and SpongeBob determines that it is dangerous for Smelly to remain in his household. Patrick decides to take Squidward under his wing, and plays a game of catch with him at his rock, but ends up calling Animal Control, who come and take Smelly to the zoo. There, SpongeBob is horrified that everyone is treating Smelly so cruely, so that night, SpongeBob and Patrick break into the zoo and plan to free Squidward. However, they are caught by Animal Control and SpongeBob and Patrick only manage to lose them by going underground.

After a while, Patrick sees light and the gang find themselves in a jungle-like landscape. SpongeBob remarks that the creatures around them look just like Smelly, so they leave Smelly with his real family and return home. The creatures accept Squidward as one of their kind, and as Kelpy G starts playing his clarinet, Squidward's cement cracks open and he simply says to the creatures, "Um...hi."