The Heist

"The Heist" is the thirtieth episode of Season 5 of The Amazing World of Gumball. It is the 186th episode overall.

Synopsis
Richard discovers that going into a bank whilst wearing a motorcycle helmet can lead to trouble.

Plot
The episode starts with Gumball and Darwin asking Richard why he is wearing a helmet. Misinterpreting what they say due to him not being able to hear well through it, he nevertheless explains that he was sent out by Nicole to buy an exercise bike but decided he needed a helmet beforehand. Unfortunately, he could not take it off and was forced to buy it. After some more miscommunication, he decides to take the kids out to get some lunch (while, in the process, nabbing two cushions instead due to his limited peripheral vision).

Richard then proceeds to take a 'leisurely drive' (which is in fact Richard obliviously swerving on the sidewalk), spots a 'parking spot outside of Joyful Burger' (a sign signifying that the restaurant was further down), and inadvertently robs a bank under the impression that he was ordering fast food. He asks the bank tellers, Larry and Cupcake Man, to give him everything they have. They give him two brown bags full of cash, all while Cupcake Man implores Larry not to "be the hero." Richard departs with the money none the wiser.

Later on, at the crime scene, Cupcake Man tries to sell himself as the true hero of the situation, causing Doughnut Sheriff to promise him a medal. Further, Cupcake Man frames Larry for conspiring with Richard in the crime, causing Doughnut Sheriff to attempt to arrest Larry. He tries to close the case, but finds out he cannot without the necessary evidence. Doughnut Sheriff thus reopens the case for investigation.

Meanwhile, on the television, Richard is on the news as a bank robber making his getaway. The scene then cuts to the Wattersons' house. Anais asks Gumball and Darwin if they can believe what they are seeing, though they are watching the wrong channel. When they switch to the proper channel, Nicole notices that the car in the getaway is theirs and fears for Richard's safety. Once Anais points out that Richard is the driver, however, she declares that she will kill him.

When Richard finally arrives home, Nicole karate chops his helmet off and explains to him that he robbed a bank of $2,000,000. Anais decides that they have to return the money. The family then hides in an alleyway, sending Richard out to bring the money back to the bank in a suitcase. Once Richard departs, Anais says that it was the right thing to do in spite of all the things the money could pay off, causing Nicole to frantically try to stop Richard while Gumball and Darwin hold her back.

In front of the bank, Richard chats with Doughnut Sheriff and two other police officers, but gets cold feet and flees the scene upon hearing of the harsh penalties of accidental theft, ditching the suitcase and running back to the alley. However, Doughnut Sheriff shows up to return the suitcase, believing Richard to have forgotten it by accident. Nicole proposes that they perform a heist (in reverse) to return the money.

Nicole's plan involves herself hiding in a box delivered to the bank under the guise of it containing a Christmas present. Larry, who signed off on the package, would proceed to put the box in the bank's vault where, at night, Nicole breaks free. From there, she intends to put the money back, but after faking herself out, decides to ditch the plan entirely, put the money in their account, and move to Martinique. The kids ultimately object to this before Gumball proposes another plan.

In the new plan, Gumball, in the dead of the night, attempts to reinsert the money into an ATM by trying to stuff it back up. However, he gets caught in the act by Doughnut Sheriff. The family ultimately interrupts his plan, objecting to his confusing grasp of how cops talk. Anais then shares her plan.

Anais decides to get an internship at the bank and slowly build up trust, advancing to a position as Regional Manager. From there, she plans to put one dollar a day into the bank's central account. However, this would take two million days to complete, thus nullifying the plan.

Finally, Richard shares his idea. Before the police catch him, he buries the money where no one will find it. Next, he purposely gets himself arrested and is sentenced to 20 years, but plans to instead tunnel his way out. However, the plan is inconvenienced by plastic forks being his only tools - he manages to escape after precisely 20 years, by which his sentence was over. Afterwards, he sets out to collect the money only to find the box empty. Frustrated, he returns home, finding it more opulent than usual. Nicole and the kids emerge with heavy plastic surgery, having used up all of Richard's money. When Richard asks how they knew where the money was located, they point out that it was indicated by his flash-forward.

Richard asks Darwin if he has a better idea, but Darwin instead simply dropped the money off back into the bank while they were talking. The family rejoices, but Doughnut Sheriff cuts their celebration short, telling them they have to clear the area. He then declares that he will perform a controlled explosion on a "suspicious package": the suitcase with all the money in it. They try to interject, but it is too late, as flaming shreds of money fall to the ground. The family watches, shocked, while Gumball deadpans that they tried, ending the episode.

Main Characters

 * Richard
 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Anais
 * Nicole

Supporting Characters

 * Doughnut Sheriff
 * Larry
 * Cupcake Man

Minor Characters

 * Gary
 * Karen
 * Harold
 * Cupcake Woman
 * Librarian
 * Bill
 * Marvin
 * Rocky
 * Cowboy
 * Orange Guard
 * Mr. Small
 * Hexagon Lady
 * Kip Schlezinger (voice)
 * Mike
 * Coffee Cop
 * Earl
 * Hamburger Cop
 * Goblin
 * Soulless Office Worker
 * Dog Cop
 * Horse

Trivia

 * On the one hundred dollar bill of the Elmore Reserve Note, several details can be seen:
 * The serial number of one of the bills is CCB20101977LB.
 * The seal reads, 'FEDERAL RESERVE: BANK OF ELMORE.'
 * The abbreviation of California, CA, can be seen below the serial number.
 * "THIS NOTE IS NOT REAL" can be read below the seal of the upper left.
 * The Treasurer of Elmore has the signature of Raphaël Chabassol, a character designer on Season 2 of the show.
 * The Secretary of the Treasury has the signature of Manuel Javelle, another animator on the show.
 * The upper right reads, 'THE CENTRAL BANK OF ELMORE.'
 * According to Anais' resume, the address to the Wattersons' house is 1026 York Street, Elmore, which is based on the real address 1026 York Street, Vallejo, California, where the house in real-life is located.
 * The Hot Dog Officer's name is revealed to be Earl.
 * The reporter's name is revealed to be Mike in the same scene.

Continuity

 * The Looney Tunes cartoon from "The Safety" reappears on TV as Gumball and Darwin watch it.
 * The alleyway that the Wattersons hide in is the same one featured in "The Law," albeit with swapped storefronts.
 * In Nicole's plan, she wears the same sundress from "The Night."
 * In Gumball's plan, he wears the same trenchcoat and hat from "The Saint."
 * In addition, the "Captain Crud" mascot from "The Downer" can be seen in the background.
 * In Anais' plan, once she reaches the "Regional Manager" position, she wears the same suit from "The Puppy" and "The Outside."
 * In Richard's plan, he wears the same prison uniform from "The Outside."
 * This is the seventh time Gumball and Darwin are shown older. The last six times were "The Gi," "The Job," "The Mirror," "The Crew," "The Uploads," and "The Vase."
 * This is also the third time Anais is shown older. The first two were in "The Job" and "The Vase."
 * This episode is also the first time Nicole and Richard are shown older.
 * This episode also shows that it is possible that if Anais grows older, she will start growing her own whiskers as seen in Nicole's plan, although this could just be a part of how Nicole envisions her in the future.
 * This episode is the first time Gary is shown older.
 * The scene where Gumball, Anais, Richard, and Nicole plan to figure out how to return the money is a reference to an older episode "The Plan".

Cultural References

 * In Richard's plan, Nicole's face and hairstyle resembles Malory Archer from Archer.
 * Harold Wilson can be seen riding a Hoverboard.

Goofs/Errors

 * When Richard explains that the helmet is too small, his chin disappears several times.
 * When Richard is parking the car in front of the bank, one of the windows disappears.
 * When Richard enters the bank, his right leg briefly disappears.