Chocolate with Nuts

Plot

In the episode, SpongeBob accidentally receives Squidward's Fancy Living Digest magazine in the mail, inspiring him and Patrick to become entrepreneurs. At the suggestion of Patrick, the pair become chocolate bar salesmen, which results in them purchasing large quantities of chocolate bars from the Barg 'n' Mart. The first customer in their door-to-door travels, however, just screams "CHOCOLATE!" and chases the two away. Afterward, SpongeBob and Patrick attempt to sell chocolate to another person, only to be conned into buying chocolate-carrying bags from that person, twice in a row. They then try to sell it to a woman who then wants to buy one, but when SpongeBob can't find a chocolate bar because of all of the carrying bags, the customer gives up. They are then chased away again by the chocolate fanatic.

After their disastrous results in their previous attempts, the two take a break at the diner, and decide to "try being nice." However, this is unsuccessful, ending in Patrick buying pictures of a customer in his childhood, as is their attempt to "focus" (resulting in Patrick staring at a customer until said customer slams the door on Patrick's eyes.) Then, they decide that the only way to sell chocolate is to "stretch the truth," which is successful when they convince an old woman (to the dismay of her daughter) that it "makes you live forever." The lying continues, but after they attempt to help a seriously injured man (who turns out to be the same man who sold SpongeBob and Patrick the carrying bags in disguise) by buying his chocolate, their profit is lost. However, the chocolate fanatic catches up to them, and, in a turn of events, buys all of the chocolate that SpongeBob and Patrick have. They then use the money to rent out a fancy restaurant, allowing access only to themselves and their dates, the old lady and her daughter who they sold chocolate to earlier.

Production

"Chocolate with Nuts" was written by Paul Tibbitt, Kaz, Kent Osborne and Merriwether Williams, with Andrew Overtoom serving as animation director. Tibbitt and Kaz also functioned as storyboard directors, and Carson Kugler, William Reiss and Mike Roth worked as storyboard artists. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on June 1, 2002, with a TV-Y7 parental rating.

"Chocolate with Nuts" was released on the DVD compilation called Christmas on the September 20, 2003. It was included in the DVD compilation called SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 3rd Season on September 27, 2005. On September 22, 2009, the episode was released in the SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD, alongside all the episodes of seasons one through five.

Reception

"Chocolate with Nuts" has received acclaim from both critics and fans alike. Emily Estep of WeGotThisCovered.com rated the track as the 10th best SpongeBob SquarePants episode, saying "The reason Chocolate With Nuts is such a good episode is that it subtly and somewhat-darkly hints at the concept of just how crazy the people who live around you are. Spongebob and Patrick are mostly swindled into buying things from other people – actually, a single con man who keeps appearing – and nothing is more terrifying/hilarious than the man who simply starts screaming 'chocolate' repeatedly until Spongebob and Patrick run away. Chocolate With Nuts adds the complete absurdity of the program – like the old lady and her even older mother who remembers when 'they first invented chocolate. Sweet, sweet chocolate. I always hated it!' – and the aspects of Spongebob’s undersea life that mirror our own lives on land – like stranger danger."

Nancy Basile of About.com ranked the episode No. 5 on her "Best SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes" list. She said "I can relate to the customer who spends this entire episode running around Bikini Bottom, screaming for chocolate. "Chocolate with Nuts" is about Patrick and SpongeBob trying to get rich by selling chocolate bars door to door ... There are witty punchlines and silly sight gags throughout the episode." Her favorite scene was when "Patrick focuses a little too hard on their unsuspecting customer."