IStakeout

iStakeout is the 20th episode of the first season of iCarly.

Plot
An iCarly webcast draws attention from the Seattle Police Department, when a Convenience Store Clerk suspected of making pirated DVD's is caught walking behind "Crazy Fruit Dude" on the segment "Who's That Weirdo in My Neighborhood?" One of the officers in charge of the case is an old bully that Spencer knew from summer camp, named Stuart Stimbler, a.k.a. "Spanky." Unfortunately for Spencer, Spanky hasn't changed at all since he was a kid.

During the police visit, Freddie offers an MPEG of the show that may have had their suspect, which triggers an argument with Sam over the meaning of MPEG. Sam says that MPEG stands for "Moving Picture Experts Group," and Freddie says it stands for "Mega Pixel Electronic Gallery." Both finally try to settle the argument with a bet, in which Freddie loses. He is then forced to get a tattoo of Sam's face on his arm, which he spends a great deal of time trying to keep it concealed from his mother.

In the meantime, the two police officers who are trying to bust the alleged bootleg video ring use the Shay apartment as post to gather evidence, and bring no results, but end up exploiting the Shay family as much as they can. They eat all the food in their refrigerator, order a pizza using Spencer's credit card, and cancel a web cast after it begins. Spanky also spends much of his time seeking opportunities to spank Spencer, and later takes his bratty son on the stakeout, who does as much damage to the apartment as the cops do.

Frustrated with the police's inability to do anything else but make their lives miserable, Carly, Sam, and Freddie decide to go undercover themselves, and enter the convenience store where the videos are being sold. After Carly and Freddie get nowhere attempting to be subtle with the store clerk (played by Curtis Armstrong), Sam comes right out and tells him that she and her friends know about the DVD-ring. The clerk finally reveals that the videos exist, but that they're all homemade original tales exclusively with pirate-related themes, and are incredibly amateurish to say the least. One copy of the movie convinced the cops that they have nothing on the clerk, so they pack up their equipment and leave.

However, before Spanky gets the chance to leave, Spencer talks him into letting him handcuff him to the couch by telling him that there is an easy way to get out of them. Spencer tells Spanky, "Hey Spanky! Payback time!", and retaliates for all the torment he had to go through at summer camp, and during the investigation by spanking him back repeatedly. Spanky's son watches happily as Spencer spanks his father in front if him.

Trivia

 * The fictional soft drink brands in the episode, Peppy-Cola and Mocha Cola, are parodies of Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
 * At one point, a commercial was shown on Nickelodeon where Nathan Kress and Jennette McCurdy were in a car together, and a fan dared Jennette to call her mom and tell her that she got a tattoo. That could be a reference to this episode.Freddiettattoo.jpg
 * The cashier's DVD, Pirates of the Lima Bean, is a parody of the Walt Disney Pictures movie series starring Johnny Depp called, Pirates of the Caribbean.
 * In this episode, it was first revealed to Carly and Sam that Freddie's first name was Fredward.
 * This episode contains two quotes which would eventually be seen on Penny Tees and later on Carly's pillows in her new room: "Church Pants" and "Parole Baby".
 * Carly asks if the store clerk has a cheaper copy of Scarlett's Web, which is a parody of the classic children's book, Charlotte's Web.
 * Stu Stimbler bears a reference to Wee-man on Jackass

Goofs

 * Carly watches a "bouncy jogger man" through the iCarly studio window, but in "iWant My Website Back," there was an alley right next the building. But still later they could have built the building after "IStakeout"
 * The boy picks up a plastic bottle, and when he throws it at the door, it breaks like glass.

Gallery
View Gallery for this episode here.

Quotes
Freddie: Do you really think Sam's gonna make me get a tattoo of her face?

Carly: I don't know, but if she does, won't your mom freak?

Freddie: She freaked when I spilled one tiny drop of mustard on my church pants!

[Carly laughs at what Freddie said]

Freddie: What?

Carly: Church pants!

Carly: [After Sam asks Carly if Freddie lost a bet] I want no part of this. I'd rather watch the bouncy jogger man. [during Freddie getting a tattoo] Oh my God, now he's doing jumping jacks.

Carly: [Grumbling to herself while cleaning up the apartment] Stupid cops... Not cleaning up after themselves... Interrupting our webshow... Making me grumble to myself ...

Sam: Some people just have no manners. [Tosses her soda can on the floor for Freddie to pick up]

Spencer: [To Freddie] Do you know what it's like to be harassed every day by some kid?

Freddie: [Turns to look at Sam]

Sam: [Grins widely, teeth stained by ice pop]

The store clerk: [Picks up a guitar and sings] Camptown ladies sing your song, doo dah, doo dah, Yank my toe till it's 5 miles long, oh the doo dah day! Everybody! Yank my toe all night...

Freddie: Forget it!

Carly: "Aaarrrg"?

The store clerk: That's a pirate word. It means: "Hello", "Goodbye", "Peace." It's like "shalom", only for pirates.

Related iCarly.com blog posts
Carly's blog: WEIRDOS in Our Neighborhood!