The Date

"The Date" is the twenty-seventh episode of Season 1 of The Amazing World of Gumball.

Synopsis
Gumball goes on a supposed date with his love interest Penny, only to discover he is actually attending a funeral for Penny's pet.

Plot
The episode begins with the Wattersons sitting at the dining room table. Richard had just finished telling his family a story about why you shouldn't mix Pop Rocks and soda. Nicole asks if any of the other family members want to share anything (besides Richard) so Gumball tells everyone about him planning on going on a date with his love interest, Penny. Nicole is ecstatic and attempts to hug her son and with some effort manages to do so. Darwin admits to his brother that he's impressed by Gumball's confidence, because if he messes up this "date", Penny might not ever talk to him again.

This realization makes Gumball nervous, but Nicole reassures him that as long as he is himself, then the date will turn out just fine. Nicole leaves for work, and after she's gone Richard chuckles to himself, causing Gumball to become curious and ask why. He informs his son that women only think they want someone because they don't know how bad they really are, and that it is better to think of someone very successful and be like them. Anais sides with her father, saying that Gumball is somewhat of a loser. Gumball is saddened by this since he really wants Penny to like him. Darwin suggests that Gumball could buy Penny some presents for the date, but he does not have any money. Richard decides to show Gumball how to get things without paying for them.

The first stop is the "greatest department store in the world"; the dump, where everything is free. Richard finds a fancy, ringmaster-type suit in a pile of garbage, while Gumball remarks that what his dad is doing is really disgusting and gross. Richard retorts by mentioning that Gumball never complained when he fished his son's favorite sweater out of a sewage outlet. Gumball is disgusted again and mentions that he wears his sweater all the time.

After they're done "shopping", Richard explains that Gumball's going to need some extra money to treat Penny on the date. Using Nicole's credit card, he carelessly withdraws some money. Unfortunately, he sneezes on the money, and withdraws some more money, while throwing the dirty bills into the wind.

At home, Gumball practices some lines for his date, while Anais comes in and informs him that he should be using proper etiquette during it. He doesn't know what that means, so Anais drags him into her room where a tea party is taking place with her and her dolls. Anais instructs Gumball to politely pour one of her dolls (Mrs. Pumpernickel) a cup of tea, but he refuses on the basis that the doll is looking at him in a strange way. She instead suggests that Gumball should attempt having a civil conversation with her, but when he asks her a question, she doesn't answer. Angry, Gumball insults the doll and throws one of Anais' plastic teacups on the floor and stomps on it furiously. Unamused, Anais tells Gumball to leave.

In the living room, Gumball is telling Darwin that he's fully prepared for the date, but Darwin informs him that there's still one thing he isn't prepared for: the unexpected, which he demonstrates to him by suddenly slapping him. Darwin tells Gumball to follow him to the training camp, or the backyard for a lesson in dealing with the unexpected. He trains Gumball with a cardboard drawing of Sal Left Thumb, so Gumball knocks it over weakly. Darwin admits that it was pretty good, but it would be even better if he finished with a catchy tagline. He does so for targets of Patrick, an imaginary ex-boyfriend of Penny's named Sebastian Longquin, and someone who doesn't believe in love. Gumball finishes the last target off by ripping his heart out, which Darwin claimed to be a bit extreme, but he was still impressed by the others.

The next day, Gumball's family is wishing him good luck on his date. Darwin decides to test Gumball's skill in dealing with the unexpected again, with admirable results as Gumball blocks Darwin's sudden punches expertly. Gumball shows up on Penny's doorstep sometime later, Penny looks forlorn as she stands in the doorway. Gumball asks her what's wrong, and she explains that she had asked Gumball to comfort her for her pet's funeral. Gumball is shocked and asks whom it is for, so Penny explains that the funeral is for Mr. Cuddles, their "supposedly" deceased pet.

Gumball, instead of being sympathetic, instead laughs it off and says that, "I thought it was for an important family member." Penny scowls at him, so Gumball, realizing his mistake, asks how Mr. Cuddles died, and she informs him that he died when her father accidentally flushed him down the toilet. Gumball stifles back laughter, which Penny again disapproves of.

The Fitzgeralds are out in their backyard, mourning the loss of their family pet. Penny asks Gumball to say a few words, so he describes Mr. Cuddles as being as hot as his owner, Penny, was, which she somehow finds comforting. Penny's Sister decides to show Gumball the memorial picture she made for Mr. Cuddles, which reveals that instead of a cute, furry mammal, Mr. Cuddles was in fact a tarantula. Gumball is so terrified by the arachnid that he shrieks loudly and destroys the poster, making her cry.

Patrick Fitzgerald and the rest of his family are extremely angered by this, and he suggests to Gumball that it would be for the best if he just left, but beforehand, Gumball asks to use their bathroom and they let him go there for a while. While in the bathroom, Gumball finds Mr. Cuddles sitting on the rim of the toilet seat. Despite being afraid of him, Gumball attempts to tell The Fitzgeralds that their pet is very well alive, but Patrick Fitzgerald tells them to ignore him. Gumball coaxes Mr. Cuddles, but this only results with the spider jumping onto Gumball's face, who screams and jumps through the window. Gumball finds a shovel and smacks the spider with it. Gumball manages to pry the spider off his face, but, in this commotion, he gets bitten. Gumball screams and throws the spider into Penny's hands, to which she joyously exclaims that he is alive after all.

Since Gumball found their pet, The Fitzgeralds forgive Gumball for making a scene at his funeral, and even Patrick expresses his approval of him. However, Gumball is more concerned about the fact that Mr. Cuddles bit him during their fight, which Patrick just brushes off and explains that his venom won't affect him unless he's bitten many, many time. We then see Gumball's back is covered in dozens of blisters from bite-marks and while he's a taking few steps trying to walk out of The Fitzgeralds' backyard, but he suddenly collapses cold due.

At Elmore Hospital, Gumball is lying down in a hospital bed, his face and his entire body is covered in severe purple blisters caused by the tarantula bite. Penny foolishly brings Mr. Cuddles back to the person that he bit in the first place, and the episode ends with a freeze frame of Mr. Cuddles jumping out of Penny's hands, everybody gasps, and Mr. Cuddles is about to land on Gumball's face again.

Main Characters

 * Gumball
 * Penny

Supporting Characters

 * Darwin
 * Nicole
 * Richard
 * Anais
 * Patrick
 * Mrs. Fitzgerald (debut)
 * Penny's Sister
 * Mr. Cuddles (debut)

Minor Characters

 * Teri (Penny's illustration)
 * Molly (Penny's illustration)
 * Sebastian Longquin (Darwin's illustration)
 * Sal Left Thumb (Darwin's illustration)

Trivia

 * This episode reveals that Gumball's sweater came from the dump.
 * Nicole's credit card company is Blue Cat Bank.
 * During Gumball's flashback, if you listen carefully you can make out Penny saying that it is Mr. Cuddles' funeral.
 * We learn in this episode that Gumball has arachnophobia, which is the fear or intense dislike of spiders.
 * Mrs. Fitzgerald was the only Fitzgerald to have no dialogue in this episode.
 * This is the first episode where Gumball is seen wearing shoes.
 * This is the first episode where Patrick and Penny's Sister's first speaking role.
 * This is Mr. Fitzgerald's, Mrs. Fitzgerald's, and Penny's Sister's first major role.

Continuity

 * This is also one of the only four episodes (e.g. "The Ghost" and "The Bet") to have a perspective from a character's point of view.
 * At the scene in the Fitzgeralds' upstairs hallway, you can see Penny's painting of the cheerleaders from "The Mystery."

Cultural References

 * Richard's story in the beginning of the episode is based upon the urban legend that drinking soda and eating pop rocks would cause your stomach to explode. This urban legend has since been debunked countless times.

Goofs/Errors

 * If you look closely at Nicole's credit card, her last name is misspelled "Waterson", instead of "Watterson".
 * When Gumball mourns and prays for Mr. Cuddles, he is missing his ears.
 * When Gumball says "What" after Richards faints, Nicole appears for a single frame when it is supposed that she left her family for go to work. Also, Nicole' animation is mixed with the table.
 * Anais takes Gumball out of his room to teach him about manners then tells him to get out of "her room", despite them normally being shown to share the same room.
 * When Darwin steps on the rake that has Patrick on it, his foot is posed as if he were going to step on the one with Sal Left Thumb on it.
 * When Gumball rips the heart out of the teddy bear, his hand goes through the rake and doesn't break it.

La Cita