The List

"The List" is the thirty-eighth episode of Season 5 of The Amazing World of Gumball. It is the 194th episode overall.

Synopsis
When the kids find out that Mom's life hasn't panned out as she'd hoped, they start taking on her chores, but they accidentally grab her bucket list instead of her to-do list.

Plot
The episode starts with Gumball and Darwin concerned with Nicole, who is looking at artifacts of her childhood and a list of dreams she wrote with resignation. She laments about how reality gets in the way of ambition, and realizing how much she gave up for them, Gumball and Darwin decide to take care of her chores list for the day. Unbeknownst to them, though, she accidentally hands them her bucket list instead.

First, Gumball and Darwin head to the school library to get a degree; they achieve this by paying for a degree in holistic medicine online and printing it out. By coincidence, Gary collapses across from them, so the two put their newfound knowledge to the test with a wide variety of gemstones, surrounding him with candles. Gumball stuffs amethyst up his nostrils, causing him to struggle breathing. In spite of their valient efforts, Gary faints once more and the two lament his passing, though he manages to blow the gems out of his nose and wake up, causing them to deem their procedure a success, only to be angrily chased away by their patient.

On the run, Gumball and Darwin stumble upon wanted posters of themselves for medical malpractice, which Gumball celebrates as another item off their list: getting something named after them. (The posters have their names on them.) Next, the run a marathon, which takes the form of them riding on the back of two marathoners under the presumption of them being sick children, and later at school, Gumball conducts an orchestra by mouth-trumpeting his way through a performance.

Next on the list is starting their own business, so Gumball creates an infomercial for his new product, the Stump Butler, a hook designed to make up for the inconveniences caused by having fingers on account of being too sensitive, sweaty, awkward, and sausagey. Against all odds, they become millionaires off of the product - another item off their list - and further, they use it as an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. They do so by giving all of their profits to Hobo through an ATM, but the sheer amount of money it spits out causes him to suffocate in the pile.

Far off, a monk is shown meditating, only for Gumball to smack him in the back of the head with a frying pan, successfully beating a Shaolin monk per the bucket list. They then climb a mountain by the loosest, most technical terms possible, deeming marginal ascension as "climbing." Eventually, Nicole catches up with the two hoisting a dolphin ashore in an attempt to save its life; confused with what they are doing - among other things, this includes having learned Spanish and taking Chad Johnson to prom - she realizes and tells them that they were doing the dream list she wrote when she was sixteen. However, Darwin makes her realize that the real lie in her life is telling her that she lacks the opportunity to do anything about it. With the reassurance, she decides to accompany Gumball and Darwin on their final task: an around-the-world trip.

They achieve this through Elmore Maps, taking a virtual adventure. Starting at home, they click towards the highway, where they watch Richard get in a car accident, before heading out of town and on-board an airplane. From there, they take a trip to the Carribean and end up at a nudist beach, which Nicole graciosly covers up, asking them to select another place. Instead, they go to the North Pole, though with each step, the ice below them cracks until they fall into the water, only to be eaten by a fish. They keep clicking to find that the fish was eaten by a person who ends up choking, so they rush off to the emergency room. Afterwards, they head to Tokyo, though alarmed by its hectic nature, they take one final detour to outer space before rocketing back to earth.

With the conclusion of their trip, Gumball checks off the final item from Nicole's list. The episode ends with Nicole giving them what the list of chores she intended to give them in the first place, and Gumball and Darwin look on grumpily.

Main Characters

 * Gumball
 * Darwin
 * Nicole

Minor Characters

 * Newspaper Employee
 * Mr. Robinson
 * Pantsbully
 * Mr. Small
 * Richard
 * Fingathing
 * Larry
 * Anais
 * Hexagon Lady
 * Karen
 * Gary
 * Tree Librarian
 * Mr. Corneille
 * Jeff
 * Susan
 * Pantsbully
 * Shooting Star
 * Hamburger Cop
 * Hot Dog Guy
 * Cupcake Man
 * Orange Guard
 * Melted Cheese Guy
 * Siciliana
 * Mr. Pepperoni
 * Carrie
 * Principal Brown
 * Martin
 * Masami
 * George
 * Sphere Citizens
 * Oval Family
 * Shape People
 * Patrick
 * Mrs. Fitzgerald
 * Pollie
 * Hank
 * Felicity
 * Billy
 * Idaho's family
 * Carmen's father
 * Carmen's mother
 * Anton's parents
 * Juke
 * Leslie
 * Poodle
 * Noodle Man
 * Dolphin
 * Blue Elephant
 * Leonard

Trivia

 * This episode premiered in Italy and Spain before airing in the US.

Continuity

 * The same audience from "The Shell" appears watching Gumball's solo.
 * Several objects from Nicole's childhood memorabilia shown in the first shot of the episode allude to previous episodes:
 * Several photos, karate trophies, and an acorn pertain to events from "The Choices," as well as a necklace containing portraits of her parents.
 * A birthday card is signed by Yuki, Nicole's childhood rival from "The Fury."
 * Richard with his mouth agape in the yearbook may suggest continuity with "The Wand," where Richard allegedly screamed non-stop through his teenaged years. (The photo used, however, differs from the one used in that episode.)
 * The same yearbook page shows Nicole with the same dress and hairstyle she has at her prom as seen in a flashback in "The Ape."

Cultural References

 * Elmore Maps is a parody of Google Maps.
 * The street name Toriyama Avenue is a direct tribute to Akira Toriyama, creator of the Dragon Ball series.

Goofs/Errors

 * The Hot Dog Guy Gumball has an awkward encounter with during the commercial isn't the same one from "The Hug" and "The Awkwardness."