{{Episode

|title = Mid-Life Crustacean

|code = 210

|seasonnumber = 3

|episodenumber = 55b

|airdate = {{Flag|CAN}} {{Time|November 6}}, {{Time|2002}}<br>{{Flag|USA}} {{Time|January 24}}, {{Time|2003}}<br>{{Flag|AUS}} {{Time|July 2}}, {{Time|2003}}<br>{{SeeMore}}{{Flag|SK}} {{Time|October 7}}, {{Time|2002}} (EBS)<br>{{Flag|MEX}} {{Flag|BRA}} {{Time|July 28}}, {{Time|2003}}<br>{{Flag|GER}} {{Time|September 19}}, {{Time|2003}}<br>{{Flag|NOR}} {{Time|September 27}}, {{Time|2004}}<br>{{Flag|RUS}} {{Time|May 29}}, {{Time|2005}}<br>{{Flag|FRA}} {{Time|June 8}}, {{Time|2006}}<br>{{Flag|ITA}} {{Time|January 6}}, {{Time|2008}}<br>{{Flag|CZE}} {{Time|January 9}}, {{Time|2010}}<br>{{Flag|ALB}} {{Time|January 19}}, {{Time|2008}}<br>{{Flag|POL}} {{Time|May 16}}, {{Time|2014}}<br>{{Flag|BGD}} {{Time|July 28}}, {{Time|2019}}<br>{{Flag|HK}} {{Time|September 14}}, {{Time|2020}}<br>{{Flag|KEN}} {{Time|August 16}}, {{Time|2021}}{{SeeMoreEnd}}

|year = {{Time|2002}}

|sisterep = The Great Snail Race

|writer = [[C.H. Greenblatt]]<br>[[Kaz]]<br>[[Mark O'Hare]]

|storyboard artist = [[Chuck Klein]]

|director-storyboard = [[C.H. Greenblatt]]<br>[[Kaz]]

|director-animation = [[Frank Weiss]]

|director-creative = [[Derek Drymon]]

|briefsummary = {{Link|Mr. Krabs}} has a mid-life crisis when he realizes that he is old

}}

===Characters===

*K-OLD DJ {{Sup|(heard only)}}

*[[Eugene H. Krabs]]

*"[[You're Old]]" Singers {{Sup|(heard only)}}

**[[Martin Olson]] {{Sup|(main singer)}}

*[[Pearl Krabs]]

*Jenny {{Mentioned}}

*[[Boy scout]] {{Debut}}

*[[Incidental 40]]

*[[Incidental 18]]

*[[Incidental 102]]

*[[Incidental 151]]

*[[Incidental 87]]

*[[Incidental 91]]

*[[Incidental 80]]

*[[Incidental 81]]

*[[Incidental 85]]

*[[Incidental 90]]

*[[Incidental 82]]

*[[Incidental 92]]

*[[Incidental 86]]

*[[Incidental 94]]

*[[Old Man Walker]]

*[[Incidental 93]]

*[[Incidental 39]]

*[[Incidental 36]]

*[[Incidental 48]]

*[[Incidental 103]]

*[[Patrick Star]]

*{{Link|SpongeBob SquarePants}}

*[[Squidward Tentacles]]

*[[Hot rod fish]] {{Debut}}

*[[Incidental CM17]] {{Debut}}

*[[Incidental 37A]]

*[[Incidental 49]]

*[[Incidental 152]]

*[[Incidental 13]]

*[[Incidental 41]]

*[[Incidental 25]] {{Cameo}}

*[[Incidental 116]] {{Cameo}}

*[[Incidental 6]] {{Cameo}}

*[[Incidental 108]]

*[[Incidental 107]]

*[[Incidental 106]]

*[[Incidental 153]]

*Barnacle {{Mentioned}}

*Robot rabbit {{Debut}}

*[[Betsy Krabs]]

*[[Victor Krabs]] {{Sup|(possible photo)}}

==Synopsis==

The episode starts with [[Eugene H. Krabs|Mr. Krabs]] struggling to get out of his hammock bed. He goes into his kitchen to find that [[Pearl Krabs|Pearl]] has made him breakfast. Pearl reminds him to take his pill and Mr. Krabs asks if she thinks he is old. Much to his dismay, Pearl says she does. Later in the morning, he is walking along the street and again denies that he is old, but then discovers a boy-scout fish is helping him walk. When Mr. Krabs tries to walk off, his arm comes off into the boy-scout's hands, and Mr. Krabs apologizes.

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean 013.png|thumb|200px|"Open up, it's time for the pill!"]]

At the [[Krusty Krab]], Mr. Krabs is feeling upset, when he overhears Incidental 103 complaining that his [[Krabby Patty]] tastes funny. His mother Incidental 48 tells him that it's 'all old and dried out' in an insulting comparison to Mr. Krabs. Patrick enters the Krusty Krab, and SpongeBob yells at him from the kitchen, asking if he is ready for the big night out, and Patrick yells back saying he is. After Squidward yells at them to keep it down, they continue the conversation in the kitchen, where Mr. Krabs eavesdrops on them from the door to his office. Mr. Krabs asks them if he could come with them on their night out, but [[Patrick Star|Patrick]] thinks he might cramp their 'style' and he tests Mr. Krabs to see if he knows the "secret cool guy hand shake." It turns out he does, and Patrick says he's in.

At 8:01 PM, SpongeBob and Patrick arrive at Mr. Krabs' house as part of their "fashionably late" promise, ready for the big night out. They first go to [[The Wash!]] to watch their faces spin in the mirror reflection of a washing machine, but Mr. Krabs is not amused by this activity and wants to see more of the night life. The scene then changes to them doing many other bizarre activities in various settings such as at the library, dentist, and highway, none of which have yet succeeded in amusing Mr. Krabs.

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean 141.png|thumb|200px|"Art thou feeling it now, Mr. Krabs?"]]

Finally, they are at a children's arcade called [[Bunny Buns]], and SpongeBob once again asks if Mr. Krabs is feeling it. Multiple kids at once ask him this over and over, and then Mr. Krabs gets angry and berates the incidentals for embarrassing him, and then SpongeBob and Patrick for taking him out on a series of bizarre occurrences which don't live up to their promise of coolness and call them names. He then decides to cancel the night and go home, but Patrick tries to change his mind by saying that he'll miss out on the "Panty Raid," an occurrence in which the trio will be invading a woman's house at night to steal her underpants. It is at this moment that Mr. Krabs reconsiders and has finally found a highlight of his night out.

SpongeBob, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs arrive at a house, and are successful in obtaining an unspecified woman's underwear. However, they are caught red-handed when the woman turns on the light and catches the boys in the middle of the act, revealing her to be [[Betsy Krabs|Mr. Krabs' mother]]. As a result, Mr. Krabs is grounded and sent to his room, being assisted by the boy scout. SpongeBob apologizes for what happened, and Mr. Krabs tells him it was fine, as being in his old bedroom made him feel younger. As the camera pans to show Mr. Krabs' room as a child, Betsy tells him to turn off the lights and Mr. Krabs says, "Yes, Mommy." He then turns off the lights, ending the episode.

===Running gags===

*Whenever Mr. Krabs is walking, a boy scout helps him and says, "Don't worry Pops, we're almost [to Mr. Krabs' destination]." Mr. Krabs also gets annoyed when the boy scout is helping him.

*SpongeBob and Patrick asking Mr. Krabs if he can "feel it."

==Production==

===Art===

<gallery widths="180" position="center">

Production pose - Pearl gives Mr Krabs the pill.jpg

</gallery>

===Music===

{{MLegend}}

{{APM-article|Drunken Sailor (B)|Robin Jeffrey, Tim Laycock|Title card}}

{{SB|You're Old|Eban Schletter, Stephen Hillenburg|plays on the radio}}

{{APM|h|Hawaiian Party|Peter Dennis|breakfast}}

{{APM-article|The Tip Top Polka/The Cliff Polka|Chelmsford Folk Band|Krabs going to work}}

{{APM-article|Hawaiian Link (B)|Richard Myhill|Krabs sighs}}

{{APM-article|Dramatic Cue (E)|Ronald Hanmer|cemetery}}

{{OM|Steel Licks 9|Jeremy Wakefield|exterior of Krusty Krab}}

{{APM-article|Botany Bay#Botany Bay (b){{!}}Botany Bay (b)|Robert Alexander White|old Krabby Patty}}

{{APM|h|Hilo Rag|Guy Fletcher|"Good morning, Krusty Krew!"}}

{{APM-article|Police Car|Sam Spence|"Style!"}}

{{APM-article|Unease|Dick Stephen Walter|secret cool guy handshake}}

{{OM|Steel Sting|Jeremy Wakefield|8:01 PM}}

{{OM|Steel Licks 8|Jeremy Wakefield|"You're embarrassing me, Dad!"}}

{{APM|t|Tympup A|Sammy Burdson, John Charles Fiddy|SpongeBob's bike}}

{{OM|Steel Licks 6|Jeremy Wakefield|Krabs in a wagon}}

{{APM|g|Gruesome|The Surfdusters|"Hey, you guys must be lost."}}

{{APM|k|Konfetti|Claude Carrasu, Krys Moram, Jan Tyski|in the laundromat}}

{{APM|p|Psychedelic Guitar|Ian Henry Marsh, Phil Pickett|"Oh, yeah!"}}

{{APM|k|Konfetti|Claude Carrasu, Krys Moram, Jan Tyski|"You guys want another rinse cycle?"}}

{{APM|u|Ulk-Fox Nr. 2|Gerhard Trede|picking up trash}}

{{APM-article|Dombummel|Gerhard Trede|Bunny Buns}}

{{APM-article|Kamakani B|Kapono Beamer|"Lame?"}}

{{OM|Idea Vibe|Nicolas Carr|"The what?"}}

{{APM|p|Police Car|Sam Spence|"Not lame!"}}

{{APM-article|Tomfoolery|David Snell|panty raid}}

{{APM|p|The Plot Thickens|Dick Stephen Walter|Mama Krabs appears}}

{{APM-article|Drunken Sailor (B)|Robin Jeffrey, Tim Laycock|Krabs grounded}}

{{APM|e|Emotion Blues|Francois Fournet, Eric Gemsa|ending}}

===Release===

*This episode is available on the [[Sponge for Hire]], [[The Complete 3rd Season|Complete 3rd Season]], [[The First 100 Episodes|First 100 Episodes]], [[The Ultimate SpongeBob Box Set]], SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 5, [[The Complete Third Season|Complete Third Season]], [[From the Beginning, Part 2]], [[The SpongeBob SquarePants Collection]], [[The SpongeBob SquarePants 8 Season DVD Collection]], [[Favorite Episodes]], [[2-Season TV Pack]], [[The Third & Fourth Seasons]], and [[The Best 200 Episodes Ever]] DVDs and on [[List of VideoNow discs|VideoNow]].

===Reception===

*{{Rank2|Mid-Life Crustacean|T100=86}}

==Trivia==

===General===

*This episode and [[The Great Snail Race|its sister episode]] were scheduled to air on {{Time|November 22}}, 2002, but "[[Wet Painters]]" and "[[Krusty Krab Training Video]]" aired in their place. The episodes were rescheduled for {{Time|December 20}}, 2002, but "[[Sailor Mouth]]" and "[[Artist Unknown]]" aired in their place.<ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20030815081622/http://www.tvtome.com:80/SpongeBobSquarePants/season3.html</ref> <ref>https://nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/December_20,_2002</ref>

*At the beginning of the episode, a song plays on the radio called "[[You're Old]]." It is sung by writer [[Martin Olson]], who appears as [[The Chief|the live-action chief]] of the [[The International Justice League of Super Acquaintances|I.J.L.S.A.]] in "[[Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V]]" and "[[Swamp Mates]]."

*SpongeBob and Patrick's night-out activities:

**Watch clothes get rinsed in the washer.

**Pick up trash under a highway.

**Go swimming in a wading pool.

**Ride kiddie rides at the [[Barg'N-Mart]].

**Go to the dentist.

**Fix a roof.

**Play a fantasy role-playing game.

**Go to the library.

**Go to [[Bunny Buns]].

**Panty raid Mama Krabs' house.

*This is the first episode where the [[Bikini Bottom Library]] appears.

*A picture of [[Victor Krabs]] can be seen when Mr. Krabs tries to explain why he was going through his mother's drawer.

*This is the final episode where [[Paul Tibbitt]] voices Betsy Krabs. In future episodes, she is voiced by [[Sirena Irwin]].

*This is the last episode to premiere during [[Friday Night Nicktoons]].

[[File:SpongeBob SquarePants Episode 55 missing from Season 3 on iTunes.png|thumb|260px|"The Great Snail Race" and "Mid-Life Crustacean" missing from Season 3 on Canadian iTunes.]]

[[File:SpongeBob SquarePants Episode 55 still included on From the Beginning, Pt.2 on iTunes.png|thumb|260px|"The Great Snail Race" and "Mid-Life Crustacean" are still included on From the Beginning, Part 2 collection on iTunes.]]

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean unavailable on SpongeBob Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video.png|thumb|260px|"Mid-Life Crustacean" unavailable from Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video.]]

*According to a [[Nickelodeon]] representative quoted in an {{W|IGN}} article on {{Time|March 27}}, {{Time|2021}}, this episode has been confirmed to be pulled from further reruns on American television due to storyline concerns, likely because of the panty raid scene.<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/spongebob-squarepants-episodes-pulled-over-storyline-concerns</ref> The last time Nickelodeon USA aired this episode was on {{Time|August 14}}, {{Time|2018}}.<ref>https://nickstory.fandom.com/wiki/August_14,_2018</ref> Although [[Nicktoons]] USA continued to broadcast this episode on occasion, the last time it was shown on the network was on {{Time|February 25}}, 2021 during the [[Every SpongeBob Ever]] event.

**This episode is currently missing from [[Paramount+]] (formerly CBS All Access), though it was available for streaming prior to its rebranding on {{Time|March 4}}, 2021. Its sister episode "[[The Great Snail Race]]" was also missing for a time, but has since been re-added as a stand-alone episode.

**This episode was available on Season 3<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/spongebob-squarepants-season-3/id201910200</ref> and the [[Mighty Sporting of You]] collection<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/spongebob-squarepants-mighty-sporting-of-you/id540776722</ref> as a purchase on American {{W|iTunes}}, but it was removed on March 27, 2021.

***This episode is still available on the [[From the Beginning, Part 2]] collection on iTunes.<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/spongebob-squarepants-from-the-beginning-pt-2/id620094530</ref>

**This episode was available to stream on {{W|Amazon Prime Video}} until March 27, 2021, when it was removed from Season 3.<ref>https://www.amazon.com/Great-Snail-Race-Gary-Love/dp/B0172XU5X4/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spongebob+squarepants+season+3&qid=1634320921&s=instant-video&sr=1-1</ref>

***Despite being banned, its sister episode "The Great Snail Race" would later be paired up with the [[season 7]] episode "[[Gary in Love]]" on American iTunes and some streaming services.

**In Canada, this episode was available on Season 3<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/ca/tv-season/spongebob-squarepants-season-3/id201910200</ref> and the Mighty Sporting of You collection<ref>https://itunes.apple.com/ca/tv-season/spongebob-squarepants-mighty-sporting-of-you/id540776722</ref> as a purchase on Canadian iTunes, but it was removed in August of 2021. It is currently unknown if {{W|YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV}} is still airing this episode. YTV is owned by Corus Entertainment, the same company that runs {{W|Nickelodeon (Canadian TV channel)|Nickelodeon Canada}} and Nick+ in Canada.

**As a result of the pulling of the episode, this and "[[Kwarantined Krab]]" are the only two episodes so far that have been banned in the United States. This episode was banned due to being considered not kid-appropriate when Patrick brings up the "Panty Raid" and "Kwarantined Krab" was banned due to its plot unintentionally being similar to the {{W|COVID-19 pandemic}}.<ref>https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1286760443311042560</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1286761770166575105</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/VincentWaller72/status/1351562478585450496?s=20</ref>

**Despite being banned in the US, it is still unbanned in other countries:

***{{W|MBC 3}} (Arabia) aired this episode, but with the panty raid scene cut.{{Citation needed}}

***{{W|Nickelodeon (Polish TV channel)|Nickelodeon Poland}}, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland airs this episode regularly during Season 3 reruns.

***The Ukrainian television channel {{W|PLUSPLUS}} also airs this episode regularly during Season 3 reruns.

****However, the episode is missing on 1plus1.video, a Ukrainian video on demand service which is related to Paramount+.<ref>https://1plus1.video/gubka-bob-kvadratnye-shtany/3-sezon#player</ref>

**{{W|Nickelodeon (Latin America TV channel)|Nickelodeon Latin America}} airs this episode rarely as part of their "Animation Seamless" block in Mexico.<ref>https://cartoonlounge.de/tv-programm/channels.php?id=80&hl=en&time_zone=CDMX&date=2021-10-8</ref>

===Cultural references===

*This episode's title is a pun on the phrase "mid-life crisis."

*"P and P," the game that SpongeBob, Mr. Krabs, and Patrick were playing, is a parody of ''{{W|Dungeons and Dragons}}''.

*One of the locations SpongeBob and Patrick bring Mr. Krabs to is Bunny Buns, which is a parody of {{W|Chuck E. Cheese's}}.

===Errors===

[[File:C.H. Greenblatt ender.jpg|thumb|260px|C.H. Greenblatt ender.]]

*In the [[Bob l'éponge|French dub]], [[C.H. Greenblatt]] has the word "ender" after his name in the "written by" section of the credits.

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean 047.png|thumb|260px|Invisible bubble transition.]]

*During the scene transition from the ice cream stand to the Krusty Krab, bubble sounds can be heard, but no bubbles actually appear.

*During the "Panty raid" scene, Mrs. Krabs' house is first shown as blue.

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean 184.png|thumb|260px|Betsy Krabs' boxers.]]

*When Mrs. Krabs' bloomers are first seen during the panty raid, they are shaped like normal panties, but when Mr. Krabs pulls one out, it is instantly rather shaped like boxers.

[[File:Mid-Life Crustacean 193.png|thumb|260px|Betsy Krabs with no hair.]]

*When Betsy says, "Go to your room, mister," her hair is missing, but when it zooms in, her hair is back when she grounds Mr. Krabs.

[[File:Vlcsnap-2021-04-17-14h28m29s778.png|thumb|260px|The end credits from this episode, with an incorrect copyright year, during the {{Time|December 7}}, {{Time|2020}} airing.]]

*In early airings, the episode had an incorrect copyright year of {{Time|2001}} in the credits. Later airings (and the original print of this episode) have the correct date of {{Time|2002}}.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woGMGnIxtdQ&t=33s</ref>

**Until February 25, 2021, the on-screen end credits also referenced the copyright year of 2001 as well.

{{Clear}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikipedia|Mid-Life Crustacean}}

{{Awards|GoldenReel}}

[[es:Crustáceo Maduro]]

[[id:Mid-Life Crustacean]]

[[nl:Midlifeschaaldier]]

[[pl:Kryzys wieku skorupiakowego]]

[[pt-br:Crustáceo De Meia Idade]]

[[ru:Ракообразное средних лет]]